Congratulations to Paul Johnson for earning his 100th career head coaching victory tonight. I’ll write more about the game later, but for now here’s a little something to honor the man that means so much to this team and this school.
Category: navy football
Finally!
The wait ends. Tonight, I ascend to the room over my garage, sit in my old chair, turn on the big screen, and abandon my family for four months. It’s like a mini-deployment with football and more comfortable furniture.
The process begins at 5:30 (ET) with Pete Medhurst and Joe Miller on the Tailgate show on WNAV. You can listen online at www.1430wnav.com in case you didn’t know. Pregame show with Bob, Omar, & John is at 6:30, and kickoff at 7:30. For road games I like to listen to Bob & Omar while I turn the TV down. WNAV online is usually the most in sync with TV broadcasts, but unfortunately is the least reliable. The WBAL feed is solid, but can be 10-15 seconds behind. Same with the feed on All-Access. I haven’t tried on any of the other stations yet, but I’ll play around tonight to see which one works best. Mom, if you’re reading this, try 102.1 FM in Virginia Beach.
For additional coverage, Dave Ausiello will be blogging from the press box over at GoMids.com, so don’t miss that. I think Adam at Pitch Right will also be doing an in-game blog. I, however, will not. I’m not much fun to be with during a game. I wouldn’t subject you people to that. However, be sure to stop by soon after the game if Navy wins. If Navy loses, I’ll be busy picking a bridge in downtown Jacksonville to jump off of, so don’t bother.
So let’s get fired up for watching the game tonight. Unless you’re a mid, in which case you need to keep studying or else the terrorists will win. Hey, I’m a blogger at war!
Go Navy!
Bill Wagner Has a Blog
The chances of anyone reading my nonsense anymore just got crushed like an Air Force safety trying to tackle Kyle Eckel. Bill Wagner has started a Navy sports blog. Navy fans now have a blog by someone who actually knows what he’s talking about. Those of you who aren’t interested in the opinions of someone who actually attends practices and talks to players and coaches, feel free to stick around here!
In other news, Ron Snyder has been busy lately. Don’t miss his interview with Paul Johnson as well as his piece on Antron Harper. Antron seems to be the writers’ favorite this year, probably due to a combination of having an interesting background and being friggin’ awesome. His isn’t the only profile out today, though; Christian Swezey wrote a great piece on Clint Sovie.
Speaking of Wagner, he talked with Wayne Hardin about his time coaching Navy and Temple, plus his efforts to sell tickets to Friday’s game. I’m sure there are a lot of people who laugh at Hardin’s goal of selling out Lincoln Financial Field because there’s no way that it’s going to happen. Those people are missing the point. The important thing here is that Temple is making the effort. Aiming high is something that they haven’t done before, at least for football. It’s a good sign for a downtrodden program. I still hope we crush them, though.
Some more Temple talk includes a look at their MAC membership and head coach Al Golden.
Game Week: Temple
With all the chatter about the new Superintendent and his plan to defeat terrorism with increased study time, you might not have
noticed that we are now only one week away from the start of the 2007 Navy football season. I’m so excited, I could punch someone (preferably an Air Force fan). For those of you who have found your way here by way of my YouTube channel, you may be wondering where the 2007 kickoff video is. Unfortunately, my computer is toast. I’m probably going to have to get a new one, so it’ll be a while before I make another video. I do have one more vid that I made before my computer quit, and with any luck I’ll have reason to post it soon. But not yet. You’ll understand when you see it.
Anyway, on to the game. It’s kind of weird that Temple’s first game in 2007 is against the last team they played in 2006. I suppose that makes it easier to measure how much progress they’ve made, and if you believe the talk coming out of Philadelphia, it’s quite a bit. “The talent level is not even close,” says Temple coach Al Golden. “There are very few guys from the graduating class last year that would be starters this year.” It seems like he’s taking an unnecessary shot at last year’s seniors, but the truth is that he’s probably right.
