Moments after Navy lost to Notre Dame, head coach Ken Niumatalolo flipped the switch to focus on No. 21 Southern Methodist.
While the game against the Irish is full of pageantry, the matchup against the Mustangs is all business.
“We’ll do our best to regroup and get ready to play against a very good SMU team,” Niumatalolo said. “We have to bounce back or else we’re going to get embarrassed. SMU is really good.”
The winner of Navy (7-2, 5-1) and SMU (9-1, 5-1) game will still have a shot at the West Division crown of the American Athletic Conference should Memphis (9-1, 5-1) falter down the stretch. Memphis has already beaten Navy and SMU.
So, the stakes will be high Nov. 23 in Annapolis, Md.
Both teams feature an explosive attack. The Midshipmen led by quarterback Malcolm Perry average 37.9 points per game. SMU has throttled opponents and is scoring a staggering 45.1 points per game.
Navy’s defense is much improved under first-year coordinator Brian Newberry, who is a candidate for the Broyles Award that recognizes college football’s top assistant coaches. The Midshipmen are ranked 22nd in overall defense, compared to 86th in 2018.
They will face a tough test against SMU quarterback Shane Buechele. The Texas transfer has completed 249 of his 388 passes for 3,195 yards with 28 touchdowns (seventh in the country) and eight interceptions.
“You’ve got one of the best passing teams in the country coming in. They’re scoring a ton of points against everybody,” Niumatalolo said. “[Buechele] is one of the best quarterbacks we’ll see all season. You don’t put up those types of numbers and score that many points if your trigger-puller is not operating at a high level.”
Navy will be able to keep pace with Perry, who ranks fifth among major college players with 128.8 rushing yards per game.
Winner Takes Home Gansz Trophy
The Navy and SMU athletic departments created the Gansz Trophy in 2009, a traveling trophy to honor the late coaching legend Frank Gansz, who spent time at Navy and SMU. Navy leads the series 6-1. As a college player, Gansz played center and linebacker for the Naval Academy from 1957-1959 and graduated in 1960. He also spent four seasons as an assistant coach at Navy.
Setting The Tone
Navy needs to get off to a quick start against explosive SMU. The Mids didn’t help themselves by turning the ball four times in the 52-20 loss to Notre Dame. Give the Irish credit: They defended the triple-option better than any team Navy faced this season. The Midshipmen still finished with 281 total yards rushing, but the fumbles derailed their scoring chances. SMU is closely watching the tape of that game, but they don’t have athletes on defense similar to Notre Dame. However, SMU does rank 22nd nationally with 18 forced turnovers.
New Faces Lead To Success
The Mustangs are having a massive turnaround from last season when they finished 5-7. Much of that success can be attributed to 18 transfers from other FBS programs. Those players came from Tulsa, Texas, Texas A&M, Illinois, Arkansas, Boston College, Baylor, Utah, West Virginia, Notre Dame, Nebraska, UCLA, Auburn and Alabama, among other programs.
Nose For The Ball
Navy senior outside linebacker Nizaire Cromartie has recovered two fumbles and forced two fumbles this season. Meanwhile, teammate Jacob Springer has forced three fumbles. Springer’s 0.33 forced fumbles per game is tied for the seventh most in the country, while Cromartie’s two fumble recoveries is tied for 16th.
Aerial Attack
The Midshipmen’s secondary will be tested SMU receivers James Proche and West Virginia transfer Reggie Roberson Jr. Proche has posted 88 catches for 1,008 yards and 12 touchdowns (fifth in the country). Roberson has 43 catches for 803 yards and six touchdowns. Rice transfer Kylen Granson also has made an impact with 33 catches for 570 yards and eight touchdowns.
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