3/8/2004 - Football
2004 Navy Football Spring Notes

Media Information
For additional information on the Navy Midshipmen, contact
Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Information
Scott Strasemeier ? Cell: (443) 336-9023

Navy Practice Schedule
Practice Dates: March 29 (3:45-5:45 p.m.), March 31 (3:45-5:45 p.m.), April 2 (3:45-5:45 p.m.), April 3 (9-11 a.m.), April 5 (3:45-5:45 p.m.), April 7 (3:45-5:45 p.m.), April 9 (3:45-5:45 p.m.), April 10 (9 a.m.-11 a.m., scrimmage at stadium), April 12 (3:45 p.m.-5:45 p.m.), April 14 (3:45 p.m.-5:45 p.m.), April 16 (9 a.m.-11 a.m., scrimmage at stadium), April 20 (3:45-5:45 p.m.), April 23 )3:45 p.m.-5:45 p.m.), April 24 (3 p.m., spring game at stadium)

QUICK FACTS
Location: Annapolis, Md.
Enrollment: 4,000
Founded: Oct. 10, 1845
Nickname: Mids, Midshipmen
Colors: Navy Blue and Gold
Stadium: Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium
Capacity: 34,000
Superintendent: Vice Admiral Rodney Rempt, USN
Commandant: Capt. Joe Leidig, USN
Director of Athletics: Chet Gladchuk
Offensive System: Spread
Defensive System: Multiple
Head Coach: Paul Johnson
Overall Record: 72-25, Seven Years
Record at Navy: 10-15, Two Years
2003 Record: 8-5 (Won Commander-In-Chief's Trophy, participated in the EV1.net Houston Bowl)
Lettermen Returning/Lost: 41/15
Offensive Lettermen Returning/Lost: 24/9
Defensive Lettermen Returning/Lost: 17/6
Offensive Starters Returning/Lost: 7/4
Defensive Starters Returning/Lost: 8/3
Specialist Starters Returning/Lost: 0/2
Assistant Head Coach/
Offensive Guards and Centers: Ken Niumatalolo
Defensive Coordinator/Secondary: Buddy Green
Quarterbacks/Fullbacks: Ivin Jasper
Fullbacks: Chris Culton
Slot Backs: Jeff Monken
Wide Receivers: Brian Bohannon
Offensive Tackles: Todd Spencer
Defensive Line: Dale Pehrson
Defensive Line: Lt. Jason Snider, USN
Inside Linebackers: Kevin Kelly
Outside Linebackers: Keith Jones
Outside Linebackers: Ens. Tony Grantham, USN
Secondary: Ens. Danny O'Rourke, USN
Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Performance: Mike Brass
Officer Representative: Lt. Col. Gary Slyman, USMC
Officer Representative: Cmdr. Keith Menz, USN
Director of Athletic Equipment: Greg Morgenthaler
Director of Athletic Training Services: Jeff Fair
Video Coordinator: John McGuire
Administrative Assistant: Shari Adams
Administrative Assistant: Lois Gareis

Mids Set For Spring Practice
Coming off its most successful season in seven years, the Navy football team is excited about the start of spring football and prospects of an even better season in 2004.
The Mids return 42 letterwinners off last year's squad, including 15 starters. Navy returns seven starters on offense and eight on defense.
The biggest question on the offensive side of the ball heading into spring is who will replace quarterback Craig Candeto. The odds-on favorite to win the job is Aaron Polanco (Sr./Wimberley, Texas), though he will be challenged by Lamar Owens (Jr./Savannah, Ga.) and Eddie Martin (So./Cantonment, Fla.). Navy will also be looking to replace Tony Lane at slot back, Josh Goodin at guard and Nick Wilson at tackle.
The defense, which showed remarkable improvement in 2003, is expected to be even better in 2004. The Mids return eight starters and 18 letterwinners on defense with the biggest question coming at outside linebacker where Navy will be looking for someone to fill the shoes of three-year starter Eddie Carthan. Reggie Sealey (Sr./Upper Marlboro, Md.) and Tye Adams (So./Blackfoot, Idaho) are the leading candidates heading into spring camp. Navy will also have to replace four-year starter Shalimar Brazier at corner and safety Eli Sanders.
Navy head coach Paul Johnson is also faced with replacing his starting kicker and punter with the graduation of Eric Rolfs and John Skaggs. Geoff Blumenfeld (Sr./Granite Bay, Calif.) is the leading candidate to win the kicking job, while the race for the starting punting job is wide open.

