USF Bulls 2-2 (1-0) at Navy Midshipmen 1-2 (0-1)
Saturday 30 September 2023 1530 EDT
Navy Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Annapolis, MD
TELEVISION: CBS SPORTS NETWORK
Play-by-Play: Jordan Kent, Analyst: Randy Cross, Sideline: Sheehan Stanwick Burch
Online: cbssports.com/cbs-sports-network/

RADIO: NAVY RADIO NETWORK
Play-by-Play: Pete Medhurst, Analyst: Joe Miller, Sideline: Keith Mills, Studio: Scott Wykoff, Pregame Commentary: John Feinstein
• WBAL 1090 AM / 101.5 FM (Baltimore)
• WFED 820 AM / 94.3 FM (Frederick, Md.)
• WFED 1500 AM (Washington, D.C.)
• WFED 104.5 FM (W. Fairfax / Loudon, Va.)
• WNAV 1430 AM / 99.9 FM (Annapolis)
• KLSD 1360 AM (San Diego)
• WGH 1310 AM / 100.9 FM (Norfolk)
• WJGM 105.7 FM (Jacksonville, Fla.)
• Satellite: SiriusXM (Ch. 136 or 201) and on the SXM
App (Ch. 964)
• Apps: Audacy (WNAV) and TuneIn (WBAL)

LIVE STATS: STATBROADCAST
Online: navystats.com

OPENING KICK
• Navy and USF meet on the gridiron for the fourth time, all as American Athletic Conference foes, when the two square off on CBS Sports Network Saturday afternoon (3:30 pm) at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis.
• Navy leads the all-time series against USF 2-1, including a 2-0 mark in Annapolis. Navy won the last meeting 35-3 in Annapolis in 2019.
• Navy will play the longest regular-season schedule in the country this year. The Mids played the nation’s first regular season college football game of the year against Notre Dame on August 26 at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland and will play the final regular-season game of the year on Dec. 9 vs. Army at Gillette Stadium in New England.
• The Mids are coming off their second bye of the year. Navy will have played just 3 games in the first 35 days of the season (8-26 vs. Notre Dame, 9-9 vs. Wagner and 9-14 at Memphis) before Saturday’s tilt.
• Despite playing in the first regular-season game of the year (Aug. 26), Navy is one of only 6 teams in the FBS who have played just 3 games this year, joining Louisiana-Monroe, Marshall, Colorado State, North Texas and Sam Houston State.
• Navy is trying to return to the dominance it once held at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. The Mids were 73-20 (.785) at home from 2003-19, before going 4-12 (.250) at home from 2020-22. Navy is 1-0 (1.000) this year on the hallowed ground of Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
• Saturday’s game will be a contrast in styles as USF tries to play as fast as possible, averaging 84 plays per game (fourth most in the country), while Navy tries to slow the game down, running 64 plays per game (103rd in the country).
• The game will pit two of the best rushing offenses in the country as Navy is 10th nationally at 223.3 yards per game, while USF is 24th (203.8 yds/gm). The USF rush defense is 19th in the country, giving up just 88 yards per game.
• Two of the best punting teams in the country will be matching up as USF is ranked 7th in net punting (44.06 yds/punt), while Navy is 17th (42.93 yds/punt). USF’s punt return defense is 4th, giving up -1.00 yards per return.
• USF brings to Annapolis a relentless defense that tries to put you behind the chains. The Bulls rank 18th in sacks (3.25 per game) and 5th in tackles for loss per game (9.0 per game). The Navy offensive line has done a nice job this year limiting negative plays, ranking 20th in sacks allowed per game (1.0) and 24th in tackles for loss allowed (4.0 per game).
• Another area to keep an eye on Saturday is penalties. Navy ranks 2nd in the country in fewest penalties per game (3.0) and 3rd in fewest penalty yards per game (23.67), while USF ranks 128th in penalties per game (9.75) and 126 in fewest penalty yards per game (85.75).
• Navy head coach Brian Newberry and USF head coach Alex Golesh are among the 11 first-time head coaches in the FBS this year and 2 of 7 first-year head coaches in the AAC.

