(09-24-2017 09:14 AM)fanhood Wrote: Anyway, for Navy fans, how is Navy's defense this year? The only game I watched was FAU. Can they stop the Tulsa running game?
I am quite confident in Navy's defense going into Tulsa. Especially stopping Tulsa's run game.
Navy's D already better than last year. That's good, since last tears was one of the three or four most porous of the Johnson-Niumatalolo era. Not the worst (I'm looking at you 2007) but bottom quartile.
To make sure that wasn't just opinion I looked at all twelve games of our three opponents
All three games, including two run-first teams, Navy held their opponent to season low rushing yards. All three season low yards per rush. One season low total yards, another below season average total yards. Two below season scoring average.
Hayden Moore did have a pretty doggone good game passing against us but he is pretty good - probably better than Tulsa's not-Dane-Evans options.
Meanwhile Tulsa has yet to show they can stop Navy in our conference contests. Last year WITH Evans came down to the wire, but our 2015 visit to Tulsa we rolled to 469 rushing yards.
I can keep from being overcome with confidence, though: what we haven't done yet this year is separate when the opportunity has been there