Naval Academy Extends
Head Football Coach Paul Johnson's Contract Through 2009
Director of Athletics Chet Gladchuk announced Nov. 26, that the Naval Academy has extended head football coach Paul Johnson's contract through 2009.
?Paul has delivered a level of professionalism, knowledge and focus to a program that truly needed a jump start. He has accepted the challenge and the entire Navy community is realizing the rewards,? said Gladchuk. ?It was very important to stabilize quality continuity for the program and we have assured that through Paul and his staff. We will only get better each year under his leadership and I expect Paul to become the next Dean of Service Academy Coaches as our coach at Navy.?
?Paul's leadership is so important to the Academy and our Midshipmen,? said Vice Adm. Rodney Rempt, Naval Academy Superintendent. ?We are all very pleased that he will continue to guide our football program back to national prominence. Our success this season on the field has been so rewarding on many fronts and has rekindled the spirit of the Brigade.?
?I'm excited about the commitment the Naval Academy has made to the football program and our coaching staff,? said Johnson. ?This year has been one of my most enjoyable years in coaching as our players have given us a total commitment since day one and the support has been tremendous, especially the support from the Brigade of Midshipmen. I look forward to continuing the restoration of the proud tradition of Navy Football.?

A Dream Season
It was a dream season for the 2003 Midshipmen. Below is a list of some of the teams accomplishments:

? Navy posted an 8-5 record and played in the EV1.Net Houston Bowl after going 3-30 the previous three years, the worst three-year stretch in the 122-year history of Navy football.

? This was Navy's third winning season in the last 20 years and just the ninth winning season in the last 40 years. The eight wins tied for the third-most wins in the last 40 years at the Naval Academy.

? The eight wins equaled the win total of the previous four years combined.

? Navy defeated Air Force for the first time since 1996 and won the Commander-In-Chief's Trophy for the first time since 1981.

? The Mids led the nation in rushing, averaging 323.2 yards per contest. Navy rushed for a school-record 4,202 yards, averaged a school-record 5.5 yards per attempt, a school-record 323.2 yards per game and rushed for a school-record 44 touchdowns.

? The Mids gained a school-record 5,506 yards of total offense. The previous record was 4,684 yards. Navy also averaged a school-record 423.5 yards per game of total offense and a school-record 6.0 yards per play.

? Navy's victory over then No. 25 Air Force was the first over a ranked opponent since 1985 and broke a 35-game losing streak against ranked opponents.

? Navy won four games at home after winning just three home games the previous five years combined.

? Navy went from 2-10 to 8-5, an improvement of 5.5 games, the second-best turnaround in the country.

? Thanks to Johnson's potent triple option offense, Navy was just the second team in NCAA history to have four players on the same team produce over 1,000-career yards rushing.

? The EV1.net Houston Bowl was Navy's first bowl game since 1996 and just the school's second bowl game in 22 years.

? Navy became just the sixth team in NCAA history to go from winless to a bowl game in two years or less.

Johnson Receives Accolades
There is no disputing the fact that Navy head football coach Paul Johnson did one of the best coaching jobs in the country in 2003. Johnson took over a program that had recorded a 1-20 mark the previous two years, the worst two-year stretch in school history, and turned it into a bowl team in just two years.
Johnson was recognized nationally for his coaching performance, as he was a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year award, presented by the Football Writers Association of America, and for the Paul ?Bear? Bryant Coach of the Year award, presented by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association. He finished fifth in the Associated Press Coach-of- the-Year balloting.

