Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo will speak briefly at the annual Touchdown Club of Annapolis cocktail party, being hold tonight (6:3-8:30) at the 19th Hole banquet facility at the Naval Academy Golf Course.
Athletic director Chet Gladchuk will also be present and will introduct Niumatalolo, who has led Navy to a 7-4 record and a berth in the Eagle Bank Bowl this year.
The annual cocktail party is free for Touchdown Club members in good standing along with one guest.

By: Bill Wagner of The Capital

The Times-Herald-Record reported in today's editions that Army starting quarterback Chip Bowden apparently suffered a sprained ankle in practice on Monday and may not play against Navy on Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
Beat writer Sal Interdonato reported that Bowden was wearing a proctective boot and did not participate in practice on Tuesday. Bowden has started the last eight games and has led Army to all three of its wins. The talented sophomore is the team's second-leading rusher with 566 yards.
If Bowden cannot go, Army would likely start junior Carson Williams, who reportedly took most of the snaps in practice on Tuesday. Williams started the initial three games of the season, but was not real effective running Army's new option offense.
Here is a link to the story: http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081202/SPORTS36/81202053/-1/SPORTS

By: Bill Wagner of The Capital

I attended the final installment of the Navy Football Luncheon today and once again enjoyed the fellowship and information provided by head coach Ken Niumatalolo. I think the luncheon series has been a wonderful addition to the season, giving diehard fans an opportunity to hear from Coach Niumatalolo in a friendly, intimate environment.
Obviously, a major factor that makes it work is Coach Niumatalolo, who has an engaging personality and seems to truly enjoy interacting with the fans. He has been very open and honest in this setting and has never failed to thoughtfully answer a question from the audience. Also, Navy radio broadcaster Pete Medhurst does a tremendous job as master of ceremonies. Pete's intimate knowledge of the program, developed over years of covering Navy football and from serving as the sideline reporter for the radio broadcast this season, keeps the program running smoothly.
Today's session elicited some interesting thoughts and responses from Coach Niumatalolo.
(on the intensity of the rivalry)
"It's still a football game. We have to make sure the things we did to prepare for the other 11 games are the same for this game. Sometimes, kids get into the Army-Navy game and are so tight they forget basic things they have done all season. We want to make sure our kids don't get too emotional, aren't too overhyped."

(on Army fullback Collin Mooney)
"Unfortunately, I got to see (Mooney) in-person at the luncheon on Monday. I thought he had his shoulder pads on underneath his uniform. Obviously, he spends a lot of time in the weight room. He's physically very strong, he's fast and quick. It's going to be a challenge to get him on the ground."

(on the progress of quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada)
"Kaipo has been running well. This is the fastest he's looked since the start of (August) camp."

(on the defense, which was criticized in 2007, playing so well this season)
"It all starts with Coach (Buddy) Green. Nobody was more maligned than Coach Green. He didn't make excuses, he just found a way for us to get better."

(on wearing a microphone for the Temple game)
"I wasn't worried too much about it because I don't curse. I'm loud and I yell, but I don't use curse words. When I get mad, I start speaking pidgin (a Hawaiian dialect) so I don't think anyone could understand me. I've had a lot of people that have known me for a while, either from my neighborhood or church or whatever, come up and say 'I didn't know you were so animated. I didn't know you were so mean.' It's funny because I've been yelling at people on the sidelines for six years. It's just that the cameras were never on me."

By: Bill Wagner of The Capital

A new twist has arisen that could dictate Navy's opponent in the Eagle Bank Bowl.
Officials with the Roady's Humanitarian Bowl are working hard to arrange a matchup of the nation's two non-Bowl Championship Series unbeatens - Boise State and Ball State.
While Ball State officials have expressed some reservations about playing Boise State on its home field, there is no denying that such a matchup would have tremendous intrigue.
The Humanitarian Bowl (I thought it was called the MPC Computer Bowl?) has a contractual agreement to take an Atlantic Coast Conference representative. However, organizers are negotiating with the ACC to work out some sort of deal.
If such a scenario develops, Maryland and Wake Forest would most likely be the schools affected. Both are at the bottom of the ACC pecking order and both have reasons why they cannot play in the Eagle Bank Bowl in Washington, D.C. Maryland will be in final exams the week prior to the Saturday, Dec. 20 contest. Meanwhile, Navy's contract with the bowl precludes any rematches, which would take Wake out of the picture.
Meanwhile, Sean Metcalf, co-CEO of the Eagle Bank Bowl, said organizers would do whatever possible to accomodate Maryland. Such provisions would include altering the schedule of events and allowing the Terps to practice on their own campus. Obviously, a Maryland-Navy matchup at RFK Stadium would be quite attractive to the inaugural bowl as it would almost guarantee a strong turnout.

