TCY: Navy Midshipmen Football

[alexr5111]

Not really sure where I'm going to head with this but I like the idea of making things visual. I'll take ideas. I'll try to do game summaries, recruiting previews/summaries. Post-Season awards, etc. I also may quit and never do this again. But meet your 2004 Navy Midshipmen offensive starters.

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/j4KKKhL.jpg


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[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

Season Preview coming tomorrow...

[QuikSand]

images not working for me, FYI

what game are you using?

[alexr5111]

Damn! What a pain in the butt. The direct upload on here isn't working. Now I've tried two sites as photo hosts and apparently those don't work either. They're showing up for me. I'm using TCY

Edit: How about now?

[QuikSand]

Snappy, thanks

[QuikSand]

FYI, I think my first TCY dynasty thread here was with Navy. Circa 1492.

Anchors Aweigh!

[alexr5111]

FYI, I think my first TCY dynasty thread here was with Navy. Circa 1492.

Anchors Aweigh!

That’s funny...are you the one who started with the quote about the dangerous mission of starting a football program? That’s what made me want to do this one...still remember it.

[QuikSand]

Hmm, looks like the thread I posted must have been prior to the forum switch - I don't see it here. So it goes. But years and years ago I put a fair bit of shoulder into a TCY career with Navy. I don't recall that particular messaging, but... could have been me, sure. (Who else would want to play Navy? It's a rotten start for TCY, as an Independent facing "South Bend" on the regular)

[Chas in Cinti]

I remember that one, Quik... lol

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/t7qbKuv.jpg


Schedule Analysis:

The only opponent ranked in the Top 50 in the nation is Notre Dame at #16 overall.

We host all 4 of our Power 5 opponents but have to go on the road against both service academies.

Overall, no one ranks lower than us in the Top 125 poll with Army checking in at #117.

[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

Completely making this up as I go along...I'll take any and all suggestions for segments (not promising I'll use them though)

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/Mwry3oz.jpg

[alexr5111]

Okay that's it for the pre-season excitement. There are no games at all across the country in Week 1.

Just some general thoughts before the season kicks off...

OFFENSE

The quarterback position looks strong. Quentin Bush appears to be a solid thrower and athlete and is only a sophomore. Gilbert Cassell (no relation to Matt) and Oliver Robertson are both solid upperclassmen backups. They aren't the athlete that Bush is, though.

This offense will heavily depend on its running back and full back play and right now it doesn't look to be a strength. Despite being a Senior, Pat Cobb doesn't stand far above the rest of the group and there may be some mixing and matching here. The starting fullback position in particular is not set in stone and there may be multiple guys used.

Freshman Darrell McKnight is a stud at TE and it may not be long before he's taking a lot of snaps away from Mercury Gatson.

Senior WR's Mel McWilliams and Rufus Johnson will both see plenty of snaps at the one WR spot in our Option Offense. They're solid.

The offensive line is strong. Randy Bartee and Kerry Bradley are sh*t-kickers in the run game and they'll lead the squad. This offense will live and die by this unit's performance.


DEFENSE

If Leonard Johnson goes down with an injury, this season may be lost. That's how much more talented he is than any of our other defensive linemen. This group is a major weakness. Particularly inside. Look for different combos up front.

Irving Nelson is going to be a good player at MLB...but he's not yet. The outside backer play is strong with Kevin Wright and Arnie Reinhardt. Depth is an issue.

Our corners are serviceable. Alonzo Barnes, Randall Cyrus and Bruce Walton aren't going to kill you but they aren't going to shut a whole lot of passing games down either. Safety play is very weak.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Harley Davison and Mickey Hoffman are both all-league type punters. We have three kickers on the squad that I'd be comfortable kicking for us, in Quinn Blackwell, Mitch Burton and Van Muerch. The job is Burton's to start.

[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

Quick thoughts on the upcoming first game of the year...

Duke is not a particularly strong team. They are ranked #85 in the country.

We feel like we can take advantage of the interior of their offensive line.

They have three pretty talented seniors at wide receiver and our guys will have to show up to be able to slow them down.

Their defensive ends are good players. Jeremy Rachal and Scott Seals start and complement each other well.

Safety Rob Shepard and OLB's Cornelius Pritt and Marshall Alexander are the three best players on this team by our view.


We are 3 point favorites in this one. Rain is in the forecast and this will play to our advantage.

Prediction: Navy 24-17

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/YEL3qDY.jpg

[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

Well that was mildly surprising. The boys came to play in the season opener....or else Duke is a lot worse than we thought. Some thoughts....

My offensive coordinator went rogue. He had very specific instructions to run the ball 99.99% of the time and we ended up throwing it 24 times. Particularly late in the game with the game out of hand. If my headset hadn't been malfunctioning I would've stepped in.

Speaking of throwing the ball, Quentin Bush was just okay. In a blowout like this I would've expected him to be a dominant factor...but he just wasn't. He was sufficient throwing the ball and ran 10 times for 41 yards. Improvement will be needed against better opponents.

Michael Hicks outplayed Patrick Cobb. Maybe Hicks is just a better fit at the WB position but he ran well. Cobb averaged just 3 yards per carry.

Mel McWilliams got the late start over Rufus Johnson and may have won the starting job going foward. Johnson was targeted three times, catching one and dropping one.

The offensive line controlled the game, allowing us to double up Duke on time of possession. Bartee was great but Sophomore, Howard Scott came in for a struggling SR OC Blaine Castillo and dominated. Going 6 for 6 on key run block opportunities. He will start next week.

The defense won the day. Duke didn't have a possession inside the redzone (scoring from 22 yards out and on a 70 yd INT return).

Despite little pass rush, the pass defense was stifling. Duke's QB went 5 for 22 with 2 INTs (Foreman and Bollman)

Kicker Quinn Blackwell took advantage of his surprise start, nailing all 3 of his field goals and all 5 of his extra points


A good start to the season, certainly. It gives the team confidence and sets the tone for the type of team we'll try to be going forward. It was also good to get a few guys in early that we didn't necessarily know what they were capable of.

[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

Quick thoughts on the upcoming game in Week 3...

Brownsville is part of the Solecismic 10 League based in Texas. They are ranked 119 in the country but only lost to Kansas State 26-0 in Week 2 on the road.

I would say this is a trap game but we're 5 point underdogs on the road

We're generally healthy coming out of Week 2. TE Mercury Gatson has a banged up shoulder but he will play.

Brownsville has a solid QB in Melvin Scott and some serviceable wideouts. They didn't show it last week but they have some ability.

It's generally a weak front 7 on defense but they have two very good corners in Walter Webb and Herb Foss. Let's see if they can tackle...



The 5 point spread is a bit surprising here given last week's results but this one is in Texas and it's going to be hot. The plan is to run them all day long.

Prediction: Navy 27-21

[collegesportsfanms]

loving the graphics man. What game are you using for this?

[alexr5111]

loving the graphics man. What game are you using for this?

Thanks, it sort of forces me to pay more attention to my game and the rest of the stuff going on. I'm using The College Years. Should probably put that in the title..

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/QOrJ1ZX.jpg

[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

Week 3 thoughts....

This was the kind of performance I was looking for from Quentin Bush. He was dynamic with the ball in his hands and protected the ball better than last week. Most importantly, he was clutch. Every time we needed a play, he made it. That's demonstrated by the fact that we were 9-13 on 3rd down.