Future Looks Bright
Of the 68 players listed on the depth chart for the EV1.net Houston Bowl, 54 will return next year.
The breakdown includes: all six wide receivers, three-of-five offensive tackles, three-of-five offensive guards, one-of-two centers, five-of-six slot backs, two-of-three fullbacks, two-of-three quarterbacks, five-of-six defensive ends, all three nose guards, five-of-six outside linebackers, five-of-six inside linebackers, five-of-six cornerbacks, five-of-six safeties and four-of-six specialists (including only those that weren't listed on the depth chart at a specific position, i.e. Jason Tomlinson).
Of the 36 different players that started last year, 23 will return, including 15 that started the majority of the year.

Navy Sixth Team In NCAA History To Go From Winless To A Bowl Game In Just Two Years
The 2003 Navy Midshipmen became just the sixth team in NCAA history to go from winless to a bowl game in two years or less. Houston, who was 0-11 in 2001 and 7-6 in 2003,also accomplished this feat last year.
Hawaii (0-11 in 1998, 9-4 in 1999), South Carolina (0-11 in 1999, 7-4 in 2000) and Kentucky (0-10-1 in 1982, 6-5-1 in 1983) went from winless to a bowl in one year.
Illinois (0-11 in 1997, 8-4 in 1999) joins Houston and Navy as teams that went from winless to a bowl in two years.

Mids One Of The Nation's Most Improved Teams
The Navy football team's improvement in 2003 tied for the second-best turnaround in the country. The Mids finished the 2002 campaign with a 2-10 record and improved to 8-5 this year, an improvement of 5.5 games (1/2 game for each win and 1/2 game for each loss).
Tulsa, who is on Navy's schedule in 2004, was the most improved team in the country, going from 1-11 to 8-5, an improvement of 6.5 games.

Most Improved Teams In The Country
2002 2003
School Record Record Improvement
Tulsa 1-11 8-5 +6.5
Navy 2-10 8-5 +5.5
Memphis 3-9 9-4 +5.5
Miami (Ohio) 7-5 13-1 +5.0
Utah 5-6 10-2 +4.5
LSU 8-5 13-1 +4.5
Rutgers 1-11 5-7 +4.0
Kansas 2-10 6-7 +3.5
Michigan State 4-8 8-5 +3.5

Navy Looks To Defend Rushing Crown
The Mids led the nation in rushing in 2003, averaging 323.2 yards per game. It is just the second time in school history that Navy has led the country in rushing. The only other time was in 1999 when the Mids averaged 292.2 yards per game.

NCAA Leaders In Rushing Yards Per Game
1. Navy 323.23
2. Rice 316.67
3. Minnesota 289.15
4. Air Force 280.58
5. Arkansas 241.92
6. Missouri 237.46
7. Nebraska 235.62
8. Texas 232.54
9. Kansas State 228.60
10. Louisville 228.15

Run To Win
Teams that are successful running the ball are usually successful on the scoreboard. The combined record of the top-10 rushing teams in 2003 was 87-43 (.669). Nine of the top-10 teams finished with a winning record, with only Rice (5-7) having a losing record. Eight of the top-10 teams played in bowl games with only Air Force and Rice being left out. Twelve of the top- 13 rushing teams finished with winning records.
The bottom-10 rushing teams in 2003 (BYU, Louisiana-Monroe, UCF, Michigan State, Stanford, Colorado, UCLA, Wyoming, Western Michigan and Army) finished with a combined record of 40-82 (.328). Only Michigan State finished with a winning record.

Roberts Closing On School First
Senior slot back Eric Roberts (Miami, Fla.) is closing in on the the 1,000-yard mark for both rushing and receiving in his career. He has 1,061 yards rushing and 922 yards receiving.
Roberts needs just 78 yards receiving next season to become the first player in school history to gain more than 1,000 yards rushing and receiving in a career.

Eric The Great
Slot back Eric Roberts (Miami, Fla.) made big play after big play in 2003. Roberts scored five touchdowns last year of 40 yards or more, including two against Central Michigan when he had a 45-yard touchdown run and an 86-yard touchdown reception.
His 86-yard touchdown reception off a pass thrown by Craig Candeto was the second-longest pass play in school history and the fifth-longest play from scrimmage in school history. The longest pass play in school history was an 87-yard pass from Chris McCoy to Matt Scornavacchi in 1995 against Tulane. The longest play from scrimmage was a 93-yard run by John Sai against Duke in 1963.
Roberts' 69-yard touchdown run in the first quarter against Rice was the longest by a Navy player since Sept. 25, 1999, when Raheem Lambert had a 79-yard touchdown run against Rice.
Roberts finished with five touchdown catches on the year, the fifth most in school history. His seven-career touchdown catches are the fifth most in school history.
Roberts has six career multi-touchdown days, including four in 2003.