By: Bill Wagner of The Capital

Heather Dinich, who covers Atlantic Coast Conference athletics for ESPN.com, has been carefully evaluating the bowl picture. Dinich talked with ACC assistant commissioner Michael Kelly today and found out that Clemson has beaten out N.C. State for the ninth and final slot in the league's bowl pecking order.
Clemson finished with a 7-5 record with two of the wins over Football Championships Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) schools. Only one of those wins can count toward bowl eligibility so the Tigers are technically 6-5. However, N.C. State finished 6-6 and NCAA rules stipulate that a team with a winning record must rank ahead of a .500 club when it comes to conference pecking order.
As a result, N.C. State (6-6) is not eligible to play in one of the nine bowls the ACC has automatic tie-ins with and will have to find an at-large berth elsewhere or stay home.
Most observers believe Clemson, which has a strong fan base that travels well, will be selected for a bowl higher on the ladder than the Eagle Bank. Maryland and Wake Forest, the other two teams at the bottom of the ACC pecking order, cannot play in the Eagle Bank Bowl.
Maryland has already stated it would decline an invitation since the bowl coincides with the school's exams (yes, they do take final exams at Maryland). A provision in the Navy contract with the Eagle Bank Bowl states that it cannot play a rematch of a regular season opponent, which takes Wake out of the mix.
That leaves the Miami Hurricanes as the only other obvious candidate. That would certainly be an interesting matchup. Perhaps we can coin a catchy slogan such as "Officers versus Convicts." Remember the old Catholics vs. Convicts label that was attached to the 1988 regular season meeting between Notre Dame and Miami? The Fighting Irish won that matchup of undefeated teams 31-30 in one of the greatest college football games in history.

By: Bill Wagner of The Capital

Navy just came up with a huge defensive stand to preserve its shutout. Northern Illinois drove 66 yards in 20 plays and held the ball for nearly 10 minutes without scoring a point. Helped by a pair of questionable unsportsmanlike conduct penalties on the Midshipmen, the Huskies reached the visitors' 3-yard line before stalling. Quarterback Chandler Harnish tossed an incompletion in the end zone on fourth down as the home team turned the ball over on downs.
Navy is now attempting to run out the remaining seven minutes and put this one in the win column.

By: Bill Wagner of The Capital

Navy cornerback Emmett Merchant made a huge play on a fourth down conversion attempt at the visitors' 37-yard line. Down 9-0 with time running down in the third quarter, Northern Illinois head coach Jerry Kill elected to go for it on fourth-and-four in hopes of putting points on the board.
The Huskies called for an out pattern, but Merchant sniffed out the play and stepped in front of intended receiver Greg Turner to pick off the pass by quarterback Chandler Harnish. Merchant returned the interception 29 yards to the home team's 36-yard line.
The Midshipmen took advantage of the turnover by scoring a touchdown with fullback Eric Kettani diving over from 1-yard out to make it 16-0 with 2:21 remaining in the third quarter.

By: Bill Wagner of The Capital

Navy forced another punt and got the ball back with about a minute and a half left in the second quarter. Fullback Eric Kettani broke a 13-yard run to get the Midshipmen near midfield, but time ran out before they could get into field goal position.
Quarterback Ricky Dobbs has rushed for 94 yards on 16 carries while Kettani has gained 53 yards on 10 carries. Navy's triple-option offense has been clicking on all cylinders, piling up 174 yards on 32 carries. Meanwhile, the Navy defense has held Northern Illinois to 117 total yards. The Midshipmen have dominated time of possession to the tune of 17:04 to 12:56.

By: Bill Wagner of The Capital

Northern Illinois was forced to punt on its second possession and Navy took advantage of the defensive stop. Quarterback Ricky Dobbs led the Mids on an 10-play, 85-yard touchdown drive that put the visitors ahead 9-0 with 5:38 left in the first half. Holder Jarod Bryant dropped the snap on the point after attempt and was tackled while trying to run into the end zone.
Senior slot back Greg Shinego had two big plays on the drive, gaining 19 yards on a pitchout then catching a 32-yard pass to Dobbs that brought the ball to the NIU 4-yard line. Dobbs got the payoff, diving over from 1-yard out after following fullback Eric Kettani into the hole.
Dobbs has already rushed for 77 yards on 12 carries. Dobbs now has eight rushing touchdowns on the season, which leads the team.

