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]

[alexr5111]

[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]

Originally Posted by QuikSand

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]

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]

[alexr5111]

[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]

[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]

[alexr5111]

[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]

[alexr5111]

[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]

[alexr5111]

[alexr5111]

[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]

Originally Posted by collegesportsfanms

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]

[alexr5111]

[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]

[alexr5111]

[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]

[alexr5111]

[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]

[alexr5111]

[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]

[alexr5111]

[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]

[alexr5111]

[alexr5111]

[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]

Originally Posted by alexr5111

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]