Three-game skid is first for Midshipmen since 2002 With a sailboat show in the downtown marina, Columbus Day weekend brings a festive atmosphere to Annapolis. The streets are filled with casually dressed pedestrians. The Severn River is chocked with pleasure craft. And the Naval Academy is buzzing with visitors.
But on Monday the football practice field at Navy was all business.
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| Up next |
| Navy at Rutgers |
| When » Saturday, 2 p.m. |
| Where » High Point Solutions |
| Stadium, Piscataway, N.J. |
| Radio » 1500 AM |
With the Midshipmen in the throes of their first three-game losing streak since 2002, there is nothing to celebrate, just questions about a season that has started to spin out of control.
After playing in bowl games for eight straight years, the streak appears in jeopardy for Navy (2-3), especially considering its suddenly rigorous schedule and impotent defense. The Mids have surrendered 98 points the last two weeks.
“Our pride’s been hurt a little bit,” Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo said. “We’re a team that prides itself on playing hard-nosed football. The two weeks have been uncharacteristic.”
Something else uncharacteristic was last week’s suspension of fullback Alexander Teich, the team’s co-captain, customary leader in post-practice runs and an aspiring Navy SEAL. He watched Navy get trounced Saturday by Southern Mississippi 63-35.
“It was brutal. When I got suspended, it broke my heart,” Teich said. “You put in all the work with the guys. To not be able to go out there and grind with them, I know I was kind of letting everyone down.”
The undisclosed transgression cost Teich (79 carries, 408 yards) one game. He returns for a challenging game Saturday at Rutgers (4-1).
“I guarantee you there’s no [school] in the country that would have suspended him for what he did,” Niumatalolo said. “It’s a steep price he paid.”
Teich will start and hopes to provide the Mids with the fast start they have lacked. Two weeks ago, they trailed Air Force 21-3 at the half. On Saturday, Southern Miss jumped to a 28-0 lead. Starting fast has always been a Niumatalolo mantra. With the lead, Navy can frustrate opponents with their grind-it-out offense and bend-but-don’t break defense.
“With the scheme of offense we run, it’s obviously a disadvantage if we fall behind,” guard John Dowd said. “We’re not a run-and-shoot offense that can score quickly.”
When studying film, Navy coaches have discovered an unsettling and uncharacteristic lack of hustle on defense. The Mids have long been known for their zeal in swarming to the ball. After Navy nearly upset South Carolina last month, Gamecocks coach Steve Spurrier praised the Mids for their relentlessness. But that has disappeared, according to Niumatalolo.
“We’ve had way more loafs than we’ve ever had,” Niumatalolo said. “That’s our first order, getting back to running toward the football.”
Defensive end Jabaree Tuani believes the Mids must focus more on the process than the results.
“We’re not reading our keys. We’re not getting off blocks. We’re not having fun anymore,” the senior captain said. “I think we’re too focused on the outcome. If we can get back to taking it one play at a time, one snap at a time, I really believe we can find our way back.”