Touchdown Catches In A Season
1. Ryan Read (1998) 6
Chris Weiler (1984) 6
Phil McConkey (1978) 6
Rob Taylor (1967) 6
5. Eric Roberts (2003) 5

Touchdown Catches In A Career
1. Phil McConkey (1975-78) 13
Rob Taylor (1965-67) 13
3. Chris Weiler (1981-84) 8
Ron Beagle (1953-55) 8
5. Eric Roberts (2002-current) 7

Eckel, Eckel, Eckel
Senior fullback Kyle Eckel's (Havertown, Pa.) hard-nosed running style has developed a cult following among the Brigade of Midshipmen. The student body chanted his name in unison every time he touched the ball in 2003, which was often and for big gains.
Eckel was named the Philadelphia Sportswriters Most Valuable Player for his 152-yard, two-touchdown performance against Army. It was his third-straight two-touchdown day and the fourth of the season.
Earlier in the year, Eckel ran over the Air Force defense for a career-high 176 yards (previous career high was 129 this year against VMI) on a career-high 33 carries (previous career high was 18) and scored one touchdown in Navy's upset of the Falcons.
His 176 yards rushing against Air Force were the most by a non-quarterback at Navy since Chuck Smith rushed for 182 yards against Dartmouth in 1986.
Eckel rushed for over 100 yards seven times in 2003 (VMI, Rutgers, Air Force, Vanderbilt, Tulane, Central Michigan and Army), tied for the fourth most in school history, after not topping the century mark in 2002.
Earlier last year, he became the first Navy player to rush for over 100 yards in three-straight games since Brian Madden did it in 2001, and became the first non-quarterback to rush for over 100 yards in three-straight games since current Navy radio analyst Omar Nelson did it against SMU, Boston College and Duke in 1996.
Eckel carried the ball 236 times in 2003 and lost yardage on just three of those carries, all of which were one-yard losses.

Most 100-Yard Rushing Games In A Season
1. Napoleon McCalllum (1985) 8
Napoleon McCallum (1983) 8
Eddie Meyers (1981) 8
4. Kyle Eckel (2003) 7
Joe Gattuso Jr. (1977) 7

Eckel Rushes For 1,000 Yards
Navy fullback Kyle Eckel (Sr./Haverford, Pa.) went over the 1,000-yard mark in 2003 when he rushed for 167 yards against Central Michigan. He became just the eighth player in school history to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season and the first since Chris McCoy in 1997. He was the first non-quarterback to rush for over 1,000 yards since Napoleon McCallum in 1985.

Navy Single-Season Rushing Leaders
1. Napoleon McCallum (1983) 1,587
2. Chris McCoy (1997) 1,370
3. Napoleon McCallum (1985) 1,327
4. Eddie Meyers (1981) 1,318
5. Joe Gattuso Jr. (1977) 1,292
6. Kyle Eckel (2003) 1,249
7. Chris McCoy (1996) 1,228
8. Craig Candeto (2003) 1,112
9. Cleveland Cooper (1972) 1,046
10. Eddie Meyers (1980) 957

Eckel On Career Rushing List
Fullback Kyle Eckel (Sr./Haverford, Pa.) enters his senior season with 1,759 yards career rushing, the ninth most in school history. If Eckel can duplicate his junior campaign, he could become just the third player in school history to rush for over 3,000 yards in a career.

