Navy defense will be challenged in bowl
When he was coach at Notre Dame, Lou Holtz set a comedic standard for exaggeration when he talked of the virtues of Navy, a team his Irish hammered 11 times by no fewer than 15 points.
Now it’s Navy’s turn for Holtz-speak as it prepares for Thursday’s Poinsettia Bowl against San Diego State (8-4).
“The quarterback, in my opinion, he’s a first-rounder. He can make all the throws,” Navy defensive coordinator Buddy Green said. “The wide receivers can go, great speed. And the tailback is just amazing. Every game that you put on, is just a ‘Wow.’?”
But Navy (9-3) has every right to view opponents with awe. While the Midshipmen face a future in the military, many of the Aztecs are thinking NFL. Nine players from San Diego State’s 2007 offense began this season in the pros, and that squad went 4-8.
| POINSETTIA BOWL |
| Navy vs. San Diego State |
| When » Thursday, 8 p.m. |
| Where » Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego |
| TV » ESPN |
| Radio » 1500 AM |
Offense carried the Aztecs this season. Junior quarterback Ryan Lindley threw for 3,554 yards and 26 touchdowns. Freshman running back Ronnie Hillman rushed for 1,304 yards and 14 scores. Senior wideouts DeMarco Sampson (65 receptions, 1,175 yards, eight touchdowns) and Vincent Brown (61 receptions, 1,187 yards, nine touchdowns) are likely NFL draft choices.
“They’re very athletic, very good,” Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo said. “Their quarterback and running back and wideouts are as good as we’ve seen.”
Only two other teams in the FBS (Hawaii and SMU) had a 1,000-yard rusher and two 1,000-yard receivers. In a 40-35 loss at TCU, the Aztecs scored 11 more points than any team this season against the Horned Frogs’ No. 1-ranked defense.
While the numbers are daunting, San Diego State does have an Achilles Heel. The Aztecs don’t grind it out. They score from long distance, the kind of plays the Navy defense is designed to stop.
The Midshipmen surrendered only one touchdown pass this season longer than 30 yards. Lindley had 13 touchdown passes longer than 30 yards. Something has to give.
Last year, Navy faced a similar challenge against the prolific offense of Missouri. But Green befuddled the Tigers with a two-man front in a 35-13 victory. Game planning will be more difficult this time, according to Green, because of the Aztecs’ balance.
“They put you in a bind when you bring in extra personnel because they run the ball so well,” Green said. “A lot of their deep balls come out of the same formation — the two-back set.”
Keying Navy’s bend-but-don’t-break defense is senior safety Wyatt Middleton.
“If you would go game-by-game and jot down, ‘Wow, he made another game-saving tackle,’?” Green said. “You couldn’t count them on both hands.”
San Diego State may be Middleton’s ultimate challenge as Navy’s last line of defense. When asked to compare the Aztecs to another team the Mids faced this year, Green went Lou Holtz again.
“We scrimmaged the Patriots one time with Tom Brady,” he joked.
