Navy football: Favored status for Mids

9/18/2002 - Football
Navy football: Favored status for Mids

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By BILL WAGNER, Staff Writer

Navy a favorite? In a football game?

Believe it or not, it's true. The oddsmakers have tabbed Navy by three points over Northwestern in a matchup of struggling programs.

It marks the first time since the 1999 season the Mids have been expected to win a game. In its only victory the past two seasons, against Army in 2000, Navy was the underdog.

It's an interesting pick considering Northwestern is coming off a 26-21 victory over Duke while Navy was manhandled by N.C. State 65-19 in its last outing.

Navy head coach Paul Johnson was asked if he was surprised to be favored.

"I don't pay any attention to that stuff. SMU was favored... that didn't make any difference. That stuff doesn't matter," Johnson said.

What would lead the oddsmakers to consider Navy better than Northwestern this weekend?

"I have no idea. Evidently they didn't watch us play against N.C. State," Johnson said.

Northwestern head coach Randy Walker considers the N.C. State score an aberration.

"I think the blocked punts and turnovers distort what that game really is," Walker said. "I was impressed with the way Navy moved the ball on N.C. State."

Walker has good reason to worry. The last time Northwestern faced an option offense, in the season opener versus Air Force, it gave up a whopping 476 yards rushing.

The Wildcats, with a young defense featuring nine starters who are freshmen or sophomores, are allowing an average of 296 yards per game on the ground.

"Navy is probably licking its chops after seeing the Air Force film," Walker said of the 52-3 loss.

Johnson's innovative spread offense ranks seventh nationally in rushing yardage at 268 per game. Quarterback Craig Candeto leads the team in rushing with 211 yards and four touchdowns while fullback Kyle Eckel (94) and slots Eric Roberts (89) and Tony Lane (60) have also contributed.

"Candeto's doing a great job directing the offense. He's an explosive kid who will hurt you if given an opening. The fullback Eckel really sticks it in there," Walker said. "Navy's been effective in establishing the run from inside on out." Walker doesn't expect to see the same type of triple option run by Air Force.

"It is similar in some ways to Air Force, but at the same time not similar," he said. "They look alike in many respects, but they do some things differently and have a different approach. Paul's kind of put his own spin on this attack so it is going to be a little bit different for us."

Johnson, meanwhile, thinks Northwestern's defense has tightened up since the Air Force debacle. Breakdowns and big plays inflated the numbers in that game while all the young starters have had three games to grow up, which is why Johnson expects to see a more disciplined unit on Saturday at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.

"This is not their first game against an option team. Playing Air Force helped (the Wildcats) because they can correct those errors and make adjustments," Johnson said.

Northwestern's especially green along the defensive front .

MID-BITS: Starting middle linebacker Andy Sinitiere (foot fracture) returned to practice yesterday and experienced no pain. The junior, who missed four days of practice, expects to play Saturday... A pair of Navy soccer players, seniors Bobby Cherneski and Joe Hembree, joined the placekicking competition yesterday. That brought the number of kickers working under the tutelage of graduate assistant David Hills to six.

Published September 18, 2002, The Capital, Annapolis, Md.

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