12/22/2003 - Football
Naval Academy Announces 2004 Football Schedule
ANNAPOLIS, Md.-Navy will play six games at newly renovated Jack Stephens Field at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium and play host to Notre Dame (Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.) and Army (Lincoln Financial Field) in neutral site games according to the 2004 football schedule released today by Naval Academy Director of Athletics Chet Gladchuk.
"With a six-game schedule at the newly renovated stadium and three of our first four games at home we are hopeful our home field advantage will play a big factor in early success for the team," said Gladchuk. "The 2004 schedule presents a challenging but reasonable schedule that will give our team a realistic opportunity to be competitive and to go into every game with an expect to win state of mind."
"I think the 2004 schedule is a challenging slate of games, but it gives us a chance to play at home in front of the Brigade of Midshipmen six times," said Navy head coach Paul Johnson. "It provides a nice cross section of opponents including four games against schools from BCS conferences and the two games against the brother academies.
Navy will kickoff the 2004 season with a Sept. 4 contest against Duke in a game that will kickoff at 6 p.m. It will be the first night game at the newly refurbished stadium and the first night game at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium since Navy opened up the 2000 campaign against Temple.
Duke finished 4-8 last year and won two of its final three games under then interim and now current head coach Ted Roof. In Roof's five-game stint as interim coach he led Duke to a 2-3 record, including a 41-17 pasting of bowl bound Georgia Tech and near upsets of North Carolina State and Tennessee.
The Mids will play host to Northeastern on Sept. 11 in a game that will kickoff at 1:30 p.m. The Huskies were 8-4 last year and were the only team to defeat I-AA National Champion Delaware (15-1).
Navy travels to Tulsa, Oklahoma on Sept. 18 to take on the Golden Hurricane in a game that will match the two most improved teams of 2003. Tulsa, who was 1-11 in 2002, posted an 8-4 mark this year and will play Georgia Tech in the Humanitarian Bowl on Jan. 3.
The Mids return home the following week to take on Vanderbilt of the SEC in a 1:30 p.m. contest. The Commodores finished 2-10 last year, including a 37-27 upset loss at home against Navy.
Navy will put the Commander-In-Chief's Trophy on the line for the first time on Oct. 2 when the Mids travel to Colorado Springs to take on Air Force. The Falcons finished 7-5 last year, including a 28-25 loss to Navy that cost the Falcons the Commander-In-Chief's Trophy.
After an open week, the Mids will travel to Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. to take on Notre Dame in a game that will be televised nationally by CBS (game time TBA). Navy has lost heartbreakers to Notre Dame, 5-7 a year ago, the last two years (27-24 in 2003 and 30-23 in 2002) and will be trying to beat the Irish for the first time since 1963.
The Mids return to Annapolis the next two weeks to take on Rice (Oct. 23, 1:30 p.m.) and Delaware (Oct. 30, 1:30 p.m., Homecoming).
The Owls finished the 2003 campaign with a 5-7 record, including a 38-6 loss at home to Navy. The Mids will be looking for revenge the next week as Delaware (15-1), who won the I-AA National Championship with a 40-0 rout over Colgate, upset the Mids on Homecoming a year ago, 21-17.
Navy will travel to New Orleans on Nov. 6 to take on the Green Wave of Tulane. Tulane finished the 2003 campaign with a 5-7 record, including a 35-17 loss to Navy.
After a week off the Mids return home to face Rutgers (5-7 last year) out of the Big East (Nov. 20, 1:30 P.M.) The Mids will have revenge on their minds as Navy was handed their worse loss of the 2002 season by the Scarlet Knights, 48-27, last year in Piscataway.
The Mids will end the 2004 regular season schedule on Dec. 4 against Army at Lincoln Financial Field (CBS). Navy is 2-0 against the Black Knights since Paul Johnson has taken over the helm as head coach and has outscored Army, 102-18.
Season tickets are now on sale for $150 dollars ($114 for the end zone) at the Navy ticket office in Ricketts Hall or by calling 1-800-US4-NAVY. Tickets are also available online at www.navysports.com(.)
Date Opponent Time
Sept. 4 Duke 6 p.m.
Sept. 11 Northeastern 1:30 p.m.
Sept. 18 at Tulsa TBA
Sept. 25 Vanderbilt 1:30 p.m.
Oct. 2 at Air Force TBA
Oct. 16 Notre Dame (Meadowlands, CBS-TV) TBA
Oct. 23 Rice 1:30 p.m.
Oct. 30 Delaware (Homecoming) 1:30 p.m.
Nov. 6 at Tulane TBA
Nov. 20 Rutgers 1:30 p.m.
Dec. 4 Army (Lincoln Financial Field, CBS-TV) TBA
