Official Delaware-Navy 2011 Thread

[bonarae]

First of the two or three FBS-FCS threads for Week 1.

Background
---
Series history: Navy leads, 8-7 (last game was in 2009, Navy won it 35-18; Keeler's record against Navy is 2-2)

About Navy
---
2010 Record: 8-4
FCS game for 2010: Beat Georgia Southern 13-7
Bright spot: Rushing offense (Top 10 in FBS last season)
Weak spot: Defense

Discuss. My prediction: Close, but no cigar. It'll go either way, but Navy wins in the end.

[JMU2K_DukeDawg]

I think UD will be good, but slow to start this season. I think replacing a QB is always a tough transition, and replacing Devlin will be no simple task. But the hens are a resilient bunch and there will be plenty of support for the team @ Navy. I expect a respectable game, but Navy will win in the end.

If UD gets 3+ turnovers, then they come out on top, which is always possible against Navy's option offense.

Not to worry hens fans, I believe the CAA schedule works out nicely for you this year, and you should have a great chance to make the playoffs and possibly be a seed despite this early loss. xpeacex

[Side Judge]

Both teams replacing stellar QBs - AP running behind a terrific OL will give Delaware a fighting chance (plus the 2010 results with common opponent GSU favor UD, FWIW)...

I'll be there on 9/3 with guarded optimism...

[MR. CHICKEN]

16000....AH'M GIVEN DUH MIDDIES......DUH NOD IN DIS ONE.........HARD TA BEAT NAVY @ ANNAPOLIS......DEY GET MOS' CALLS FROM DUH ZEEBS......ONE YEAR...WHIFF NAVY INSIDE DELAWARE'S TEN.....DEY WERE GIVEN LIKE SEVEN TRIES...TA PULL IT OUT......THINK DAT WAS '03.....OURAH OWN-LAH LOSS....WAS NOR'EASTER...IFIN' IT'S CLOSE NAVY WINS........HALF TA BEAT 'EM GOOD.....TA OVERAH-COME DUH STRIPES......ON DUH OTHERAH-HAND......WE GET PLENTY O' REPS...TA READY-UP... FO' DUH OPTION...... AS FALL PRACTICE.... IS ABOUT NAVY'S OFFENSE....KEELER WILL RUN DUH SCOUT TEAM.....INTA DUH GROUND TA SIMULATE........WE'VE ALREADAH ENCOUNTERED...... SEVERAH INJURYS FROM TWO SCRIMMAGES......HEY......ANY-GIVEN-SATURDAY........xprayx.....BRAWK!

[WrenFGun]

IMO, if UD avoids a Navy big play, they can win this game. I don't expect much from the UD offense, but we'll see.

[citdog]

Go 'Hens! Sink Canoe U! I'll be speaking to El Cid's new QB Coach Greg Candeto, today and will ask him his thoughts on this matchup.

[blueballs]

If UD defends Navy's TO as well as they defended GSU in the playoffs they've got a real good shot at winning. Should be a goodun'

[bojeta]

Hate to bet against Navy as my niece and nephew both just graduated from the Academy, but I got a feeling UD takes this one by a slim margin.

[Side Judge]

16000....AH'M GIVEN DUH MIDDIES......DUH NOD IN DIS ONE.........HARD TA BEAT NAVY @ ANNAPOLIS......DEY GET MOS' CALLS FROM DUH ZEEBS......ONE YEAR...WHIFF NAVY INSIDE DELAWARE'S TEN.....DEY WERE GIVEN LIKE SEVEN TRIES...TA PULL IT OUT......THINK DAT WAS '03.....OURAH OWN-LAH LOSS....WAS NOR'EASTER...IFIN' IT'S CLOSE NAVY WINS........HALF TA BEAT 'EM GOOD.....TA OVERAH-COME DUH STRIPES......ON DUH OTHERAH-HAND......WE GET PLENTY O' REPS...TA READY-UP... FO' DUH OPTION...... AS FALL PRACTICE.... IS ABOUT NAVY'S OFFENSE....KEELER WILL RUN DUH SCOUT TEAM.....INTA DUH GROUND TA SIMULATE........WE'VE ALREADAH ENCOUNTERED...... SEVERAH INJURYS FROM TWO SCRIMMAGES......HEY......ANY-GIVEN-SATURDAY........xprayx.....BRAWK!
Not to mention the phantom ineligible receiver call against daHenz...

[MR. CHICKEN]

TRUE JUDGE...AH BELIEVE UH HENS INTERCEPTION.....FINALLY ENDED DUH REF'S...GIMMIES...........AWK!

[WM2001]

UD will win this game by 6. Much of UD's success against GSU is owed to their experience against the TO. UD's LB corp is lights out and will cause at least 3 turnovers (the one problem with the TO).

[Twentysix]

Are you going to sink their battle ship?

lulz.

[Rob Iola]

'03, '07, and now '11 - gotta luv da progression...

'03: Bennett and Jenkins running wild, PJ complaining that Shawn Johnson was "unblockable", that amazing punt fake, and of course the endzone deflection to end the game...
'07: Ozzie Newsome shows up to scout Flacco - he picked the right game...
'11: da AP show???

[MR. CHICKEN]

'03, '07, and now '11 - gotta luv da progression...

'03: Bennett and Jenkins running wild, PJ complaining that Shawn Johnson was "unblockable", that amazing punt fake, and of course the endzone deflection to end the game...
'07: Ozzie Newsome shows up to scout Flacco - he picked the right game...
'11: da AP show???

16001.....AAHHH!......IT'S ALL COMIN' BACK TA ME NOW........AWK!

