Know Thy Foe: Navy Midshipman

Nov 18, 2022 - 5:42 PM

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The UCF Knights are just two wins away from hosting the American Athletic Conference Championship Game. In the final regular season home game — and Senior Day — they will face the Navy Midshipmen.

Let’s take a look at Navy:

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Game #11: Navy Midshipmen

Kickoff: Saturday, November 19th, 11 a.m. ET, FBC Mortgage Stadium, Orlando, Florida

TV: ESPN2

Series: UCF leads 2-1

Last Meeting: Navy won last season, 34-30

In UCF’s first full game with Mikey Keene at the helm in place of the injured Dillon Gabriel, the Knights had a shot to win it in the final seconds but couldn’t punch in the winning score.

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About the Midshipmen

This Season: 3-7, 3-4 in The American (8th place)

The Mids have been, well, mid since going to three AAC Championship Games in their first five years in the conference from 2015-2019. They’ve finished with just three wins in each of the past two seasons, equal to their current total. They were picked 10th in The American this preseason.

• Last week: Lost to #20 Notre Dame in Baltimore, 35-32
• Key win: At East Carolina, 23-20 in OT
• Bad loss: Opening game vs. Delaware, 14-7

Key Stats:

• Fewest Penalties per game — 1st in FBS (3.4)
• Time of Possession — 4th in FBS (34:21 per game)

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Head Coach: Ken Niumatalolo

Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images

Coach Niumatalolo is beloved both within and outside Navy and has been named AAC Coach of the Year three times. The former Hawai’i QB has repeatedly declined offers to leave Annapolis despite being there for 16 seasons after taking over for Paul Johnson, who left Navy for Georgia Tech back in 2007.

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Key Players

#1 Tai Lavatai — QB

Junior, 6-2, 221 lbs.

42/91, 787 yards, 5 TDs, 3 INTs, 115 rushes, 309 yards, 5 TDs

Lavatai led Navy’s 17-point outburst in the 4th quarter to beat UCF last season, running for 57 yards and scoring twice. This season, the Jacksonville native has almost doubled his passing output (from 449 to 787 yards) and orchestrated the Triple Option more like a point guard, enabling five teammates to run for at least 130 yards on the season.

#45 Daba Fofana — RB

Sophomore, 5-8, 205 lbs

155 rushes, 635 yards, 6 TDs

Photo by Mark Goldman/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

The Fullback in the Triple-O is the main running threat, and Fofana has been just that, leading the team in carries, yards, and rushing TDs.

#1 John Marshall — LB

Senior, 6-2, 209 lbs

78 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 1 INT, 7 passes broken up

Photo by Randy Litzinger/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Marshall is Navy’s top defender in multiple categories. He’s been a tackle machine his entire career but his 6.5 sacks have made him a new threat in the pass rush. He might be slight for a linebacker but he is quick.

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Other Stuff To Know

• This game is between the top two rushing teams in The American — UCF is first, and Navy is second.
• Navy is the only FBS service academy UCF has ever played.
• UCF is 35-3 at the Bounce House since 2017. They haven’t lost a conference game at home in a non-COVID season since 2016.