Dec. 7, 2009

Dec. 2, 2009

Setting the Stage
• Meeting for the 110th time in series history, Navy (8-4) and Army (5-6) are set to square off in the annual Army-Navy Game Presented by USAA on Saturday, Dec. 12. The game will be televised around the world by CBS and the Armed Forces Network.
• Verne Lundquist (play-by-play), Gary Danielson (analyst) and Tracy Wolfson (sideline) will call the action from Lincoln Financial Field (68,532) beginning at 2:30 pm. CBS Sports will also air a 30-minute pregame show starting at 2:00 pm.
• John Tautges (play-by-play) and Bobby Ross (color) will call the game nationally for CBS/Westwood One Radio starting at 2:30 pm.
• The Navy Football Tailgate Show on 1430 WNAV (Annapolis) hosted by Pete Medhurst, Joe Miller and Wiley Baker will air at 12:30 pm live from Philadelphia.
• The Navy Football Pregame Show will get underway at 1:30 pm with Bob Socci, John Feinstein, Omar Nelson and Pete Medhurst setting the scene from Philadelphia, followed by game action beginning at 2:30 pm on the Navy Radio Network. Sirius Satellite Radio (Ch. 123) and The Best of Sirius on XM (Ch. 144) will also carry the Navy broadcast.

Pregame Information
• Pregame festivities will get underway at 11:47 am with the march-on of the Corps of Cadets from West Point followed by the march-on of the Brigade of Midshipmen at 12:17 pm.
• The Service Academy Exchange of Cadets and Midshipmen will take place at 2:14 pm.
• Saturday's Navy fly-over information was not available at the time of publication.

Saturday's Storylines
• A victory over Army would give Navy a Service Academy record seventh-straight Commander-In-Chief's Trophy.
• Navy has won a Service Academy-record 14-consecutive games against Army and Air Force. Navy's last loss to a fellow Service Academy was against Air Force in 2002.
• The Mids have won a series-record seven-straight contests against Army and have outscored the Black Knights 274-71 during the winning streak (39.1-10.1).
• Navy's defense has not allowed an Army touchdown in eight quarters. Army's last TD against Navy came with two seconds remaining in the 2006 contest and Navy up 26-7.
• If Navy can win its final two games (Army and Missouri in the Texas Bowl), the Mids will tie the school record for wins with 10 which was set in 1905 and tied in 2004.
• Junior quarterback Ricky Dobbs is No. 2 in the nation in touchdowns scored (23) and in points per game (12.6). He is 15th in the country in points responsible for per game (14.7 pts/gm).
• Scoring his school-record 23rd rushing touchdown on Nov. 28 at Hawai'i, Dobbs tied the NCAA record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback set by Chance Harridge of Air Force in 2002 and later matched by Florida's Tim Tebow en route to winning the 2007 Heisman Trophy.
• Ken Niumatalolo is trying to become the first Service Academy coach to win the CIC Trophy in each of his first two years.

The Commander-In-Chief's Trophy
• The Commander-In-Chief's Trophy is presented annually to the winner of the football competition among the three major service academies -- Army, Navy and Air Force -- and is named in honor of the President of the United States.
• Navy has dominated of late, winning the trophy a Service Academy record tying six-consecutive years and winning a Service Academy-record 14-straight games against Air Force and Army in the process.
• Navy has won the trophy a total of 11 times: 1973, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1981, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008.
• When there is no clear-cut winner, the trophy remains with the winner of the previous year's competition.
• The three-sided trophy stands two-and-a-half-feet tall and is engraved with the academy seals. Reproductions of the three mascots -- the Army Mule, the Navy Goat and the Air Force Falcon -- are ensconced on the respective sides of this bauble. The trophy is sponsored by the West Point Association of Graduates, the Naval Academy Alumni Association and the Air Force Association of Graduates.
• The year in which the trophy is won is engraved on a plate gracing the respective academy's side of the trophy.