[CropDuster]

If UD defends Navy's TO as well as they defended GSU in the playoffs they've got a real good shot at winning. Should be a goodun'

We had 310 total yards, I'd say the 5 turnovers did the damage.

[BlueHenSinfonian]

We had 310 total yards, I'd say the 5 turnovers did the damage.

If executed well the TO is going to put up yards no matter how good the defense. The trick is to bend instead of breaking, allowing the small and moderate gains but insulating yourself from huge runs so that the inevitable fumbles can be capitalized on. If you look at full year stats teams that depend on variations of the option tend to have more fumbles, and more fumbles lost, than a lot of other offensive schemes. Navy seems to exercise better ball control than a lot of other option teams, but UD's gameplan will likely be to manage the gains on the ground and be in position to capitalize on any lost balls.

[bluehenbillk]

Not to mention the phantom ineligible receiver call against daHenz...

Excellent point - the Hens always get screwed with phantom calls it seems like in Annapolis. I'll put it this way - if AP runs for 200 plus Delaware wins, less than 200 probably a loss. UD plays the TO as well as anyone - they completely take away the FB dive and force teams to pitch, which is the highest risk & most turnover prone part of the TO.

[bonarae]

Bumping this just in time for the game...

[ekufbfan]

Go 'Hens! Sink Canoe U! I'll be speaking to El Cid's new QB Coach Greg Candeto, today and will ask him his thoughts on this matchup.

"Canoe U"...sarcastic and trite...
USNA, NAVY, US Naval Academy, Annapolis....have some respect, I AM SURE they have earned it! Go NAVY!

[jmufan999]

UD's greatest weakness (replacing their secondary) is the one thing Navy can't exploit, at least not in the deep passing game. Sasek plays well enough to win, Pierce gets 125+ yards rushing. Mike Perry hits a 42 yard field goal as time expires and is the CAA Special Teams Player of the Week, Pierce will be O-Player OTW.

UD 20
Navy 17

[bluehenbillk]

UD's greatest weakness (replacing their secondary) is the one thing Navy can't exploit, at least not in the deep passing game. Sasek plays well enough to win, Pierce gets 125+ yards rushing. Mike Perry hits a 42 yard field goal as time expires and is the CAA Special Teams Player of the Week, Pierce will be O-Player OTW.

UD 20
Navy 17

Well that could all be right except Perry, who was beaten out by sophomore Sean Baner for the kicking job. Baner just did KO's last year, but will handle all 3 duties this season: punt, placekick & kickoff.

[jmufan999]

Well that could all be right except Perry, who was beaten out by sophomore Sean Baner for the kicking job. Baner just did KO's last year, but will handle all 3 duties this season: punt, placekick & kickoff.

wow. just remembered him hitting that clutch kick at JMU and being phil steele's 2nd team all CAA.

[Side Judge]

A story on new Navy QB Chris Proctor from today's Washington Post (long story short, he's a great runner but not nearly the passer that Dobbs was):


In the days leading to the Navy football team’s 10th game last season, it had become increasingly clear that quarterback Ricky Dobbs wasn’t going to play, much less start. The record-setting senior had absorbed a light blow to the helmet a week earlier, and the coaching staff was all but resigned to rest him against Central Michigan rather than risk additional trauma.

That meant Kriss Proctor, then a junior, was to start for the third time in his career. So secure in Proctor’s aptitude was Coach Ken Niumatalolo that he didn’t treat the move with a lick of apprehension. He instead installed the game plan as if Proctor were the centerpiece of the offense all along.

Following a performance in which he ran for a career-high 201 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries, Proctor validated Niumatalolo’s thinking and — for at least one afternoon — had fans at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium convinced that the future of the Midshipmen’s triple option was in appropriate hands.

The game in many ways was also a dress rehearsal for this season, when the unveiling of Proctor as the full-time starter becomes official. After two years as understudy to his close friend, Proctor’s assignment with the first string is to beat Delaware on Saturday afternoon in the season opener in Annapolis.

Beyond that, Proctor’s most trying enterprise may be how he handles the inevitable comparisons to Dobbs, who crafted one of the most prolific careers in Navy history.

“You know the expectation is going to be there,” said Proctor, who at 6 feet 1 and 200 pounds is almost identical in size to Dobbs. “Expectation is always going to be there. That’s something I can’t control. It’s something that nobody can control. I’ve just got to do my part. I’ve got to come out and work everyday.
...
http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/replacing-ricky-dobbs-navy-quarterback-kriss-proctor-has-some-big-shoes-to-fill/2011/08/30/gIQAoRdspJ_story.html

[molly]

Is this game available online?

[molly]

Here's a link to it if anyone else is interested:

http://www.navysports.com/allaccess/?media=252533

[BlueHenSinfonian]

Well that was a disappointing game.

On the plus side Sasek showed some ability to run. The defense was in the right place a lot of the time. AP looked pretty good.

On the minus side, Sasek showed little ability to pass. The defense hesitated on tackles so being in the right place didn't get them anything.

At least we have a couple weeks of cupcake at home so the team can build their confidence back.

[superman7515]

Well that was a disappointing game.

On the plus side Sasek showed some ability to run. The defense was in the right place a lot of the time. AP looked pretty good.

On the minus side, Sasek showed little ability to pass. The defense hesitated on tackles so being in the right place didn't get them anything.

At least we have a couple weeks of cupcake at home so the team can build their confidence back.

Any word on Sasek's knee? We saw last year that he couldn't pass well but there was supposed to be significant improvement from then. It certainly didn't look like it today.