By: Bill Wagner of The Capital

Northern Illinois received the opening kickoff and had a promising drive going until Navy cornerback Rashawn King intercepted a Chandler Harnish pass attempt at his own 9-yard line to halt the scoring threat.
Navy then proceeded to drive 87 yards to the Northern Illinois 2-yard line and seemed on the verge of scoring a touchdown. However, slot back Bobby Doyle was thrown for a 3-yard loss on a quick pitch and fellow slot Shun White was stopped for no gain on third-and-goal and the Midshipmen had to settle for a 27-yard field goal by Matt Harmon, which gave the visitors a 3-0 lead at the 14:55 mark of the second quarter.
Sophomore quarterback Ricky Dobbs, making his first career start, had an inauspicious debut - fumbling on Navy's first play from scrimmage. Fortunately, Dobbs recovered his own fumble then rushed for 53 yards on seven carries during the drive.
Game time temperature here in DeKalb was 29 degrees.

By: Bill Wagner of The Capital

One more note from the desk of super SID Scott Strasemeier. We all know the Navy defense is better this season, but here is tangible evidence. The Midshipmen have the sixth most-improved scoring defense in the Football Bowl Subdivision this season.
Navy is allowing 25.7 points per game this season after giving up an average of 36.4 in 2007. That's a 10.7 points per game improvement, ranking behind
1. Florida 13.5
2. Alabama 13.0
3. Northern Illinois 12.5
4. Northwestern 11.7
5. Florida International 11.1


Notice that tomorrow night's opponent, Northern Illinois, is third on the list.

By: Bill Wagner of The Capital

Navy super sports information director Scott Strasemeier came up with these interesting notes in advance of tomorrow night's game against Northern Illinois.
First, Navy is one of 11 Football Bowl Subdivision schools to start three quarterbacks this season. The Midshipmen's record of 6-4 ranks seventh out of those 11 schools. Of course, Navy's starters have been Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada, Jarod Bryant and now Ricky Dobbs.
Interestingly, one of the other schools to start three different quarterbacks this season is Georgia Tech, which of course is now coached by former Navy boss Paul Johnson. Josh Nesbitt, Jaybo Shaw and Calvin Booker have all started for the Yellow Jackets, who own an 8-3 mark.
Another interesting fact is that Northern Illinois, tomorrow night's opponent, has also started three quarterbacks. Chandler Harnish, Dan Nicholson and DeMarcus Grady have all started under center for the Huskies (6-5).
Cincinnati (9-2), Connecticut (7-3), North Carolina (7-4), South Carolina (7-4) and LSU (7-4) are the other teams with winning records that have started three quarterbacks this season.
N.C. State (5-6), Memphis (5-6) and Washington State (2-10) are the other programs to have started three different signal-callers.

By: Bill Wagner of The Capital

For those that didn't catch the release issued by the Navy sports information department last week, please make note of the fact the Navy-Northern Illinois game on Tuesday night will NOT be televised on ESPN as originally planned.
That's because network officials switched the game to ESPN Classic in a last-minute programming change. As things turn out, Navy-Northern Illinois is not the biggest game being held Tuesday night. That honor would go to the Ball State-Western Michigan game that will decide the West Division champion of the Mid-American Conference. Ball State enters the contest with a perfect 11-0 overall record and 7-0 mark in the MAC while Western Michigan is 9-2, 6-1.
This is the last chance for an opponent to knock Ball State from the ranks of the unbeaten.
While Navy officials certainly understand the reasoning behind the switch, they still are not happy about it. Navy agreed to move this game from a Saturday to a Tuesday because of the opportunity to play on national television. Getting shuffled to ESPN Classic just days before the game is certainly a major disappointment and vitually ruins the reasoning behind playing an oddball, mid-week night game.

By: Bill Wagner of The Capital

I spent some time watching Ricky Dobbs direct the first team offense in practice today. The hotshot sophomore looked sharp running triple-option plays - displaying superb footwork, excellent timing and solid ball distribution skills.
Dobbs executed one counter-option play to perfection - selling the fake to the right, making a nice reverse pivot, drawing a defender then pitching at just the right moment.
I was standing next to former starting quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada at the time and remarked that Dobbs looked smooth on that particular play. "Ricky has been doing a good job this week. He's getting better every day. The kid is going to be something special," Kaheaku-Enhada said.
That is high praise coming from the quarterback the coaching staff has called the "best orchestrator" of the triple-option during the current era, which began when Paul Johnson became head coach in 2002.

