Navy prepares for SMU's passing attack

[HB Pony Dad]

Despite struggles, Mustangs coach Jones says team is improving each week

By Don Markus | [email protected]
3:37 PM EDT, October 24, 2008

Ken Niumatalolo was a redshirt freshman quarterback at the University of Hawaii in 1983 when he crossed paths with June Jones, then in his first year coaching quarterbacks after his five-year NFL career had ended.

The relationship was brief, as Jones left after that season on a well-traveled road that eventually led to head coaching stints in the NFL and a return to Hawaii as its head coach in 1999. But the impression Jones made on Niumatalolo was lasting.

"I don't remember much from my freshman year back in '83, but I do remember he's a very smart man," Niumatalolo said of Jones. "He knows his stuff. He's a very good football coach. You've just got to look at his record. He's done some great things."

They will meet up again tomorrow in Annapolis when Niumatalolo, in his first season as Navy's head coach, will face Jones, in his first season as coach at Southern Methodist.

Along with resurrecting a Hawaii program that had lost 18 straight games before he returned, ultimately taking the unbeaten Warriors to last season's Sugar Bowl, Jones is known for a prolific "Run and Shoot" passing offense that he learned from its innovator, Mouse Davis, at Portland State.

Jones is still using principles of the offense with the Mustangs, who have lost seven of their first eight games. Despite the results, including a nation-high 18 interceptions by freshman quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell, the offense is making strides, according to Jones.

"When you start an 18-year-old true freshman to play Division I football, you're going to live through mistakes that he's made, he's gotten better and better every week," Jones said of a quarterback who has also thrown 21 touchdowns for 2,277 yards while completing 180 of 302 passes.

While he isn't yet comparing Mitchell to his two most recent Hawaii quarterbacks, Heisman candidates Timmy Chang and Colt Brennan, Jones sees some similarities between what he found at SMU and Hawaii.

"We're in a position where we're trying to build a foundation, we're going there to try our best to try to get a win," Jones said. "At this point when you're as young as we are -- we have 71 freshmen or redshirt freshmen on our 100-man list -- we're just trying to teach them the principles of how to win."

Playing the Midshipmen will certainly present a challenge, particularly for a defense ranked next-to-last in yardage allowed among 119 Football Bowl Subdivision teams.

"I don't think anybody who plays Navy plays anything similar," Jones said. "The key to why Kenny and [former coach] Paul Johnson are successful, the pieces always change, but their production stays pretty high because they know what to do on game day. When they see how you're defending them, they know what to go to."

The Midshipmen will likely not have to make that many adjustments defensively. They know that the Mustangs will pass a lot more than they will run, even when they are trying to protect a lead. Last week, SMU led the entire game before giving up two touchdowns in the last 2:34 to lose to Houston, 44-38.

"They struggled at the beginning of the year and they've gotten better every game," said Navy linebacker Clint Sovie. "They're going to come in here ready to roll. They're just waiting for that breakout game; hopefully this week isn't it."

Niumatalolo is trying to prevent that from happening. After Navy (4-3) sustained its worst loss of the season, a 42-21 spanking from Pittsburgh last week, Niumatalolo is not concerned about his team coming into Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium overconfident.

"We are a team that if we are playing Severna Park [High School], we got to be ready to go," Niumatalalo said. "Every week we've got to strap it on. We cannot forget who we are and that's been part of our success in the past. Hopefully that doesn't happen."

Notes: Senior Jarod Bryant will start again at quarterback for the Midshipmen. Though Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada did participate in some drills at practice this week, it appears as if he will continue to sit out because of a hamstring injury, and try to return for the last two games against Notre Dame (Nov. 15) and Army (Dec. 6).

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/coll ... 7256.story