Golden has a much easier sell to recruits than Bobby Wallace, his predecessor, did. During Wallace’s tenure, Temple was mired in uncertainty. I’m no recruiting guru, but I think it’s safe to say that if there’s anything that will drive recruits away, it’s uncertainty. Nobody wants to spend four or five years in constant confusion, but that’s what Wallace’s staff was forced to try to explain away when they pitched Temple football to the players they went after. Temple was kicked out of the Big East and was in limbo trying to find a new conference. They had one of those dreaded internal “reviews” over whether I-A football was the right fit for the school. There were issues over the lease to play games at Lincoln Financial Field. As time went on, Wallace had to answer questions about his own job security. How can you convince a high school senior to step into that mess? You don’t. To try to make up for that, Coach Wallace turned to the junior college ranks to fill his recruiting classes. A JUCO transfer is only going to spend a year or two at his new school, so long-term instability is less of a concern. Wallace would sell the probability of immediate playing time and playing in an NFL venue. He had some success in getting a few of these guys. The problem is that regardless of how talented some of them might have been (I really have no idea), it’s tough to take guys who have played with you for a year or two and beat a team full of kids who have been in a coach’s system for four or five years. It can be done, but it’s no way to build a program. Wallace never gained any momentum, and he left after the 2005 season.
Al Golden has a much better situation. Temple now calls the MAC home. It’s a good– but not overwhelming– football conference. Golden is a new coach with a new contract and an administration behind him that has a renewed commitment to winning football. The uncertainty of the past has been transformed into a new vision for the future. It’s a lot easier to sell a vision for the future than it is to explain away the pain of the past (or present). With this vision and a lot of energy, it isn’t hard to believe that Golden would have a lot more success on the recruiting trail.
The question facing Golden now is how soon his wins in recruits’ living rooms will turn into wins on the football field. With a whopping 20 freshmen on their two-deep depth chart, Temple is counting on those recruits to contribute right away. Usually, that isn’t a good sign. There’s a big difference between an 18 year-old kid and a 22 year-old man, not only in physical development, but maturity. Golden’s task of “overcoming 36 points” doesn’t get any easier with a team full of rookies, especially in their first taste of the speed of Division I football. They might have raw ability (again, I have no idea), but it takes time to transform that raw ability into a polished player. That doesn’t mean that it can’t happen, but it’s a tall order. In last year’s game, Navy out-rushed Temple 420 yards to 13, sacked the Owls’ two quarterbacks six times, and forced two interceptions. Navy had a 28-0 lead before Temple had a first down.
Last year’s teams, though, aren’t playing this game. Navy’s offense returns mostly intact, but the defense has as many questions as Temple does. Well, almost. Paul Johnson has sounded optimistic about the defense’s ability, but like he always says, you just never know until you start playing. It’s been a mixed bag for the defense in the two fall scrimmages. When Kaipo is running the first team offense, nobody can stop him. When one of the other quarterbacks steps in, the defense plays much better. Is our offense just that damn good with Kaipo, or is there cause for concern on defense? Maybe both, although it’s hard to tell since the defense won’t see an offense like Navy’s all year. The strength of last year’s defense was on the outside, with Tyler Tidwell and David Mahoney. This year, the strength of the defense looks like it’s going to be up the middle, with Nate Frazier at NG and Clint Sovie and Irv Spencer at the inside linebacker spots. Will it lead to the same result? How banged up is the secondary? The outcome of the game probably depends on the answers to those questions.
Temple is doing everything it can to give this game a big-game feel. Wayne Hardin called on a couple of favors to bring Roger Staubach, Joe Bellino, and Bob Reifsnyder to the game as Navy’s honorary captains. I’m not sure when the three of them were ever together for a Navy home game. There are car giveaways and a semester’s tuition for one lucky Temple student. Temple has launched a massive advertising campaign, headed by Hardin, to drive up attendance for this game and set the tone for their entire season. The Owls will be pumped up for this game. The sooner that Navy can take the crowd out of the game, the better. Too bad there won’t be any mids at the game to help.
Counting Our Blessings
Our old friend Kent Baker has written an excellent piece on Paul Johnson.
I’ve been a Navy fan my entire life. My father is class of ’74, and a good chunk of my childhood was spent making the trip from Virginia Beach or Arlington (wherever we were living at the time) to Annapolis for games. I saw a lot of bad football. Eventually, I guess all that bad football wore my father down. His interest in the game sort of slipped away, except for the Army-Navy game. That changed once Paul Johnson was hired. Now he calls every week to get a breakdown of how we match up with every opponent. He goes to games again. He won’t stop talking about how great of a fit Paul Johnson is to the Naval Academy.