SCOUTING USF
2-2 Overall | 1-0 AAC
Head Coach: Alex Golesh
• USF enters Saturday’s contest against the Mids with a 2-2 record, including a 1-0 mark in the American Athletic Conference after defeating Rice 42-29 last Saturday in Tampa.
• The Bulls are led by impressive redshirt freshman quarterback Byrum Brown, who stands 6-3 and weighs 209 pounds. Brown, who will turn 19 on Friday, is the nation’s leading rusher among quarterbacks, running for 87.8 yards per game (26th nationally among all positions). He rushed for 82 yards and a touchdown last week against Rice and his 5 rushing touchdowns on the year stand 17th nationally.
• Brown, however, is more than just a runner, as he has completed 71 of his 125 passes for 885 yards with 6 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. Last week against Rice, Brown torched the Owls for 435 yards and 2 touchdowns while completing 22 of his 29 pass attempts. The 435 yards are the second-most single-game passing yards in program history.
• Brown is 20th in the country in points responsible for per game (17.0) and 17th in total offense per game (309.0).
• Junior wide receiver Sean Atkins is Brown’s favorite target, connecting 24 times for 215 yards and a touchdown, but junior wide receiver Naiem Simmons, a transfer from Wagner, is Brown’s big play receiver. Simmons has caught 15 passes for 357 yards and 2 touchdowns (23.8 yds/catch, 11th in country in yds/catch), including a school-record 272 yards receiving on 8 receptions with a touchdown last week against Rice. It also marked the second-most yards in AAC history.
• When Brown is not carrying the ball, it’s usually going to bruising senior running back Nay’Quan Wright, a transfer from Florida, who has rushed for 242 yards and a touchdown on 56 attempts.
• The USF defense is led by senior linebacker Jhalyn Shuler, a transfer from Coffeyville Community College, junior linebacker DJ Gordon IV, a transfer from Minnesota, and senior defensive back Daquan Evans.
• Schuler leads the team with 27 tackles and a forced fumble, while Gordon has 25 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. Evans has lived in the opponents’ backfield with 21 tackles and a whopping 9 tackles for loss to go along with 3 sacks. Evans is No. 1 in the country in tackles for loss per game, averaging 2.2 per contest.
• Sophomore defensive end D.J. Harris, a transfer from Texas, is No. 1 in the country in fumbles recovered with 2, while junior safety Logan Berryhill is 17th in interceptions with 2.
• Sophomore kicker John Cannon is No. 1 in the country in field goal percentage, making all 5 of his attempts, including a 44-yarder against Alabama.
• Twenty-seven year old punter Andrew Stokes, who played Australian Rules football for 7 years before coming to USF, ranks 22nd nationally in punting averaging (43.9 yds/ punt).
• USF has 43 transfers on its roster, including 21 new additions this year.