Niumatalolo Wins CIC Trophy in First Year; Looking To Become First In Service Academy History To Win The Trophy In His First Two Years
• Ken Niumatalolo became just the second Service Academy coach to win the CIC Trophy in his first year as a head coach by beating Air Force, 33-27 and Army, 34-0, last season.
• He joins George Welsh, who, in 1973, led the Midshipmen to wins over Air Force (42-6) and Army (51-0).
• No Service Academy coach has ever won the CIC Trophy in each of his first two years.

Scouting The Black Knights
• Heading into the annual Army-Navy battle, the Black Knights have amassed a 5-6 record. A win over the Mids would make the Black Knights bowl eligible, sending them to the EagleBank Bowl to play Temple.
• The Army offense is averaging 212.1 yards per game on the ground (14th in the country), 71.3 yards per game through the air (120th), 283.4 yards per game of total offense (116th) and 16.5 points per game (112th).
• The Army defense is giving up 148.7 yards per game on the ground (66th), 161.2 yards per game through the air (5th), 309.9 yards per game of total offense (17th) and 22.4 points per game (40th).
• Kicker Alex Carlton is fifth in the country in field goals per game, averaging 1.7 per contest.
• Josh McNary is third nationally in sacks, averaging 1.1 per contest, and second in tackles for loss, averaging 2.1.

The Last Time ...
Navy 34, Army 0 Dec. 6, 2008 | Lincoln Financial Field | Philadelphia, Pa.
• Senior slot back Shun White and senior fullback Eric Kettani combined for 273 yards rushing and three touchdowns, while the Navy defense held the Army offense to 154 yards of total offense as Navy blasted Army for the seventh-straight year, 34-0, in front of a sold-out crowd of 69,144 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
• It was Navy's first shutout against Army since 1978.
• Navy jumped out to a 7-0 lead on the third play of the game when White ran 65 yards off an option pitch from quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada.
• The Mids made it 10-0 on their third drive of the game when Matt Harmon drilled a 23-yard field goal and went up 17-0 right before the half when Kaheaku-Enhada hit White with an 18-yard touchdown pass.
• Navy put the game away with a methodical drive to open the third quarter, marching 72 yards on 14 plays and taking 7:52 off the clock. Kettani ended the drive with a five-yard touchdown run and the rout was on.
• White was the recipient of the 2008 Philadelphia Sports Writers Association MVP Award for his efforts.
• The Navy defense was superb all day, holding the Black Knights to just seven first downs.
• Fifty of Army's 154 yards of total offense came during mop up time in the fourth quarter.

Service Academy Dominance, Mids Go For Trophy Record
• With a 16-13 overtime victory against Air Force on Oct. 3, Navy established a new record for consecutive service academy wins by claiming its 14th straight.
• Navy's 14-game service academy winning streak dates back to the 2002 Army-Navy game. Over the course of the run, the Mids have outscored the opposition, 457-218 (32.6 - 15.6).
• With wins over both Air Force and Army in 2008, Navy earned its sixth consecutive Commander-In-Chief's Trophy, tying the record for consecutive trophies won set by Air Force from 1997-02.
• The Mids can win a record seventh-straight CIC Trophy with a victory over Army on Dec. 12. The Mids have already retained the trophy thanks to Air Force's 35-7 victory over Army on Nov. 7.
• Navy owns a 59-29 (.670) record over the last seven years and have proven to be the dominant service academy team over that time span.

Service Academy Football (2003-present)
Stat Navy AFA Army
Overall Record 59-29 44-40 20-62
Record vs Service Academies 13-0 • 6-8 1-12
Bowl Games 7 3 0
Bowl Wins 2 0 0
• Navy has won 14 straight dating back to the 2002 season

Navy in the Midst of Most Dominant Era in Army-Navy Series History
• Navy's 34-0 victory over Army last year was its seventh-consecutive win over West Point, the longest streak in series history by either team.
• The Mids have won a series-record seven-straight contests against Army in dominant fashion, outscoring the Black Knights 274-71 (39.1-10.1).