Patrick Cobb also was much more productive and Michael Hicks played well again.

Randy Bartee and Arnie Truitt were dominant inside (combined 10-17 on key run block opportunities). Howard Scott got the start at Center and played okay, didn't shine like last week.

The defense struggled. As predicted, the defensive line is a major weakness. They create very little pass rush and Brownsville ran for 200+.
On the flip side of our offense going 9-13 on 3rd downs, our defense allowed Brownsville to go 10-14...they converted 3rd and long time and again and it kept them in the game.

We created no turnovers as a defense. That shouldn't happen against one of the worst teams in the country.

CB Alonzo Barnes and LB Arnie Reinhardt were the two best players on defense. Barnes had the only two pass breakups on defense and Reinhardt had 11 tackles with one TFL.

Unfortunately we didn't come out of this one healthy. WR Mel McWilliams has a torn ligament in his thumb and will miss next week's game. That will give Rufus Johnson another shot at the starting job. Starting DT Vinny Houck has a dislocated shoulder and is OUT. Lastly, backup kicker Mitch Burton wasn't paying attention on the sideline and got rolled up on. He has a broken ankle and is OUT.


Overall a good road win but probably closer than it should have been. Defense needs to get better if we want to keep things rolling.

[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

Quick thoughts on upcoming Week 4 matchup...

Tulsa is 0-2 but both losses have come to Big 12 teams, Kansas and Oklahoma St. Neither game has been particularly close. They are favored by 2 in this one, despite us getting a #46 ranking.

Johnnie Hudson is a solid runner for Tulsa but he hasn't been used much. 30 carries for 125 yards in two games.

Their defense is similar to ours, doesn't create turnovers and little pass rush.

They're having a lot of trouble protecting QB Scott Ledwell. He's been sacked 9 times already.

This would be a good week to change our fortunes on 3rd down defensively. They're converting just 26% of the time.

Still not getting much respect as a 2-0 underdog. We have a couple of injuries this week but an Oklahoma rain storm will give us the edge.

Prediction: Navy 21-13

[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

Week 4 thoughts...

It's safe to say that Quentin Bush doesn't like playing in the rain. He struggled again in this one, which is understandable but his production in the run game should have been better.

Generally the team answered the criticisms of last week. In particular, defensive 3rd down stops...Tulsa went 3-15, which is great. Unfortunately we only went 7-18.

The pass rush also finally showed up. We had 7 hurries, 5 sacks and 3 batted balls at the LOS. Undersized DT Brock Thomas, starting for the first time, had two of those batted balls and one sack.

In a reserve role, DE Kerry Huxtable made an impact with 3 hurries, a half sack and a batted ball.

When RB Michael Hicks is on a roll, he's on a roll. He was the team's offense on an important 7 play 79 yard drive early in the 1st quarter. He finished with 11 carries for 74 yards on the day...more than half on that drive.

CB Alonzo Barnes shined again in the defensive secondary, not allowing a catch and making a pass breakup in 33 passing snaps. He battled through multiple injuries all game long and finally left with concussion-like symptoms but should play next week.

The TD run pictured above is neither Patrick Cobb or Michael Hicks, but instead Sophomore Everett Weyand, whose 48 yard TD run sealed the game with 2 minutes to play.

Maybe you can chalk it up to the weather but it seems like when one arm of the team is working well, the other isn't and vice versa. It's a nice 3-0 start to the season but the inconsistencies need to improve.

[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

Quick thoughts on the upcoming Week 5 matchup...

The Commodores have only played 2 games, losing to two ranked teams, Ole Miss and South Carolina by a total of 40 points. We once again find ourselves an underdog (2 points) but this time at home.

Vandy's offense has been scary bad. Although he may have a terrific name, QB Mamba Rabach is completing just 38% of his passes with 1 TD. Starting RB JB McMahon has 40 yards rushing on 21 carries.

DE Wade Bowlander can cause issues if given the chance. He has 5 TFLs in two games and 2.5 sacks. Kerry Bradley will have his hands full.

The offensive line is a combined 5 for 37 on key run block opportunies. Not good.

The Vanderbilt run defense is one of the worst in the country, allowing 217 ypg and 5.6 ypc. This has our offense drooling.

WR Mel McWilliams will be held out another week and Rufus Johnson will start in his place once again.

Same story, different week as we find ourselves underdogs. Statistically we match up very well with Vanderbilt, but they have played a tough SEC slate so far. This should be a battle. With thunderstorms in the forecast...may have to look to someone other than Quentin Bush this week...

Prediction: Navy 21-20

[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

Week 5 thoughts...

Came back down to earth with that one. Just really a total debacle on both sides of the ball.

Quentin Bush had a nightmarish performance. He threw a pick-6 on our first offensive play of the game and it never got much better.

Michael Hicks was the only bright spot on offense as he ran 12 times for 63 yards and our only offensive touchdown. That puts Patrick Cobb's (17 carries, 29 yards) and Bush's starting positions officially up for competition.

WR Ben Cash scored on a 92 yard kick return for TD.

Normally steady, Randy Bartee and freshman Howard Scott struggled in the run game, combining to go 0-12 on key run block opportunities.

The defense was an unmitigated disaster. Vanderbilt rushed for 461 yards..good for 8.1 ypc. They ran for 176 alone right behind their center. After such little production in the run game for them in the first two games, this is particularly scary.

The passing defense grade is incomplete, as the Commodores only needed to attempt 6 passes.


Back to the drawing board after this one.

[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

Thoughts on upcoming Week 6 game....

Air Force is a solid team and they're 19 point favorites. They're 4-0 and they've beaten 3 Power 5 teams in Utah, Baylor and Cal. Overall they're ranked #32.

This team is going to try to beat you on the ground and Benjamin Knickerbocker can do that. He's rushed for 497 yards in 4 games with 7 TD's.

Harry Crane is a difference maker at DE in the pass rush. He has 5 sacks this season...but may be able to be run at.

S Sean Vidal is a ballhawk in the defensive backfield. He's got 4 INT's this year to go along with his 24 tackles.

It's hard to find vulnerabilities with this team. They're the #1 scoring offense in the WAC and the #1 scoring defense. They're the best on 3rd down both offensively and defensively.

We really need to hope that last week's blowout was a hit of smelling salts to the team. Otherwise this one will get ugly. The one bright side? Sunny and 56 in the weather forecast.

[alexr5111]

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Some delayed thoughts on Rondell Reese...

Hard not to like this pickup. He's a great student with a great attitude. Can do a lot of things on defense...11 sacks and 5 interceptions so far for Wayne HS. He's going to help us a lot in the passing game and I imagine he'll get significant work as a freshman.

[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

Week 6 thoughts...

Very tough loss to a rival who was heavily favored. We hung in for the whole game but really a few plays made the difference..

A missed FG by Quinn Blackwell on the opening drive ended up being big.

Patrick Cobb gets stuffed on 4th and 1 from our own 40 with the game tied late in the 2nd quarter.

Air Force converts three 3rd downs on the opening drive of the 2nd half and scores a TD.

Quentin Bush is sacked late in the 4th quarter effectively ending a possible go-ahead scoring drive.

The play calling has not been good. It seems our OC is incapable of understanding who is hot and whats working and whats not. We had success throwing the ball but didn't continue to do it.

