Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo said he hasn’t talked to starting quarterback Jarod Bryant about his fumble in overtime that led to Ball State’s game-winning field goal last season.
“You just try to make sure we are ready to go,” Niumatalolo said. “We know they are going to be ready and just trying to prepare for them.”
But Bryant hasn’t forgotten turning the ball over on the opening possession of overtime after failing to secure the ball when he was hit. A few plays later, the Cardinals kicked a field goal for a 34-31 win.
“It was the worst feeling you could think of: you let all of your teammates down,” Bryant said. “It’s been a bad taste in my mouth for a while, and I am going to get rid of it this game, that’s for sure.”
Bryant, however, will need more than strong mouthwash to lead Navy (1-0) to victory tonight at 7 over Ball State (1-0) at Scheumann Stadium in Muncie, Ind., in front of a national television audience on ESPN.
The Cardinals return nine offensive starters from a unit that averaged 31.5 points a game last season. Ball State is led by quarterback Nate Davis, who completed 21-of-24 passes for 290 yards with three touchdowns in a season-opening, 48-14 win over Northeastern last week.
“They are as good as we thought,” Niumatalolo said. “They were good last year and have a lot of returners. Their offense was as good as we saw last year. It’s going to be a tough one for us, we need to be ready.”
Ball State’s offense, however, could have a big night against Navy’s defense. The unit was one of the worst in the country last year, yielding about 36 points and 439 yards per game, but gave up just 360 yards and 13 points against Towson last weekend.
Navy’s chances to upset the Cardinals hinges on Bryant’s play. The senior completed 2-of-4 passes for 44 yards with a touchdown and ran 17 times for 75 yards with a touchdown against Towson. But If Bryant falters, Niumatalolo has the option of turning to incumbent senior Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada, who likely will dress for the game, but he’s still hindered by a partially torn left hamstring.
“I like being the underdog,” Bryant said. “People are hoping on their bus and their bandwagon and it gives us motivation. But it’s just enough motivation that they beat us last year.”
Navy player to watch: MICHAEL VON BARGEN
The senior will start his first career game against Ball State in place of injured right tackle Andrew McGinn. The 6-foot-5, 270-pounder appeared in all 13 games last fall and contributed to the Midshipmen leading the country in rushing for an NCAA-record third straight season. Von Bargen will have to be at his best to help the offensive line maintain its stellar play, as it paved the way for 558 rushing yards — third-most in school history — against Towson last week.
[email protected]
