Air Force and Navy Games

[WrekDivr]

Air Force was favored by 10.5 points vs SDSU and beat them 49-10 to go 5-0 for the season. AF racked up 476 total yards, 287 rushing and 189 passing. Their QB, Larrier, was 6 of 7 passing with two long TD passes and ran for 103 more. The teams they played this year have a combined 28% winning average. They are having a great year but it is tough to know how good they really are given their weak schedule.

Navy was favored by 4 vs. USF and lost 44-30. USF spotted Navy 14 points with a muffed punt at the 18 and failed 4th down conversion at their 30. USF had two “scoop and scores” one on a 2 point conversion and one for a TD. Navy had 330 total yards, 240 rushing and 90 passing. Navy averaged 5 yards per rush, but was only 3 of 14 on 3rd down. This is a pretty bad loss as Navy was favored, at home, and started up 14-0.

[ARMORMAN]

I too watched the af and squid games, and to me, the difference among all 3 academy football programs at this point in time has never been more profound...

The squids looked very, very bad in their own stadium. They were undisciplined at best and uncoordinated at worst. Their offense sputtered time and again to sustain drives. They tried 2 QB's, neither of whom was effective. Lanatai (the senior) missed open receivers, made poor pitch decisions and the Yearling fumbled and stumbled. Dunno where Arline was. Maybe hurt. Their defense missed a ton of tackles and left receivers open all day. Their kicking game is a joke. USF is a B- team in my own back yard; the squids handed 'em the game. Newberry won't last long if he can't right that sinking ship...Canoe U is a poorly-coached team, period.

The zoomies, by contrast, looked formidable. Their under-center, triple option game is hitting on all cylinders. They steamrolled USD with their fullback all day. Their (self-named) "Diesel" O line was flat-out dominant. When USD stacked the box to occasionally stop the fullback, the zoomie QB (who is as fast as malcom perry) took it on the perimter or pitched for big yards. Occasionally, as we have all come to know and expect, they would hit a WIDE OPEN receiver for a long touchdown. They are unaffected by cut-block rules and their offense looks relentless, as P&D has preached over and over. Their Defense was rock solid, as was their kick game. The game played out eeriely similar to the beginning of Army/Syracuse. USD opened with a 9+ minute TD drive that kept the zoomie offense off the field. But that was their high-water mark...The zooms dominated thereafter and did not waver in the second half (as we do sometimes); instead, seemed to just gain steam. Anyway, air force is set to maintain their dominance over us and the squids, as they have since they took up the sport (choking on those sad, but true words).

And what of us? Well, in my simplified observation, we have played exactly 5 Halfs of good offense and 3 Halfs of bad offense with this new system. We looked outstanding vs Delaware State, UTSA and the 1st half vs Syracuse, but we puked all over ourselves vs ULM and the 2d half of Syracuse. Our defense has been solid, for the most part, with a few surprising and harmful letdowns. Our kick game is the best in forever. All that has resulted in a 2 - 2 record, which is kinda the definition of mediocre. Somewhere between the above 2 junior academies. Some would say the jury is still out on our offense. I guess I'll sign up for that. I still question how we are supposed to achieve some sort of edge or advantage with the same offense that pretty much everyone else seems to have, in contrast to an under-center triple, for which we part-owned a patent and which the zoomies still ram down their opponent's throats. But I'll wait and be hopeful. Maybe we'll show more vs BC and Troy. Maybe we'll find ourselves and run inside, run outside and throw slants all over the damn place....

Bottom line: I trust Jeff Monken more than my untrained eyes, and I want like hell for him to be right with this change.

[WrekDivr]

Right where you are, Armorman. Hopeful and trusting in JM. If we see our “good Offense” more often, we can still get to a bowl, best Navy, and give the Zoomies a run for their money for the CIC.