Navy Football looks to recover after a brutal two year stretch

How will Navy football fare in 2022?

While Navy finished 4-8 last season, they were more competitive than the 2020 season. In four games, they lost by eight points or less. This included a close seven point loss to Cincinnati, the eventual conference champion and CFP participant.

Can the Midshipmen get back to a 2019-type season? Most likely not but bowl eligibility should be the goal.

• Game 1: Delaware (W) – Navy leads the series with the Blue Hens 10-7. This needs to be a Navy win for the season to start off right.
• Game 2: Memphis (W) – Tigers have won the last three in this series but the Midshipmen take advantage of being home and pull the upset.
• Game 3: at East Carolina (W) – Navy lost by a field goal to East Carolina a year ago but before had won five straight against the Pirates. Mids will have two weeks to prepare coming off a bye week.
• Game 4: at Air Force (L) – Air Force has won two in a row in the series. Navy has not won in Colorado Springs in a decade.
• Game 5: Tulsa (W) – Tulsa’s two wins in the series are in Annapolis. However, by this point, Navy’s offense should be clicking.
• Game 6: at SMU (L) – This will be a tough game for Navy. The Mustangs are 14-2 in their last 16 home games.
• Game 7: Houston (L) – Another tough challenge for Navy as Houston has won two straight in the series and will be a conference contender.
• Game 8: Temple (W) – Owls are rebuilding under first-year coach Stan Drayton. Should be a comfortable win for Navy.
• Game 9: at Cincinnati (L) – Mids came real close to upsetting the Bearcats a year ago as a four-score underdog. Likely will not be as close on the road this season.
• Game 10: vs. Notre Dame (L) – The Irish are legit CFP contenders and the last three games in this series have not been close. The game will be played in Baltimore, Maryland.
• Game 11: at UCF (L) – Midshipmen upset the Knights a year ago. They will have a tougher time doing so on the road this season.
• Game 12: vs. Army (W) – One of the best rivalries in all of college football. Army likely will be the favorite, but Navy will have a bowl spot on the line.

Prediction: 6-6, 4-4 American

This year’s schedule is not as brutal as a year ago, where the Midshipmen were an underdog in all but the game against Temple. But as mentioned previously, the AAC teams have advantages Navy does not.

While the schedule is slightly easier overall, the last month is spent entirely on the road. Sure the game versus Notre Dame is close by in Baltimore, but the Mids are significantly better in Annapolis under Ken Niumatalolo, 55-21 all-time.

Navy football certainly has the ability to pull some upsets and will need to do so to get back to a bowl. The Midshipmen will be more prepared for this season than the previous two and the results should improve.

Think at worst this is another four-win team. But the Mids should make a strong push for bowl eligibility. Can the formula of focusing on the run on both sides of the ball still work for Navy in today’s changing landscape? We are about to find out.