Bring on Army.
That?s the mindset of Navy?s football team as it prepares to go for its fourth straight Commander-in-Chief?s Trophy following Saturday?s 42-6 drubbing of Temple in the Midshipmen?s home finale before 33,927 fans at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis.
Navy (8-3) appears to be facing its chief rival at just the right time, having won three straight while outscoring opponents, 129-40. Army (3-8) enters the Dec. 2 contest in Philadelphia coming off a 41-9 loss to Notre Dame.
Against Temple (1-11), Navy sophomore quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada continued his stellar play since taking over for injured starter Brian Hampton a month ago. He finished with 140 yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries.
At the same time, Navy?s defense came up with big plays all day, recording a season-high seven sacks, giving up just 13 rushing yards and coming up with a goal-line stand late in the fourth quarter with their reserves against most of Temple?s starters.
Johnson said he is pleased overall with how Navy has bounced back since losing two straight against Rutgers and Notre Dame, but he knows there is still work to be done.
“I wouldn?t say we regrouped; we just played,” Johnson said. “Certainly we haven?t played the same quality opponents as we did against Rutgers and Notre Dame. But having said that, we executed. Everybody?s done their job a little better and given [Kaheaku-Enhada] a chance to do his job and he?s played well. He may not have graded as well today as he did the last two games, but he still did some really positive things. Now, we just have to hope to continue to grow and play well against Army.”
Saturday?s win marked the final home game for Navy?s 35 seniors, a group that has won more games (34) in the last four years than any class for the program in the modern era. For seniors like linebacker Tyler Tidwell, there was no better way to end their career at home than by snapping the Mids? two-game skid in Annapolis.
“We played some of our best football this year on the road, which is nice because road games are usually a little more difficult,” Tidwell said. “But it had been disappointing to us because we kind of make that a staple of our football team ? making Navy-Marine Corps a difficult place to play ? and wehad gotten away from that a little bit this year.”
Navy notes
» Navy?s game against Temple marked the fifth time this season the Mids finished with two 100-yard rushers. Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada had 140 yards while Shun White had 114 yards and two touchdowns on seven carries. The Mids finished with 420 yards on the ground.
» The six points allowed by Navy Saturday was its fewest allowed since shutting out Tulsa, 29-0, in 2004.
» Coach Paul Johnson again defended Navy?s handling of the case involving five football players who acknowledged using banned substances in Jan. 2005 even after The Sun reported that Academy officials admitted that it took two months to give urine tests to the players. “It happened two years ago,” he said. “There?s not much there really. That?s not in my realm. Once our guys tested with the NCAA, we handled it appropriately and the rest was turned over to the Academy, and in my mind they handled it appropriately. They investigated it, got to the bottom of it and the case was closed. They don?t ask me how to discipline their guys over in the hall. And I don?t try to tell them. They?ve been doing a pretty good job of it for years.”
