College Football News Preview 2020: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the Navy Midshipmen season with what you need to know.
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– What You Need To Know: Offense | Defense
– Top Players | Key Players, Games, Stats
– What Will Happen, Win Total Prediction
– Schedule Analysis
– Navy Previews 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015
2019 Record: 11-2 overall, 7-1 in AAC
Head Coach: Ken Niumatalolo, 13th year, 98-60
2019 CFN Final Opinion Ranking: 24
2019 CFN Final Season Formula Ranking: 17
2019 CFN Preview Ranking: 105
NOTE: Obviously, no one knows what’s going to happen to the 2020 college football season. We’ll take a general look at where each team stands – doing it without spring ball to go by – while crossing our fingers that we’ll all have some well-deserved fun this fall. Hoping you and yours are safe and healthy.
5. College Football News Preview 2020: Navy Midshipmen Offense 3 Things To Know
– You know what’s coming with the Navy offense. After the ground game sputtered just a wee bit – at least for this program – in 2018, the O hit the 4,000-yard rushing mark for the sixth time in seven years.
Step One is replacing 2,000-yard runner Malcolm Perry at quarterback. Sophomore Perry Olsen will get the first look to take over, but others will get a long look as the coaching staff plays around with the option. Essentially, the goal is to get as many good, quick runners on the field as possible.
CFN in 60 Video
– As always, the passing game is along for the ride. If the receivers can connect on a few big plays a game, it’s doing its job. 6-5, 221-pound junior Mychal Cooper is a perfect fit – big frame, physical, and can get deep. He led the team with 18 catches averaging over 21 yards per catch, and 6-3, 200-pound Ryan Mitchell was able to make an impact on is eight grabs.
– The Midshipmen are used to replacing parts on the O line – experience with this group is always a luxury. The training system works, but there’s going to be some reworking to do on the left side and at center. All-star Billy Honaker is a great tackle to start with, and Justin Self is a versatile option who’ll take on a bigger role. It’ll end up working, especially because the backs are in place to make it all go.
Malcolm Perry was the team’s top runner, but Jamale Carothers and Nelson Smith are strong veteran inside backs – they combined for 21 touchdowns – and CJ Williams is the typical lightning-quick runner on the outside. In all, the top six running backs are expected to return.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Navy Midshipmen Defense 3 Things To Know
4. College Football News Preview 2020: Navy Midshipmen Defense 3 Things To Know
– Defensive coordinator Brian Newberry stepped in last year and the D started to attack a whole lot more. The Midshipmen went from generating ten sacks and 37 tackles for loss in 2018 to 30 sacks and 80 tackles for loss with the pressure coming from everywhere. However, four of the top five leaders in tackles for loss on the best defense in the American Athletic Conference have to be replaced.
– The linebackers will be the stars. Junior Diego Fagot is a legitimate next-level prospect with the time and the range to get in on everything, and the replacements for Paul Carothers and – potentially – Jacob Springer are going to rise up in a hurry once the team gets time to try out all the parts.
Big nose guard Jackson Pittman is done, and now size is going to be a problem up front if 318-pound Mike Flowers doesn’t become a factor – he’s the biggest option up front. J’arius Warren is a quick option on the outside who can get behind the line in a hurry, and senior Jackson Perkins is a decent tackle who should put up decent numbers with more work.
– The secondary is going to be up in the air for a while. Losing safety/linebacker Jacob Springer to the transfer portal is a killer – he turned into a terror at getting behind the line. Corner Michael McMorris dove into the portal as well, but senior safety Evan Fochtman is back along with big corner Cameron Kinley. As long as Newberry’s defense keeps getting into the backfield, the defensive backs will be okay.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Top Navy Midshipmen Players
College Football News Preview 2020: Top Navy Midshipmen Players
Best Navy Midshipmen Offensive Player
OT Billy Honaker, Sr.
On a line with three starters gone and some reworking needing to be done, having a solid veteran in the 6-3, 282-pound Honaker is a good rock to start with. The All-American Athletic Conference performer isn’t all that tall, but he’s quick, and he’s a hammer on the outside on the move.
2. FB Jamale Carothers, Jr.
3. QB Perry Olsen, Soph.
4. FB Nelson Smith, Sr.
5. RB CJ Williams, Sr.
Best Navy Midshipmen Defensive Player
LB Diego Fagot, Jr.