Kerry Bradley did not play well. He converted only 1 key block on 15 opportunities. We will struggle anytime that's the case.

The run defense was **better**. Allowing 183 yards total and 4.3 YPC.

Patrick Cobb has lost his starting job for the time being. Michael Hicks has consistently outperformed him and he'll begin to get the greater percentage of carries.

A disappointing loss but an improvement over last week. Now we've got a week off to get a little healthier and stop the losing streak.

[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

Rufus Ingersoll is the definition of a sleeper find. I'm confident if he played at a bigger high school he'd be at least 3 stars. Great size at 6'4" 240. Another great attitude, high effort kid. Has 70 tackles, 10 sacks and even an interception this season at Ardsley. He's still raw in his pass rush but should be a help early to our porous run defense.

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/W8i8cpj.jpg

[alexr5111]

We continue to strengthen our front 7 with the addition of Ian Tate. He's a little undersized at this point, but I think he'll be in the 210's by the time he's getting significant time for us. All-State player in New York and can really run. He can play man-to-man against backs out of the backfield and he'll have a role. 87 tackles, 11.5 sacks and 3 INT in his senior year so far. Another high energy, great mentality kid.

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/cUoFaCx.jpg

[QuikSand]

This is great stuff, I am not cut from the cloth to do this sort of pace and analysis, but as a reader it's :chefskiss:

ANCHORS AWEIGH BABY

[alexr5111]

This is great stuff, I am not cut from the cloth to do this sort of pace and analysis, but as a reader it's :chefskiss:

ANCHORS AWEIGH BABY

Thanks...I doubt its sustainable but it's been the perfect combo of mindless and interactive for me after work every day. It got much easier after I had the format for everything after the first week.

[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

Peter Nance is a solid player from Iowa. Obviously not a state known for its skill guys but Peter's been productive. He's got 995 yards rushing through 9 games. He is a threat out of the backfield too, with 25 catches this season. He's really not going to be your between the tackles guy but will be able to contribute in a more dynamic-type role. Our goal is to bring in one more RB in this class

[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

Andrew White is kind of an interesting prospect. He's almost skinny at 264 lbs right now. Really has some ability in shutting down the run with his long arms and strength. Should help us to continue to build up that Front 7.. Comes from more of an athletic powerhouse than anybody else in this class so far. Not quite the high motor, go-getter type that we're used to but we think we can get him there.

[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

Wade Lake really kind of epitomizes what we were looking to add to our defensive backfield. He's real long at 6'1" with a frame to put on more weight. Already physical enough to get involved in the run game but also a ballhawk who has 9 Ints this year for Tabb HS. Another kid from the region from a nice school.

[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

Upcoming Week 8 thoughts....

Notre Dame is the most talented and well balanced team we'll play all year. They're 13 point favorites. They're ranked #30 overall and their two losses have come to two Top 15 teams in Michigan and Washington.

They've got a really good senior QB in Jerry Bronson and a solid run game with Les Schneiter.

They do have a tendency to turn the ball over as their turnover ratio is -6. If we're going to win that's going to need to fall in our favor. If it doesn't, things could get ugly.

[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

Week 8 thoughts...

Another dud in the books. This one was 17-0 at halftime but we never stood a chance.

A terrible offensive performance. 8 total first downs and 147 total yards. The offseason can't come soon enough so I can fire OC Darrin Stephens.

WR Mel McWilliams returned to action but was a non-factor, catching 1 pass for 4 yards.

Considering our numbers, the offensive line didn't play that poorly. Randy Bartee and Howard Scott in particular were not bad. This one looks to fall more on new starting RB Michael Hicks.

The defense struggled to stop any Notre Dame offense but they did come up with 5 sacks on the day.

Freshman LB Irving Nelson has been a bright spot over the past few weeks. He's getting comfortable in his role in the middle of the defense and has performed well.


After playing arguably our three toughest opponents in the last 3 games, it's time to get back in the win column next week.

[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

Dixon Horner is a huge get for us. A nationally ranked skill guy at a massively important position. He's right from our backyard at Bowie...just an absolute cupcake as a football program but obviously brings the academic pedigree. He's a high character kid and has over 2400 yards from scrimmage this year. After him and Peter Nance, we're done at the tailback position.

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/myQBEi3.jpg

[alexr5111]

Sedrick Minter is a bit outside the mold of the rest of the class so far. A little lower academically than we'd prefer but sometimes you need to make exceptions to get those country-strong, midwestern offensive linemen. He's strong in the run game. A future *anchor* in the middle.

[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

Week 9 thoughts...

Inconsistency continues to plague the team. Darrin Stephens must have read my threats last week as we went out and scored 44 points this time around.

Quentin Bush could've been more efficient but it was a slight step forward without turning the ball over and getting both Rufus Johnson (3 catches 44 yards) and Mel McWilliams (3 catches 55 yards) involved.

Finally the breakout game we were waiting for from Michael Hicks. Pat Cobb added 85 yards himself. Not too often you lose when rushing for 360 yards.

Quinn Blackwell missed 3 FG's and it ultimately cost us the game.

The pass rush continued to improve with 4 more sacks on the day.

Both Randy Bartee and Kerry Bradley had huge games, combining for 16 key run blocks.

We just couldn't do enough to stop drives. Rice QB Craig Palmer threw for 330 yards and was 18 for 25. They picked on OLB Arnie Reinhardt in particular. Today was the first game we matched up CB Alonzo Barnes with the oppositions top WR and it didn't go very well.

Even though it's a tough loss to an average-at-best team, there is a bit to be encouraged about after this week. The offense had been anemic and they burst out with this performance. If we can continue to get pressure on the QB it's hard to think we won't break out of our slump.

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/3jmoOOC.jpg

[alexr5111]

Think "Rodney Harrison" when it comes to Bennie Contreras . He's the big physical presence we were looking for at safety. His strength is in the box but he's entirely capable defending the pass as well. 6 sacks and 7 Int's on his stat line this season. He also comes from a pipeline in Frederick Douglass HS which has produced 2 current Midshipman, including FR WR Dana Beyer.

[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

Week 10 thoughts...

Another egg as the season begins to circle the drain...this one was close in the 1st half and then went off the rails.

Before the season I made a comment about what would happen if we ever lost DE Leonard Johnson to injury. He left the game late in the 1st half with broken ribs and NM State scored on 4 second half drives, including three drives of over 70 yards. Johnson is out indefinitely.

Michael Hicks ran well early but the whole offense fizzled out in the 2nd half. We had 135 yards in the 1st quarter and just 100 total the rest of the way.

QB Quentin Bush was Quentin Bush-like. Completing 28% of your passes will get the backup QB's more work in practice this week.

No pass rush this time around. Our defense managed 0 sacks on the day and just 1 hurry.

That's 5 losses in a row after a 3-0 start.

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/meAAi7u.jpg

[alexr5111]

Sean Villars is a kid with a nice frame who didn't get much recognition because he's playing at a poor athletic program in northern PA. He's a great student with a great attitude and should dominate in the run game.

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/hc9qPC5.jpg

[alexr5111]

Courtney Guffey won't be punting for us for at least 2 years but we think he can be an asset once he is. He's got a booming leg and is a former soccer player with little experience. He's averaged over 40 yards a punt with Olentangy in his senior season.

