Down by four and facing a fourth-and-6 with 14 seconds left at Memphis’ 15 yard-line, it all came down to one play for the Navy football team.
Navy senior quarterback Tai Lavatai dropped back to pass and connected with senior wide receiver Jayden Umbarger for a 5-yard completion that left Umbarger just short of the first down as Navy (1-2) fell, 28-24, to Memphis (3-0).
Even though the Mids lost, they are improving with each game. Navy stepped up on both sides of the ball and went down with a fight. Navy’s offense finished with more yards, more time of possession and a better third-down conversion rate than Memphis.
“It just didn’t turn out on scoreboard the way we wanted it to, but man, I’m damn proud of these players,” Mids head coach Brian Newberry said following the game.
Here are three takeaways from Navy’s Sept. 14 game against Memphis. The Mids are idle next week and then face South Florida in Annapolis on Sept. 30.
1. Navy’s offense has improved.
Navy’s first offensive drive stalled early, and Memphis responded with a routine touchdown drive. However, one play can always change the course of a game.
On the first play of the Mids’ second possession, senior quarterback Tai Lavatai pitched it to sophomore fullback Alex Tecza, who ran right and just kept going for a 75-yard touchdown run to tie the ballgame early in the first quarter. Tecza finished the game with 163 yards and one touchdown on 15 carries.
“I expected a big year for him and he really showed what he can do,” Newberry said.
Navy racked up a season-high 432 yards of offense, including 299 on the ground. Lavatai completed 10 of 19 passes for 133 yards and one touchdown. Lavatai also added 30 rushing yards on 14 carries.
“I thought we did some really really good things and a lot of really good things to build off of,” Newberry said of the offense.
2. Navy’s defense was all over the field, even considering the high amount of yards allowed.
Navy’s defense began the game by allowing Memphis to storm down the field and take a 7-0 lead, but the Mids cleaned it up and slowed down the Tigers’ offense after that. Navy held Memphis to 2-of-6 on third down in the first half. The Mids also allowed just 29 rushing yards on 11 first-half attempts.
But in the third quarter, Navy and Memphis were tied at 21 when Tigers fifth-year running back Blake Watson ripped off a game-breaking 69-yard run to the Mids’ 4-yard line. Two plays later, Memphis punched it in for a 28-21 lead.
Later in the half, Watson again had a 69-yard run, this time to Navy’s 1-yard line. However, the Mids’ defense came up big, causing Tigers junior quarterback Seth Henigan to fumble on the very next play. Junior defensive end Justin Reed came up with the recovery.
Navy’s defense also came up big with a late interception in the fourth quarter by junior free safety Rayuan Lane III, his second interception in two games.
“That play by Ray is what we’re all about,” Newberry said. “Fighting to the end, playing with elite effort.”
The Mids’ defense allowed 408 total yards but did come up big on third down. The Tigers only converted 4 of 12 third-down attempts.
3. Memphis took advantage of Navy’s aggressive approach.
Up 14-7 with a little more than a minute left on the clock in the first half, Navy found itself facing a fourth-and-1 at Memphis’ 44-yard line. The Mids decided to go for it but ultimately turned it over on downs. Memphis capitalized on this short field and in eight plays, Henigan connected with junior wide receiver Roc Taylor for a 7-yard touchdown to tie the score at 14 just before halftime.
“That was a backbreaker,” Newberry said. “You love to end the half with the football. Whether you get points or not there, just don’t give it back to their offense.”
Navy wasn’t done with the aggressiveness, though, as it opened the second half with an onside kick attempt. The Mids’ failed attempt again left Memphis with a short field and took advantage of it. The Tigers took a 21-14 lead after a seven-play drive capped off by a 1-yard touchdown run by Henigan.
“I took a gamble. We had something in, we thought had the look we wanted to and just didn’t give ourselves a chance to recover that onside kick,” Newberry said. “That would’ve been a great play right there.”
Other Notes:
- Navy decided to use sophomore kicker Nathan Kirkwood for a 35-yard field goal that cut Memphis’ lead to 28-24 with a little more than seven minutes left in the fourth quarter. This was Kirkwood’s first field goal in his collegiate career.
- Sophomore quarterback Blake Horvath saw even more action against Memphis than against Wagner but was replaced again late in the fourth quarter by Tai Lavatai. Horvath finished the game with 49 yards on seven carries but fumbled with a little more than four minutes left in the fourth quarter.
Photo Credit: Kenya Allen/PressBox