Screw you, Nebraska. Navy proved you can still win by running the ball almost exclusively, and you can still be as exciting as any West Coast/run 'n' shoot/chuck 'n' duck passing attack. Head coach and Paul Johnson proved that with execution, toughness and military precision, you can still come up with winning seasons and bowl games even if you don't have a who's who of top high school recruits.
On the slap-in-the-face reality side of things, Navy didn't exactly beat a murderers row of teams last year without a victory over a bowl bound team. Beating VMI, Eastern Michigan, Vanderbilt, Air Force, Rice, Tulane, Central Michigan and Army is normally nothing to get too excited about, but Navy used to be wiped up by teams like those. You have to beat the bad teams on your schedule, and with the exception of a sloppy loss to Delaware, Navy did that while playing tougher against the better teams on the slate.
Navy will never be BCS bound and won't ever be among the best teams in the nation, but it can still run one of the most beautiful offenses in all of sports and still be as entertaining to watch as any college football team in the country. This is a program used to winning again, and it isn't going to slow down now.
The Schedule: There's only once 2003 bowl team on the slate, and Tulsa is very beatable. There isn't a game that Navy can't win as there isn't anyone, outside of, perhaps, Notre Dame, that will win on sheer talent, so the key for the Midshipmen will to not wear down and to maintain a high level of play every week. There can't be any slip ups following a big win like there was last year losing to Delaware after beating Tulane.
Best Offensive Player: Senior FB Kyle Eckel. He's a great blend of speed and power turning in a huge 2003 season rushing for 1,249 yards and ten touchdowns. He can block too, but he's most valuable powering up the middle allowing everything else to work outside.
Best Defensive Player: Senior FS Josh Smith. Smith has been the team's leading tackler in each of the last two seasons and should be the first to make it three in a row since Andy Ponseigo did it from 1981 to 1983.
Key player to a successful season: Everything else is in place for a repeat of last year, so it will be up to quarterback Aaron Polanco to produce like Craig Candeto did last year. He has the experience seeing a bit of starting time in 2002, but he'll have to prove he can be the effective decision maker and all-around runner like Candeto was.
The season will be a success if ... Navy wins eight games again and goes to another bowl. The schedule is light enough to demand at least eight wins. A second bowl appearance in two years would do wonders for the psyche of the program proving that it should be here to stay.
Key game: Oct. 16 vs. Notre Dame. The Midshipmen had the Irish on the ropes, but the defense ran out of gas having problems against Julius Jones and Notre Dame's overall size and power. A win would be the crown jewel in the Paul Johnson era and break a very long losing streak.
2003 Fun Stats:
- First quarter scoring: Navy 123 - Opponents 30
- Penalties: Opponents 76 for 653 yards - Navy 58 for 484
- Rushing touchdowns: Navy 44 - Opponents 21
On the slap-in-the-face reality side of things, Navy didn't exactly beat a murderers row of teams last year without a victory over a bowl bound team. Beating VMI, Eastern Michigan, Vanderbilt, Air Force, Rice, Tulane, Central Michigan and Army is normally nothing to get too excited about, but Navy used to be wiped up by teams like those. You have to beat the bad teams on your schedule, and with the exception of a sloppy loss to Delaware, Navy did that while playing tougher against the better teams on the slate.
Navy will never be BCS bound and won't ever be among the best teams in the nation, but it can still run one of the most beautiful offenses in all of sports and still be as entertaining to watch as any college football team in the country. This is a program used to winning again, and it isn't going to slow down now.
The Schedule: There's only once 2003 bowl team on the slate, and Tulsa is very beatable. There isn't a game that Navy can't win as there isn't anyone, outside of, perhaps, Notre Dame, that will win on sheer talent, so the key for the Midshipmen will to not wear down and to maintain a high level of play every week. There can't be any slip ups following a big win like there was last year losing to Delaware after beating Tulane.
Best Offensive Player: Senior FB Kyle Eckel. He's a great blend of speed and power turning in a huge 2003 season rushing for 1,249 yards and ten touchdowns. He can block too, but he's most valuable powering up the middle allowing everything else to work outside.
Best Defensive Player: Senior FS Josh Smith. Smith has been the team's leading tackler in each of the last two seasons and should be the first to make it three in a row since Andy Ponseigo did it from 1981 to 1983.
Key player to a successful season: Everything else is in place for a repeat of last year, so it will be up to quarterback Aaron Polanco to produce like Craig Candeto did last year. He has the experience seeing a bit of starting time in 2002, but he'll have to prove he can be the effective decision maker and all-around runner like Candeto was.
The season will be a success if ... Navy wins eight games again and goes to another bowl. The schedule is light enough to demand at least eight wins. A second bowl appearance in two years would do wonders for the psyche of the program proving that it should be here to stay.
Key game: Oct. 16 vs. Notre Dame. The Midshipmen had the Irish on the ropes, but the defense ran out of gas having problems against Julius Jones and Notre Dame's overall size and power. A win would be the crown jewel in the Paul Johnson era and break a very long losing streak.
2003 Fun Stats:
- First quarter scoring: Navy 123 - Opponents 30
- Penalties: Opponents 76 for 653 yards - Navy 58 for 484
- Rushing touchdowns: Navy 44 - Opponents 21
