Pony NATE-tion: Defensive front needs to come up big to contain Navy ground game
Mustangs host Midshipmen in regular-season finale
Posted on 11/24/2016 by PonyFans.com
Nate says that defensive tackle Mason Gentry and the rest of the SMU defensive front will need an exceptional performance to handle the Navy blocking schemes and running game (photo by Pat Kleineberg).

PonyFans.com is proud to have 16-year-old Nate as a guest columnist. In this installment, Nate offers his view of Saturday's game at East Carolina. Feel free to post comments and constructive criticism, ask him questions, and/or give suggestions for upcoming columns! (He can be followed on Twitter at @Pony_NATE_tion.)

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

No one thought SMU would be even close to a bowl game this season. But the leadership of the seniors, what has been a fantastic coaching job and a team with a whole lot of pride have all lead to a pleasantly surprising season for the young Mustangs. A season that has included a couple demoralizing blowout losses and an incredible blowout upset win, a true roller coaster of a season, comes down to one game. If the Mustangs want to play on and play a 13th game, No. 25 Navy stands in the way.

Coming off a 35-27 loss that was hard to swallow at the hands of USF, this week will show a lot about the character of the 2016 SMU football team. The defense made plays all night long last week, but the explosiveness of the USF offense reared its ugly head on the Mustang defense multiple times and that cost the Mustangs. But down the stretch, when SMU needed stops or turnovers, the defense got them. The offense just couldn’t capitalize on opportunity, including the penultimate dagger in the Mustangs’ hopes, a red zone interception thrown by Ben Hicks on a throw out into the flats, where the corner jumped the route and easily picked it off. Take out that one poor decision and Hicks a great game. Without that interception, Hicks had 380 yards and two touchdowns.

And I can’t go through last week’s game without mentioning the absolutely phenomenal performance by wide receiver Courtland Sutton. Personally, that’s about as quiet a 252-yard performance as you’ll ever see. I knew he had a good game, but I was not aware at all of the monstrous numbers he put up until I read the box score on my way home. Sutton finished with a single game school record 252 yards on 13 catches and a pair of touchdowns. To say Sutton is turning heads in terms of the NFL is a massive understatement.

After coming so close to clinching a bowl berth with 11 games left, with the win being snatched away (or maybe thrown away), how does this young team respond? Do they become downtrodden and dejected all week, or are they focused all week in practice and film sessions? Given the quality of this coaching staff, it would be shocking if it were not the latter. This team has shown tremendous character all season long and rebounded from adversity. This week, it’s more than adversity. This week there is also a really good football team standing in the way too.

The Navy Midshipmen come into Gerald J. Ford Saturday with an 8-2 record and a really impressive 2016 résumé that includes wins against a Houston team that was ranked No. 6 in the country at the time, a talented but poorly-coached Notre Dame team and an American Athletic Conference West Division title. Navy has earned every bit of the No. 25 ranking and very much deserves it. I would argue this is the best team the Mustangs have played all year. Navy beat Houston and I believe is certainly better than TCU or Baylor, who both have fallen off the cliff this season.

The Midshipmen are led by quarterback Will Worth, who is tied for first in the nation with 22 rushing touchdowns. Navy is coming off a 66-31 drubbing of East Carolina, in which Navy scored a whopping nine rushing touchdowns. Navy is physical at the point of attack and blows opponents off the ball. Navy is fantastic inside, setting up pitches and outside runs. The Midshipmen’s physicality is unmatched among teams SMU has faced this year. Navy averages 326 rushing yards a game, which normally would indicate a team that strictly runs the ball doesn’t score a boatload of points. Well, Navy scores a boatload of points: 38.6 points a game. The SMU front seven, including the likes of Justin Lawler, Jarvis Pruitt, Zelt Minor, Mason Gentry, R.C. Cox, Jackson Mitchell and Kyran Mitchell will have their hands full with Navy’s physicality. These players will have to be disciplined with their assignments and gap responsibilities given all the fake handoffs and options that Navy runs.

Navy has a bit of a porous defense, as the Midshipmen surrender 30 points a game, but still have a reasonably good defense. Hicks will have to look for his main receiver — Sutton — a lot and get him going. But coming off such a big game, Navy will be ready and will have game-planned plenty for Sutton, so James Proché and the rest of the receiving corps will need to step up.

Where I worry this game might go south for SMU is in the trenches. As an offensive lineman in high school myself, it’s a pleasure to watch Navy’s offensive line do what those guys do. Navy has a phenomenal offensive line and will give SMU a lot of problems. Navy will pound SMU with a seemingly unstoppable ground game and eat up clock. Hicks and the rest of the offense will do everything in their power to keep the Mustangs in this game, but Navy will dominate time of possession and wear down the Mustangs’ defensive front.

Nate’s Take: Navy 45 SMU 27

Previous Story Next Story
Mustangs improve to 3-1 with 84-57 victory
Mustangs finish season at 5-7
Jump to Top