Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/82676
PREGAME REPORT N A V Y @ P E N N S T A T E 3 : 3 0 p m , S E P T . 1 5 A B C / E S P N 2 NAVY FACTS COACH Ken Niumatalolo (Hawaii, '89) COACH'S RECORD 32-22 in five seasons at Navy, the only stop of his career. TEAM'S RECORD 0-1 RECORD VS. PENN STATE The Nittany Lions lead the series, 18-17-2. PREVIOUS MEETING On Sept. 21, 1974, former Penn State assistant coach George Welsh led the Mids to a 7-6 upset over the No. 8 Lions at Beaver Stadium, ending their 21-game home winning streak. THE GOOD BCS BUSTERS Since 2003, the Midship- men's have won 18 games against schools from a Bowl Championship Series confer- ence. That's the most by any non-BCS pro- gram during that time period. THE BAD LATE RISERS In the Midshipmen's previous eight losses, they have been outscored 179- 69 in the first half and 72-10 in the first quarter. THE UGLY RUNNING WILD In nine of its last 13 games, Navy has allowed an opposing run- ning back to rush for 100 yards or more. In the 40 games before that, it allowed only nine 100-yard rushers. DID YOU KNOW? A few of the Midshipmen are also musi- cians, in addition to being football players and servicemen. Defensive backs Tra'ves Bush and Parish Gaines play the saxaphone. Receiver Shawn Lynch produces music in his spare time, running back Bo Snelson dabbles in ballroom dance, and linebacker John Michael Nurthern is an accomplished salsa dancer and aspires to be the lead singer of a hair metal band after his com- mitment to Navy. SNEAK ATTACK Lynch averaged 21.8 yards per catch against Notre Dame, including a 26-yard touchdown. After bye week, the Midshipmen take aim at the Nittany Lions SAILING AHEAD TIM OWEN | OWE N . T I M . B WI@G M A I L . C O M Maybe Navy was taking jetlag into ac- count when it scheduled a bye week right after its season opener in Dublin, Ireland. The bye has been just what the Midship- men needed: a welcoming week of rest and relaxation in Annapolis, Md., after a season-opening 50-10 loss to Notre Dame on Sept. 1. The words rest and relax- ation, however, have different meaning when you attend the U.S. Naval Academy. All enrollees are expected to participate in athletics while maintaining the rigorous discipline of the military. At Navy, bye S E P T E M B E R 1 2 , 2 0 1 2 1 weeks aren't typically spent playing Mad- den tournaments, chasing girls and frater- nity hopping. Even when football takes a backseat, players must adhere to their 24/7 commitment as servicemen. "Here, these guys don't get any recovery time," coach Ken Niumatalolo said. "They're up late at night studying. Plus the wear and tear of the season and just the demands of foot- ball, school and the military, it just takes a dramatic toll on these guys." He added, "We practiced the beginning part of the week and then gave them the B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M Phil Hoffmann - Naval Academy Athletic Association