Navy still disappointed in defeat by South Carolina After taking then-No. 10 South Carolina to the wire in a 24-21 defeat Saturday night, Navy faced a battery of questions with the same condescending theme: How did you challenge the bigger, faster, more talented Gamecocks?
The Midshipmen respectfully made it clear they were not happy merely to make it close.
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| Air Force at Navy |
| When » Saturday, Oct. 1, noon |
| Where » Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Annapolis |
| TV » CBS |
| Radio » 1500 AM |
“We didn’t come here for any moral victories,” Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo said.
“As a defense we were pretty disappointed in ourselves,” senior safety Kwesi Mitchell added.
Running back Alexander Teich was the Navy player least interested in self-congratulation.
“All we did was stumble at the end. That’s unacceptable,” the senior said. “I didn’t think they were any more impressive than anybody we’ve played. I can’t get over how pitiful we were at the end of the game.”
Refusing to accept praise in defeat is perhaps a positive step in the progression of Navy. The Mids have advanced beyond wondering whether they can beat the most talented teams.
A near upset of Ohio State in 2009, and wins over Missouri (2009) and Notre Dame (2009, 2010) have elevated expectations and imbued Navy with confidence.
“I feel good as a coach that our guys were definitely distraught, heartbroken after [South Carolina],” Niumatalolo said Monday afternoon. “Everybody in there believed we could beat them. That’s the mentality we need to have.”
According to Teich, it wasn’t always that way. When Navy fell to Ohio State 31-27 in the 2009 season opener, he said many Mids weren’t on board with the idea that the then-No. 6 Buckeyes could be upset.
“When we played Ohio State, a lot of guys didn’t start believing until the fourth quarter. It was too late,” Teich said. “I told the guys [before South Carolina], get that out of your mind right now.”
On Saturday, Navy (2-1) threw a scare into South Carolina (3-0) and its 78,807 fans by moving the ball consistently. Its triple-option offense produced 274 yards rushing and 5.8 yards a carry. But South Carolina got 246 yards rushing from Marcus Lattimore and 204 passing from Stephen Garcia.
The Mids get a week off before one of their most important games. Air Force (1-1) comes to Annapolis on Oct. 1. After beating the Falcons seven straight times, the Mids fell in Colorado Springs last year 14-6 and relinquished the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy for the first time since 2003.
“It’s coming at a good time,” Niumatalolo said of the bye. “It’s always our No. 1 goal to win the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy.”
Navy coaches believe the Mids are entering the Air Force game with the proper mindset for revenge. Just don’t offer congratulations on South Carolina.
“Our kids were crushed. They didn’t want to hear, ‘Good effort. Good effort,’?” offensive coordinator Ivin Jasper said. “We had the ball with a chance to win, and we didn’t get it done. That’s on us.”
Notes: Niumatalolo expects his injury-riddled outside linebacking corps to be at full strength for Air Force. Seniors Jarred Shannon and Mason Graham, and junior Keegan Wetzel missed the South Carolina game. Juniors Brye French (13 tackles) and Tra’ves Bush (11 tackles) excelled as fill-ins.
