The Navy offense is sputtering. Are they utilizing all their weapons?
October 7th, 2010 | Football Navy | Posted by Phil Creed
Navy quarterback Ricky Dobbs came into this season with very high expectations, but he’s struggling mightily right now. Whether it’s injuries, offensive line woes or defensive adjustments to Navy’s gameplan, Dobbs has not looked like the dynamic player some were calling a sleeper candidate for the Heisman Trophy.
Dobbs is averaging only 2.4 yards per carry, and has thrown three interceptions to just one touchdown. Fullback Vince Murray has more rushing yards than Dobbs — on 40 fewer carries. Dobbs and the Navy offense have been particularly ineffective in the red zone, and the Mids rank 110th in the nation (out of 120 teams) in points per game.
“Obviously, Ricky is not playing to the level we’ve all come to expect. We definitely need Ricky to play better to help the offense be more successful,” Navy Coach Ken Niumatalolo told The (Annapolis) Capital yesterday. “I have great faith in Ricky. Hopefully, he’ll get better and get back to playing the way he did last year.”
Yet it’s not all bad for Navy right now. Even with Dobbs’ rough start, the Mids are 11th in the nation in rushing offense. Murray leads the team with 269 yards on 53 carries — a 5.3 yards per carry average. Slotback Gee Gee Greene is averaging 9.1 yards per carry, while fellow A-back Andre Byrd is averaging 7.3 yards per carry.
The problem is that neither slotback is getting the ball much. Byrd is averaging just four carries per game, while Greene is averaging a little more than five carries per game. Even backup fullback Alexander Teich has more carries than Byrd or Greene.
I won’t pretend to understand the complexities of Navy’s offensive system, but Navy offensive coordinator Ivin Jasper and Niumatalolo have to find a way to get Greene and Bryd more carries. To a large extent, each player is dependent on Dobbs to get the ball because of Navy’s reliance on the option. But Greene and Byrd, in their limited touches, have shown a big-play capability that Navy is sorely lacking. No, Byrd (5-7, 153 pounds) and Greene (5-8, 180) aren’t big enough to get as many carries as Murray or Teich, but there has to be a happy medium between that and what they’re getting through four games.
Week 4 football preview
September 24th, 2010 | Air Force Army Coast Guard Football Navy | Posted by Sean Smyth
Trent Steelman and the Black Knights visit Duke at 3 p.m. Saturday. (File photo / The Associated Press)
A quick look at the weekend’s games.
• AIR FORCE (2-1) has to rebound from last week’s gut-wrenching loss at Oklahoma, and a trip to Wyoming (2 p.m. Eastern) is on the docket. (Good luck finding the game on TV, unless you have a dish and can pull in The Mtn., the Mountain West Conference’s TV network.)
Wyoming (1-2) hasn’t even averaged two touchdowns per game this season — and is giving up 35 a game —while Air Force is averaging 41.3 points per game, second in the Mountain West and 16th in Division I. And the Falcons’ 399 yards per game on the ground is tops in the country.
In fairness, the Cowboys’ losses have come against two top-10 teams, Texas (34-7) and Boise State (51-6).
Air Force won last year’s game, 10-0.
• ARMY (2-1) and Duke (1-2) square off at 3 p.m. on ESPN3.com on the Blue Devils’ home gridiron, and temperatures are expected to be in the 90s. (How about that fall weather?) Duke was manhandled by Alabama last week, 62-13, and the Blue Devils are giving up 47.7 points per game. Sure, that average is skewed by losing to the nation’s top team — but not by much.
Duke’s also giving up 223 yards per game on the ground, not a good sign when facing the Black Knights. Army is the only team in the country to have at least five players averaging 40 yards or more per game.
Army senior slotback Patrick Mealy, lifted early in last week’s win against North Texas because of a knee injury, is listed atop the depth chart for this week’s game.
Duke won last year’s game at West Point, 35-19.
• NAVY (2-1) has a bye after its 37-23 win at Louisiana Tech, and the bye should give the Mids time to recover from a bunch of injuries, Ricky Dobbs’ balky ankle and a couple concussions among them.
Navy faces Air Force next week.
• COAST GUARD (1-1), smarting after being shut out at Curry College, visits Massachusetts Maritime (1-2) at noon. It’s the New England Football Conference opener for both schools and the Buccaneers’ first game at home.
Navy 37, Louisiana Tech 23
September 19th, 2010 | Football Navy | Posted by Sean Smyth
Something to take away from Navy’s come-from-behind victory last night should be Ricky Dobbs’ passing performance — 219 yards. Remember, this is a guy who threw for 157 yards — in his first two games combined. Granted, Louisiana Tech doesn’t pose the defensive challenges that Maryland or even Georgia Southern do, but that’s a good omen for the future, in case the Mids find themselves again having to rally.
Opening up the passing game, if even only slightly, is a good sign.
