Navy comes in on a high after knocking off Air Force 48-45, getting a touchdown pass with 15 seconds left to stay unbeaten. QB Zach Abey, the nation's second leading rusher at 174 yards per game, found Tyler Carmona from 16 yards out to clinch the contest.
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| Navy QB Zach Abey is one of the nation's most dangerous runners (Navy Times) |
Memphis, meanwhile, has its own smile after putting up 70 points on an overmatched UConn squad. Tigers quarterback Riley Ferguson threw seven touchdown passes in the game, and helped Memphis set a school record for total offense with 711 yards.
Navy has won the last two meetings, scoring 87 points in those contests. Memphis coach Mike Norvell knows that his defense will have to play better than its ranking of 123rd if it is to have a chance for victory.
“Navy has some great playmakers. It’s a very impressive offensive unit,” Norvell said. “You have to defend the entire field against Navy. It all starts with trying to stop the dive. Then you have to deal with the quarterback keep and the slotback pitch while being accountable to all the play-action.”
Not to be outdone, Navy coach Ken Niumatololo rubbed his eyes in disbelief after seeing Memphis put up the 70 on UConn. He knows first hand about Ferguson, who threw for 333 yards in last year's game.
“Riley Ferguson is a tremendous talent. We’ve seen him in-person,” Niumatalolo said. "He has a cannon for an arm and can really whip the football around.”
The stakes are high, especially for Navy (5-0, 3-0). A victory would put the Middies at 4-0 in league play and all but eliminate Memphis (4-1, 1-1) from contention in the West Division. Houston is the only other unbeaten on that side, and won't play Navy until Nov. 24th. A Memphis victory could throw the division into turmoil, and Navy knows that it needs to be ready to defend a passing offense that can exploit all areas of the field.
“Obviously, Memphis has a really good offense. They do whatever they need to do,” Niumatalolo said. “They are really, really good at throwing the football, and also run the ball real well. It’s going to be a tough challenge. Maybe we can petition to have 13 players out there on defense.”
Navy has rushed for 400 yards in three straight games, and knows that the best way to keep Memphis from scoring is to control the clock. No team has rushed for 400 yards in four straight games since 2000, so Memphis definitely has a challenge ahead.
"Obviously, Navy, their offensive presentation is something that you don't see very often," Norvell said. "We spend a lot of time in the offseason looking at it, trying to evaluate what best fits our personnel, what's the best way to be able to contain what they do. It's always going to be a challenge.
"The thing that makes it so difficult with them, you're so concerned with what you're doing in your presentation, but also to simulate the look that they have is as hard as anything. When you look at your scout teams and your practice squads, that's definitely very difficult to do, especially how fast and efficient they are. And they've got great playmakers. A quarterback, a receiver, a slot back, a fullback, all guys that can really make you pay. This is a team that is definitely difficult to prepare for. Our guys are excited about doing our best in getting prepared for them."
Navy leads the nation in rushing at 414.2 yards per game, and is 12th in total offense at over 500 yards per contest. Abey isn't the only dangerous runner for the Middies, as Chris High and Malcolm Perry have over 700 yards and four touchdowns between them. Memphis ranks 94th defensively against the run, so will need to do something to counteract the Middies powerful ground attack.
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| Memphis needs a strong showing from Riley Ferguson (Charlotte Observer) |
Memphis prefers to take the air route, ranking 15th in passing and 11th in total offense. Anthony Miller and Phil Mayhue have combined for 299 career catches, and Miller has 35 grabs and seven touchdowns this season.
Both teams have big play offenses -- ranking in the top 20 in explosive plays of 20-plus and 30-plus yards -- so the scoreboard operator could be very busy.
Both coaches believe their teams are in the proper frame of mind heading into the game, which kicks off at 3:45 p.m. Saturday in Memphis.
“There is definitely no time to celebrate. Memphis was the preseason favorite for a reason and is definitely living up to that billing,” Niumatalolo said. “Both teams recognize this is a critical game for the conference, especially the West side. We have to go through Memphis. It’s always tough to play on the road and this will be a real battle.”
Norvell agrees, saying, "I think there's an excitement for the opportunity. They've competed for the divisional championship, and then the conference championship last year. We know this is one of the best teams in our league. They've proven it, they're top 25, they're undefeated.
"They're doing an exceptional job again this year. So to say that for our team to look at it as anything more than just another opportunity, it's a great opportunity because it's against a great football team."
Navy is attempting to go 6-0 for the first time since 1979.
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