If Navy football wants to win the American Athletic Conference this year, they will need to improve in four key areas: quarterback, size, special teams and defense.
The Navy Midshipmen put together a strong season in 2017, but they have their eyes set higher next season. In order for them to keep moving onward they’ll need to make a few fixes in their preparation entering next season. That starts with the most important position: quarterback
1. Navy’s quarterback situation
It is no question that Navy’s success depends on the performance of its quarterback. After the transition of last year’s quarterback, Zach Abey, to wide receiver, it appears Coach Niumatalolo has decided Navy will be moving forward with the rising junior, Malcolm Perry.
Perry played slotback for most of the past two years with minimal time at quarterback. Perry started in last year’s game against Army, Perry attempted no passes in four quarters of play. Therefore, developing accuracy and comfort in the quarterback position, for Perry, will be Navy’s primary area for improvement this summer.
2. Strength and conditioning
Another important aspect of the off season for Navy to focus is to continue to develop its strength and speed. With undersized athletes, Navy’s annual efforts to become stronger and quicker are its only chance to compete with the likes of Notre Dame, Houston and UCF.
Notre Dame’s current starting offensive line averages a lineman of 6-foot-5 and 305 pounds. Navy’s current starting defensive line averages 6-foot-3 and 285 pounds. These differences exist at all positional matchups in all opponents Navy faces.
Coach Mike Brass was relieved of his position as the head of Strength and Conditioning. He was replaced by Coach Bryan Fitzpatrick, who brings a great level of intensity and rapport with the players. It will be on Fitzpatrick and his staff to prepare the players to compete with the other teams in the AAC.
3. Special teams
An overlooked are of focus will be in the kicking game. Navy returns its starting kicker of two years, Bennett Moehring. Moehring had a few injuries last year to include a strained groin and a freakish skin infection on his kicking foot. These injuries contributed to him going 8-of-15 on field goals. Moehring will need to improve his field goal percentage to put his team in a better position to win close games next year.
This task may be increasingly difficult due to a competition at long snapper and uncertainty in the holder position. Neither rising junior, Michael Pifer, nor rising sophomore Kyle Gibbs have ever snapped in a game before. The long snappers have also never competed for the starting job.
Additionally, backup quarterback Garret Lewis is listed as the lone holder on the current depth chart, but has also never held in a game. The field goal unit will need to work hard to develop rhythm and timing with both snappers.
Man vs. zone and the defense
Lastly, Navy’s secondary will need to improve dramatically if they hope to continue the switch to man coverage. In the middle of last season, Coach Dan O’Brien, Navy’s secondary coach, suggested to Coach Niumatalolo, and Defensive Coordinator, Dale Pehrson, that his defensive backs were ready to play man coverage. This request caught Niumatalolo off guard, due to his long-term commitment and belief in zone coverage.
Despite much hesitation from Niumatalolo, he agreed to switch to a man coverage scheme. The defensive back were not ready for man coverage. Eventually, Navy balanced a defense of both man and zone coverage for the last four games of the season.
Navy’s opponents had a 61.2 percent completion percentage and gave up 8.4 yards per attempt. Both were among the worst in the nation. Navy’s secondary will need to practice much more man coverage during this coming summer to switch their defensive scheme full-time.
The Navy players are fully capable to succeed in their off-season challenges. However, with the military training and busy summer schedules, it will be up to the players to find time to prepare themselves to improve on last year’s record of a disappointing 7-6.
I believe Malcom Perry will develop a passing game sufficient enough to keep the opposing defense from stacking the box with eight men. Look for Coach Fitzpatrick will get the players in the best shape Navy has ever seen. I predict Bennett Moehring and the field goal group to have an 80 percent success rate.
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Expect Coach Niumatalolo to start the season in a man coverage, but that could change at halftime against Hawaii in their season opener. At the very least, Navy will be back in zone coverage by their fourth game against SMU.