Pictures from Navy’s win over Georgia Southern
September 11th, 2010 | Football Navy | Posted by Phil Creed
Navy beat Georgia Southern 13-7 on Saturday and Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, and from the sound of things, it was not a pretty game from an offensive standpoint.
But a win is a win, especially for a Navy squad coming off a short week of preparation. Those kind of weeks can throw a team off — just ask Virginia Tech.
For Navy, a painful loss and a bright future
September 6th, 2010 | Football Navy | Posted by Phil Creed
Maryland's Kenny Tate hits Navy quarterback Ricky Dobbs at the goal line on the game's deciding play. (AP Photo/Rob Carr)
I believe in moral victories. This wasn’t one.
But Navy’s season is far from ruined after a 17-14 loss to Maryland on Monday at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore.
The unbeaten season nonsense, the Dobbs for Heisman impossible dream — all of that is dead now. But nothing that happened today leads me to believe that Navy can’t still end up with 9-10 wins and a bowl berth.
Between an inept start on defense, a missed field goal and four red zone drives that ended in zero points, the Mids did about all they could to lose this game. But in the final minute of the fourth quarter, they were a yard away from winning it. How did that happen? Here’s how: The Navy option attack, led by quarterback Ricky Dobbs, racked up more than 400 yards rushing against a BCS-conference school. Navy’s defense, battered by Maryland’s running game in the first quarter, forced two timely turnovers of their own and tightened up enough to not allow a touchdown after the first quarter. The Mids offense dominated the time of possession, and their defense managed to force more punts than the Terps did.
Two other bright spots for Navy fans: the play of Gee Gee Greene and Andre Byrd. The inexperienced slotbacks combined for 128 yards on 16 carries. As Navy marched to 26 first downs against the Terps, I never once thought, “If only Navy had Marcus Curry right now.”
Dobbs, despite two disastrous turnovers inside the Maryland 5-yard line and the costly decision not throw the ball away at the end of the first half, still ran the option to perfection for much of the game. He came up short on fourth and goal on the Mids’ final play, but like coach Ken Niumatalolo, I’d put my faith in Dobbs in that situation against any team, any time.
Navy slotback Andre Byrd scores a touchdown in the second quarter as fellow slotback Gee Gee Greene (21) blocks. (AP Photo/Rob Carr)
Don’t let Maryland’s 2-10 record in 2009 fool you. They are a bigger and more talented squad than Navy. That doesn’t mean they’re better — luck turned out to be their biggest asset this afternoon — but seeing Navy lose to the Terps shouldn’t trigger panic. With its always small defense (manned this year by a set of inexperienced linebackers), Navy will struggle against teams who run the ball effectively. Offensively, with Dobbs, fullbacks Vince Murray and Alexander Teich, and Greene and Byrd picking up the slack left by Curry’s departure, Navy will give every single defense on their schedule fits.
So in essence, it’s the same old Navy we’ve seen for the past 6-7 years. That’s a great thing for level-headed Navy fans, and bad news for Army and Air Force.
Falcons Coach Troy Calhoun: Tweet this!
August 31st, 2010 | After Action Air Force Army Football Navy | Posted by Mike Hoffman
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Don’t expect Air Force football coach Troy Calhoun to be confined to 140 characters.
He told the Colorado Springs Gazette that, unlike other Mountain West coaches, he will not start his own Twitter account, but he will not ban his players from starting their own. The Air Force football team has its own Twitter account, although @AFFalcons is leaving its 17 followers wanting more with only 19 tweets in the past year.
Army football coach Rich Ellerson has his own Twitter account, but someone might want to tell him. @RichEllerson has 12 followers, even though he has yet to tweet once. We’re waiting, Rich.
Navy Coach Ken Niumatalolo is sitting on the sidelines along with Calhoun. @TripleOptionSailorBoy is still an available handle. Just saying…
Navy quarterback Ricky Dobbs doesn’t have a handle, which is absurd considering @MagicMan4 is open. However, @DobbsForHeisman is “the resource for the Completely Unofficial Ricky Dobbs Heisman Campaign,” with 168 followers.
Anyone have any suggestions for Calhoun’s handle if he ever caves? Leave suggestions in the comment section below.
Rembert and Dobbs named to inaugural Hornung Award Watch List
August 17th, 2010 | After Action Air Force Football Navy | Posted by Mike Hoffman
The preseason accolades keep rolling in for Air Force cornerback Reggie Rembert and Navy quarterback Ricky Dobbs.
Both were named to the first ever Hornung Award Watch List. Named after the former Green Bay Packer and Notre Dame halfback, kicker and safety, this award will be given to college football’s most versatile player.
Rembert and Dobbs join 48 other players including Georgia Tech’s Josh Nesbitt and Ohio State’s Terrelle Pryor.