Nor should he.
We are so lucky to have Paul Johnson as our head football coach. Baker’s article is a great reminder of that.
May PJ never be taken for granted.
Jason Tomlinson Didn’t Graduate
That piece of WTF information comes courtesy of Bill Wagner at The Capital. It was Jason’s choice, not the result of any military or academic shortcoming.
I have no idea what he was thinking. I think it is a huge mistake. He has probably heard that a million times by now from friends and advisors, so I’m sure he doesn’t need some dude who doesn’t know him running his piehole on the internet about it. But I will say this: I spent four years rooting like hell for him. I’m not going to turn my back on him and condemn him now. I will continue to root for him in whatever he does. I just hope he knows what he is doing.
No word yet on how the Navy will have him repay the cost of his education.
In other news, don’t miss Christian Swezey’s excellent piece on Sander Gossard and other prior enlisted football players. It’ll make you proud. So will Irv Spencer’s beard!
Loose Change
Lots of chatter popping up in the last couple of days:
- In the “ignorance is bliss” category, we have PJ’s Monday presser. Talk about a list of things you wish you didn’t know… Kaipo’s in a neck brace, none of the punters are consistent, the secondary’s all hurt, and Greg Thrasher is in PJ’s doghouse. Yeesh. I guess there’s a silver lining in that Rashawn King is recovering well from his shoulder injury, but anyone who didn’t like PJ’s media day optimism can feel better knowing that it’s back to business as usual.
- Navy will once again be an NCAA lacrosse tournament quarterfinal host this year. The ability to host events like these were a big reason why Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium made the switch to FieldTurf, so it’s nice to see that move pay off. It’ll be nicer if it’s a Navy home game this year.
- The unending football conference affiliation talk resumed as Chet talked to Ron Snyder about the difficulties of finding bowl games as an independent. Conference membership means a lot more than bowl game access, though. I still don’t think that this will happen anytime soon, if at all.
- Navy’s been sold out of Army-Navy tickets for a while. Now Army is too. If you want tickets, looks like you’ll be headed to Stubhub or eBay.
- Scout.com’s Temple site previews Navy (subscription required). For those without a subscription, it’s very complimentary, saying that Navy “might be the second-toughest team on the schedule.” In case you’re wondering, Temple plays Penn State this year.
- Some Air Force Academy grad wants to play pro baseball. I don’t really care that much as long as this doesn’t become a habit; the Air Force will do what it thinks is best for itself. But will people PLEASE stop comparing every scrub that wants to turn pro to David Robinson? By the time Robinson played his first game in San Antonio, he had already been an Olympic medalist, a Naismith Award winner, a Wooden Award winner, on the cover of Sports Illustrated, and led Navy to the Elite Eight in the NCAA tournament. That is a far, far cry from being one of thousands of players struggling to find a place in minor league baseball. Robinson is one of the best players in the history of his sport. Karl Bolt is not. It makes a difference when the Navy or Air Force is considering an athlete’s fate.
- Bill Wagner offers a look at college recruiting, including Billy Lange’s approach.
- ESPN.com talks Patriot League basketball as part of their “Shoot Around” series.
New Depth Chart Released
The football depth chart has been updated following Saturday’s scrimmage. Here are the changes:
Left Tackle
53 Josh Meek . . ..Sr. . . . . . .6-1 . . . . . .274
66 Paul Bridgers . .Sr. . . . . . . . .. .6-3 . . .268
60 Austin Milke . .So. . . . . . . . . .6-3 . . . ..260
Meek establishes himself as #1 LT.
Left Guard
72 Anthony Gaskins . .Jr. . . . . . . . .6-1 . . . . . . . .281
64 Mike Von Bargen . .Jr. . . . . . . . .6-5 . . . . . . . .272
79 Osei Asante . . . . . . So. . . . . . . ..6-1 . . . . . . . . .270
Mike Von Bargen replaces Chad Peterson as #2 LG.
Right Tackle
75 Andrew McGinn . .Jr. . . . . . . . .6-1 . . . . . . . .255
68 Ricky Moore . . . . .Jr. . . . . . . . .6-4 . . . . . . . ..283
65 Sander Gossard . . .Jr. . . . . . . . . . .6-4 . . . . . . .273
Andrew McGinn takes over sole posession of the #1 spot. Von Bargen’s move to guard creates an opportunity for Sander Gossard.
