Navy went on the road this past weekend to get a hard earned 14-0 win over the Charlotte 49ers. It was the first road win of the season for the Midshipmen and gets them back to .500 on the year (3-3). The win is also the second in a row for Navy.
QB Play
Senior quarterback Tai Lavatai started this game but freshman Braxton Woodson came in on the second series to take over the offense. With sophomore Blake Horvath out with an injury going forward, the battle for the starting job is going to be between these two. Coach Newberry spoke earlier last week stating that Lavatai was likely going to be the primary guy going forward, but that Woodson would get in there some as well.
It was clear when Woodson came in that he can bring a new dimension to this offense. He flashed his athleticism and arm talent going 5/14 for 85 yards and 1 TD while also adding 58 yards rushing. There was still much to be desired in Woodson’s performance, but it was clear that he can bring this offense to another level that Lavatai likely can’t. Woodson needs to get more experience, but he showed the ability to go beyond the Xs and Os, extending plays and adding explosiveness to an offense that desperately needs it.
Dominate Defense
Any time that you can shutout an opponent, you are playing great on the defensive side of the ball. Navy only gave up 265 yards to Charlotte. They also added 4 sacks, 7 tackles for loss, and forced 3 turnovers.
Like they have all season, Navy did a great job of bringing and disguising blitzes to slow down opposing passing games. There is still some work to do at being more consistent with tackling and coverage, but this was a great performance for the Midshipmen defense.
Going Forward
Navy heads back to Annapolis this week to take on the undefeated Air Force Falcons (6-0). This is going to be an incredibly difficult matchup and take Navy’s best performance to have a chance at winning. There are a few things from this game to keep in mind going forward. First, who starts at quarterback? Tai Lavatai is more steady, but Braxton Woodson has greater potential and just needs experience to get this Navy offense going.
Navy also needs to be more consistent in tackling. Charlotte was able to stay on schedule because of missed tackles by the Navy defense. Navy can’t afford to be in position to make plays but then miss out because of poor tackling. They’ll have a tough schedule going forward and need to be better in this regard.
Lastly, Navy has to play more disciplined. We’re used to seeing the Midshipmen be one of the least penalized teams in the country, but after two straight weeks of penalty concerns, Navy once again hurt themselves, committing six penalties for 40 yards. This has to be cleaned up, especially going into a huge rivalry game this weekend.
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