Two teams desperate for a victory meet this afternoon in Annapolis.
Host Navy, coming off tough road losses to Ball State and Duke, wants to avoid a three-game losing streak for the first time since going 2-10 in 2002.
Visiting Rutgers, having suffered surprisingly lopsided defeats at the hands of Fresno State and North Carolina, is trying to prevent opening the season 0-3 for the first time in the eight-year tenure of head coach Greg Schiano.
"It's going to be a circle-the-wagons game for them, just like it is for us. We're both the same. Our backs are against the wall. We're in a very similar situation. It's going to be a dogfight," Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo said.
Rutgers, which has played in three consecutive bowl games for the first time in program history, has been brought down to earth by back-to-back poor performances. Schiano, who led the Scarlet Knights to an 11-2 record and No. 12 final ranking in 2006, isn't ready to panic.
"I believe in our players and our coaches. I don't think we're far off," Schiano said. "What we have failed to do is take advantage of our opportunities. Every game has opportunities. If you take advantage, you have a chance to win. If you don't take advantage, the game can get away from you. That is what has happened to us in the last few weeks."
Rutgers has struggled mightily on offense, ranking 116th out of 119 teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision with an average of 9.5 points per game. The Scarlet Knights have been abysmal on third down, ranking 116th in that category as well with a conversion rate of 17 percent (4-for-23).
Disappointed fans have put much of the blame on quarterback Mike Teel, a returning starter who has tossed five interceptions and just one touchdown through two games. This week, Schiano gave the senior signal-caller a resounding vote of confidence.
"Mike Teel is the best quarterback in our program right now. He is having a tough stretch, just like the entire team," Schiano said. "Mike knows he is the team's guy as well as the coach's guy. He is going to play great this year."
Schiano is more concerned with the Rutgers' struggling rushing attack, which is averaging a mere 123 yards per game. The Scarlet Knights are still searching for a capable replacement for tailback Ray Rice (Baltimore Ravens). Neither Kordell Young nor Mason Robinson has impressed so far. Young, who opened the season as the starter, was limited in practice this week with an ailing knee. Schiano might give redshirt freshman Jourdan Brooks (who attended Seneca Valley High in Germantown) more action after he ran for 42 yards on seven carries in his collegiate debut against North Carolina.
Meanwhile, the Rutgers defense, so physical and overpowering in recent seasons, has been shredded for an average of 34 points and 400 yards. The Scarlet Knights have failed to force a turnover and rank 96th in rushing defense, giving up 181 yards per game.
Navy (1-3) comes into the game leading the country in rushing for the fourth straight season with an average of 370.3 yards per game. Senior slot back Shun White is the nation's top individual rusher with 588 yards through three games.
However, Navy's triple-option offense has sputtered at times during the back-to-back losses. The Midshipmen managed only 207 yards rushing in last Saturday's loss to Duke, its lowest output since a 2006 loss to Rutgers.
Navy has converted only 15 of 38 third-down situations (39 percent) this season after ranking fourth nationally in that category in 2007. The Midshipmen have also struggled in the red zone, scoring touchdowns on just five of 12 trips inside the 20-yard line.
Navy is nonetheless averaging 31.7 points and 457.3 total yards per game, but Niumatalolo admitted this week that the standard set during the tenure of former head coach Paul Johnson was extremely high. The Midshipmen have missed the leadership of starting quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada, who has played less than one half this season due to a hamstring injury.
Kaheaku-Enhada, who had to come out of the Duke game just before halftime due to heat exhaustion, was running harder and faster in practice this week. Niumatalolo said the senior from Hawaii reads the triple-option better than any quarterback Navy's ever had.
"We need to do a better job of finishing drives. It's just a matter of execution. We've had too many missed reads and missed blocks," Niumatalolo said.
Starting fullback Eric Kettani, the team's leading rusher last season, is probable despite sitting out practice this week with a strained hip suffered against Duke. The 6-foot-1, 233-pound bruiser has only gained 127 yards on 21 carries this season.