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/sNUllTc.jpg

[alexr5111]

Arguably the biggest commitment of the class so far, Paul Gillespie was being recruited by Air Force but we were able to get in on him late. He's got play-now size and has 62 tackles and 9 sacks this year for Gunnison. It's good to continue to work our way out West for prospects, as well.

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/fI19AL6.jpg

[alexr5111]

Back to back big commitments with the verbal from Indiana DT Isaac Roberson. He's similar in build to Andrew White. He plays all along the D-Line for Highland HS and has 81 tackles and 9 sacks in his senior season.

[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

Week 11 thoughts...

This one is tough to swallow as we lose in the last minute to Tulane.

The defense allowed 68 yards on the first two plays of the game but then stiffened and forced a missed FG. It was an early win.

Michael Hicks was outperformed by Patrick Cobb. It seems they're rarely both on their A game at the same time.

Quentin Bush played much better this week despite the poor numbers. He didn't turn the ball over and he was clutch when it was needed. He'll survive to start another week.

Harvey Davison must've saw the news of Courtney Guffey's committment because he was booming punts all day long. Averaging 44.5 ypp.

The linebacking corps has quietly become the strength of the defense, with Kevin Wright having another solid game.

The offensive line play was inconsistent. Kerry Bradley played well but Les Dicaprio struggled, allowing 2 of the 4 sacks allowed on the day.

10 penalties for 70 yards in this one. Undisciplined performance.

Another one in the loss column. It was a gutsy performance with a game tying TD and 2 point conversion in the final minutes, but we just couldn't hold on to finish it off. A bye week awaits.

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/Li99pqd.jpg

[alexr5111]

Fullback was one of our biggest needs in this class as we have no depth at the position. It's one and done in this class with Nolan Ramsey, the 12th ranked FB in the country. He's a tough, hard-nosed kid from Long Island whose best attribute is his blocking in the run game...which is saying something because he averages 9 yards a carry and has 700 yards receiving.

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/zxUgA8F.jpg

[alexr5111]

We snag a long, athletic offensive lineman in Calvert T Lawrence Cooper. Another one we had to take the admissions counselors out to dinner in order to sneak in. He's just 30 miles outside of Annapolis but still a really nice pickup for a program that's struggling to get wins on the field.

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/UBxTBX6.jpg

[alexr5111]

The final member of the 2004 recruiting class is a bit of a surprise. We take our third DE in Troy Manning. We had just a couple of guys we were willing to spend our last scholarship on and Manning was one of them despite having already fulfilled our needs at DE. He was too good to pass up with his size, abilities and top-notch leadership qualities.

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/BwJeDhg.jpg

[QuikSand]

Okay, incoming class taking shape. I think it would be wise to gain a foothold in some of the MD/DE high schools with high ratings in both academics and athletics, if/when you have any throwaway slots on the roster. A no-talent guy from such a school might help you more than a end-of-bench guy rated 18/18 but from a school you don't really want to target.

Having a player from a school is a nice hook if/when that aspirational target from nearby comes along... the high/high schools are the best for obvious reasons. (Athletic reputation translates to their initial development, which in all the FOF games has mattered a lot)

[alexr5111]

Okay, incoming class taking shape. I think it would be wise to gain a foothold in some of the MD/DE high schools with high ratings in both academics and athletics, if/when you have any throwaway slots on the roster. A no-talent guy from such a school might help you more than a end-of-bench guy rated 18/18 but from a school you don't really want to target.

Having a player from a school is a nice hook if/when that aspirational target from nearby comes along... the high/high schools are the best for obvious reasons. (Athletic reputation translates to their initial development, which in all the FOF games has mattered a lot)

Interesting, I never knew about the athletic reputation. Too bad because I like the idea of having to recruit from crappy programs

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/1wZH8c5.jpg

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/okPPo4i.jpg

[alexr5111]

This is a really big game this week, we've had a bunch of close calls against mediocre teams which are hard to swallow, but Rutgers is bad. They are ranked #117 (We're #99). Their only win was over Kent St. and they've scored 2 TD in a game just once all year. To lose this would be the deathblow especially leading up to the Army game in two weeks. No significant changes in the lineup and no new injuries (DE Leonard Johnson remains out). We are ten point favorites.

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/34kTfoq.jpg

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/y1iDTta.jpg

[alexr5111]

Week 13 thoughts....

This game was a wild one and the score was not indicative of how close it was. We scored 17 points in the final 2:30 after taking over on downs deep inside Rutgers territory each time.

Neither team wanted to win this game - there were 5 interceptions and 6 fumbles total. It was yet another wet, messy one in a season full of them.

Irving Nelson's 99 yard INT return for a TD in the 2nd quarter was a game changing play and a highlight for our pass defense in what was an otherwise poor performance.

Our pass rush did show up, however, collecting 4 sacks. This included one from walk-on freshman defensive back Eugene Nixon.

Quentin Bush was his usual self, leading the team on spectacular drives with third down conversions one minute, and then throwing crucial interceptions the next.

It's another bye week this week before Army-Navy in Week 15.

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/oLCTx8p.jpg

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/VWmk8VQ.jpg

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/XHtV1MS.jpg

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/ZFHdKhf.jpg

[alexr5111]

If anybody is following this....thoughts on how I should display the playoffs? (I'm doing tournament style) Should I do weekly results or just a summary at the end for the championship? Put a poll at the top of the thread.

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/113bp0v.jpg

[alexr5111]

Army-Navy thoughts..

A great way to finish off the season and to end it with 2 wins in a row.

Quentin Bush picked a good time to play his best game of the year. He went 11 for 15 for 205 yards, 2 TD and 0 Int. It gives him a nice confidence boost heading into the offseason

The run game was productive enough. Mike Hicks ran for 91 yards on 27 carries and Patrick Cobb and Quentin Bush combined for 60. It was good enough to control the clock in the 2nd half and get the win. Cobb also contributed with 2 catches for 69 yards and a TD.

Mel McWilliams continued to play his best football at the end of the year. It seemed like the hand injury he suffered early in the season really nagged him and he is finally fully recovered. He caught 5 passes for 93 yards and a TD in this one.

The offensive line was excellent, led by game MVP, Kerry Bradley. They didn't allow a sack all game and combined for 13 key run blocks, with Bradley having 6 of those.

The linebacking group continued their strong play. Arnie Reinhardt finished with a team high 10 tackles. Irving Nelson had 8 and 5 assists and Kevin Wright's 83 yard fumble return for a TD was the play of the day.


It's always big to beat Army. We finish the season 5-6 by starting and finishing strong.

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/TV7mw1j.jpg

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/eyWxKh4.jpg

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/0YVqpfN.jpg

[MIJB#19]

If anybody is following this....thoughts on how I should display the playoffs? (I'm doing tournament style) Should I do weekly results or just a summary at the end for the championship? Put a poll at the top of the thread.My two cents? I'm bumping in from time to time and I think there's one crucial thing that really matters: it's what you like to do with your dynasty. If you enjoy what you're writing/creating (this thread is a piece of art), you will make the best efforts, as a result display something that's worth looking at for others and will continue to be something people will keep coming back to to read.

[alexr5111]

My two cents? I'm bumping in from time to time and I think there's one crucial thing that really matters: it's what you like to do with your dynasty. If you enjoy what you're writing/creating (this thread is a piece of art), you will make the best efforts, as a result display something that's worth looking at for others and will continue to be something people will keep coming back to to read.