Someone had to step up and shine at linebacker last season, and Fagot turned into a terror with a team-high 100 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, and even a pick six in the win over Tulane. At 6-3 and 240 pounds he’s a big inside presence with sideline-to-sideline range. Most Navy players would have a hard time starting for most FBS teams – Fagot might end up starting in the NFL.
2. S Kevin Brennan, Jr.
3. S Evan Fochtman, Sr.
4. DE J’arius Warren, Jr.
5. CB Cameron Kinley, Sr.
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Navy Midshipmen Keys To The Season
College Football News Preview 2020: Navy Midshipmen Keys To The Season
Biggest Key To The Navy Midshipmen Offense
Navy just has to keep being Navy. Run the ball, run some more, dominate the clock, and do everything the program has done for well over the last decade.
The Midshipmen were able to run for 300 yards or more ten times last year, and won all ten games. They failed to run for 300 three times, and they lost two of them. Overall, the program is 2-13 in its last 15 games when it couldn’t hit that obscene 300-yard mark.
Biggest Key To The Navy Midshipmen Defense
The secondary can get torched for big plays. Teams have to desperately throw to keep the chains moving when the Navy offense is dominating the time of possession. That’s great, but there’s a problem when the better passing teams are able to connect deep.
The Navy formula glitches when teams are able to air it out. Notre Dame is Notre Dame, but it was also able to win easily after firing at will – Ian Book and company were able to connect on 73% of the throws for 305 yards and five scores, and most importantly, averaged 14 yards per throw.
The other loss came against a Memphis team that connected on 78% of its throws with three scores and averaged 11 yards per pass. The Tulane and Houston games were wins, but they were shootouts because the secondary struggled.
Allow fewer than eight yards per pass – like Navy did last year six times – and there were never any issues in easy wins.
Key Navy Midshipmen Player To A Successful Season
QB Perry Olsen, Soph.
Olsen fits the Navy quarterback mold, but it’s asking way too much to be another Malcolm Perry right away. Perry – last year’s starting version and the new Miami Dolphin – ran for over 2,000 yards and 21 touchdowns last season and was just decent enough as a passer to add a little something.
Olsen is tough – he was a high school linebacker, too – who got in a little work last season and scored a few times. He fits, but he has to be dynamic to make the O go at close to Perry’s level.
Key Game To The Navy Midshipmen Season
Memphis, Nov. 14
There’s a whole lot of work to do before getting to mid-November – beating Tulane, Houston and SMU will be a big deal along the way – but to take the West, taking down Memphis is a must.
The Tigers won 35-23 early last year, but Navy is up 3-2 in the all-time series. In one way or another, this game will mean a whole lot in the West race.
– Navy Midshipmen Schedule Breakdown & Analysis
2019 Navy Fun Stats
– 4th Down Conversions: Navy 26-of-34 (76%) – Opponents 14-of-26 (54%)
– Rushing TDs: Navy 52 – Opponents 13
– Red Zone Scores: Navy 47-of-49 (96%) – Opponents 30-of-38 (79%)
NEXT: College Football News Preview 2020: Navy Midshipmen Win Total Prediction, What Will Happen
1. College Football News Preview 2020: Navy Midshipmen Win Total Prediction, What Will Happen
Navy found its groove again.
It went 3-10 in a strange disaster of a 2018 season, but the issue was easy – the running game didn’t work quite right, and that put too much stress on a defense that didn’t do its part.
Last year? The running game was phenomenal, the defense lived behind the line, and the Midshipmen looked the part again with an 11-win run. It wasn’t exactly magical – it was what Navy does – but it was also ultra-efficient.
The infrastructure is still going to be strong. The coaching is still top-notch, the offensive line has its way to train for the positions, and the system works. The running backs are good, a quarterback will emerge even if he’s not another Malcolm Perry, and the defense will still get behind the line.
It might not be another 11-win season, but …
Set The Navy Midshipmen Regular Season Win Total At … 8
Bet at BetMGM Win Total Line: 7
There’s no Cincinnati and UCF on the slate. Start with that, and Navy catches a mega-break before the season even gets started.
The showdowns against Memphis and Houston are at home, as is the game against Temple from the East, but going to Air Force, SMU and Tulane will all be challenges, along with the opener that’s supposed to happen against Notre Dame in Dublin.
There’s enough turnover to assume a bit of a step back overall, but there are at least five wins baked into the slate. This year’s team will take its lumps early on, but it can get to eight wins and another bowl game.
