The Navy football team has undergone a serious transformation. Incorporating the passing ability of junior Ricky Dobbs while sticking to its a run-oriented, triple-option formation has been a challenging experiment.
The results, so far, have been impressive. The Midshipmen took Ohio State to the wire in a 31-27 loss, then whipped 2008 bowl team Louisiana Tech, 32-14. The offense has been more balanced, explosive and unpredictable. But is it better?
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Navy (1-1) will begin to answer that question as it faces a measuring stick game Saturday at No. 22 Pittsburgh (2-0). With 14 starters back, the Panthers have a similar look to last season when they whipped the Mids, 42-21, in Annapolis. This year’s result could offer a peek into Navy’s 2009 fortunes.
“They came in here and flat-out kicked our butts real good,” said Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo of last year’s loss. “It’s the same Pittsburgh — big, strong, and fast. We’re definitely going to have our hands full. We know we’re playing a very good team, a well-coached team. This could be a really tough game for us on the road.”
Navy was done in last year as quarterback Bill Stull completed 15-of-23 passes for 255 yards and LeSean McCoy rushed for 156 yards and three touchdowns. By halftime, Pitt had scored 35 points.
While Stull is back this season, McCoy now plays for the Philadelphia Eagles, but his follow-on is racking up similar numbers. Freshman Dion Lewis is the No. 3 rusher in the nation, averaging 159.5 yards per game.
Stull and Lewis operate behind a veteran offensive line that has yet to yield a sack. The Panthers rank No. 7 in the nation in scoring (46 points per game) and have scored all 11 times they have penetrated the opponent’s 20-yard-line.
While this will be a telling game for Navy, it will also say a lot about the strength of Pitt. The Panthers have rolled overmatched foes Youngstown State, 38-3, and Buffalo, 54-27.
Now they have to prepare for a Navy offense that has more bells and whistles than last year, when the Mids threw an NCAA-low 93 times.
“Ricky Dobbs is probably as good of a passer as what they’ve had in the past several years,” said Pitt coach Dave Wannstedt. “The way Navy got back into the Ohio State game was because of his passing ability. He made one throw down there in the end zone that was as good as anybody in the country would make.”
