Navy?s football program has had many constants over the previous three seasons.
In each of the last three years, the Midshipmen have appeared in a bowl game (winning the last two), have won the Commander-in-Chief Trophy over fellow service academies Army and Air Force and have done so with a different starting quarterback each time.
The Midshipmen look to continue that trend this year as senior quarterback Brian Hampton is charged with running coach Paul Johnson?s triple-option offense with the same precision that Craig Candeto, Aaron Polonco and Lamar Owens have done before him.
Hampton begins the preseason on topof Navy?s depth chart at quarterback and is one of 37 returning letter winners from last season?s 8-4 team that defeated Colorado State in the Poinsettia Bowl, 51-30. Hampton, who appeared in all 12 games last year, said he has no plans of reversing the trend of Navy?s on-the-field success that includes 18 wins over the last two years – which tied a school record – and 26 wins over the last three years. The latter is the second-most in Navy history.
“It is my last go around and we will play like that,” Hampton said. “Freshmen and sophomore know they have your next year and have that hope that you may play again. This is my last year and I will play like it?s my last year.”
While the quarterback is usually the most glamorous position on a football team, Johnson?s high-scoring offense – which averaged more than 34 points a game in 2005 – relies heavily on a disciplined rushing attack. Fullbacks Matt Hall (495 yards, six touchdowns) and Adam Ballard (671 yards, six touchdowns), along with slot back Reggie Campbell (530 yards, seven touchdown) should allow that to happen.
Navy led the nation in 2005 by averaging more than 319 yards per game. Much of the success rushing the ball can be attributed to the offensive line, which included center James Rossi. A senior co-captain, Rossi is on the 2006 watch list for the Rimington Trophy, which recognizes the top center in college football.
Also, showing off the disciplined coaching they get on the field and structured education they receive off of it, the Midshipmen were third in the country by committing an average of 4.25 penalties for 33.75 yards per game.
“Coach Johnson and the rest of the staff are masterminds with this offense,” Campbell said. “They have us all working on the same page.”
Defensively, Navy will look to linebacker Rob Caldwell for leadership. The 6-foot, 229-pound senior co-captain had 140 tackles, which was good enough for tenthin the nation.
“Every team I?ve been one here knows it takes all 11 players working together as one cohesive unit if we are going to continue to win here,” Caldwell said.
Despite all of the success Navy has had over the last three years Johnson, whose team returns 17 of 22 starters, is determined not to allow his team to get complacent and return to the program that went 1-20 during the two years before his arrival in 2002.
“We?ve got to remember how we got to where we are, through a lot of hard work, determination and grit,” Johnson said. “You can see a difference, but there is such a thin line between winning and losing. “[It?s] really easy to take a step back and we certainly don?t want to do that.”
