GAME PREVIEW: NAVY
BY ANDREW OWENS
N
avy requires a different formula
to win than almost all of the
other Football Bowl Subdivi-
sion teams. With a lack of over-
all speed and size, the Midshipmen
depend on 60 minutes of mistake-free
football.
The problem is, things quickly go
south when head coach Ken Niumat-
alolo's squad suddenly becomes prone
to miscues, as has been the case in 2014.
Through seven games, Navy stood
at 3-4, due in large part to opponents
scoring 41 points off the Midshipmen's
first 11 turnovers of the season. To com-
pare, Navy committed 10 turnovers in
all of 2013.
"Obviously, the Navy credo is, 'Don't
beat yourself.' They know they have a
very small margin for error when most
teams they play are going to be bigger,
stronger, faster," said Bill Wagner, who
covers the team for Capital Gazette
Communications. "They have prided
themselves on not committing turn-
overs and not having penalties and not
making mistakes in general.
"They've done all that in almost ev-
ERROR PRONE
Navy is known for playing
mistake-free football, but that
hasn't been the case this season
Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo has raised
expectations for the Midshipmen program in his
seven years at the helm, nearly posting a third win
over Notre Dame last season.
PHOTO COURTESY NAVY