Navy Career Rushing Leaders
1. Napoleon McCallum (1981-85) 4,179
2. Chris McCoy (1995-97) 3,401
3. Eddie Meyers (1978-81) 2,935
4. Cleveland Cooper (1972-74) 2,582
5. Alton Grizzard (1987-90) 2,174
6. Craig Candeto (2001-03) 1,949
7. Joe Gattuso Jr. (1975-77) 1,890
8. Brian Madden (1999, 2001) 1,802
9 Kyle Eckel (2002-03) 1,759
10. Chuck Smith (1984-87) 1,744

Slot Backs Make Big Plays
In the triple option, the slot backs tend to touch the ball less than the fullback and the quarterback, but when they do get their hands on it, the result is usually a big play.
The Navy slot backs rushed for 1,449 yards on 148 carries (9.8 yards per carry) and 14 touchdowns (one every 10.6 carries) in 2003.
The slots were led on the ground by Eric Roberts (Sr./Miami, Fla), who rushed for 630 yards and five touchdowns on 69 carries (9.1 yards per carry).
The slots also proved dangerous through the air, catching 31 passes for 677 yards (21.8 yards per catch) and five touchdowns (one every 6.2 catches).
Roberts led the way with 20 catches for 493 yards (24.7 yards per catch) and five touchdowns.
All told, the slots touched the ball 179 times (rushing and receiving) and gained 2,114 yards (11.8 yards per touch) and scored 18 touchdowns in 2003.

Roberts Chasing Former Teammate For Career Rushing Yards Per Attempt Record
Senior slot back Eric Roberts (Jr./Miami, Fla.) is chasing former teammate Tony Lane for the school record for career yards per carry (minimum 100 attempts).
Lane averaged a school-record 8.9 yards per carry in his career, rushing for 1,288 yards on 144 carries.
Roberts enters his senior year averaging 8.6 yards per carry in his career, rushing for 1,099 yards on 127 carries.

Career Rushing Yards Per Attempt
(minimum 100 attempts)
1. Tony Lane (2001-03) 8.9
2. Eric Roberts (2002-current) 8.6
3. Bob Craig (1952-54) 5.7
4. Joe Gattuso (1952-54) 5.5
5. Ned Oldham (1955-57) 5.2

Roberts Holds Career Record For Yards Per Reception; Appears Twice On Single-Season List
Eric Roberts (Sr./Miami, Fla.) is the school record holder for yards per reception in a career and stands second and fourth in yards per reception in a season.
Roberts is averaging 24.9 yards per catch in his career, catching 37 passes for 920 yards. The previous record was 19.3 yards per reception by Jim Stewart (1960-62)
In 2003, Roberts had 20 catches for 493 yards (24.6 average), many of them spectacular, and five touchdowns. The 24.6 average is the fourth-best average in school history for a single season.
In 2002, Roberts averaged 25.2 yards per catch, the second-best average in school history for a single season.

Career Yards Per Reception
1. Eric Roberts (2002-03) 24.9
2. Jim Stewart (1960-62) 19.3
3. Matt Scornavacchi (1993-95) 19.2
4. Phil McConkey (1975-78) 19.1

Single-Season Yards Per Reception
1. Ryan Read (1998) 25.5
2. Eric Roberts (2002) 25.2
3. Phil McConkey (1978) 24.8
4. Eric Roberts (2003) 24.6
5. Pat McGrew (1997) 22.6

Creating Turnovers
The Navy defense has created at least one turnover in 19 of the last 20 games. The Mids' streak of 16-straight games causing a turnover end Nov. 8 at Notre Dame.

Touchdown Trey
Sophomore slot back Trey Hines (Douglasville, Ga.) scored three rushing touchdowns on just 13 carries in 2003.

Turnovers Cause Losses
Over the last two years, Navy is 5-0 when it plays a game without committing a turnover and 5-15 when it turns the ball over at least once.

Leading At The Half Is Key
Navy was 7-1 in 2003 when leading at the half, 1-4 when trailing.

Quick Strike Offense
People unfamiliar with the triple option may think of it as a ground it out offense that can't score quickly. Those people would be sadly mistaken. The Mids scored 17 of their 52 (.326) touchdowns in 2003 in five plays or less.

Winning At Home. Finally!
Navy's won four home game in 2003 (VMI, Eastern Michigan, Tulane and Central Michigan), one more home win than it had produced the previous FIVE years combined. The Mids won two home games in 1998, one in 1999 and none from 2000-02.
The four home wins are the most by a Navy team since 1997 when the Mids won five games at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.