Our Nation's Future Leaders
• Navy's 32 seniors learned their service assignment on Wednesday, Nov. 18. Graduates of the Naval Academy serve a minimum of five years in the Navy or Marine Corps, while pilots serve eight years upon earning their wings.
• 16 seniors will be commissioned Marine Corps officers (11 Marine Corps Ground, five Marine Corps Pilot), while 16 will serve in the Navy (eight Surface Warfare, three Submarines, three Naval Flight Officers, one Navy Pilot and one Special Warfare).

Service Assignments for Navy Seniors
Player Service Assignment
Osei Asante Surface Warfare
Curtis Bass Surface Warfare
Kyle Bookhout Marine Corps Pilot
Andrew Burger Marine Corps Ground
Kevin Campbell Submarines
Blake Carter Surface Warfare
David Dawson Surface Warfare
Bobby Doyle Marine Corps Pilot
Jordan Eddington Marine Corps Ground
Cory Finnerty Navy Pilot
Tony Haberer Marine Corps Ground
Jack Hatcher Submarines
Nick Henderson Naval Flight Officer
Jesse Iwuji Surface Warfare
Andy Lark Marine Corps Ground
Jeff Lenar Marine Corps Ground
Cameron Marshall Marine Corps Ground
Mike Mathews Marine Corps Ground
Ian Meredith Surface Warfare
Austin Milke Surface Warfare
Matt Nechak Marine Corps Ground
Ross Pospisil Marine Corps Pilot
Bayard Roberts Marine Corps Ground
Craig Schaefer Submarines
Brian Smith Marine Corps Pilot

Clint Sovie Marine Corps Ground
Jordan Stephens Naval Flight Officer
Darius Terry Naval Flight Officer
Ram Vela Surface Warfare
Michael Walsh Marine Corps Ground
Glen Woods Special Warfare
Greg Zingler Marine Corps Pilot

Navy's To Play Missouri In Texas Bowl
• Naval Academy Director of Athletics Chet Gladchuk announced Sunday that Navy (8-4) will play Missouri (8-4) in the Texas Bowl on Thursday, Dec. 31, at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas. The game will be televised nationally by ESPN at 3:30 pm ET, 2:30 pm in Houston (CT).
• The Texas Bowl marks a landmark achievement for the football program, as it is the first time in school history that Navy has gone to seven-straight bowl games.
• Navy can achieve another first by winning the Commander-In-Chief's Trophy for a school-record seventh-consecutive year on Saturday when the Mids play Army at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia in a game that will be televised nationally by CBS at 2:30 pm ET.
• Tickets for the Texas Bowl are on sale now at www.NavySports.com. Tickets can also be purchased by calling 1-800-US4-NAVY or at the Ricketts Hall Box Office. Tickets range from $25-$65.
• Fans are also asked to purchase tickets to sponsor midshipmen and enlisted personnel and their families. The Naval Academy Athletic Association will discount tickets to support this initiative from $40 to $25 in an effort to encourage support and attendance of the midshipmen and our enlisted at the game. Navy fans unable to make the trip to Houston are encouraged to sponsor four midshipmen for $100 or two enlisted for $50. The tax deductable donation will be administered through the NAAA ticket office.
• "We strongly encourage Navy fans to buy their bowl tickets directly from the Naval Academy Athletic Association," said Gladchuk. "Our goal is to bring a large contingent of the Brigade of Midshipmen and we expect more than 20,000 Navy fans in the stands. It is very important for this game and for future Navy bowl considerations for our fans to purchase tickets through the NAAA. If you can't make it to the game, we ask that Navy fans buy tickets for our midshipmen and enlisted personnel, which will allow us to create the usual pageantry of Navy football. Ticket donations through the NAAA ticket office are 100 percent tax deductible."
• Anthony Travel is the official Naval Academy Texas Bowl travel agency. Travel packages include hotel accommodations at the JW Marriott (Navy team hotel). Visit AnthonyTravel.com and search Navy Bowl or call (800) 736-6377 to make your reservations.
• "Missouri is a great football team and it will provide a tremendous challenge for us," said Navy head football coach Ken Niumatalolo. "I will start worrying about the Tigers next Sunday. Right now our sole focus is on our biggest game of the year, which will take place Saturday in Philadelphia against Army."

