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Navy Midshipmen (2000: 1-10) The following team preview is provided by Blue Ribbon. For the nation's most comprehensive look at this and all Division I-A teams, be sure to order the 2001 Blue Ribbon College Football Yearbook, on sale now at 1-800-775-2518.
Coach and programListen to the enthusiasm in Charlie Weatherbie’s voice and you’d think his football team is coming off a 10-1 season rather than the 1-10 debacle it endured last fall.“It’s going great,” Weatherbie said shortly after the completion of spring practice in April. “We’re excited about the upcoming season.” The Midshipmen do have at least two reasons to be optimistic. One, they did win their finale, beating rival Army for the third time in four years. Two, no matter how trying the upcoming season is, it probably won’t come close to matching the difficulty of last season when the Midshipmen battled injuries and had the cloud of a rape scandal -- that ultimately led to three players resigning from the Naval Academy -- hanging over the program. Former Navy assistant Rick Lantz, Virginia’s defensive coordinator for the last 10 seasons, was hired in January and charged with retooling a unit that ranked 97th (out of 114 teams) in total defense. Lantz, who will also oversee the linebackers, inherits a group that allowed 188.8 yards per game on the ground (91st) and was second-worst in the country against the pass. “He may be one of the top five defensive coordinators in the country at the college level,” Weatherbie said. “He’s a sharp, sharp defensive mind.” Offense was also a problem for the Midshipmen last season. Navy ranked 92nd in total offense, including 100th in scoring offense (16.55 points per game) and 108th in passing offense (139.5 yards per game). The offense returns just four starters and loses five seniors on the offensive line, but should be bolstered by the return of senior quarterback Brian Madden, who tore the ACL in his right knee during the 2000 spring game and missed all of last season. Contrary to what some say, the Mids did not win the only game that mattered last season. Sure, the Army game has added importance, but the Air Force game also counts in the competition for the Commander-In-Chief’s-Trophy and the Notre Dame rivalry is special even though Navy has lost 37 straight to the Fighting Irish dating back to the Roger Staubach days of 1963. “We always want to win and go to a bowl game,” Weatherbie said.
OffenseAlthough the departed Brian Broadwater and returning senior Ed Malinowski did their best, the Navy offense felt the sting of Madden’s absence throughout last season.A punishing runner, the 6-1, 220-pound Madden led the nation’s quarterbacks with 897 yards rushing in 1999 even though he did not start until the eighth game. He led Navy to a 3-2 record as a starter and is the first Navy player to rush for more than 100 yards in his first five starts. “It is no secret that we are a better football team when he is on the field and we need to keep him healthy and ready for the season,” Weatherbie said. The numbers (178.2 yards per game) seem to indicate a strong running game for Navy last season, but when you consider the 18 fumbles, 3.6 yard-per-carry average and that the team’s leading rusher didn’t score a touchdown, there is definite room for improvement. Raheem Lambert (5-10, 214) ran for 790 yards and six scores as a sophomore, but was slowed by a separated shoulder for most of last season. A converted tailback, he runs a 4.47 40-yard dash and is not afraid to take a hit. Navy is hoping its strength lies in numbers, because Gene Reese is the team’s top returning pass catcher. The Midshipmen don’t have any returning standouts, but Weatherbie likes this unit’s mix of size and speed. Help could come from converted cornerback Jeff Gaddy (5-10, 175), winner of the Vice Admiral William P. Mack Award as the most improved player in spring drills.
Defense and special teamsThe Midshipmen return seven starters on defense, including end Michael Wagoner and middle linebacker Jake Bowen, and the defensive unit looked strong while defeating the offense, 25-12, in the spring game. The Mids also welcome back senior Ryan Hamilton (6-2, 232), one of the Academy’s toughest linebackers in recent memory. Hamilton, who made 101 tackles as a sophomore in 1999, sprained the MCL in his right knee and missed the second half of last season.Navy got most of the fundamental aspects of its new 4-3 package installed early and will spend the rest of the time leading up to the Aug. 30 season opener at Temple refining things. One of Lantz’s biggest challenges will be rebuilding his unit’s confidence. Opponents passed for 23 touchdowns and scored 35.5 points per game against the Midshipmen last season. The secondary is not to blame for all of Navy’s pass defense problems last season, but there is plenty of room for improvement on a unit that ranked second worst in the country and gave up 23 scoring passes. Senior Marcus Jackson (5-10, 172) started all 11 games at cornerback and finished fourth on the team in tackles. Senior David Hills (6-1, 172) emerged as a pleasant surprise last season, making 9-of-12 field-goal attempts and 16-of-17 extra points, but he could lose his job to sophomore Eric Rolfs (6-2, 161).
Bottom lineThe bottom line is Navy has to play better. New coordinators Lantz and Mark Hudspeth bring solid schemes for the defense and offense, respectively, but the players have to learn and execute to be successful. Often undersized and facing opponents with more athletic talent, the Midshipmen will also have to play with passion on every down in order to see better results on the scoreboard.There’s nothing wrong with a fresh approach and believing in your team, but living up to high expectations can be difficult. The coordinators took the fall for Navy’s problems last season and some may grow impatient with Weatherbie if his optimism and changes don’t deliver better results this fall. |
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