2002 Statistics

written by James Johnson

A trend that has developed over the last decade tells us that in order for a military academy team to be successful, it must have a quarterback that is a ball carrying threat. Navy clearly has that in senior quarterback Craig Candeto. Candeto was far and away the Midshipmen's leading rusher, 4.4-yard average per carry. Even more impressive was his total of 16 TDs, particularly the six he scored in Navy's season-ending rout of Army. Entering his second season as starting quarterback, Candeto will be an even stronger catalyst for the Midshipmen's offense. He has shown the ability to connect on the occasional deep throw, and improvement in the accuracy of his intermediate passes would help balance the Navy offense and give him more room to run.

The offensive line loses three solid starters from last season. Junior August Roitsch will return for his second season as an experienced center. Senior Josh Goodin entered 2002 as the third string center but finished it as the starting right tackle. Both players will benefit from their experience and help anchor a fairly inexperienced and relatively small line. Opposing rush ends will only be looking at two tackles that weigh in at an average of 270 pounds.

One of the inherent disadvantages the Navy football program has to deal with is the difficulty of finding mammoth linemen who can adhere to Naval standards so as to get through all of their subsequent military training. To loosely paraphrase John Feinstein's classic book "A Civil War" about the Army-Navy game, football practice is usually the easiest part of a Naval Academy student's day. This year's group, however, will have the Midshipmen's traditional edge in quickness and overall conditioning versus most of their opponents.

Navy does not have a pure wide receiver that will offer any significant threat this season in this option offense. The two featured receivers, junior Eric Roberts and senior Tony Lane are both listed as slot backs. Both had four times as many rushing attempts as 2002 pass receptions. Junior WR Amir Jenkins showed improvement throughout the fall and is predominately used as a blocking receiver for the option, reflected by his three catches.

The Midshipmen will run and run some more. If that is to translate in to a better won-loss record, the men carrying the pigskin will need to continue their improvement. Quality men do exist in this 3-set backfield. The most dangerous is Eric Roberts, who adds another dimension by being the best receiver on the lot, leading Navy with 17 catches. FB Michael Brimage took over when injuries riddled the team. Most recall his scorching performance against Army where he rushed for 291 yards as CBS announcers went crazy. So, this offense directed by new coach Paul Johnson has all the makings of an Air Force type of situation. Good fortunes may lie ahead on this side of the ball.

The pitfall…passing. Craig Candeto completed less than 50% of his 2002 passes, and it will again be very difficult for Navy to play catch-up if they fall far behind opponents. They don't play the old wishbone offense, but the style and mentality of the Midshipmen's scheme is very similar. Unfortunately, their talent isn't capable of handling the subtleties that make a wishbone unstoppable.

QB Craig Candeto

written by James Johnson

Junior Josh Smith, the Midshipmen's leading tackler from last season, will return at free safety. Both corners were also starters last season and among the team's leading tacklers, giving Navy a veteran secondary for this season.

Senior Eddie Carthan, Navy's second leading tackler, leads the three returning linebacker starters. Carthan is their best hope for developing a big-playmaker.

Senior LT Ralph Henry will be called on to anchor the defensive line. Since all four of last seasons' starters were seniors, Henry, despite the small amount of playing time he has seen in his three years, will be the Midshipmen's most experienced lineman this season. Navy will utilize a 3-4 situation on defense, which takes some of the pressure off of the front line in an effort to stop teams from grinding out a rushing attack.

No defensive lineman weighs more than 270 pounds. The same reasons keep the DL's size down as above listed for Olmen. Only one linebacker, sophomore Jeremy Chase (6'2, 235 lbs.), weighs more than 226 pounds. None of the defensive backs weigh more than 200 pounds. Are you noticing a trend here? Navy has a VERY small defense.

Considering how light the defensive players are, it is no surprise that they gave up over 420 yards and 36 points per game. Without a big push up front, they allowed 4.3 yards per rushing attempt and only recorded a total of 20 sacks. There is no reason to think that will improve significantly, especially since Navy will have to break in new starters up front.

Another symptom of the lack of physical strength on the defensive side of the ball is the inability to force turnovers. The Midshipmen intercepted an amazingly low total of only five passes last season and forced only 16 fumbles. Being 105th in all Division 1-A for TO margin is not going to get any team to the next level.

Navy would have to play gambling styles of defense to make more big plays, yet this would leave them susceptible, too. But if any risks are to be taken, the defense will have a marginally good secondary upon which to lean (Navy's best defensive unit). Their best option will be to continue playing more conservative defensive schemes and hope opponents make enough mistakes to keep the Midshipmen in games. Missed-tackles are not an option under this approach.

LB Eddie Carthan