Navy at a glance
Coach: Paul Johnson (first season)
Offense: Spread option
Defense: 4-3
Top returning players: QB Craig Candeto, RB Tony Lane, DT Josh Brindel, S Lenter Thomas, LB Eddie Carthan, OL Grant Moody, OL Matt Nye, P John Skaggs
Top newcomers: FB Kyle Eckel, WR Amir Jenkins, CB Vaughn Kelley
Strengths: Johnson is a proven winner. He went 62-10 at Georgia Southern, and helped take both Hawaii and Navy to bowl games as an offensive coordinator. Candeto is a talented athlete, and Eckel is a powerful runner with the potential to rumble for a lot of yards in Johnson's system.
Weaknesses: The Mids don't have a lot of speed, and their secondary hasn't looked sharp during scrimmages. Navy gave up 34.4 points a game last year, 243 yards a game on the ground, and statistically the Mids were the worst team in the country against the pass. (Navy ranked 115 out of 115 teams in passing efficiency defense.) Defensive coordinator Buddy Green, who coached last year at N.C. State, will need to work on that if Navy is to improve its record.
Strongest opponent: Boston College. Navy's Nov. 9 game against Notre Dame in Baltimore will get all the hype, but the Oct. 19 meeting with the Eagles in Boston will likely be the Mids' toughest test.
Key game: Navy's regular-season finale against Army is always going to be the game, but the Mids' homecoming against Duke on Sept. 28 will serve as a good indication of how the season is going to go. The Blue Devils have lost 23 straight, and both teams could be awfully hungry for a victory.
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5 questions for Navy
Will Navy be better than it was in 2001's 0-10 season?
Absolutely, but it will take time. First-year coach Paul Johnson has won everywhere he has coached, including Navy. Johnson was the offensive coordinator for the Mids in 1996 when they went 9-3, including a victory over Cal in the Aloha Bowl. His spread option offense, a hybrid of the triple option and the run-and-shoot, will put points on the board.
Who has a chance to be an impact player this season?
Sophomore fullback Kyle Eckel. Though Eckel didn't play for the varsity last year, Johnson says he might give him the ball 25 times a game this season. At 5 feet 11, 231 pounds, Eckel has the power to run over people, and with 4.55-second speed in the 40-yard dash, he might run away from a few as well.
Navy had one of the worst defenses in the country in 2001. How will the Mids improve?
The addition of defensive coordinator Buddy Green helps. He held that job at N.C. State last season, and the Wolfpack ranked 25th in the country in points allowed per game at 20.3. At the least, Green should help the Mids improve their red-zone defense. In 2001, opponents scored touchdowns 63 percent of the time they had the ball inside Navy's 20-yard line.
Is Navy's best player really its punter?
Maybe. John Skaggs finished fifth in the country last season in punting, breaking a 60-year-old school record with a 44.8-yard average. An All-America candidate this year as a junior, he has been put on the initial watch list for the Ray Guy Award, given each year to the nation's best punter. Senior defensive tackle Josh Brindel is also on the initial watch list for the Lombardi Award, given to the nation's best lineman.
What can Navy do to get better right away?
Don't give up as many big, momentum-changing plays, and make a few of its own as well. Last season, Army returned a kickoff for a touchdown against the Mids, Temple returned a punt for a score, Tulane ran back an interception for six, and Notre Dame scored on a fumble return. Navy didn't do any of the four all season. In close games, those big plays are difference-makers.
Coach: Paul Johnson (first season)
Offense: Spread option
Defense: 4-3
Top returning players: QB Craig Candeto, RB Tony Lane, DT Josh Brindel, S Lenter Thomas, LB Eddie Carthan, OL Grant Moody, OL Matt Nye, P John Skaggs
Top newcomers: FB Kyle Eckel, WR Amir Jenkins, CB Vaughn Kelley
Strengths: Johnson is a proven winner. He went 62-10 at Georgia Southern, and helped take both Hawaii and Navy to bowl games as an offensive coordinator. Candeto is a talented athlete, and Eckel is a powerful runner with the potential to rumble for a lot of yards in Johnson's system.
Weaknesses: The Mids don't have a lot of speed, and their secondary hasn't looked sharp during scrimmages. Navy gave up 34.4 points a game last year, 243 yards a game on the ground, and statistically the Mids were the worst team in the country against the pass. (Navy ranked 115 out of 115 teams in passing efficiency defense.) Defensive coordinator Buddy Green, who coached last year at N.C. State, will need to work on that if Navy is to improve its record.
Strongest opponent: Boston College. Navy's Nov. 9 game against Notre Dame in Baltimore will get all the hype, but the Oct. 19 meeting with the Eagles in Boston will likely be the Mids' toughest test.
Key game: Navy's regular-season finale against Army is always going to be the game, but the Mids' homecoming against Duke on Sept. 28 will serve as a good indication of how the season is going to go. The Blue Devils have lost 23 straight, and both teams could be awfully hungry for a victory.
------
5 questions for Navy
Will Navy be better than it was in 2001's 0-10 season?
Absolutely, but it will take time. First-year coach Paul Johnson has won everywhere he has coached, including Navy. Johnson was the offensive coordinator for the Mids in 1996 when they went 9-3, including a victory over Cal in the Aloha Bowl. His spread option offense, a hybrid of the triple option and the run-and-shoot, will put points on the board.
Who has a chance to be an impact player this season?
Sophomore fullback Kyle Eckel. Though Eckel didn't play for the varsity last year, Johnson says he might give him the ball 25 times a game this season. At 5 feet 11, 231 pounds, Eckel has the power to run over people, and with 4.55-second speed in the 40-yard dash, he might run away from a few as well.
Navy had one of the worst defenses in the country in 2001. How will the Mids improve?
The addition of defensive coordinator Buddy Green helps. He held that job at N.C. State last season, and the Wolfpack ranked 25th in the country in points allowed per game at 20.3. At the least, Green should help the Mids improve their red-zone defense. In 2001, opponents scored touchdowns 63 percent of the time they had the ball inside Navy's 20-yard line.
Is Navy's best player really its punter?
Maybe. John Skaggs finished fifth in the country last season in punting, breaking a 60-year-old school record with a 44.8-yard average. An All-America candidate this year as a junior, he has been put on the initial watch list for the Ray Guy Award, given each year to the nation's best punter. Senior defensive tackle Josh Brindel is also on the initial watch list for the Lombardi Award, given to the nation's best lineman.
What can Navy do to get better right away?
Don't give up as many big, momentum-changing plays, and make a few of its own as well. Last season, Army returned a kickoff for a touchdown against the Mids, Temple returned a punt for a score, Tulane ran back an interception for six, and Notre Dame scored on a fumble return. Navy didn't do any of the four all season. In close games, those big plays are difference-makers.
