Notes & Quotes | Scott Frost Excited to Play Navy, for Navy Atmosphere

(Photo by Adrian J. Hernandez / New Day Review)

Oct. 16, 2017 at Wayne Densch Center for Student-Athlete Leadership

Availability: HC Scott Frost

• The Navy Midshipmen have the 30th-best scoring offense in the nation, scoring 35.5 points per game.
• Navy also ranks first in rushing yards per game, running for 397.5 yards per contest through six games.
• The No. 20 Knights have a defense that has held opponents to 110.2 yards per game.
• Quarterback Zach Abey has already rushed for 1,016 yards and 12 touchdowns on 183 carries this season.
• Abey averages 5.6 yards per rush.
• In addition to his potent running threat, Abey has also thrown for 491 yards, five touchdowns and four interceptions on 17-for-47 passing (36.2 percent).
• Players available at the Knights’ weekly Monday presser said Frost has been filling in as a scout-team quarterback, as the former Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback ran an option-heavy offense in college.
• Apart from Navy, the Knights were also supposed to play the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, another triple-option team, but never did because of weather.

HC SCOTT FROST: “We’re gonna use quite a few different guys to try to get our guys ready—anything we can do. It’s hard to simulate their looks and especially at the tempo that they run it; with execution, they run it. So we’ll do whatever we have to do to try to get the guys ready.”

 

“[Navy and Georgia Tech are] similar but different. A lot of the schemes are the same, but they definitely both have their own personality and style. I think these guys are really well coached. They know what they’re doing. If they find a hole in your defense, they’re gonna keep exploiting it. So, it’s a big week for our defense to prepare, but we have some work put in, already, for it, and we’re gonna build on that as the week goes along.”

 

“Yeah, we spent a little time [on triple-option preparation] in the spring and during fall camp on it. So, the guys have the basics of what their assignments are gonna be, and we use this week to try to get ’em all the way ready.”

 

“Yeah, I love option football. I lived it. I feel like option quarterbacks, now, are kinda like giant pandas. You know, they only exist in zoos and military academies. They got a good one, and I think he’s what makes their offense go. He’s a tough runner. He’s smart, makes good decisions. I always root for option teams and option quarterbacks ’cause of my background.”

 

“Ah, Wood River, Nebraska. Dad was the coach. We were a veer team, so we either run an inside-outside veer, or we were emptying that out and throwing it. So I’ve been doing that for a long time.”

 

“Yeah, I think, in some ways, if we were to play Georgia Tech, it would’ve been an advantage for this. It would’ve been some ways, probably not. It would’ve given us a chance to get a good look at it and play against a team that’s really good at doing it. On the flip side of that, Navy would’ve seen our approach to trying to stop it and have been game-planning for it. Sometimes with our offense, we get into games, and teams are playing us a lot different than what we’d seen on tape before. I think Navy goes through that on every game because there’s not a lot of tape that they can dial up to say, ‘Oh, this is how they play these formations and triple options.’ They’re gonna have to make adjustments during the game. They’re really good at it. So I think there were some positives and negatives in regards to this game, since we missed that last one.”

 

“Well, I think you can make too much of it, to be honest with you. Every time we line up against another team, it’s assignment football. You know, I have the A-gap. I have the B-gap. I have the quarterback on the zone read. I have the running back. This is no different. I think it just—it’s a different way of presenting it. This is a really good team, and I don’t mean to say it as we’re taking ’em lightly or not excited for the challenge, but we’re also not gonna make too much of the fact that they run a different offense. Our defensive players have to play hard and fast and play assignment football just like they do any other week.”

 

“No, I think the only thing [Navy’s offense is] gonna change is the flow of the game can change. You know, I think it’s important to try to get ahead of these guys. If you’re ahead, they play a different type of game, and we would play a different type of game. If we’re behind, then, obviously, we have to play different. You know, they’re gonna try to hold the ball and keep it away from us. That’s what they do to everyone. Try to run the time off the clock, offensively. So, we’re gonna have to get a feel for where we are in relation to score. Obviously, if we’re ahead, I’m not excited about going fast and giving them the ball right back so they can do it all over again. But if we’re behind, we need to get movement and try to get some points on the board. So, it’s gonna be a chess match, depending on how the game unfolds.”

• Navy will host UCF for its homecoming.
• The Midshipmen are coming off their first loss of the season, a 30-27 loss to the Memphis Tigers.
• UCF’s matchup with Navy on Saturday is the first time the Knights have ever played a game against a military academy.

