Much is often made about Navy?s ability to run the football with its triple-option offense.
There is good reason for this. The Midshipmen lead the nation in rushing yards at 333.2 yards per game. At any point in a game, Navy is capable of taking an option pitch or quarterback keeper into the end zone.
Despite Navy?s gaudy rushing numbers, though, the Midshipmen are likely to end this season without a 1,000-yard rusher for the second straight year. Fullback Adam Ballard currently leads Navy?s running attack with 782 yards on 152 carries, while slot back Reggie Campbell is second at 629 yards on 80 carries.
Instead of relying on one pure feature back this season, Navy?s success has come from its ability to find multiple players capable of coming up with big plays. When slot back Shun White rushed for 114 yards on seven carries against Temple two weeks ago, he became the fifth Midshipman to rush for 100 yards in a game this season. No other school in the country can boast that accomplishment.
“It says a lot about the guys that make contributions on this team,” Navy coach Paul Johnson said. “Guys on this team aren?t concerned about individual stats. They?re just concerned about winning.”
While no individual Navy player is likely to rush for 1,000 yards, all three triple-option positions have produced at least that many yards, including 1,317 from slot backs, 1,152 yards from quarterbacks and 1,133 yards from fullbacks.