By: Bill Wagner of The Capital

Some fans have worried that the increased playing time - and exposure - that quarterback Ricky Dobbs is receiving this season might prompt another program to lure him away.
I am fairly certain that it's illegal for coaches at opposing schools to directly contact players on the roster at another NCAA Division I institution, but we all know that shenagigans go on and that intermediaries can be used. In truth, it's usually the player wishing to transfer that contacts prospective schools, either directly or through an intermediary.
That being said, if Dobbs did want to leave the Naval Academy and transfer to a major conference school, he will certainly now have more than enough game action to put together a highlight tape.
Of course, all this speculation is pointless if Dobbs is perfectly happy at the Naval Academy and has no intention of departing following his sophomore season. As diehard fans all know, Midshipmen at the Naval Academy are eligible to leave without penalty prior to starting their junior year.
Head coach Ken Niumatalolo was asked about this prospect during the last Navy Football Kickoff Luncheon. Niumatalolo said he thought Dobbs was content in Annapolis and told a story that certainly backed up that assertion.
After Paul Johnson left to become head coach at Georgia Tech, Dobbs took it upon himself to call every single football player at the Naval Academy Prep School and urge them to follow through on plans to attend the Naval Academy.
Dobbs is probably the number one choice of coaches to serve as host for recruits taking official visits to Annapolis. The Georgia native is so friendly, so outgoing and so enthusiastic that he automatically leaves a positive impression on these high school seniors.

By: Bill Wagner of The Capital

As expected based on his comments immediately following the Notre Dame game and again on Sunday during an interview with The Capital, Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo has elected to start sophomore Ricky Dobbs at quarterback against Northern Illinois.
Niumatalolo informed Dobbs and season-long starter Jarod Bryant of the decision on Monday, reiterating his previous commments that it was based on a combination of game results and gut feeling.
"We need a spark offensively. Hopefully, Ricky can provide that spark," Niumatalolo said. "Ricky still does a lot of stuff wrong, but for whatever reason the ball moves and the team scores points when he is in there."
Niumatalolo emphasized that this decision was more of an endorsement of Dobbs than an indictment of Bryant, who has started six of 10 games this season.
"Most of our offensive woes against Notre Dame and in previous games were not Jarod's fault. However, there comes a time when you have to do something in order to move the ball. At this point, we are pretty desperate."
Bryant, a popular senior captain, was not pleased with the decision but accepted it, the head coach said. "Jarod is a great person who has always put the team first. Considering the circumstances, he was as gracious as could be and handled it well," Niumatalolo said. "Jarod is a competitor who wants to get out there and lead the team so obviously he is disappointed."
Meanwhile, Niumatalolo said he believes Dobbs understands the magnitude of being named the starter and the increased responsibility that entails.
"We don't have practice today so the kids have the day off, but I just walked past the staff room and Ricky was in there watching tape so I think he knows he has to work harder than ever to get prepared," Niumatalolo said.

By: Bill Wagner of The Capital

Navy is getting blown out in its men's basketball season opener against Towson. The Midshipmen are short-handed as returning starters Romeo Garcia (hamstring) and Mark Veazey (back) are both sitting out.
However, the absence of those two players does not fully explain Navy's woeful offensive performance. The Midshipmen cannot make a shot, are committing turnovers at a ridiculous rate and struggling just to get open shots against an aggressive defense by the Tigers.
Towson guard Josh Thornton, a transfer from Georgetown, put on a shooting display early in the second half to turn the game into a romp. Thornton scored 14 points in four minutes by hitting a jumper and four consecutive 3-pointers, all of which came from NBA range.
With just 10 minutes remaining in the game, Navy still does not have a single player in double figures. The Mids are shooting a horrendous 14-for-51 from the field and have committed 16 turnovers.
I am typing this blog entry because there is no point in keeping play-by-play any longer. Towson leads 70-41.

By: Bill Wagner of The Capital

Navy’s three-man defensive line has really stepped up of late with junior nose guard Nate Frazier, junior right end Matt Nechak and freshman left end Jabaree Tuani all enjoying outstanding seasons.
Nechak leads all down linemen with 31 tackles, including a team-high 7.5 for loss and a team-leading four sacks. Tuani, who did not enter the starting lineup until the fifth game, has quickly accumulated 30 tackles, including 6.5 for loss and 1.5 sacks.
Frazier, an aggressive 6-foot-3, 287-pounder, has been a force up front – routinely taking on double teams yet still recording 21 tackles, 3.5 of which have gone for loss.