Host Navy, coming off tough road losses to Ball State and Duke, wants to avoid a three-game losing streak for the first time since going 2-10 in 2002.
Visiting Rutgers, having suffered surprisingly lopsided defeats at the hands of Fresno State and North Carolina, is trying to prevent opening the season 0-3 for the first time in the eight-year tenure of head coach Greg Schiano.
"It's going to be a circle-the-wagons game for them, just like it is for us. We're both the same. Our backs are against the wall. We're in a very similar situation. It's going to be a dogfight," Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo said.
Rutgers, which has played in three consecutive bowl games for the first time in program history, has been brought down to earth by back-to-back poor performances. Schiano, who led the Scarlet Knights to an 11-2 record and No. 12 final ranking in 2006, isn't ready to panic.
"I believe in our players and our coaches. I don't think we're far off," Schiano said. "What we have failed to do is take advantage of our opportunities. Every game has opportunities. If you take advantage, you have a chance to win. If you don't take advantage, the game can get away from you. That is what has happened to us in the last few weeks."
Rutgers has struggled mightily on offense, ranking 116th out of 119 teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision with an average of 9.5 points per game. The Scarlet Knights have been abysmal on third down, ranking 116th in that category as well with a conversion rate of 17 percent (4-for-23).
Disappointed fans have put much of the blame on quarterback Mike Teel, a returning starter who has tossed five interceptions and just one touchdown through two games. This week, Schiano gave the senior signal-caller a resounding vote of confidence.
"Mike Teel is the best quarterback in our program right now. He is having a tough stretch, just like the entire team," Schiano said. "Mike knows he is the team's guy as well as the coach's guy. He is going to play great this year."
Schiano is more concerned with the Rutgers' struggling rushing attack, which is averaging a mere 123 yards per game. The Scarlet Knights are still searching for a capable replacement for tailback Ray Rice (Baltimore Ravens). Neither Kordell Young nor Mason Robinson has impressed so far. Young, who opened the season as the starter, was limited in practice this week with an ailing knee. Schiano might give redshirt freshman Jourdan Brooks (who attended Seneca Valley High in Germantown) more action after he ran for 42 yards on seven carries in his collegiate debut against North Carolina.
Meanwhile, the Rutgers defense, so physical and overpowering in recent seasons, has been shredded for an average of 34 points and 400 yards. The Scarlet Knights have failed to force a turnover and rank 96th in rushing defense, giving up 181 yards per game.
Navy (1-3) comes into the game leading the country in rushing for the fourth straight season with an average of 370.3 yards per game. Senior slot back Shun White is the nation's top individual rusher with 588 yards through three games.
However, Navy's triple-option offense has sputtered at times during the back-to-back losses. The Midshipmen managed only 207 yards rushing in last Saturday's loss to Duke, its lowest output since a 2006 loss to Rutgers.
Navy has converted only 15 of 38 third-down situations (39 percent) this season after ranking fourth nationally in that category in 2007. The Midshipmen have also struggled in the red zone, scoring touchdowns on just five of 12 trips inside the 20-yard line.
Navy is nonetheless averaging 31.7 points and 457.3 total yards per game, but Niumatalolo admitted this week that the standard set during the tenure of former head coach Paul Johnson was extremely high. The Midshipmen have missed the leadership of starting quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada, who has played less than one half this season due to a hamstring injury.
Kaheaku-Enhada, who had to come out of the Duke game just before halftime due to heat exhaustion, was running harder and faster in practice this week. Niumatalolo said the senior from Hawaii reads the triple-option better than any quarterback Navy's ever had.
"We need to do a better job of finishing drives. It's just a matter of execution. We've had too many missed reads and missed blocks," Niumatalolo said.
Starting fullback Eric Kettani, the team's leading rusher last season, is probable despite sitting out practice this week with a strained hip suffered against Duke. The 6-foot-1, 233-pound bruiser has only gained 127 yards on 21 carries this season.
