To Navy coach Paul Johnson, his team?s performance during its 30-19 victory over Temple was good, but it wasn?t good enough.
“I thought we did some good things in spots but we missed a lot of tackles,” he said. “We couldn?t get anybody on the ground, but hopefully we?ll grow. It is what it is, and we?ve got what we?ve got. We?ve just got to keep our heads up and make better plays and better tackles.”
Recommended Stories
It will be imperative the Midshipmen (1-0) do exactly what Johnson says if they are going to have any chances of posting one of the biggest wins in recent Academy history on Friday night at 7 at No. 16 Rutgers (1-0). The Scarlet Knights defeated Navy , 34-0, last season, and are a decisive favorite to do so again this year after opening their season with a dominating, 38-3 victory over Buffalo.
Meantime, Navy was sloppy against Temple, which won just one game last year and is regarded as one of the worst Football Bowl Subdivision teams. Along with numerous missed tackles on defense, Navy also turned the ball over twice and committed seven penalties for 69 yards. The penalties were abnormally high for Navy, which has a reputation as one of the most disciplined teams in the country.
Last season, the Midshipmen ranked third in the country in fewest penalties per game (four) and sixth nationally in fewest penalty yards a game (33.7).
“We have a lot of young guys and we played like it,” Johnson said. “I expect to see a lot of improvement from game one to game two or it will be ugly I can assure you. If we play like that next Friday night it won?t be so pretty.”
Navy junior quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada said his squad played “shaky” against Temple. Still, he felt having a close game early in the season could be helpful in the overall growth of the team, which finished 9-4 last season and won the Commander-In-Chief?s Trophy for a school-record fourth consecutive season.
“I think this was something we definitely needed,” Kaheaku-Enhada said. “Our whole team needed a game that was close and tough because we don?t know what we are until we get out there on the field.”
Navy junior linebacker Clint Sovie said it?s imperative the team has a good week of practice if it wants to contain Rutgers? running back Ray Rice, a Heisman Trophy candidate who rushed for 184 yards and three touchdowns against Buffalo. Rutgers quarterback Mike Teel threw for 328 yards and two scores.
Sovie finished with a game-high 10 tackles against Temple, but said he missed making several others?something neither he nor his team can do Friday night.
“Rutgers will make you pay for that 100 times over,” Sovie said. “They?re a great team and have a Heisman Trophy candidate in [running back] Ray Rice. He?s a tremendous player and he?s a shifty back. If we don?t make tackles [the score] will be 100 to whatever our offense scores.”
