On paper, the Navy football team faces its easiest game of the season Saturday at Duke, which is winless in eight games.
In fact, judging by records alone, Navy (5-3) appears to have an easy home stretch to the regular season. The team?s last four opponents ? Duke, Eastern Michigan, Temple and Army ? have a combined 5-28 record. Navy?s first eight opponents have a cumulative 33-23 record.
However, the Midshipmen are trying to enter Saturday?s game against the Blue Devils with the attitude that they are facing a team capable of competing for a spot in the national championship game. Having lost its last two games by a combined score of 72-14, Navy?s players and coaches know they are in no position to take any team lightly.
Navy coach Paul Johnson said Duke is far better than it record indicates, as it nearly pulled off upsets against Wake Forest, Alabama and Miami this season.
“We don?t even talk about that,” Johnson said of the records of Navy?s remaining opponents. “This part of the schedule could be just as tough for us. We understand. People want to talk abouthow they haven?t won, but look at who they?ve played. In the league, they played at Virginia, at Virginia Tech, Miami, Florida State and Wake Forest. Non-conference, they played at Alabama and [Vanderbilt], and Vandy jumped on them really fast and hit some big plays on them and then Duke closed on them and brought it back to within 10.”
Navy linebacker Tyler Tidwell said that while the Midshipmen are traveling to North Carolina hungry to get back to their winning ways and qualify for a bowl game for the fourth straight year, Duke is probably even hungrier for a victory. The Blue Devils currently have lost 16 consecutive games, the longest streak in the nation.
Tidwell also knows not to take an opponent lightly, especially one like Duke, which narrowly lost to Navy, 28-21, last year in the Blue Devils? homecoming game.
“Last year, they were winless and we were lucky to come out there with a win,” Tidwell said. “You can?t look at their record. We have to play smart football, or we?re not going to win.”
Weighing the competition
» The Mids have played four teams that enter this week either in first place or tied for first place in their respective conferences. This includes UMass (Atlantic 10), Tulsa (Conference USA), East Carolina (Conference USA) and Rutgers (Big East).
» Navy leads the overall series with Duke, 18-12-5, and has won two straight against them.