Niumatalolo Makes History
• In his first season as head coach at the Naval Academy, Ken Niumatalolo not only directed the Midshipmen to an 8-5 record, he became the first coach in program history to lead Navy to a bowl game in his first campaign, as the Mids qualified for the 2008 EagleBank Bowl.
• He is just the third coach since World War II to lead Navy to a winning record in his first year at the helm. He joins Wayne Hardin (5-4-1 in 1959) and Gary Tranquill (6-5 in 1982) on the exclusive list.
• Niumatalolo's eight wins in his first year are tied for the fourth most by a first-year coach in school history.
• Meanwhile, his 16 wins are the second-most wins in school history by a Navy head coach in his first two seasons. He is the only coach in the top eight that has coached at Navy in the last 65 years.
• Niumatalolo became the first Navy coach to lead an unranked Navy squad over a ranked Notre Dame squad since 1936 (which was the first year of the polls) when Tom Hamilton led Navy to a 3-0 victory over Notre Dame.
• Niumatalolo is the first Samoan head football coach on the collegiate level and the second Polynesian head coach in Division IA history (Larry Price, who was the head coach at Hawai'i from 1974-76 was the first).

Mids Can Tie School Record For Wins
• If Navy can beat Army on Saturday and beat Missouri in the Texas Bowl on New Year's Eve, the Mids will tie the school record for single-season victories with 10.
• The 1905 squad set the record by finishing 10-1-1, while the 2004 team matched the wins mark behind a 10-2 run.
• Navy has won eight or more games in each of the last seven seasons.
• The last time the Mids won nine games was in 2006 when they finished 9-4.

Senior Class Can Tie Previous Three Classes For Win Mark
• If Navy can win its final two games of the year - Army and Missouri in the Texas Bowl - Navy's' senior class will tie the record for the second-most wins by a class with 35. Each of the last three classes to graduate from the Academy have won 35 games.
• The Class of 1909 set the record for wins with 36.

Most Wins By A Senior Class (current streak)
Rk No Class
1. 36 1909
2. 35 2008
35 2007
35 2006
5. 34 1908
6. 33 2009

> Navy's senior class has ...
• compiled a 33-18 (.647) record
• won three-straight Commander-In-Chief's Trophies and can win a fourth by beating Army on Dec. 12
• qualified for a fourth-straight bowl game, as Navy is headed to the Texas Bowl on Dec. 31
• become the first class since the Class of 1964 to beat Notre Dame twice in their careers
• has the opportunity to tie a school-record with 10 wins by winning its final two games of the year.

Mids Heat Up Down The Stretch
• Over the last seven years, the Navy football team has turned in a 23-9 (.719) record in games played after Oct. 31, winning 16 of the last 21 games.
• The Mids are averaging 34.8 points per game in games played in November and December over the last seven years (1,114 pts / 32 gms).

Playing in the Big Time
• Since the start of the 2003 season, Navy has played 21 games in 11 different big league stadiums (10 NFL and one MLB), posting an 12-9 record (.571).
• No college team in the country has played in more NFL stadiums than Navy over the last seven years.
• Navy will make its second of three appearances in NFL stadiums when it battles Army in the annual Star Game played at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pa.
• The Mids dropped a 27-14 decision to Pitt at Heinz Field, also home of the Pittsburgh Steelers, on Sept. 19.
• Navy will battle the Big 12's Missouri in the Texas Bowl on Dec. 31, which will be played at Reliant Stadium, home of the Houston Texans.