HC SCOTT FROST: “It’s their homecoming. It’s at their place. I’m kinda excited to see it. I have a lot of respect for what the Naval Academy is, what they stand for and how their kids play. You know, they beat people ’cause they play harder than people, and they’re smarter than people, and I want our guys to play harder than them and be smarter, and that’s a challenge for us, so we’re gonna have to prepare for it this week.”

 

“No, I can’t remember ever playing a military academy. But, again, I think [Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo’s] one of the good guys in this business. I think everything that those kids that play there stand for are the right things about being a college athlete and living in this country, and I got a ton of respect for ’em. But we’re gonna go up there and try to beat ’em.”

 

“Yeah, Ken’s one of the guys that I really appreciate in this league. I think he’s a gentleman and a class act. You know, I got along with him right away at the conference meetings when I would see him. You know, they might not always have the best talent in the league, but they’re close to the top of the league ever year. I think that has a lot to do with the type of kids they have and the type of coaching they get. You know, I think he’s a really good man and good coach. I think it’s smart the way they play. They try to limit the other team’s possessions, so that’s gonna be a big deal in our game. I feel good about our offense, being able to move it and score it if we have the ball, and we gotta take advantage of whatever drives we get on the offensive side.”

 

“Well, I’m anxious to see [Navy’s atmosphere]. I’m excited to go up there and see the pageantry of the academy, and I notice [it’s] their homecoming, so it’s gonna be even more special. We’re not gonna treat it any different than any other game. We’ll have the ability to go with a silent kill if we need to, and, other than that, most of our communication is non-verbal anyway. I’m looking forward to seeing that place and what it looks like, and we’re excited to play football.”

• UCF boasts one of the best third-down defenses in the nation, allowing teams to convert 21.6 percent of their third downs entering the Cincinnati game.
• Since then, UCF’s numbers have slightly faltered, allowing teams to convert 34.78 percent of their third downs, most recently allowing Cincinnati to go 9-for-15 and ECU to go 7-for-17.
• The Knights are ranked 46th in the nation in opponent third-down conversions.
• Navy is 10th in converting third downs, successfully sustaining drives 48.75 percent of the time.

HC SCOTT FROST: “Yeah, [third-down stops are more important], you know, but their third downs are different than most people’s third downs. They get a lot of third-and-shorts because you don’t see a lot of negative plays from ’em. So, first and second down are vital to make sure you’re in the type of third down where you can get a stop. You know, they go for it on fourth down more than anybody, including us. So, a lot of times, you have to play four downs against them. Our defense is excited. I think this is a different brand of football and a challenge that they haven’t had in a while, and they prepared really well.”

 

“[Navy’s defense] plays hard. They got some good players. They know where they’re supposed to be and what they’re supposed to do, and, again, I’m just really blown away by the level of effort that they put forward. Again, I think that speaks to the type of kid they have and the type of leadership they have. So, the one thing you can’t do is turn it over against them. We gotta take care of the football like we have been, and, if we do that, I feel pretty good about our offense is playing, but we gotta make sure to not make mistakes.”

• UCF has started a season 5-0 for the first time in school history this season.
• The Knights have maintained a top-25 ranking since beating Memphis in Week 5.
• UCF has climbed from 25th to 22nd and now to 20th.

HC SCOTT FROST: “I’ll tell you how much pride I take. I didn’t know [we’re the first UCF team to start 5-0]. We’re gonna take this one game at a time. I’m happy for the guys that they’ve achieved what they’ve achieved. They’ve worked hard to earn that. But that’s water under the bridge now. We’ve got one big game ahead of us, and that’s what we’re focused on.”

 

“Yeah, I can feel the support building. I can feel the buzz building around this program, and I think our team has earned that, and they deserve that. We’re gonna keep doing the best we can to try to keep pushing this thing forward, and, hopefully, more and more support will follow.”

 

“You know, you see teams around the country have letdowns once in a while. You saw a few last week, I thought. Our guys came out ready to play Saturday, and I think that’s a good sign. We know the challenge we have ahead of us right now. This is one of the best teams in the league, and we’re playing them on the road. I’m not worried about that with this team this week. Our guys are gonna be locked in and ready to play, and we’ll see if that’s good enough to win. Really, the games that you’re supposed to win are the ones that you worry about a little bit. This is just another opportunity for us to attack and try to beat a good team in the league.”

For more on the Knights, as they prepare for the American Athletic Conference West’s best team, follow Victor Tan on Twitter at @NDR_VictorTan.