Wide Receiver
89 Tyree Barnes . . Jr. . . . . . . . .6-2 . . . . . . . .188
86 Curtis Sharp . . .Jr. . . . . . . . . . .6-4 . . . . . . .239
84 T.J.Thiel . . . . . ..Jr. . . . . . . . . . .6-0 . . . . . . 191
No more “OR” between Tyree Barnes and Curtis Sharp.
Slot Back
26 Shun White . . . . . .Jr. . . . . . . . .5-9 . . . . . . . .186
28 Zerbin Singleton . . .Sr. . . . . . . . . . .5-8 . . . . .164
23 Scott Oswald . . . . .So. . . . . . . . . .5-11 . . . . ..200
A lot of rearranging with the A-backs; Shun White moves over from being Reggie’s backup and claims the starter’s spot from Zerb.
Slot Back
7 Reggie Campbell . . ..Sr. . . . . . ..5-6 . . . . . . . .168
29 Greg Shinego . . . . .Jr. . . . . . . .5-9 . . . . . . . 182
33 Bobby Doyle . . . . . So. . . . . . . .5-11 . . . . . . .194
Shinego moves from being #2 behind Zerb to #2 behind Reggie.
Left End
92 Chris Kuhar-Pitters . . . .Sr. . . . . .6-2 . . . . .258
70 Andrew Burger . . . . . . . .So. . . . . .6-3 . . . . .243
91 Ryan Griffith . . . . . . . . . .Jr. . . . . . 6-2 . . . . ..257 OR
98 Artie Pauls . . . . . . . . . . . ..Jr. . . . . 6-1 . . . . . 244
Andrew Burger must have turned some heads, vaulting himself to the #2 spot at LE. Artie Pauls, one of my favorite players from the Blue & Gold game, breaks into the 3-deep.
Nose Guard
99 Nate Frazier . . . . . .So. . . . . . . .6-3 . . . . . . . .285
69 Jordan Stephens . . So. . . . . . . ..6-4 . . . . . . .251
90 Andy Lark . . . . . . . So. . . . . . . .6-0 . . . . . . . 290 OR
94 Derik Rothchild . . . Jr. . . . . . . . 6-3 . . . . . . . .251
Andy Lark returns to the 3-deep, alongside Derik Rothchild. The two of them replace John Maddox.
Right End
38 Michael Walsh . . . .Jr. . . . . . . . .6-2 . . . . . . . .239
97 Kyle Bookhout . . . .So. . . . . . . . .6-2 . . . . . . . 240
83 Will Scarle . . . . . . . .Jr. . . . . . . .6-4 . . . . . . . . .242
Bookhout moves from #2 LE to #2 RE, replacing Casey Hebert.
Outside Linebacker
9 Matt Humiston . . . . . Sr. . . . . . 5-11 . . . . . . .207
49 Craig Schaefer . . . . So. . . . . . . 6-2 . . . . . 215 OR
52 Jordan Eddington . .So. . . . . . .6-0 . . . . . . . .225
Jordan Eddington– one of the young linebackers that PJ mentioned on media day– moves over from the other side to challenge Craig Schaefer for the #2 spot, replacing Dell Robinson.
Inside Linebacker
44 Clint Sovie . . . . . . . Jr. . . . . . . .5-11 . . . . . . .201
50 Tony Haberer . . . .So. . . . . . ..6-1 . . . . . . .229 OR
51 Ross Pospisil . . . . . .So. . . . . . .6-0 . . . . . . 223
Pospisil draws even with Harberer.
Outside Linebacker
54 Matt Wimsatt . . . . . .Sr. . . . . . . . .6-1 . . . . . . . .216 OR
59 Matt Nechak . . . . . . .So. . . . . . . .6-4 . . . . . . . .244
40 Ian Meredith . . . . . .So. . . . . . . . . .6-3 . . . . . . .229
Eddington moves to the other side.