Thanks. For me it's just as fun creating the stuff as it is playing the game. It also kind of forces me to immerse myself in the game a little more (normally I'd just blow through the playoffs or never check who else was recruiting who). Appreciate the comment.

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/vCl0YTN.jpg

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/Iy4GKw8.jpg

[alexr5111]

Some general recruiting thoughts..

Overall pretty happy with the class. It's always disappointing that you're capped at 16, particularly in the first few seasons.

I'm curious to see what kind of an effect Nolan Ramsey will have on the offense. I expect he has a chance to win the starting FB job as a freshman.

In some mildly big offseason news, we've released starting OG Arnie Truitt from the team. He failed a class last semester and had a 1.57 GPA. Any player being ruled academically ineligible will be released from the team. With that said, we now have an opening on the offensive line. We signed no guards in this class but it's possible Lawrence Cooper or Sean Villars could fill that role.

Obviously feel really good about the signings on the defensive front 7. The front 4 were painful to watch last year and we've injected a ton of size and ability into this group. It's the strength of this class.

We did take one extra DE than I had planned for. It would've gone towards another DB and we are pretty lacking in that area this season. It'll be a big focus in our next recruiting class. We also made the decision to redshirt one of our two junior punters late in the season which makes the Courtney Guffey signing less needed. Oh well.

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/LF4aaCs.jpg

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/LPvIGin.jpg

[alexr5111]

USC with a heck of a haul in 2004. California is loaded in 2005 too so it probably will be more of the same for them.

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/tUpa0Ha.jpg

[alexr5111]

Also just a sidenote - because we're Independent I thought it was pretty useless to announce conference awards. However, OT Kerry Bradley was named 2nd team All-America...so that's pretty cool.

One thing I need to remember to do next season because I forgot - end of season statistics. If I forgot anything else, let me know.

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/uLzbZxg.jpg

[alexr5111]

We brought a few new scouts on board but these were the two big moves.

Tommy Falls was previously the QB coach at Brown and has a reputation as a QB guru. He was involved somewhat in the play calling over the last couple of years and we've heard good things in that regard as well. A decent recruiter as well. He wasn't working the T-Formation previously but we will continue to run it here in Annapolis.


We're hoping Troy Stephens will bring the kind of intensity and principles that we're looking for on the defensive side of the ball. He was the linebackers coach at Western Kentucky last year. He did call plays previously at the D2 level and did a great job with it so we're excited for him to have the chance to do it again.

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/v0REjuy.jpg

[alexr5111]

Michael Hicks keeps his job as the top running back that he won over the departed Patrick Cobb last year. True Frosh Dixon Horner will get plenty of opportunities at the WB spot. Redshirt Sophomore Everett Weyand will get carries as well. Freshman Peter Nance will likely redshirt.

Freshman Nolan Ramsey is the opening day starter at FB but last year's starter, Peter Hardy will get some playing time as well. SR Mercury Gatson retains his role as the starting TE in the offense.

No change at QB with Quentin Bush. His main target will be Ben Cash. Cash was our kick returner last year but becomes the #1 WR with the graduations of Mel McWilliams and Rufus Johnson.

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/Nbc5mnI.jpg

[alexr5111]

The offensive line is without a doubt the strength of the team. There would be 5 returning starters if it weren't for Arnie Truitt's dismissal.

The All-American, Bradley and Randy Bartee are the stars of the unit but Howard Scott is not far behind. He took over the starting center job early last season.

True FroshSean Villars gets the early shot at replacing Truitt. He is a natural tackle but we'll see how he does when kicked inside. Fellow freshman Lawrence Cooper is another possibility here.

Les Dicaprio struggled at tackle at times last year and his job isn't completely safe. If he were to find the bench, Cooper, Villars or Senior Claude Flynn are all options at the RT spot.

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/XaIekje.jpg

[alexr5111]

In what may be somewhat surprising, both DT's are returning starters. Vinny Houck and Ethan Clemons were steady but not spectacular last year. The plan now is to redshirt freshman, Isaac Roberson. Andrew White will rotate in plenty but not start...at least yet. rSR Brock Thomas will get some pass rush duty as well.

Defensive end is a different story. Both opening day starters will be freshmen. Rufus Ingersoll and Troy Manning get the nod. We've got a lot of bodies here with seniors, Kerry Huxtable, Jason Frederick available. As well as freshman Paul Gillespie and last year's starter, Jamie Newhouse.

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/KSulzWG.jpg

[alexr5111]

The linebacking crew has a ton of potential but is inexperienced. The only returning starter is Irving Nelson and he's only a sophomore.

The two freshmen, Rondell Reese and Ian Tate will man the OLB spots and there's not a whole lot available beyond that. rFr Jimmie Perez is likely the next man up.

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/qoY9Rm9.jpg

[alexr5111]

We're in good hands at the safety position with Clifton Norris and freshman Bennie Contreras. Contreras absolutely looks ready to play right now. Sr Brady Rowan is the next man in and he has game experience at the position.

Cornerback is a little more dicey. We lost Bruce Walton to graduation and now freshman Wade Lake needs to step up. We feel good about Alonzo Barnes but he is injury prone and there is no scholarship depth at this spot.

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/gA0rgAH.jpg

[alexr5111]

Not much to report here. Both kickers retain their positions. Brandon Valadez takes over the return duties as Ben Cash becomes our starting wideout.

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/R1UQyFM.jpg

[alexr5111]

This is going to be a fairly challenging schedule. McAllen, Temple, Rutgers, Army and Arkansas State are the easiest matchups on the slate. BC, Auburn, Washington State and Notre Dame are all top programs that finished at .500 or above last season.

You'll notice there's no Air Force on the schedule this season. We just couldn't make it happen but it's something we'll try hard to do again next year.

It's good to see we almost doubled our season tickets sold from last year, with 12,300.

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/59IyK2y.jpg

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/os0x0yy.jpg

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/D3VzkYb.jpg

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/YuC1k72.jpg

[DavidCorperial]

Really enjoying this, but just to let you know, the UConn logo you have is too modern, they still had had the blue outlined fluffy dog with a red tongue sticking out at this point.

[alexr5111]

Really enjoying this, but just to let you know, the UConn logo you have is too modern, they still had had the blue outlined fluffy dog with a red tongue sticking out at this point.

Yeah, admittedly if there's one thing I've been lazy with it's been sticking with either 2004 images or just doing modern ones. For the logos I've been exclusively using the ones from wikipedia because they automatically have no background which is convenient.

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/lVgnvyg.jpg

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/UBSq5Uc.jpg

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/CAYWmf0.jpg

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/YkiLIHM.jpg

[alexr5111]

This was a frustrating first game and we ended up losing it in overtime.

We fought back from a 10 point deficit in the 4th quarter to tie this one up and send it to overtime. However, Quinn Blackwell missed a 40 yard FG short in OT and we lost by three.

Special teams in general hurt us in this one. In addition to the Blackwell missed FG, Harvey Davison averaged just 33 yards per punt on 5 kicks with none inside the 20. We'll look to get Mickey Hoffman some kicks next week. Brandon Valadez had 4 punt returns for -4 yards total. We'll look to get others involved there this week, as well.


