After losing two straight games and two defensive starters to season-ending ankle injuries, Navy finally received some good news Tuesday.
Navy coach Paul Johnson said starting quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada and starting linebacker Irv Spencer should be available to play in Saturday?s game against Duke after both left last week?s 34-31 overtime loss to Ball State with sprained ankles.
That news comes at a time when Navy is dealing with just its third losing streak since 2003 and as the team tries to get past its mistake-filled, 34-31 overtime loss to Ball State on Saturday. Against Ball State, Navy had two field goals blocked?including a game-winning, 32-yarder on the final play of regulation?and allowed 539 yards of total offense. Navy also fumbled the ball away on its first overtime possession, which set-up the Cardinals game-winning field goal.
“We had a number of missed assignments on defense and that happens with a youthful team,” Johnson said. “But it?s not just the defense. The offense?just as much as the defense?has to get better. No matter what anyone else thinks, there are no easy games on the schedule. Each game the rest of the way is going to be a tough one.”
Johnson said the Midshipmen have to forget about Ball State and focus on playing Duke at Navy Marine-Corps Memorial Stadium on Saturday afternoon at 1.
Duke (1-2) came away with its first win of the season last Saturday when it upset Northwestern, 20-14, to end a 22-game losing streak dating to 2005. Johnson said among those he is concerned about is quarterback Thaddeus Lewis, who completed 19-of-23 passes for 246 yards and 3 touchdowns against Northwestern. He is also worried about Blue Devil linebacker Vincent Rey, who had 11 tackles and two pass breakups in the win, which earned him Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Week honors.
“We have to treat this game the same way as if we had won last week,” Johnson said. “We can?t rehash the past. We have to learn what we can from that game and get ready for the next one.”
Navy defensive back Ketric Buffin said if Navy plays Saturday like it didlast week, the Midshipmen can expect their first three-game losing streak since 2002.
“The defense has to come together and play as a unit,” Buffin said. “We did a better job in the second half [against Ball State]. The coaches challenged us at halftime. They wanted to find out who wanted to play. They said if someone didn?t want to play, then someone else would.”
