This particular post is unique compared to the content regularly produced on the site. For one, it’s a spotlight on Navy who doesn’t formally join the American Athletic Conference in football until 2015. Secondly, its not your typical opinionated article, but more of a debriefing, in a sense, of the current and historic status of Navy football to familiarize AAC football fans with the conference’s next great addition in 2015.
The Navy Report includes:
- Season update
- Historical spotlight
- Intriguing stat
- Player highlight
The Navy Report is posted sporadically during the season, so continue visiting AAC Football Fever to keep tabs on the next edition.
Season Update
We predicted in the last edition of The Navy Report that the Midshipmen’s battle with Air Force was a critical game for the team’s run at bowl eligibility.
Navy fell to the Falcons 30-21 on the heels of a few costly turnovers, one of which Air Force scored on. Following the loss to the first challenger in the Commander-in-Chief Trophy rivalry, Navy secured easy wins over FCS VMI and rebuilding San Jose State.
Previous prediction still valid, despite Navy’s 4-4 record.
Take a gander at Navy’s remaining four games and you’ll see why Air Force could haunt the Midshipmen:
- Notre Dame (6-1)
- Georgia Southern (7-2)
- @ South Alabama (5-2)
- Army (2-5, game to be played in Philadelphia)
The Middies and the Irish meet for the 88th consecutive year — the longest tenured intersectional rivalry — in Landover, Maryland, on Saturday. Notre Dame has its eyes on making the College Football Playoff, holding a single loss to No. 2 Florida State. The last time the Irish were national title contenders in 2012, they left Dublin, Ireland, with a 56-14 beatdown of Navy.
The Midshipmen are looking for their first win over Notre Dame since 2010, but defeating an Irish team hungry for national accolades will be an almost impossible task for Navy, especially when factoring in the Middies surprising propensity for turning the ball over (13 turnovers in eight games after 10 all of last season).
Navy plays two formidable Sun Belt title contenders with a combined 12-4 record in between playing Notre Dame and arch-rival Army. The Black Knights aren’t a scary team, even if their nickname might be, but Army is sure to bring its finest performance against its top rival.
Navy quarterback Keenan Reynolds continues to drive the triple-option offense with precision, rushing for a career-high 251 yards in a 41-31 win over San Jose State last week. Turnovers and surrendering big passing plays is Navy’s apparent achilles heel.
For Navy to bowl for a third straight season and for the 11th time in 12 years, it must secure the football and hope the defense can force a few turnovers of its own. Finishing 6-6 is still attainable for the Middies, but a back-loaded schedule and a .500 record make reaching that goal a strenuous task.
Bowl eligibility will likely come down to the annual Army game played in Baltimore.
Next Game: Saturday vs. Notre Dame, 8 p.m. ET, CBS (FedEx Field, Landover, Maryland).
Historical Spotlight: “I Believe That We Will Win!”
If you succumbed to the World Cup craze that swept the nation and, well, the entire world this last Summer, then you heard the “I Believe” chant echoed across Brazil when the United States Men’s Soccer Team sniffed victory in the historical international “football” tournament.
But, I bet you were unaware the nationally replicated chant originated as a Naval Academy cheer.
Jay Rodriquez, a student at the Naval Academy’s preparatory school, invented the chant in 1998, after he was tasked with creating a chant for his platoon. “I Believe” debuted that same year at the Army Prep versus Navy Prep Men’s Basketball game.
When Rodriquez became a plebe (freshman) at the Naval Academy the following year, he taught the chant to a fellow classmate and member of the cheerleading team who then lead the 4,000 Midshipmen in attendance at the 1999 Army-Navy game to echo “I Believe” as the football team secured a 19-9 victory.
The chant is now a staple cheer at all Navy sporting events, and many other college or professional sporting events around the U.S.
Top-6 Ranking
Navy has finished each season No. 6 or higher in the FBS in rushing offense since Ken Niumatalolo began navigating the Middies in 2008.
The triple-option offense predating the Paul Johnson era at Navy, allows the Midshipmen attack to gain big yards on the ground and control the clock for large chunks of a game. No matter if Navy’s offensive scheme of choice predicates huge rushing totals, finishing in the Top-6 in rushing for six consecutive seasons proves the Middies have quality players commanding the offense.
Georgia Tech is the only other FBS program with at least a Top-6 finish in rushing from 2008-2013. Appropriate company considering Navy fans are very familiar with the head coach patrolling the Yellow Jackets’ sideline.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9XefSLGSx8?list=UUL4uWCx88sOjzXvcZSZuHmQ]Player Highlight: Sophomore Wide Receiver Jamir Tillman
Normally when showcasing a top Navy offensive player, attention is placed on a speedy quarterback or bruising tailback. But 6-foot-4, second-year wide receiver Jamir Tillman breaks the mold.
Wide outs in the triple-option are typically more adequate run blockers than spectacular pass catchers. And although run-blocking is crucial for optimum offensive functioning, having a big-play threat at receiver can break run-first defenses wide open for big gains. The young Tillman is demonstrating big-play potential for the Midshipmen offense with 303 yards receiving, 18.94 yards per game, and a touchdown catch to boot.
Tillman leads the team in receiving and has 223 more yards and eight more receptions (16) than the second-leading WR. Incredible stats when taking into account that Navy is averaging only 10.75 pass attempts per game in 2014.
Tillman is far ahead of his 2013 introduction, where he caught only two passes for 12 yards in seven appearances. In 2015, as a junior, Tillman should emerge as a top player for the Middies in the AAC.
Past editions of the Navy Report can be found in the AAC Football Fever Navy Archives.
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