We shut down their starting running back Donovan Berry. He was held to 74 yards on 31 carries and was stuffed 10 times. You can't ask for much better than that. His backup, Will McInytre had 66 yards on 13 carries so we couldn't do it across the board. Still, an encouraging sign from a run defense that was incredibly porous last season.

Our running game was solid and a highlight. Mike Hicks ran for 111 yards and freshman Dixon Horner added 61 yards and a TD. Quentin Bush did not find much success however, carrying 6 times for -1 yard.

The offensive line was better in the run game than in pass protection. They allowed 3 sacks on the day but Kerry Bradley and Sean Villars were both major factors in the running game. FB Nolan Ramsey also had a really nice debut with 4 key run blocks.

The defensive freshmen were a major bright spot in this one. They accounted for the Top 4 tacklers on defense. Ian Tate finished with 14 tackles and an interception in a great performance. His linebacking partner, Rondell Reese also had an Int and added 7 tackles. Ends, Rufus Ingersoll and Troy Manning combined for 11 tackles and a sack as well. The future of our front 7 looks very bright.

The schedule kicks up a notch this week as we host #24 Washington St on CBS Sports Network.

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/D41JfxD.jpg

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/fLmLlh5.jpg

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/Ez7Ldl7.jpg

[alexr5111]

Week 3 thoughts...


This one was a total debacle in more than one way. We managed 152 total yards, allowed 433 and lost two players to injury.

Both Rondell Reese and Quentin Bush are more than likely done for the year. Reese tore his ACL and will not be back. Bush broke his fibula and there's a chance he may be back near the end of the season.

Gilbert Cassell was the first man up in replace of Bush and it was ugly. 4 of 19 and 2 Int. Oliver Robertson will get the start next week.

Washington St also lost their starting QB in this one, but their replacement, Phil Hebert fared much better and won player of the game.

Once again we did a nice job of shutting down the run game. Ian Tate finished with 4 TFL's and Troy Manning had 3 of his own.

The pass defense struggled again. Just our defensive backs allowed 14 completed passes against. Alonzo Barnes countered that with 3 pass breakups but the rest of the group managed just one.

The offense struggled in every department. Dixon Horner carried 10 times and was stuffed on 5 of those carries. Ben Cash was targeted 13 times but finished with just 2 catches. Sean Villars, Nolan Ramsey, Kerry Bradley and Lawrence Cooper combined to go 0 for 14 in run blocking opportunities.

On to McAllen with a couple of new starters...

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/brTLx0a.jpg

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/If5bK9G.jpg

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/0x9Lfer.jpg

[alexr5111]

Week 4 thoughts...

A really nice win despite being over a poor team. It was important after the big injuries and loss in Week 3.

The run game had their finest hour in this one. Mike Hicks and Dixon Horner both go over 100 yards and Hicks comes within 3 of 200. This was largely in part to a dominating O-Line performance in which Kerry Bradley, Randy Bartee, Howard Scott, Nolan Ramsey and Sean Villars combined for 28 key run blocks.

Oliver Robertson filled in well for Quentin Bush. He wasn't spectacular but he was about what we've come to expect from Bush.

Freshman Nolan Ramsey has already established himself as a force as a blocker in the run game, but this week he led the team in receiving as well. He's been a great signing.

Not to be outdone by the other freshman phenom, Ian Tate, Irving Nelson reminded us who the leader of the defense still is. He made a team leading 5 tackles and added a sack and an interception in the win.

We have a bye in Week 5 which we'll use to try and lock up a few of our first commitments of the year. In Week 6 we start a tough back-to-back by going on the road at Boston College.

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/a3tKgDB.jpg

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/QTdKF8h.jpg

[QuikSand]

Here's to you, Mr. Robinson...

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/mdpoa0Z.jpg

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/qtadAo2.jpg

[alexr5111]

Austin Clancy is the big back we were looking for in this class. I expect he will be playing at 220 or 230 for us at some point. His game is power running, but he has shown some ability to catch the ball out of the backfield as well with 31 catches for 480 yards. He also checks the box in regards to recruiting from a more successful athletic high school as Mamaroneck is a solid program on Long Island.

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/m5dxZdy.jpg

[alexr5111]

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited about what we're building at the linebacker position for the next few years. We know what we have in Irving Nelson, Ian Tate and Rondell Reese and now we've added another solid one in Leslie Dodge. He's not the thumper that some of the other guys are but he's going to be a huge asset in the pass game. He's a ++ character kid and has 96 tackles, 7.5 sacks and 7 Int in his senior season. Doesn't hurt to start making some connections in Texas, either.

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/ZdhcRvn.jpg

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/quDh6EE.jpg

[alexr5111]

Week 6 thoughts...


Well that was a disaster.

As you may have noticed, Oliver Robertson is not the leading passer for the game. As you also may have noticed, we don't bring in Gilbert Cassell for his high skill level. Robertson broke ribs on the first drive of the game and attempted one pass on the day. Cassell is terrible and we're still deciding what we'll do for next week. It'll most likely be Reggie Pollard for the first time.

Our run game actually performed fairly well in limited action. We were just down so much and so early that we really couldn't use it. Hicks and Horner combined for over 100 yards on 20 carries.

We allowed 5 sacks, all to DT Dexter Lowe. If Deron Parliman of Stanford hadn't set the NCAA record with 6 in another game this week, Lowe's performance would be the new record... Every offensive lineman was victimized except Kerry Bradley.

It's a bad day at the office when you allow two QB's to go over 200 yards passing each in one game. CB Wade Lake was particularly bad, allowing 4 catches on 12 passing snaps. We just have no depth at this position to make any moves.

The blowout allowed some young players to get their first significant action of the year. T Lawrence Cooper, DE Paul Gillespie and DT Andrew White all logged their highest snap totals of the season. Gillespie really impressed in his time.

Best to move on from this one as quickly as possible....but down another QB. It's on the road to Auburn this week.

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/4vX2gxI.jpg

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/neTU8Cp.jpg

[alexr5111]

In the words of the great Mark Pantoni.....BOOOOOOOM!

I know there's only so many times I can say that a commitment is the biggest one yet...but I'll say it again here. Adam Gerhardt is our first Four Star signing and our first signed QB as well. He was really our only QB target in this class from day 1. A phenomenal athlete who has over 1000 yards rushing this season, he also has a 21-2 TD to INT ratio and rarely turns the ball over. He'll certainly have an opportunity to start next year, particularly if Quentin Bush struggles in his recovery.

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/0Z80lAc.jpg

[alexr5111]

Jumbo Tubbs spent the last couple of years making holes for Dixon Horner at Bowie HS and he'll continue that now after signing on with us. He doesn't really live up his name at 6'4" 250 but we're thinking there' s a good chance he may kick inside in college (and give Sean Villars the opportunity to move back to tackle).

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/mTwM7hr.jpg

[alexr5111]

Mercury Blackshear is not necessarily the big-name, high profile signing that we're starting to get used to, but he's similar to the underrated defensive ballers that we filled last year's class with. He comes from a terrible program but is a 3 time captain and just puts up stats. He's got 94 tackles, 13 sacks and 6 interceptions. He brings the same kind of athleticism to the position that Leslie Dodge does.

