I’m still processing my Texas Bowl thoughts, but in the meantime you can gaze upon a few of my pictures from the day. Special thanks to SeaLawyer for the phenomenal tailgate, however dampened it might have been by Air Force winning. Thanks also to Bags for the posh club seating.
Navy thirty-five,
Mizzou thirteen, and it was
Not even that close.
And bonus Haiku from Andy:
10 Wins This Season
Toughest Schedule in Ages
:Heart: Me Some Kenny
Today was a lot more low-key than the last two. I took it easy this morning, basically sitting on the couch, watching Law & Order reruns, and writing about yesterday. Today was the team’s walkthrough at Reliant Stadium, which usually isn’t the most intriguing event in the world. I didn’t go, but fortunately for you all, Bill Wagner doesn’t share my lazy streak. He wrote about it, and his lunch with Chet Gladchuk, on his blog.
Just because I was a worthless blob today doesn’t mean there wasn’t any news. There was some big news, actually, as it was announced that the Texas Bowl was bought by ESPN Regional Television. It will still be run by Lone Star Sports and Entertainment, which is an arm of the Houston Texans whose job it is to put revenue-generating events into Reliant Stadium. That’s good news, because these guys know how to put on one great event. It’s clear that the bowl’s organizers have every intention of moving this game up the bowl ladder, and it’s already happening; next year, the game will be higher in the Big 12 pecking order (up to #5) and will begin an association with the Big Ten. I hope that doesn’t rule out a return trip for Navy down the road. Everything about this bowl has been first class, including tonight’s media reception, held at the Downtown Aquarium complex. I was eating beef wellington while I watched the 4th quarter of the Humanitarian Bowl. That’s living.
Tomorrow is game day. I get antsy if I don’t get to the stadium really early, so I’ll be heading out of here by 9:30 or 10:00 for the 2:30 kickoff. I have admission to the big Navy tailgate tent, but I’ll be making my rounds elsewhere too. It’s going to be a tough game for the good guys. Brady DeMell has to step in at center and deliver against a pair of Mizzou defensive tackles that are 6-1, 305 and 6-5, 290, respectively. Defensive end Aldon Smith is a freshman All-American with 11 sacks, and linebacker Sean Weatherspoon is a Butkus Award finalist. It’s no surprise that this defense is 12th in the nation against the run. That doesn’t necessarily mean they’re ready to stop the option, but it sure as hell doesn’t hurt. Against a defense like this, Navy is going to need big plays. Extended drives are going to be difficult, and the Mids are going to find themselves in a lot of 3rd and 6, 3rd and 7 situations. Whether these big plays come from long runs or Ricky’s arm, it doesn’t matter. But the Mids will need to find a way to score on 6-play drives, because 12-play drives are going to be tough to come by. Defensively, it’s all about stopping the run after the catch. Missouri isn’t the first great passing team Navy has faced this year, and Danario Alexander isn’t the first elite wide receiver. The Mids haven’t really stopped any of those teams. They have, however, been able to manage them, and they’ve done so with good tackling. Catches for 5 yards haven’t turned into runs of 40 yards, something Missouri does very well. They’re going to get their yards. They’re probably going to get a lot of yards. As long as those drives end in field goals instead of touchdowns, Navy will have a chance.
Not that you didn’t already know that Missouri was going to be a tough matchup. But the Mids have had their fair share of tough games this season, and they have played well. There’s no reason to believe that tomorrow will be any different.
The second day of my Houston trip didn’t have the most exciting beginning, as I had to do actual work. As in work work. You see, it’s true that being a blogger leads to piles of cash and the adoration of women everywhere; “Hey baby, I’m a big deal on the internet” is a line that works wonders, as you would expect. Still, sometimes I like to keep myself grounded. That’s why I have one of those things that you normal folk call a “job,” and it’s how I spent most of my Tuesday morning. Fortunately I got everything wrapped up in time to make the 2-block march to the JW Marriott for the Texas Bowl luncheon.
Continue reading “THE BIRDDOG’S EXCELLENT TEXAS BOWL ADVENTURE, DAY 2”
It’s been a busy day. It doesn’t help that I have a very hard time sleeping the day before I travel, either, making me quite exhausted right now. But I thought I’d punch out a quick update before I surrender to the sweet relief of slumber.
I left Jacksonville at 7:50 this morning, and after a layover in Birmingham, arrived in Houston a little after noon. Navy’s practice was being held at the practice field behind Rice Stadium at 2:00, so after I got my car, I went straight there. Good thing, too; originally scheduled to run until 4:00, practice was actually a lot shorter. Short, but spirited. I saw a few former players in attendance, as well as several area high school coaches who took advantage of practice being open to the public. A few coaches from the Baylor staff were there as well, including defensive coordinator (and former Navy assistant) Brian Norwood, who is a very close friend of Coach Niumatalolo. Bill Wagner also made it after attending Missouri’s practice that morning. He came away very impressed with Mizzou’s size, and with the ability of several players, especially defensive end Aldon Smith. You can read his impressions on his blog, along with some notable quotes from both teams.
