Navy?s football team prides itself on a disciplined approach toward practices and game preparation, something the players know is necessary for them to compete on an annual basis.
Navy coach Paul Johnson is also aware of this, which is why he became frustrated this week with the Midshipmen?s lackadaisical mindset as they returned to practice following a break for final exams after their victory over rival Army on Dec. 2.
Instead of taking it easy on the players, Johnson had them going hard against one another in full pads to give them a wake-up call as the team prepares to face Boston College (9-3) Dec. 30 in the Meineke Car Care Bowl in Charlotte, N.C.
Johnson said the team would probably practice in full pads right up to the bowl game.
“We haven?t exactly practiced the way I thought we should,” he said.
Johnson said Navy (9-3) can?t afford to slack off in its preparation if it wants to have any chance of beating the No. 23 team in the country.
Without the proper preparation, Johnson added, the game?s result could be similar to the last time the teams met in 2002 ? when Boston College routed the Mids, 46-21.
The Eagles have dominated the series with the Midshipmen, holding a 17-11 advantage all-time.
“If they don?t show up ready to play, we will all get embarrassed,” Johnson said. “It will be really bad. Maybe that?s what it will take.”
Navy senior linebacker Rob Caldwell, a co-captain, said the layoff took many players out of their routine after dealing with the service academy?s highly regimented schedule both on and off the field all season.
Still, he sees no reason why Navy won?t be ready to play the bowl game in 10 days. After all, a third straight bowl win is on the line.
“This is the last time going out on the football field for myself and the rest of the seniors, so I know we will be ready to play,” Caldwell said. “If not, we?re going to look foolish out there.”
BOWL NOTES
» The Boston Herald is among the media outlets reporting that Boston College is expected to name current Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski its new head coach.
Jagodzinski was the Eagles? offensive coordinator and offensive line coach under former coach Tom O?Brien in 1997-98. O?Brien recently left Boston College to become the head coach at N.C. State.
» More than 50,000 tickets have been sold for the bowl game.
Ken Haines, president of Raycom Sports, which owns the game, said he expects even more tickets to be sold with the game just 10 days away. Of those tickets already sold, 20,000 are from Navy.