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/bU5TCJg.jpg

[alexr5111]

Nice snag out of New Jersey here with Trent Graham. Pairing him with Bennie Contreras will be a nice duo in the future. Graham's specialty is as a centerfielder...just without hands. Another high character, hard worker that we look forward to adding to the team.

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/8f9wZ97.jpg

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/av2CiqB.jpg

[alexr5111]

Week 7 thoughts....

Not much to say here. We've been outscored 93-0 in our last two games but we knew it wouldn't be pretty.

We rode with Reggie Pollard in this one and he played okay, all things considered. He'll be the guy for the near future.

The run game was pitiful. Mike Hicks was almost stuffed twice as many times (11) as he had yards rushing (6). Our big two on the offensive line, Kerry Bradley and Randy Bartee combined to go 1 for 19 on key run block opportunities.

One bright spot the last few weeks has been the emergence of Ben Cash as a true #1 wideout. Granted, the statistics increase has something to do with the fact that we've been trailing the whole time...but still good to see from a young player.

Defensively, Irving Nelson continued to put up big numbers.

The schedule gets a little more forgiving next week as we host 0-5 Rutgers.

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/KDWcq3r.jpg

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/6cdg18e.jpg

[alexr5111]

I think we would've considered Sedrick Hanaki a reach early on in the recruiting process. He's a really highly rated kid from all the way across the country but he's got the kind of fire and edge that him and Troy Stephens really hit it off and we were able to convince him to come out to Annapolis. He's a tough kid who can play the run and excels in man-to-man...fast enough to run with wide receivers and tough enough to matchup with TE's. We officially have a competition for the starting safety jobs in 2006.

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/tEY4wBg.jpg

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/Whh4RDi.jpg

[alexr5111]

Week 8 thoughts...

Good win against a bottom-feeder. It's good to take care of games you're supposed to and that's what this was.

The run game bounced back nicely from its worst game of the year, with its best. Horner and Hicks go over 100 yards each. Bartee and Bradley combined to go 9 for 21 in KRBO's. Nice performance.

Reggie Pollard's game was disappointing. I was hoping against a weak opponent he'd be able to put together a nice game but he wasn't. We're working on some things for next game to hopefully improve his play.

The pass rush was on in this one. 6 sacks total made it so that Rutgers could never get in a rhythm. Vinny Houck led the team with 2 from the inside.

Walk-on CB's Jermaine Walters and Eugene Nixon (now on scholarship) have been solid contributors lately. Both are getting play at CB to help a struggling Wade Lake and Nixon has performed admirably since taking over the starting punt return duties.

We have this upcoming week off and then it's a home matchup with Arkansas State.

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/Nu4J5DZ.jpg

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/VaI5jB5.jpg

[alexr5111]

Trent Sies is another Rust Belt offensive lineman that fits the mold of what we're looking for. Maybe a little underweight out of high school, athletic, smart, hard working and a s**t kicker in the run game. You can never have enough depth on the offensive line and we'll continue to build that.

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/k8BiUBw.jpg

[alexr5111]

We finally add a CB to this class with Henry Armendariz. He's long with the frame to put on some muscle and hopefully play close to 200 lbs. He's another super high character, multi-year captain with a terrific attitude. I expect he'll get an opportunity to start right away next year. He's got 4.5 sacks and 11 interceptions in his senior season.

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/4UGTpxV.jpg

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/i6WgBi2.jpg

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/EU5nFsr.jpg

[alexr5111]

The first TE signing since we've come aboard at Navy, Everett Emmons, is an exciting pickup. We stretched a little bit on our normal standards to get him in the class. It's a position we've had very little production from so far and we hope he can change this. His strength is going to be in the run game though. He's already 6'7" 253 and is dominant as a blocker. Colleyville is about 30 min outside of Dallas and it's nice to snag our second Texan in this class.

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/9TLCV6E.jpg

[alexr5111]

Our fourth and final DB in this class, North Jersey's Pete Chance really doesn't fit our mold at defensive back. He's definitely undersized but we felt with the number of guys we've brought in, we could start to stray a bit from our typical measurables. That's especially true when that player has 18 interceptions in 9 high school games. This kid is a lockdown corner and a great leader.

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/yWOohTV.jpg

[alexr5111]

https://i.imgur.com/6MlK8Es.jpg

[alexr5111]

Week 10 thoughts..

Just a really satisfying team-win. We clicked in pretty much every department.

We made some offensive game plan changes going into this one. One of which was to vary the types of running plays we attacked with. We got Reggie Pollard more designed runs and it worked well. He ran for 50 yards. Obviously, Mike Hicks had a really nice game. Dixon Horner got fewer carries than he's now used to.

The other game plan change we made was to try and make our passing game less big-play oriented. We felt like it was important to get Pollard into a rhythm in the short passing game and it worked. The small plays turned into big plays and Pollard to Cash was a really nice combo.

Although Nolan Ramsey won POW, Howard Scott actually led the way on the offensive line. Randy Bartee and Kerry Bradley surprisingly weren't on their A game but Scott dominated, going 5 for 8 in KRO's. Les Dicaprio struggled again, allowing 2 sacks. Claude Flynn is going to get the start next week. We just felt like Lawrence Cooper wasn't quite ready.

The pass rush was on for us again defensively. All four of our sacks came from the defensive line, with Troy Manning adding 2 more and Andrew White getting his first career QB takedown. Vinny Houck continued his recent strong play with a sack himself.

Wade Lake has had a tough freshman season as he's been thrown right into the fire. He showed up in this one though. He only had 7 passing snaps but really defended the run well with 7 tackles, including one TFL. He also recovered a key fumble in the redzone to help flip momentum.

One continually weak spot this year has been at punter. Mickey Hoffman's takeover at the position has yielded very little change. He punted 4 times in this game and averaged just 29.5 yards per kick. It's a position we'll continue to evaluate our options at.

After two consecutive wins, we head on the road to take on 2-6 Vanderbilt.

[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

The second TE in the class, Shane Wilson is similar in a lot of ways to Everett Emmons. He's another big kid with a nice frame whose strength is in the run game. He's maybe not as heralded of a prospect as Emmons but he probably offers more from an intangibles standpoint. We basically took him from the backyard of UW so he has something to prove to them, as well.

[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

Robbie Abah offers some of the things physically that Jumbo Tubbs does not. You can't teach 6'6" and 287 as a high school senior. He lacks a little glass in his diet still but that should come. He's a run blocker through and through. He's from just outside of NYC and is a fantastic student and excellent kid.

[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

Peter Washington will be the only defensive lineman in this class. He's entering a crowded depth chart with three freshmen currently on the roster. Very similar in a lot of ways to both Rufus Ingersoll and Troy Manning...similar builds, stout against the run, good student and effort. Has an eye opening 99 tackles this season which speaks to his high motor.

[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

It's tough to find LB's with the frame that Brian Holdhusen has at 6'4" 224 lbs. He rounds out the LB class at 3. He's going to bring a bit of a unique skillset in that he can really get after the QB from the inside. However his size is going to hold him back a little bit in pass coverage.

[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

Week 11 thoughts...

That's 3 wins in a row now and 30+ points in 3 straight games. This is after being shut out in the two weeks prior.

The QB situation is going to be interesting if Quentin Bush gets healthy this year. Reggie Pollard is playing exactly how we need him to play right now and it's really working.

A week after I was concerned about the lack of carries for Dixon Horner, he had 12 and led the team in rushing.