It will be interesting to see who the first award goes to because as the name suggests there is quite a range of positions included on this watch list. Will it go mostly to offensive players like the Heisman Trophy or to the defense, which has plenty of cornerbacks who also return kicks like Rembert.
The "Magic Man" has already been named to the Hornung and Walter Camp Watch Lists. (AP photo)
Rembert is a 2010 All-Mountain West Conference preseason selection. He collected 43 tackles and three interceptions in his junior year, which was shortened by a two-game suspension for breaking unspecified academy rules. Also a punt and kick returner, Rembert is the school leader in kickoff return yardage.
Dobbs, aka the Magic Man, is turning up on plenty of preseason awards lists. Earlier this month, he was named to the Walter Camp Watch List, which goes to college football’s best all around player.
Dobbs chose Option 3, and other reasons he should be considered for Heisman
August 3rd, 2010 | Football Navy | Posted by Phil Creed
Ricky Dobbs is a long shot to win the Heisman Trophy, but CBSsports.com columnist Gregg Doyel thinks that's wrong.
CBSsports.com columnist Gregg Doyel has weighed in on the Ricky Dobbs For Heisman movement that has gained steam recently (there’s even a Twitter account pushing for Dobbs). Turns out Doyel is onboard, although he has no illusion about how difficult it will be for Dobbs to garner serious consideration.
“This is a long shot, of course. You know it. I know it. Even Dobbs knows it, ” Doyel writes. “He’s a confident sort — in his official bio at Navy he not only says he wants to be President of the United States, he tells us which year he wants to be elected — but he’s not confident enough to think he can win the Heisman.”
The best anecdote about Dobbs came when Doyel asked Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo about the broken kneecap that Dobbs played with for most of last season.
This injury requires surgery, ideally immediately, but when doctors gave Dobbs two choices — season-ending surgery that would rebuild the knee, or a less-invasive surgery that would sideline him for a month or so — Dobbs called an audible.
“I’m sitting there with Ricky and the doctors, and they gave him two options, and he said, ‘I’m going with option three,’” said Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo. “The doctors are going, ‘Option three?’ But that’s what Ricky said. He said he was going to rely on his faith in God and play through it.”
Option three. Fantastic. As Navy fans know, Dobbs missed only one game and eventually led the Mids to wins over Notre Dame and Army, as well as a Texas Bowl victory against Missouri. Granted, some of the love for Dobbs is way over-the-top, but how can you not like this guy?
Ricky Dobbs named to O’Brien watch list
July 15th, 2010 | Football Navy | Posted by Mike Hoffman
Ricky Dobbs scores a touchdown against Delaware in the second half of Navy's 35-18 win over the Blue Hens. (AP Photo/Gail Burton)
Navy quarterback Ricky Dobbs has been named to the watch list for the Davy O’Brien National Quarterback Award, which is given to college football’s top quarterback each year.
Texas quarterback Colt McCoy won last year and this year’s list includes 2009 finalist Case Keenum of Houston as well as 2009 semifinalists Matt Barkley of USC, Jacory Harris of Miami, Jake Locker of Washington, Kellen Moore of Boise State and Ricky Stanzi of Iowa.
Dobbs lit up the scoreboard last year, breaking the record for rushing touchdowns scored by a quarterback in one season with 24 in the regular season and another three in the Texas Bowl. He led the Midshipmen to a 10-win season, including a win over Missouri in the Texas Bowl.
Dobs is a unique entry on the O’Brien list because he is not the classic drop-back passer. Last year, he rushed and passed for over 1,000 yards. He has an arm. In fact, he was more of a drop back passer in high school. Against Ohio State in the season opener he threw for 156 awards, including an 85-yard touchdown pass to Marcus Curry.
I’d say Locker and Moore have to be the favorites going into this year. Draft experts expect Locker and Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck to battle to be next year’s No. 1 overall pick. Meanwhile, Moore returns to a Boise State team that returns almost every starter on an offense that led them to an undefeated season last year. Dobbs’ campaign for the O’Brien award starts at 4 p.m. on Labor Day on ESPN against the Maryland Terrapins. It’s a national stage against a team that won only two games last year.
Navy quarterback honored on the floor of Congress
June 22nd, 2010 | Football Navy | Posted by Phil Creed
In 2009, Navy quarterback Ricky Dobbs broke Tim Tebow’s record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in a season. In 2010, it appears Dobbs may top Tebow when it comes to gushing, over-the-top praise for a college football player.
Rep. David Scott took to the floor of Congress last week to recognize Dobbs’ “extraordinary story.” In his nearly six-minute tribute to Dobbs — who is from Douglasville, Ga., part of Scott’s 13th Congressional district — Scott praises the quarterback for his academic and athletic success. Dobbs’ record-breaking 2009 season, low interception percentage, and Texas Bowl MVP are mentioned, and towards the end of the speech, Scott invokes the words of Aristotle, Marcus Aurelius and Jesus Christ to define Dobbs’ “excellence.”