Left Cornerback
18 Rashawn King . . . . . . Jr. . . . . . . . .6-0 . . . . . . . .190
34 Ram Vela . . . . . . . . . . So. . . . . . . . . .5-9 . . . . . . . 196 OR
37 Darius Terry . . . . . . . .So. . . . . . . . . .5-7 . . . . . . . . . .168
Right Cornerback
1 Blake Carter . . . . . . . . . .So. . . . . . . .5-11 . . . . . . .188 OR
11 Ketric Buffin . . . . . . . . Jr. . . . . . . . .5-7 . . . . . . . .170
34 Ram Vela . . . . . . . . . . .So. . . . . . . ..5-9 . . . . . . . 196 OR
20 Greg Thrasher . . . . . . Sr. . . . . . . . . 5-8 . . . . . . 181
There’s a LOT of moving around with the defensive backs. Ram Vela moves from right CB to #2 at left CB. Blake Carter switches from safety to cornerback. Ketric Buffin moves from left to right. Greg Thrasher is apparently being sent a message.
Rover
3 Jesse Iwuji . . . . . . . . . . . .So. . . . . . . .6-1 . . . . . . . .179 OR
11 Ketric Buffin . . . . . . . . . Jr. . . . . . . . .5-7 . . . . . . . .170
8 Wyatt Middleton . . . . . . Fr. . . . . . . . . . .6-0 . . . . . 200 OR
24 Emmett Merchant . . . . Fr. . . . . . . . . . .5-9 . . . . . . 185
Jesse Iwuji is now fighting Ketric Buffin instead of Blake Carter for the starting rover position. A pair of plebes crack the three-deep as well.
Free Safety
17 Jeff Deliz . . . . . . . . ..Sr. . . . . . . .5-11 . . . . . . .195
32 Kevin Snyder . . . . .Jr. . . . . . . . . .5-11 . . . . .192 OR
16 Joey Taylor . . . . ..Jr. . . . . . . . . . .6-0 . . . . . .196
Corey Johnson and Casey Nichols fall off, while Joey Taylor moves from rover to challenge for #2 FS.
Punter
11 Kyle Delahooke . . . . . . . .Fr. . . . . . . . .6-1 . . . . .185
31 Greg Veteto . . . . . . . . . . Sr. . . . . . . . .6-1 . . . . . . . .178
Kyle Delahooke makes a splash and takes the #1 punter spot.
Punt Returner
7 Reggie Campbell . . . . . . .Sr. . . . . . . . .5-6 . . . . . . . .168
80 O.J.Washington . . . . . . Sr. . . . . . . . . .5-10 . . . . .188
O.J. Washington takes over for Shun White as #2 PR.
That’s it for changes. There are a couple of surprises on there, like Shun being ahead of Zerb and Greg Thrasher falling to #3. Some might also be surprised that there was no change at quarterback, despite the rave reviews for Ricky Dobbs’ performance in the scrimmage. The next depth chart update will probably be released after the next scrimmage, which is Saturday.
Drama on the Internets!
When I started this blog I swore to myself that I’d leave e-drama out of it, but this Maryland mess apparently has a lot of people spun up. People like this guy. I wrote a response to his post and was going to leave it at that, but he is either A) experiencing technical difficulties, or B) cherry-picking which replies to post, because he’s added other comments but not mine. It’s no big deal; a man’s blog is his kingdom, and if he wants to filter out all but the most easily dismissed responses then that’s his business. But there are a lot of kingdoms out there on the internet, and when a guy can’t be heard in one there’s always somewhere else to go. Like here.
We can begin with the unintentional comedy about how this guy decides he’s going to tell Chet “how things work” when it comes to bowl games. Considering that Navy has been to as many bowl games under Chet Gladchuk as Maryland has under Debbie Yow– all without the safety net of conference affiliation to fall back on– I’d say that Chet has a pretty good idea how these things work. Considering also that he has been athletic director at Boston College and Tulane– who went to another four bowl games between them during Gladchuk’s tenure– I’d say that he probably has a good idea of how things work on the conference side, too. I know that the blog world doesn’t appreciate fact-checking as much as it does snarky, condescending one-liners, but sometimes attention to detail pays off.