The teams attended a rodeo from 5-8 tonight, although I didn’t make it out there. A couple drinks to wrap up the evening, and that was it. Tomorrow will be just as busy; some work on the paying job in the morning, followed by the bowl luncheon, then practice again, topped off with the Rockets and the Hornets tomorrow night. Unfortunately, it’s supposed to rain, too. Prime swine flu-catching weather!
Well, I have more to say on the Army game, but I guess it’ll have to wait. I leave for Houston tomorrow morning, and arrive a little after noon. I’ll go from the airport straight to practice, then check in to the hotel afterwards. Hopefully I’ll have something worth saying by then. I have to work at the paying job on Tuesday morning, but hopefully that’ll be wrapped up in time for me to hit the bowl lucheon at 11:30. Anyway, I still have to pack, but maybe I’ll check in again from the airport in the morning. Hooray for JAX free internet access!
Now that I have overcome my technical obstacles (sort of), we can get back to the Army game.
The Army game is the crown jewel of every Navy football season for obvious reasons. It carried an additional significance this year, though, from a football perspective. I had been looking forward to this game all season not only for the rivalry and all the hoopla that surrounds it, but also to see how Buddy Green would attack an offense that resembles Navy’s. One might argue that we saw that last year, but the one-man fullbackapalooza that Army called an offense wasn’t exactly a real spread option. This year’s Army offense wasn’t any more potent, but it was at least a bit more varied schematically. So maybe this year we’d get to compare Buddy’s approach to the other defensive coordinators we look at each week. And we did… Sort of.
Navy’s 17-3 win over Army on Saturday was not the closest final score during the Mids’ current winning streak over their rivals. That actually came in the 2006 game, in which Navy prevailed, 26-14. Statistically, that game looked a lot like the 2009 edition of the rivalry. Navy had 13 first downs on Saturday, while Army had 10. In 2006 it was even, with each team putting up 15 apiece. The Mids outgained Army by 60 yards this year, while in 2006 they only had a 22-yard advantage. Army went into the locker room at halftime with a 3-0 lead on Saturday, and trailed Navy by only a touchdown going into the 4th quarter. In 2006, the teams were tied at 7 at the half, while Army again trailed Navy by a lone touchdown going into the 4th quarter. Navy’s offense scored only 17 points in both games; in 2006, the Mids’ defense provided a cushion by scoring 9 points in the 4th quarter thanks to a Keenan Little interception return and a late safety on a Tyler Tidwell sack. Even the current makeup of the two teams is similar to the way they were in 2006. Navy featured a young offense in that year’s game, starting only four seniors. Navy’s offense in 2009? Four seniors. In both games, Army’s offense was led by highly-touted freshman quarterbacks; the Arkansas-recruited Carson Williams in 2006, and option-messiah Trent Steelman in 2009. The similarities are striking, and it could be argued that 2006 was the closer contest in more ways than just the final score.
Some hanging chads to deal with before we get into the meat of the game:
Ratings. Army-Navy was pushed back a week to give it a Saturday of its own, in the hopes that being the only game in town would increase ratings and justify the large amount that CBS is paying for the broadcast rights. It appears that the move had its desired effect, as overnight ratings for the game were up 75% from last year, drawing a 4.2/10 share. That’s the highest rating since 1999. It’s good, but is it what CBS was hoping for? My guess is yes. By comparison, the ACC Championship game drew only a 1.6, while Michigan-Ohio State drew a 4.2. In case you’re wondering, the SEC title game drew an 11.1.
Uniforms. Listening to some people, you’d think that ratings for the game would have been 2-3 points higher if the sight of Navy’s uniforms didn’t turn viewers into pillars of salt. I get that not everyone liked them, but some of you act as if they were an affront to God Himself. I know I’m in the minority, but I liked them. Not that I’d want the team to wear them in every game, but as a one-off for Army-Navy, I thought they were pretty sweet. For those of you complaining about tradition, uniform gimmicks are the Army-Navy tradition. Over the years we’ve seen everything from orange helmets, to blue helmets with script “Navy,” to Chinese characters, to throwbacks, to “Beat Army” and “Drive for Five” sewn onto jerseys. If Nike rolls out jerseys with a splash of red as a nod to the Marine Corps for the Mids to wear for their most visible game, then I’m all for it.
By all accounts, the players like new unis, as did recruits. No, recruits probably won’t pick a school based on how their uniform looks. However, the fact that Nike likes to use Navy to roll out special edition uniforms reinforces the idea that Navy is big-time football. And that is something that resonates with recruits. I know most you didn’t like the look, but go easy on the wailing and gnashing of teeth. It wasn’t the end of the world, and probably won’t be the last time you see those uniforms.
TV coverage. Ugh.
I doubt anyone
At Missouri is too scared.
But I’ll take the win.
The Birddog 