Many changes for Mids as they prep for season As the Navy football team attempts to extend its string of bowl appearances to nine, questions abound. What are the biggest concerns for the Midshipmen in 2011 coming off last year’s 9-4 showing?
Can Navy regain the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy?
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» Once the trophy changes hands in the round-robin series, it’s hard to get it back. Navy held it for seven years before surrendering it to Air Force last fall. Before Navy’s run, Air Force held it for 13 of 14 seasons.
Navy’s 14-6 loss in Colorado Springs still is a source of irritation as the Mids had seven possessions in Air Force territory. With seven of the last eight meetings decided by eight points or less, there is growing enmity between the teams. They meet Oct. 1 in Annapolis.
“It hurts because the day we showed up here, [the trophy] was here,” senior fullback Alexander Teich said.
Said defensive end Jabaree Tuani: “It definitely boils your blood.”
Air Force returns 13 starters, including quarterback Tim Jefferson and 1,000-yard tailback Asher Clark, from a 9-4 team that exorcised another demon in the Independence Bowl, beating Georgia Tech and coach Paul Johnson, who handed Air Force five straight defeats when he was with Navy.
Is Kriss Proctor a capable replacement for Ricky Dobbs at quarterback? » Proctor, a senior, has a daunting task in taking over for the Heisman Trophy candidate. Playing well in three starts the last two years (59 rushes, 342 yards) gives Proctor and the Midshipmen confidence that he can handle the job.
Proctor is unlikely to throw as often as Dobbs, who passed 150 times last year. But he has more experience running a triple-option offense, starting three years at Big Bear (Calif.) High. Coach Ken Niumatalolo doesn’t agree with the notion that Proctor lacks the playmaking ability of Dobbs.
“They’re different,” Niumatalolo said. “Ricky did his playmaking with some big throws. Kriss can throw the ball, but Kriss is probably faster than Ricky.”
Can the defense survive the loss of nine starters? » Seven starters graduated, and two others (linebacker Aaron McCauley and safety De’Von Richardson) departed for other reasons, leaving Navy green on defense. But as was the case last year, when Navy swapped out four new linebackers with little loss of efficiency, the Mids always seem to have ready replacements.
Competition is strong at several slots, including inside linebacker. When asked about those in the mix for two starting slots, Niumatalolo mentioned seven names last week.
Senior Caleb King, for example, had four starts last year and starred in Saturday’s scrimmage with an interception, a sack and a forced fumble but still was listed behind senior Max Blue and junior Matt Brewer on the depth chart released Monday.
Will complacency set in? » Will Navy’s eight-year run of look-alike winning seasons — all accomplished with the numbing triple-option offense of Johnson and then Niumatalolo and the bend-but-don’t break defense of Buddy Green — breed overconfidence?
Given how many close games the Midshipmen play, any loss of motivation could radically alter their record. In the last four years, the Mids are 13-7 in games decided by six or fewer points.
“We need to make sure our guys understand that the margin for error here is very small,” Niumatalolo said. “We need to teach them that doing all the little things right all the time is what helps you win close games.”
