Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo put the dominant performance of his defense in perspective following a 34-7 win over Southern Methodist.
“Obviously the elements helped us,” Niumatalolo said of the weather, which featured heavy rain and winds in excess of 30 mph. “For us to go against a team like that, that’s so prolific throwing the football, to have the weather that we had was definitely an advantage for us.”
But there’s no denying Navy (5-3) posted one of its most dominant defensive performances since a 29-0 win over Tulsa in 2004. The Mustangs (1-8) entered the game with the 11th-ranked passing game in the country, averaging more than 302 yards per game through the air under first-year coach June Jones, who guided Hawaii to the Sugar Bowl last season.
In Annapolis, however, the Mustangs’ aerial attack gained just 157 yards and SMU was held to a meager 144 yards of total offense due to a minus-13 in rushing yards. SMU finished with just eight first downs and was only 1-of-9 on third-down conversions.
But the Midshipmen can’t count on another storm on Saturday afternoon at 3:30 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium against Temple (3-5). The Owls are coming off a 14-10 win over Ohio, but have lost three straight to Navy, including a 30-19 loss in Philadelphia last fall.
The Midshipmen need to win one of their remaining four games to accept an invitation to the EagleBank Bowl at RFK Stadium on Dec. 20, which would mark the sixth straight season Navy would play in a postseason game.
The Owls are ranked 118th out of 119 teams in total offense in the Football Bowl Subdivision, averaging a horrendous 251.1 yards per game. Navy averages 371.9 yards and 28.8 points per game.
“We talked about just coming out and doing our part,” Navy senior safety Jeff Deliz, who finished with a tackle and an interception against the Mustangs, said. “I’m sure the rain hurt them a bit, but we had to play in it, too.”
Meantime, the offense continues to be in a flux while the defense appears to be peaking.
The status of senior quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada is unclear after he missed the past three games — and parts of seven overall — with a hamstring injury. Classmate Jarod Bryant, who replaced Kaheaku-Enhada, was knocked out of the game against SMU twice, giving way to sophomore Ricky Dobbs.
Dobbs shredded the Mustangs for 224 yards and four touchdowns on 42 carries, but Niumatalolo and offensive coordinator Ivin Jasper insisted Dobbs is not prepared to be the starter.
But whoever is at the helm of Navy’s attack on Saturday must find a way to crack Temple’s improved defense, which ranks 61st in the country, yielding 351.6 yards per game.
“I have good guys behind me on offense and defense, and they have faith in me,” Dobbs said. “A lot of times I see a starting quarterback get hurt, and the team gets down. I was able to come in and everybody stayed positive throughout the game.”
Up next
Navy (5-3) vs. Temple (3-5)
When: Saturday, 3:30 p.m.
Where: Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium
TV/Radio: CBS College Sports Network/1090 WBAL
Tickets: Available
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