Poorly-reasoned insults aside, there is a lot of ranting and raving about what Chet said without considering why he said it. Let’s set the stage. Gladchuk and Yow had been talking about setting up a game in 2010, apparently for several weeks. When that story broke, Chet wasn’t a part of it. Heather Dinich’s article was updated after she got Chet’s reaction, but her blog entry stayed the same. As it says there, “Gladchuck is in meetings today and wasn’t immediately available to comment…” So clearly it was Yow who went public with the negotiations, and that’s what rubbed Chet the wrong way. I can just imagine Chet’s reaction when he came out of sitting through meetings all day to read that Navy is “dragging its feet” in getting these negotiations done, and seeing Debbie Yow’s ultimatum that a deal needs to be done in 4-6 weeks or she’s going elsewhere.
Yow thought that she was playing hardball by taking her case to the papers. She thought that she could pressure Chet into completing the deal by talking publicly about her self-imposed deadline. She was wrong. Chet’s response is intentionally over-the-top to make sure that Debbie Yow got the message that he isn’t going to be pressured that way. The message might have been lost on Maryland bloggers, but I’m sure it was loud and clear to Yow: Chet’s going to take as much time as he deems necessary whether Debbie Yow likes it or not. None of this would be a story if Yow had kept these negotiations where they belonged– behind closed doors.
Yow’s tactics are a hell of a way to do business with a fellow athletic director. They also say a lot about what she apparently thinks of the Naval Academy. If she was trying to get Michigan on the schedule, do you think she’d go to the media to tell their AD to hurry up? Would she go to the media to issue an ultimatum to Notre Dame’s AD? Not only no, but hell no. She probably wouldn’t even do that to Vanderbilt (no offense to Vandy, a school for which I cheer and have tremendous respect). Of course, Navy isn’t Michigan or Notre Dame. But you know what? Neither is Maryland. Navy carries enough clout relative to Maryland that they don’t need to be subject to the bush-league tactics of their athletic director. When programs like Virginia Tech and Florida State have come to Navy trying to get us on their schedules and when we already play Notre Dame every year, it’s going to take a lot more than a call from Debbie Yow at Maryland for Chet Gladchuk to get star-struck.
If I had to guess, I’d say that this game will still be played. One thing I don’t have to guess about, though, is Chet Gladchuk’s resolve. If this game happens it won’t be the product of Debbie Yow’s attempted coercion. It’ll be on terms that Chet thinks are best for Navy.
What We’ve Learned So Far
OK, so the first week of practice is behind us. That means that there’s also a week’s worth of post-practice press conferences, those daily glimpses into the mind of greatness. So what do we know after a week?
— The media day optimism has been tempered. Not that it’s all doom & gloom or anything, but PJ is back to the regular “we need to get better everywhere” routine. Since I fear change, I see this as a good thing.
— Zero-block cruise has been a huge help with summer conditioning.
— Andy Lark squat-lifts @#$% 610 pounds.
— Bill Wagner gets four weeks of vacation from the Capital. PJ went to Hawaii for vacation, but we already knew that.
— Matt Humiston is a knucklehead and Nate Frazier isn’t Deacon Jones (yet).
–Troy Goss is staying at quarterback. As far as newsworthy stuff, this is probably the biggest thing. Since Troy was moved to WR last year before Brian Hampton got hurt, some people (like myself) figured that he’d probably get moved again this year so that Greg Zingler or one of the two impressive plebes (Robby Davis or Ricky Dobbs) could take the #3 spot. That’s not going to happen; Goss has played too well in practice to be switched from quarterback.
— Corey Masisak’s hair > Bill Wagner’s hair.
— Tyree Barnes still runs well after his surgery.
— This CSTV All-Access is great. I originally signed up for All-Access a while ago to listen to Pete Medhurst & Joe Miller call a couple of baseball games. It was sort of disappointing after that, since there wasn’t much content. Content is no longer a problem. The media day coverage was terrific. So was being able to see PJ’s press conference after practice last night. There’s going to be a lot more of those, plus postgame pressers, video for all home basketball games, player interviews, and of course an uninterrupted radio feed for games when WNAV Online goes haywire. My only complaint is that maybe the pressers could be archived a little bit longer, like say until the transcript comes out. But that’s picking nits. It’s awesome. This CSTV deal gets better all the time (I swear I’m not being paid to say this). It’s so much easier to be a Navy fan than it used to be– the days of huddling around the phone and calling “Teamline” are long gone.
Did I miss anything?
EDIT: Yeah, I did. I almost forgot to mention that the first Dolphins depth chart was released. It’s very early in camp, but Kyle’s got some work ahead of him.
The Birddog 