The Navy Midshipmen are set to join the AAC for the 2015 season, marking the first time in program history that it will be a member of a conference. The man at the helm for this historic season is Ken Niumatalolo, who has found great success during his time with the Midshipmen.
Niumatalolo is the winningest coach in school history, having compiled a 57-35 record during his time with Navy. He’s led the team to six bowl games in his seven seasons, and is 7-0 against archrival Army.
Navy has obviously had a fair amount of success under his watch, and here are the top five victories of the Ken Niumatalolo era.
Honorable mention: 2014 Poinsettia Bowl: Navy 17, San Diego St. 16
Ok, so this game was pretty ugly, but it was still entertaining nonetheless.
In a game that featured a combined seven turnovers, including four in the fourth quarter, the Midshipmen prevailed thanks to a pivotal fourth-quarter drive. A successful conversion on fourth-and-1 by fullback Chris Swain and a 28-yard run by Ryan Williams-Jenkins set up a go-ahead 24-yard field goal by Austin Grebe with 1:27 left in the game.
The Aztecs drove down the field quickly to set up a potential game-winning field goal, but Donny Hageman’s try from 34 yards out with 20 seconds to go was no good, clinching the win for Navy.
5. September 27, 2008: Navy 24, No. 16 Wake Forest 17
Though the Midshipmen’s 28-17 victory over the Demon Deacons two years later (which featured a game-winning, six-yard touchdown pass from Ricky Dobbs to Greg Jones with 26 seconds left) was more exciting, this win had greater significance.
Eric Kettani set a career high with 175 yards on the ground and the defense force six turnovers to lead the Midshipmen past Wake Forest. The victory was particularly significant because it was Navy’s first over a ranked opponent since 1985, and it gave Niumatalolo a signature win in his first season as head coach.
4. November 1, 2008: Navy 33, Temple 27 OT
A win over Temple may not seem like much, but this one was given the way the game played out.
When the Owls took a 27-7 lead early in the fourth quarter, the Midshipmen didn’t look like they had a snowball’s chance in hell of coming back. But somehow, Navy clawed its way back, tying the game with 37 seconds left when Clint Sovie took a fumble 42 yards for a touchdown after Temple decided to try and run the ball instead of taking a knee. The Midshipmen then went on to win in overtime on a one-yard run by Ricky Dobbs, putting an exclamation point on what’s believed to be the biggest fourth-quarter comeback in school history.
3. November 7, 2009: Navy 23, No. 19 Notre Dame 21
This win over rival Notre Dame didn’t set off the hysteria that the one two years prior did (which snapped a 43-year winless drought against the Irish), but it was still a big deal for Niumatalolo and his team.
The Midshipmen offense put up 404 yards, including 348 on the ground, the propel them to their second consecutive victory in South Bend. The win was also significant because it marked the first time an unranked Navy team had beaten a ranked Notre Dame squad since 1936. Between then, the Irish were 41-0 when they were ranked and the Midshipmen weren’t.
2. November 22, 2013: Navy 58, San Jose St. 52 3OT
If AAC fans want to know just how good Navy quarterback Keenan Reynolds can be, allow this performance to be Exhibit A.
Reynolds set an FBS record for quarterbacks with seven rushing touchdowns to spur the Midshipmen to victory in this triple-overtime thriller.
The first four quarters were a back-and-forth affair, with the Spartans scoring on a two-yard touchdown pass from David Fales to Kyle Nunn with no time left on the clock and converting the ensuing two-point conversion to force overtime. After the two teams traded touchdowns in the first two overtimes, Parrish Gaines intercepted a San Jose St. pass in the end zone to give Navy a chance at the win. On the very next play, Reynolds capped off his career day with a 25-yard touchdown dash to seal the dramatic victory for the Midshipmen.
1. December 8, 2012: Navy 17, Army 13
Though it’s been over a half-century since these two programs were national powers, there still is something truly special and unique about the Army-Navy rivalry. Every year, the game marks the conclusion of the college football regular season, and it remains a spectacle unlike anything else in the sport.
However, the Midshipmen have dominated the Black Knights over the last decade, having won the last 13 meetings, the longest winning streak in the rivalry’s storied history. For Army, the most heartbreaking of these losses came in 2012, when a late miscue grabbed defeat from the jaws of victory.
With the Midshipmen up four after a touchdown run by Keenan Reynolds, the Black Knights drove deep into Navy territory and looked poised to retake the lead. But with the ball at the 14-yard line, Army quarterback Trent Steelman and fullback Larry Dixon had a sloppy exchange on a handoff, leading to a fumble which Navy recovered to seal the victory.
The image of an emotional Steelman, one of the most decorated quarterbacks in school history who was playing in his final collegiate game, after the loss became one of the most enduring images of the 2012 college football season and in the history of this iconic rivalry.
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