GAME DAY TIMELINE
• 1:15 pm - The Navy football team will arrive at the Blue Angel on the West (Blue) side of the stadium. The team will walk down the sidewalk and through NavyFest before walking to the tunnel. Fans are invited to stand on both sides of the sidewalk to cheer on the players.
• 3:11 pm - March-on of the Brigade of Midshipmen
• 3:21:30 pm - National Anthem, followed by a flyover
• Saturday’s flyover will feature two F-18F Superhornets from the “Jolly Rogers” of VFA-103, based out of Naval Air Station Oceana Virginia Beach, Va. Piloting the lead aircraft will be Lt. Tommy “RIDDLE” Sears, USNA Class of 2016 and Cmdr. Jonathan “Paddles” Gilliom USNA Class of 2005. The wing aircraft will be piloted by Lt. Tristan Dmitrijev and Lt. Brandon Coleman USNA Class of 2019. Coleman played both football and sprint football as a midshipman. Providing ground control and support will be Lt. Caleb “BANG BANG” Powell. The “Jolly Rogers” are one of the most recognizable squadrons in fighter aviation sporting their famous Skull and Crossbones on black tails. slhNavy91 was in VF-103 (VF = Tomcats, VFA=Hornets) when the "Sluggers" took over the "Jolly Rogers" moniker and the duty of caring for the bones of ENS Jack Ernie, when VF-84 decommissioned.
• 3:28:20 pm - Navy will take the field with USF to follow
• 3:32 pm - Kickoff / please note there is a chance the timeline, starting with the March-On, will be pushed back 5 minutes if the first game on CBS Sports Network runs long. That decision will be made prior to the 60-minute clock starting.
• 1st/2nd Quarter Break - The 2022 sprint football team will be recognized. The Mids went 8-0 last year which included beating Army in the Star Game and in the CSFL Championship.
• Halftime - The Naval Academy Drum and Bugle Corps will perform
• 3rd/4th Quarter Break - The pilots from the pregame flyover will be recognized
• Postgame - Navy’s alma mater, Navy Blue & Gold, will be played as the team stands at attention in front of the Brigade of Midshipmen. It is one of the best traditions in all of sports.

Looking forward to a good punting battle, with a solid place kicker, to boot (haha). Hope the defenses can do their part to set up the game to let these kickers shine!

P.S. maybe it’s just us, but the USF QB can toss it pretty good.

The statistics suggest that this will be a close game. However, I have a feeling that one team or the other will have their stuff together better and that this will not end up being all that close.

I just wish I knew which team that would be.

Not sure what to expect from USF yet:
The defense plays hard and is aggressive but DBs can be beaten by a good QB
The offense when it clicks is fast and deadly, but just as easily go out in a three and out that used only 35 seconds off the clock.
If the offense struggle, Navy could control most of the clock.

Navy has had over 14 days to prepare, so will they be prepared or rusty. Both are facing offenses they haven’t seen before.

We have a new coach and a team full of transfers. I think we will get better each game throughout this season... WKU was the one I was hoping to steal but we were just too raw. Six wins is my realistic expectation. Just happy to see Golesh seems to be a legit guy to turn our ship around... finally.

I think penalties could play a major role in this matchup. USF is so undisciplined. Personal Fouls and False Starts are way too commonplace. Contrast with Navy who play a methodical style and minimize stupid mistakes.

The Kid from Kosovo, team captain Lirion Murtezi, has had to give up football.

A little preview from the Conference...

(09-28-2023 01:25 PM)slhNavy91 Wrote:  A little preview from the Conference...

I don’t think he is referring at Navy not being able to score fast and more at how fast they run the offense. USF will be snapping the ball within 10 seconds of each play , if they can get into a groove, they can move down the field and tired out defense that can’t substitute. On the other hand Navy tries to tire out the defenses by controlling the clock, they aren’t snapping it every 10 seconds. If they can stop USD and force a three and put that works in their favor since probably USF held ball for less than a minute on offense.
Rice got burned a few times trying to make substitutions that led to penalties and free plays.

(09-28-2023 03:20 PM)Cubanbull1 Wrote:  

(09-28-2023 01:25 PM)slhNavy91 Wrote:  A little preview from the Conference...

I don’t think he is referring at Navy not being able to score fast and more at how fast they run the offense. USF will be snapping the ball within 10 seconds of each play , if they can get into a groove, they can move down the field and tired out defense that can’t substitute. On the other hand Navy tries to tire out the defenses by controlling the clock, they aren’t snapping it every 10 seconds. If they can stop USD and force a three and put that works in their favor since probably USF held ball for less than a minute on offense.
Rice got burned a few times trying to make substitutions that led to penalties and free plays.