By: Bill Wagner of The Capital

Navy has used four different players at offensive right tackle this season. Senior Andrew McGinn started the season opener, but classmate Mike Von Bargen took over for the next four games. Junior Austin Milke then earned four straight starts, but has given way to sophomore Matt Malloy the past two games.
Malloy, a 6-foot-3, 280-pound product of Stephen Decatur High in Berlin, has impressed the coaching staff with his combination of size and athleticism. In a real rarity, Malloy’s first career start was also his first collegiate appearance.
"Matt is a very talented kid. I think the biggest thing with Matt was mentally, not physically. We always knew he was going to be a good football player and could do the job athletically. He just needed to gain experience," Navy offensive line coach Ashley Ingram said. "Just through repetitions at practice he got better and better and we felt more comfortable putting him in there."

By: Bill Wagner of The Capital

Slot back Bobby Doyle does not touch the ball much, but when he does something good usually happens.
Doyle has scored three touchdowns on 11 touches, an amazing ratio. Equally remarkable is the fact many of his carries from scrimmage have also resulted in first downs.
Doyle, who is used primarily as a blocker, has run the ball eight times for 112 yards – a phenomenal average of 14 yards per carry. The 5-foot-11, 195-pound junior also has two receptions for 54 yards.
Doyle has scored on a 38-yard pass against Towson, a 17-yard run versus Duke and a fumble recovery in the end zone at Air Force. The product of Chardon High in Ohio had a 16-yard catch and a 24-yard run against Temple, a 13-yard run versus Air Force and broke a career-long 39-yard run at Wake Forest.
That penchant for producing long gains on minimal touches led Niumatalolo to dub Doyle as "big-play Bobby" during Tuesday's Navy Football Luncheon.
"Bobby is an outstanding football player. He has a great attitude and great athletic ability. When he gets his opportunities, he takes advantage and makes the most of them," Navy slot backs coach Joe DuPaix said. "Bobby has been magical when he’s had the ball. He's not real flashy, he's not going to wow you with speed and moves, but he knows how to get the job done and has been very productive."
Senior Shun White has started every game at one slot back position, but multiple players have shared the opposite spot. Junior Cory Finnerty started the initial seven games, but senior Greg Shinego has started the last two. Doyle obviously sees significant action while DuPaix has also used sophomore Andre Byrd and freshman Cory James at times.
"There's not a slot back that we have that I don't have complete confidence in.
It's a very competitive position, the depth chart changes day-by-day, week-by-week," DuPaix said. "Lately, Shinego has proven himself to be a little bit better than the others and has earned that other starting spot."

By: Bill Wagner of The Capital

Navy and Notre Dame supporters have joined forces to hold a "Kickoff Luncheon" tomorrow in the B&O Warehouse at the Camden Yards complex. Hosted by the Notre Dame Club of Maryland in conjunction with the Baltimore chapter of the United States Naval Academy, the event will be held from 11:30-1:30 p.m. with WJZ-TV (Channel 13) sports anchor Mark Viviano serving as master of ceremonies.
Organizers have put together an impressive list of speakers for the luncheon, a combination of former Notre Dame and Navy greats. Two of the finest players in each program's respective history - Notre Dame tight end Mark Bavaro and Navy safety Chet Moeller - are the keynote speakers. Bavaro enjoyed a distinguished career in the NFL with the New York Giants while Moeller was a first team All-American.
Also slated to speak are former Notre Dame running back Greg Bell, former Navy quarterback Bill Byrne. There will be a special recognition of Rip Miller, one of the seven "Mules" who blocked for the famous Four Horseman on the 1924 Notre Dame national championship team and later served as head coach at the Naval Academy.
Miller served as an assistant athletic director at Navy from 1948 through 1974. His widow, Esther Miller, who remarkably turns 102 years old on Friday, will be in attendance.
Tickets cost $50 per person, $500 per table. For further information, contact Chris McCabe by calling 443-285-3434 or e-mailing chrismccabend78@comcast.net.