One move I made earlier in the year was moving Sophomore Lincoln Bates into the starting TE spot. He's been quiet but solid in the spot and had a nice game in this one, with 4 catches for 56 yards.

The defense was stout. Last year in this game, JB McMahon tore us up and won POG. This year he was held in step. Their passing game found some success but we were able to create sacks (3) and takeaways (2 INT). Rufus Ingersoll led the way with his 1.5 sacks and 3 TFL's.

Wade Lake continued his strong play of late by only allowing
2 catches and having a PBU.

With our record back at .500, we head to South Bend next week to take on #4 Notre Dame.

[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

The 16th and final member of the 2005 recruiting class is OG Michael Coggins. Coggins was the final scholarship offer we had out there, so the class played out nicely. He's basically a carbon-copy of Trent Sies, although he is the first lineman we've taken from down south in two years.

[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

Week 12 thoughts...

This one was pretty close for awhile. It was 14-10 at half after Rufus Ingersoll recovered a fumble and ran it back for a touchdown. Things fell off in the second half as we couldn't hold on.

Corwin Henry was eventually too much for our defense but they shut down the run for 4 quarters and created 4 more takeaways. Wade Lake had a forced fumble and a big INT early in the redzone.

The offense never really got going in the run or pass game. This hurt our ability to flip the field as well. ND's starting field position was their own 42 while ours was our own 20.

It was a very disappointing night for our offensive line. They went a combined 6 for 41 in RBO's. They didn't allow a sack but we only attempted 15 passes.

A tough loss but a game we didn't feel like we had a huge shot at winning. This week we're on the road at 3-7, UConn.

[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

Week 13 thoughts...

Nice bounceback win after last week. Great performance on both sides of the ball

Mike Hicks passed the 1000 yard mark in this game. He's had a really nice season and never really came close to losing his job to a really good freshman in Dixon Horner.

Speaking of Horner, he led the team in receiving in this one and caught a TD pass as well. He's added a nice dimension to the offense with his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield

The defensive line play was really strong.. Led by POG, Rufus Ingersoll and DT Vinny Houck, they combined for 5 sacks, 2 batted balls and 5 hurries. The much improved play against the run this season has been game-changing but the pass rush has been a difference maker as well.

Army-Navy next week. Army is 6-4 this season.

[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

Army-Navy thoughts...

A disastrous end to the season. A total dismantling at the hands of Army.

The only thing we did well in this one was run the ball. Dixon Horner and Everett Weyand combined for over 100 yards. Mike Hicks struggled with 27 yards on only 9 carries.

We rode Reggie Pollard in the second half of the season and he performed. It all came crashing down in this one though, with a downright Gilbert Cassellish performance out there. He was 4-23 for 93 yards and an interception. Terrible. It's actually possible that Oliver Robertson could have played in this game (broken ribs) so who knows what might have happened if he had...

Army scored TD's on 4 of their first 5 possessions and we turned the ball over on 3 of our first 5. We missed a FG on another. Pollard accounted for all 3 giveaways.

The defensive backfield got picked apart. Alonzo Barnes and S Clifton Norris, the veterans of the group, allowed a combined 9 catches on the day.

A really bad way to end the season. We can only hope it serves as motivation in the offseason..

[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

Final 2005 thoughts and look to 2006....

QB
https://i.imgur.com/ZbjDHtK.jpg

The quarterback spot was a rollercoaster. Returning starter Quentin Bush went down early in the season and then Oliver Robertson went down in relief right after that. The Gilbert Cassell experiment was legendarily bad. We finally got some stability once we tinkered with the offense and allowed Reggie Pollard to manage games for us. This position can only go up next year as we only lose Cassell and we bring in a top ranked recruit in Adam Gerhardt.

RB/FB
https://i.imgur.com/TePYaDY.jpg
The run game was an obvious strength with Mike Hicks and the trush frosh Dixon Horner. They complimented each other nicely. Everett Weyand continued to get some spot duty as the third guy. At FB, freshman Nolan Ramsey took over the job from Peter Hardy and was an immediate stud for us. We lose no one at these spots next year and bring in freshman power back, Austin Clancy.

TE/WR
https://i.imgur.com/YONIOPX.jpg
All four TE's saw action this year but the position found some stability once Lincoln Bates took over the starting job from Mercury Gatson. He will have to fight for his starting job next year with the addition of the two freshmen, Everett Emmons and Shane Wilson. Gatson graduates.

The WR position was a bit of a question mark with last year's graduations of Mel McWilliams and Rufus Johnson. Ben Cash really answered the bell at the WR spot by topping those guys' numbers. Dana Beyer was the #2 and essentially all the production was from those two. We didn't sign any recruits at WR for the second straight year.

OL
https://i.imgur.com/1FQ2Gqk.jpg
This offense has always gone the direction the offensive line has and that's been led by the trio of Kerry Bradley, Randy Bartee and Howard Scott. Bartee and Bradley graduate and will be missed. Claude Flynn will also be gone; he and Les Dicaprio split the snaps at the RT position.We bring in 4 freshmen next season so we'll see who takes the 3 new openings alongside Scott and Sean Villars.

DL
https://i.imgur.com/etTL0ld.jpg
The defensive line went from a major weakness in 2004 to a strength in 2005. This was due to an infusion of young talent, particularly at defensive end. Rufus Ingersoll and Troy Manning were immediate difference makers and Ingersoll was named a Freshman All-American. Paul Gillespie was playing well before an injury ended his season. At DT, returning starters Vinny Houck and Ethan Clemons really upped their game as well and we got contributions from freshman Andrew White and senior Brock Thomas. Thomas graduates as does DE Jason Frederick. This unit will be even stronger next year as we also add freshman Peter Washington.

LB
https://i.imgur.com/Ub0euNZ.jpg
This group battled through some issues in 2005. It's strong at the top with freshmen Rondell Reese and Ian Tate and sophomore MLB Irving Nelson but there's very little depth beyond that. That showed when Reese was lost for the season early. Junior TJ Brady and sophomore Jimmie Perez filled in at the spot but neither are good enough to be full time starters. Reese will be healthy next season and we bring in three more freshmen to add more depth to the position.

DB
https://i.imgur.com/kgFh7yn.jpg
Another position with little to no depth. We ended up putting two walk-on's on scholarship this year because they got so much playing time (Jermaine Walters and Eugene Nixon). Alonzo Barnes was our guy at CB but his play took a step back this season. He returns next year alongside freshman Wade Lake whose play improved gradually over the season.We bring in two solid incoming freshmen in Pete Chance and Henry Armendariz who will immediately challenge for spots. At safety, Bennie Contreras started as a true frosh and played okay. Him and Clifton Norris were serviceable but replaceable. Their jobs will be on the hot seat with freshmen Trent Graham and Sedrick Hanaki arriving in the fall.

K/P
https://i.imgur.com/WNLuagt.jpg
Quinn Blackwell retained the starting K job and went 11-14 and missed one XP. Mitch Burton and Van Muerch are capable backups. The punting position has been a headache for two years as we consistently lose the field position battle. Both Harvey Davison and Mickey Hoffman have gotten their opportunity. Davison graduates and the redshirt will come off Courtney Guffey next season. Hoffman will have to win the job again.

[alexr5111]

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[alexr5111]

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