Navy Football: Midshipmen to fall out of AP Top 25 after loss to Memphis

Navy fell from the ranks of the unbeaten after a 30-27 loss at Memphis. Here is what the defeat means for the Midshipmen moving forward.

Thirteen teams entered Week 7 without a loss on their record. Navy was one of three teams from the American Athletic Conference with a clean mark in the loss column. They tried gamely to engineer a comeback on Saturday at the Liberty Bowl, but ran out of time as Memphis dropped the Midshipmen 30-27.

Zach Abey once again ran the ball well, finishing with 146 yards and three touchdowns. But the Navy quarterback struggled to hit receivers on the rare occasions when called upon to pass the ball, and it proved costly. Abey completed more passes to Memphis defensive backs than he did to his own teammates, finishing 1-of-7 for 20 yards and two interceptions.

On the other side of the ball, the Midshipmen defense did a decent but insufficient job against Memphis quarterback Riley Ferguson. The veteran passer didn’t put up massive numbers, but he completed 60 percent of his 40 passing attempts for 279 yards and three touchdowns. More importantly, though, he did not throw an interception.

Ultimately the oddmakers had it close. Memphis barely failed to cover a 3.5-point spread, but the Tigers did claim a critical division victory.

What does it all mean for Navy moving forward?

Navy is still technically atop the AAC West standings since they have one more conference win than the Tigers. But Memphis holds the division tiebreaker over the Middies, and both teams are 5-1 overall at the midway point of the season.

There is still plenty of time for both teams to climb back up into the Group of Five race for a New Year’s Six bowl. At this point, though, Memphis looks like the best contender in the division. The win also opens the door for Houston to also make noise in the discussion, as both Navy and Memphis still have to play the Cougars.

Next: Latest 2018 NFL Mock Draft entering Week 7

The last two unbeaten teams in the American Athletic Conference are both in the AAC East, and the West now looks like it is in position to play mere spoilers. After being disappointed by Temple at the final hurdle last year, the Midshipmen suffered a major blow in their quest for another shot at the conference crown.