Johnson Unique
Navy head football coach Paul Johnson is one of just six Division I-A head coaches that did not play college football. The other five are David Cutcliffe (Ole Miss), Dennis Franchione (Texas A&M), Mike Leach (Texas Tech), Mark Mangino (Kansas) and Dean Pees (Kent State).

Rebuilding The Program
Navy head coach Paul Johnson took over a program that had won just one game in the previous two years (1-20), the worst two-year record in the 122-year history of Navy football. As Johnson says, ?the program didn't get this way overnight and it's not going to change overnight.?
For instance, Navy's all-time winningest coach, George Welsh, who was 55-46-1 (41-44-1 against Division I-A teams, 14-2 against I-AA opponents) from 1973-81 at Navy, took over a program that had won seven games the previous two seasons and didn't have a winning season until his third year (7-4 in 1975) and only had one winning season in his first five years (24-31 in his first five years). It wasn't until year six that Welsh got the program turned around and the Mids posted a 31-15-1 record over his final four years in Annapolis and played in three bowl games, including a win over BYU in the Holiday Bowl.
Since Welsh, Gary Tranquill posted a 17-26-1 (.398) record, Elliott Uzelac was 8-25 (.242), George Chaump won 14 of his 55 games (.255) and Charlie Weatherbie was 30-48 (.385).
Since Roger Staubach won the Heisman Trophy in 1963 (40 years ago), Navy has had nine winning seasons (1967, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1996, 1997 and 2003) and nine seasons with two wins or less (1968, 1969, 1970, 1987, 1991, 1992, 2000, 2001, 2002).
In the last 20 years, Navy has had three winning seasons (1996, 1997 and 2003) and six seasons with two wins or less (1987, 1991, 1992, 2000, 2001 and 2002).

Slots Rushing For 100
Eric Roberts' (Sr./Miami, Fla.) 125 yards rushing against Rutgers marked the first time a Navy slot back had rushed for 100 yards since Oct. 2, 1999, when Dre Brittingham rushed for 124 yards on 12 carries in Navy's 31-28 upset at West Virginia.

Mids Like NFL Stadiums
Navy has played very well in its last-five ventures into NFL stadiums. In 2002, the Mids nearly pulled off the upset of the century against Notre Dame before falling in the final seconds, 30-23, at Ravens Stadium in Baltimore. The Mids then pummeled Army, 58-12, in the season finale at Giants Stadium.
In 2003, the Mids beat Air Force, 28-25, for the first time since 1996 at the Washington Redskins' FedEx Field, defeated Army, 34-6, in Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field and lost to Texas Tech, 38-14, at Houston's Reliant Stadium in the EV1.net Houston Bowl.

No Overtime
Since the NCAA adopted the overtime rule in 1996, Navy is one of just three schools (North Texas and Tulsa are the other two) who have yet to plan an overtime game.

Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium
Last year marked the 45th season the Midshipmen have called Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium their home and the first in the newly-renovated stadium.
The stadium was dedicated Sept. 26, 1959, when Navy defeated William & Mary, 29-2. In the 177 games played at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium since its dedication, the Midshipmen have attracted 4,394,019 fans, an average of 24,825 fans.
Navy set an attendance record in 1999 with an average of 31,996 and it was also the first time in stadium history the Midshipmen drew over 30,000 in every game.
The Mids averaged 29,936 fans per game in 2003, the third-best average in school history.
The Mids have an all-time record of 103-81-1 (.559) in games played at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.

Navy-Marine Corps Stadium Attendance Records
Single Game
Opponent (Year) Attendance
1. Air Force (1997) 36,172
2. West Virginia (1998) 36,009
3. Air Force (1993) 35,830
4. Air Force (1991) 35,640
5. Air Force (1989) 35,632
6. Air Force (1987) 35,416
7. Air Force (1995) 35,340
8. Air Force (1985) 35,106
9. Delaware (2003) 34,982
10. Air Force (1983) 34,210

Season Average Season Attendance
1. 1999 31,996
2. 2001 30,307
3. 2003 29,936
4. 1998 29,393
5. 2000 29,329
6. 1989 29,286
7. 1996 29,256
8. 1985 29,158
9. 1995 28,091
10. 1983 28,021