Rams must stuff fullback
Midshipmen's triple option is spearheaded by Ballard
SAN DIEGO - Colorado State University's pre-Christmas wish list is short and simple. All the Rams really want is to stop Navy fullback Adam Ballard from ruining the holidays.
It doesn't sound like much, but there's no doubt that CSU's chances to win Thursday night's Poinsettia Bowl will be greatly enhanced if they can stop option No. 1 - Ballard - in Navy's triple-option offense.
ADVERTISEMENT
"I've been saying it every day since we found out we were playing Navy - we've got to stop the fullback," Rams defensive coordinator Steve Stanard said. "That has not changed."
That's not to say that Ballard is Navy's only threat - far from it. The Midshipmen are more than willing to explore all three running options in their offense, starting with Ballard up the middle, runs by shifty quarterback Lamar Owens or pitches to a fleet of speedy slotbacks. And if all else fails, the Mids will even throw the ball if opposing teams spend too much energy stopping the run.
"Navy is a team that preys on a team's lack of discipline," CSU sophomore defensive end Jesse Nading said. "That's why it is so important for everyone to take care of their own assignment. You can't try to play everything; you've got to take care of your own responsibility and trust that the guy next to you is taking care of his. You can't try to be a hero against these guys."
Still, everyone in CSU's camp agrees that stopping the fullback and forcing the Mids to go to other options is the key to success. After being used sparingly early in the season, the 6-foot-1, 240-pound Ballard has become a huge force for Navy in recent action, combining for 359 yards on 47 carries in the past two games against Temple and Army.
If Ballard gets going, the rest of Navy's running game - statistically, the best in the land, averaging 305.2 yards per game - won't have to do much else. The Mids are more than willing to play smash-mouth football until forced to do otherwise.
"They are going to try to shove the ball right down our throats," CSU freshman linebacker Jeff Horinek said. "The only way to stop that is to be more physical than them."
Statistically, that appears to be a huge problem. The Rams struggled all season against running teams, surrendering 200-plus yards four times while finishing 104th nationally in rushing defense, yielding 200.6 yards per game.
The good news for the Rams is that Air Force, the closest facsimile to Navy on their schedule, was held in check when it mattered during a 41-22 CSU win earlier this season. Air Force uses a similar triple-option attack but passes far more often than Navy, which attempts just 12.3 passes per game.
Stanard hopes to utilize some of the same defensive schemes against Navy.
"We'll mix up our fronts and use some different slants, and hopefully confuse their quarterback (Owens) a little bit," he said. "You can't just line up the same way every time or you will never stop them."
One of the more disconcerting aspects of Navy's offense is that coach Paul Johnson is ready and willing to keep his offense on the field in fourth-down situations in an effort to keep drives going. The Mids ran 26 fourth-down plays this season, converting an eye-popping 65 percent. CSU, meanwhile, ran 19 fourth-down plays, converting 53 percent.
Facing a team with such confidence in its ability to convert on fourth down requires some doing, Nading said.
Rams coach Sonny Lubick figures that if the Rams can stop Navy three times they will have a decent chance to win the game. But if Navy relentlessly marches down the field, scoring each time, it will be difficult for CSU to keep up.
"It would be nice to be able to get an early lead and get them out of their comfort zone," he said. "If we could do that, that would be huge."
Stanard said the Rams, who haven't played a game since Nov. 19 and haven't faced an option-oriented team since Air Force on Sept. 29, have practiced well against Navy's offense. However, he said CSU can't take too long to catch on - or catch up - to Navy's quick, fast-paced offense.
"I think the first couple of series are going to be really important for us and for them," he said. "Navy is going to try to get points early, and that's our biggest concern. We can't let them get ahead and set the tempo. We have to be ready to match their speed right away."
Oh, and the Rams have to stop the fullback, too.