By: Bill Wagner of The Capital

Navy normally holds football practice from about 3:30 to 6 p.m. The Midshipmen did that even during August camp because Coach Ken Niumatalolo wanted the players to get used to being ready to perform at 3:30, which is the time of Navy home games.
Niumatalolo took advantage of the fact Tuesday was a holiday to hold an early afternoon practice. If Niumatalolo had not needed to attend his coach's luncheon, he probably would have started practice at noon. That's because he wants to replicate the noon start of this Saturday's contest against Notre Dame.
"I wanted to get as close as possible to noon. We haven't played many games at noon except Duke, and we know what the results were from that game," he said. "I truly believe that if you can get your body acclimated to the time that you are (competing) that it helps. I kind of got that from boxers and mixed martial arts who try to get used to doing stuff at fight time."
To that end, Niumatalolo said he would hold at least one late practice under the lights in advance of the Tuesday night game at Northern Illinois.

By: Bill Wagner of The Capital

I attended the third installment of the Navy head coach's luncheon today at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Coach Ken Niumatalolo had some interesting responses to a couple questions from fans in the audience.
One diehard fan that had attended several junior varsity games mentioned the fact there are five freshman quarterbacks on the roster. He was curious as to why one or more had not been moved to another position yet.
"It would be unfair to move anybody yet. None of them have really been coached. They've been playing in the JV games or on the scout team," Niumatalolo said. "We are excited about all of them. We think they are all pretty good."
Niumatalolo said all five plebes would remain at quarterback through spring practice so the coaching staff can get a firm handle on their respective capabilities. However, he also said there was no way all five would remain at quarterback.
"We don't have the luxury to keep five good athletes at quarterback," he said.
Niumatalolo named all five freshman signal-callers and said each "has some sort of positive attribute." He said Kriss Proctor (Big Bear, Cal.) was probably the "smoothest, most polished" in terms of directing the triple-option and called Sy Gaines (Midlothian, Va.) a "big, strong, powerful" kid. Michael Stukel (Fleming Island, Fla.) was rated the best all-around athlete of the bunch, Kameron Smith (Garner, N.C.) was also described as being extremely athletic while Brian Blick (Greenville, N.C.) was touted for being smart and skilled.

By: Bill Wagner of The Capital

Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo said this evening that senior quarterback Jarod Bryant had an outstanding practice and showed no ill affects from the bruised shoulder he suffered against SMU.
"Jarod was really sharp today. I think that week off kind of got his legs back a little bit. He looks like he's got a little burst there," Niumatalolo said.
Meanwhile, sophomore Ricky Dobbs continued to make some of the same mental mistakes that drive the coaching staff crazy.
"I've got to stop watching Ricky in practice because he does some things in practice that make you scratch your head," Niumatalolo said.
Niumatalolo pointed to the fact Dobbs came off the bench and performed well against SMU and Temple to suggest that perhaps the youngster raises his game and focuses better during games.
"Maybe Allen Iverson was right... practice is overrated," Niumatalolo said.
Meanwhile, senior quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada did not suit up for practice yesterday after underdoing treatment for his hamstring injury. Kaheaku-Enhada was dressed in sweats and watched practice from the sideline.

By: Bill Wagner of The Capital

It looks like Navy's revolving door of quarterbacks will continue. Just when you think you've got the situation figured out, it changes.
Jarod Bryant was directing the first team huddle during practice today and head coach Ken Niumatalolo said the senior captain would likely start against Notre Dame.
It would be the sixth start this season for Bryant, who has rushed for 440 yards and six touchdowns, passed for 265 yards and another two scores.
Bryant suffered a sprained shoulder against SMU and was not available to play quarterback against Temple. He did serve as the holder on place kicks during the miraculous comeback victory over the Owls.
"I thought Jarod was playing well in the SMU game before he got injured. He was on his way to having a big game," Niumatalolo said.
Bryant rushed for 48 yards on just six carries versus SMU before giving way to Ricky Dobbs, who rushed for 224 yards and four touchdowns against one of the nation’s weakest defenses.
While Bryant will likely start against the Fighting Irish, there is a high probability that Dobbs will play. Niumatalolo said the hotshot sophomore has earned the right to share signal-calling duties with Bryant, but would not commit to how much time the youngster would get next Saturday.
Meanwhile, senior Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada did not practice yesterday and likely will not attempt to work in full pads prior to the Notre Dame game, being held Nov. 15 at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. The senior from Hawaii was clearly a step slow against Temple and had no burst.
"Kaipo probably wouldn't be able to go (against Notre Dame)," Niumatalolo said. "Kaipo is more sore than anything. He just doesn't have any explosiveness. I think he's a little bit frustrated that he doesn't."


"There are some different scenarios. I don't know the exact formula... three-to-one series or the first series of second quarter," Niumatalolo said. "I'd just like to see him play. The kid has done well."

By: Bill Wagner of The Capital