(Photo by Adrian J. Hernandez / New Day Review)
ORLANDO, Fla. – The No. 20 UCF Knights (5-0, 3-0 in American Athletic Conference) travel to Annapolis, Maryland, to take on the Navy Midshipmen (5-1, 3-1 in American Athletic Conference) on Saturday.
Navy poses, perhaps, the biggest challenge for the Knights to date. In addition to running a unique, triple-option offense, the Midshipmen were also ranked No. 25 last week when they played and lost to the Memphis Tigers 30-27.
If not for Navy’s loss to Memphis, this matchup would have been a battle between two unbeaten, ranked teams. This week, however, Navy will be looking to get back on track, and a win against UCF would help. Despite the loss to the Tigers, the Midshipmen are still receiving votes in both the AP Top 25 and Coaches Poll.
The Week 8 matchup will be the first time the Knights have played a military academy.
Here is what to expect when the Knights square off against the Midshipmen at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
Ken Niumatalolo Has Made Navy AAC Contenders
Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo was promoted to head coach in December 2007 after former head coach Paul Johnson left to become the head coach of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Since then, Niumatalolo has compiled an overall record of 82-43. In nine full seasons from 2008 to 2016, Niumatalolo has led Navy to eight bowl appearances.
Regarding his more recent successes, Niumatalolo has led Navy to the doorstep of an AAC title. In 2015, the Midshipmen’s first year in the conference, the team went 10-2 in the regular season and finished tied for first in the AAC West. In 2016, Navy finished the regular season 9-3 and lost in the conference-championship game to Temple University.
UCF head coach Scott Frost holds Niumatalolo in high regard.
“Ken’s one of the guys that I really appreciate in this league,” Frost said after practice on Oct. 16. “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 every year.”
Navy Has No. 1 Rushing Offense with Triple-option Offense
Navy is one of the few teams in college football that runs the triple-option offense. The Midshipmen rank first in the nation in rushing yards per game, running for 397.5 yards per contest through six games.
Running for nearly 400 yards a game is due to the high volume of run plays Navy calls. Through the air, the Midshipmen only average 81.8 yards, third-worst in the country, on eight passes per game. On the ground, Navy averages the second-most carries per game, behind the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets’ 64.20 carries per game, with 64.17 per game.
Despite the offense being so one-dimensional, Navy doesn’t have a problem scoring points. Its 35.5 points per game average ranks 30th in the nation. On the other side of the ball, though, is UCF’s No. 19-ranked run defense that has allowed just 110.20 rushing yards per game.
“This is an assignment game,” UCF defensive coordinator Erik Chinander said after practice on Oct. 17. “It’s an assignment every game. I just don’t tell ‘em to do whatever the hell they want in every other opponent they play. So I don’t understand how it’s different from regular football. It’s a different offense, absolutely, and there’s a few different wrinkles, a few different techniques, a few different keys for our guys, but it’s football.”
Quarterback Zach Abey Leads All Navy Rushers
After a successful four-year stint from quarterback Keenan Reynolds that ended in 2015, wherein Reynolds rushed for 4,559 yards and 88 touchdowns and threw for 4,001 yards and 31 touchdowns, Navy found itself another game-changing quarterback in Zach Abey. The quarterback has the fourth-most rushing yards in the country so far this season with 1,016. This season, Abey has also accounted for 17 total touchdowns, 12 of them coming on the ground. Abey is not as effective with his arm, though, as he’s only completed 36.2 percent of his passes for 491 yards and five touchdowns in 2017.
“Their quarterback has done a lot of the heavy lifting this year,” Chinander said. “You know, he’s got a lot of those three- and four-yard gains. He’s broken for some big ones. And I think he can throw the ball.”
Navy Controls Possession for Over 36 Minutes
Considering Navy’s No. 1 rushing ranking, it’s almost no surprise the Midshipmen are also very ball-dominant. In its six games, Navy holds possession for an average of 36:02 of the available 60 minutes of regulation. As for UCF and its No. 1 scoring offense, the Knights average 29:27 of possession.
The disparity in time of possession between UCF and Navy could see the Knights defense play more minutes than they have all season. For Chinander and his defense, depth won’t be an issue.
“I think this is maybe a week where depth—you can get away with playing guys a little longer because it’s not tempo,” Chinander said. “You know, it’s gonna be whatever—40 to 60 plays, as opposed to 100. And they’re gonna give you 30 seconds to get your wind back a little bit. So I think guys can play more plays, but we still wanna roll in and be fresh.”
Vulnerable Navy Defense Presents Another High-scoring Opportunity for UCF’s No. 1 Offense
The Midshipmen enter Week 8’s matchup ranked 81st in scoring defense, allowing 28.00 points per game. In yards allowed, the Navy defense is 77th, allowing opponents to gain 398.20 yards per game. As UCF is the only team in the country to average 50 points per game, the Knights could be poised for another high-scoring performance.
Navy also has one of the worst turnover margins in the nation, ranking at 106th with a -0.83 turnover margin. UCF, on the other hand, is No. 4 in the country with a 1.60 turnover margin. For UCF offensive coordinator and wide-receivers coach Troy Walters, it’s Navy’s discipline that poses the biggest threat to his offense.
“They’re fundamentally sound,” Walters said after practice on Oct. 17. “They don’t do a lot, but what they do, they do well. You don’t see a lot of blown coverages and missed assignments. You know, that’s just a reflection of that academy there. They’re disciplined guys.”
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UCF-Navy will be broadcast on Saturday on CBS Sports Network.
For more on the Knights, as they prepare for one of the best AAC West teams, follow Ryan Weiss on Twitter at @NDR_RyanWeiss.
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