I agree that in the clip overall he made the point about USF's tempo. And I agree WITH the point - it looked effective vs Rice. And tempo offenses can find success against Navy (but it is more the readiness play by play every ten seconds, not a conditioning issue)

However, for the Tecza highlight he was very clearly rolling out the tired old "Navy can't ever catch up once they're behind on the scoreboard."

(09-28-2023 03:35 PM)slhNavy91 Wrote:  

(09-28-2023 03:20 PM)Cubanbull1 Wrote:  

(09-28-2023 01:25 PM)slhNavy91 Wrote:  A little preview from the Conference...

I don’t think he is referring at Navy not being able to score fast and more at how fast they run the offense. USF will be snapping the ball within 10 seconds of each play , if they can get into a groove, they can move down the field and tired out defense that can’t substitute. On the other hand Navy tries to tire out the defenses by controlling the clock, they aren’t snapping it every 10 seconds. If they can stop USD and force a three and put that works in their favor since probably USF held ball for less than a minute on offense.
Rice got burned a few times trying to make substitutions that led to penalties and free plays.

I agree that in the clip overall he made the point about USF's tempo. And I agree WITH the point - it looked effective vs Rice. And tempo offenses can find success against Navy (but it is more the readiness play by play every ten seconds, not a conditioning issue)

However, for the Tecza highlight he was very clearly rolling out the tired old "Navy can't ever catch up once they're behind on the scoreboard."

The Navy cannot catch up vibe was definitely part of what he was saying. It is a lazy trope, but it is not entirely wrong that we do not have an offense built to play fast. That said, the pass heavy teams can have trouble slamming the door too so it goes both ways. Oh, and comebacks always start with defense and that side just doesn't seem to get much discussion.

Of note, I think the difference between passing and running teams in that regard is somewhat reduced by the new clock rules. I have not seen data on it, but not stopping the clock on incomplete passes changes that a lot (I would think).

(09-27-2023 09:19 AM)slhNavy91 Wrote:  The Kid from Kosovo, team captain Lirion Murtezi, has had to give up football.

This young man is going to make a fine officer. Godspeed to him

(09-28-2023 03:35 PM)slhNavy91 Wrote:  

(09-28-2023 03:20 PM)Cubanbull1 Wrote:  

(09-28-2023 01:25 PM)slhNavy91 Wrote:  A little preview from the Conference...

I don’t think he is referring at Navy not being able to score fast and more at how fast they run the offense. USF will be snapping the ball within 10 seconds of each play , if they can get into a groove, they can move down the field and tired out defense that can’t substitute. On the other hand Navy tries to tire out the defenses by controlling the clock, they aren’t snapping it every 10 seconds. If they can stop USD and force a three and put that works in their favor since probably USF held ball for less than a minute on offense.
Rice got burned a few times trying to make substitutions that led to penalties and free plays.

I agree that in the clip overall he made the point about USF's tempo. And I agree WITH the point - it looked effective vs Rice. And tempo offenses can find success against Navy (but it is more the readiness play by play every ten seconds, not a conditioning issue)

However, for the Tecza highlight he was very clearly rolling out the tired old "Navy can't ever catch up once they're behind on the scoreboard."

Rice literally could not keep up with the offense. I repeatedly saw them get hit with off-sides and procedural penalties, missing coverages and opportunities for stops, and even PI on occasion. I've seen it happen to USF all too many times in prior years, it was a pleasure to be on the delivering end of those problems for once.
Navy is a different animal. With limited possessions you have to score and score often. I do think USF has a mismatch with their running game against the Navy defense. It may well be a low scoring game because both teams will be running the ball frequently. I don't think Navy is going to have an issue with procedural penalties.
The USF run defense vs the triple option is going to be super awesome to watch-we've gotten very good at causing havoc, but can we do it against a team that is so big on order?

The muffed punt certainly helped the cause, but I will take it.

Two huge early mistakes by USF.

This isn’t the old Bulls team. Quick 70 yd drive for a TD

Navy 14 Bulls 7