Blue & Gold Illustrated: 2012 Notre Dame Football Preview
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132 ✦ BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED 2017 FOOTBALL PREVIEW BY BRYAN DRISKELL After 134 years of playing an independent schedule, Navy joined the American Athletic Conference West division in 2015. The Mid- shipmen have thrived, going 14-2 in their first two years, tying for first place in 2015 and win- ning the division this past year. "The biggest storyline, to me, is figuring out where Navy fits in a fast-improving AAC West division," said Mike James, publisher of The Mid Report. "It was easily the best division outside of the Power Five leagues last season, and should be even better in 2017 with Tulsa and SMU ready to make significant strides." Success running the triple option requires a quarterback that can make plays and good decisions in the option game. After starter Tago Smith went down in the opener, the Midship- men turned to senior Will Worth, who rushed for 1,198 yards and 25 touchdowns. Worth will be replaced by junior Zach Abey, who rushed for 384 yards and six scores in just five games. He's a run-first quarterback that must improve as a passer, having tossed only one touchdown and four picks in 35 attempts. "Abey's style is very similar to Worth's — he's more of a strong runner than a slashing one," James explained. "The question for him is the same as any new quarterback. Can he get the offense in the right play? Can he make his reads?" Worth was lost for the season early in the title game loss to Temple, which meant Abey was thrust into the lineup. "Abey has had a bit of a trial to start his ca- reer," James stated. "His first significant playing time came in the first conference championship game in school history. His first start came in the Army-Navy game, and his second in a bowl game. That's enormous pressure." "To his credit, he improved with each ap- pearance and actually played very well against Louisiana Tech. With that experience, plus a full spring and fall camp preparing as the starter, he should be ready to go." Getting improvement from a defense that gave up 31.0 points per game last season would take a lot of pressure off of Abey. "The defense simply has to be better," James proclaimed. "The Mids set a school record for points scored in a season last year, which went a long way in offsetting the defense's struggles. … The Mids can't count on scoring 40 points every week, but they shouldn't have to if the defense does its job." ✦ 2017 SCHEDULE Date Opponent 2016 Result Sept. 1 at Florida Atlantic -— Sept. 9 Tulane W, 21-14 Sept. 23 Cincinnati — Sept. 30 at Tulsa W, 42-40 Oct. 7 Air Force L, 28-14 Oct. 14 at Memphis W, 42-28 Oct. 21 Central Florida — Nov. 2 at Temple L, 34-10 Nov. 11 SMU W, 75-31 Nov. 18 at Notre Dame W, 28-27 Nov. 24 at Houston W, 46-40 Dec. 9 vs. Army* L, 21-17 * at Philadelphia QUICK FACTS All-Time Series: Notre Dame leads 76-13-1 Last Meeting: Navy 28, Notre Dame 27 (Nov. 5, 2016; Jacksonville, Fla.) Head Coach: Ken Niumatalolo, 77-42 (10th year) 2016 Results: 9-5 overall, 7-1 AAC West (1st); lost to Temple 34-10 in the AAC championship game; lost to Louisiana Tech 48-45 in the Armed Forces Bowl Returning Starters: 10 (4 offense, 6 defense) 2017 Preseason Rankings: No. 50 by Lindy's, No. 56 by Athlon, No. 56 by Phil Steele's and No. 69 by ESPN Football Power Index Did You Know?: Guard Evan Martin was cho- sen as a preseason first-team All-AAC player by Athlon, Phil Steele's and Street & Smith's … Linebacker Micah Thomas was chosen as a first-team All-AAC pick by Street & Smith's and Phil Steele's … Former Navy safety Alohi Gilman was a first-team preseason All-AAC pick by Phil Steele's before becoming the first player from the Naval Academy to transfer to Notre Dame. Prediction: Notre Dame 34, Navy 21 STRENGTH: Offensive Line It seems every year Navy has to replace the ma- jority of its line, and every season it plays at a high level. Despite playing three quarterbacks and entering the season with just four combined starts along the line, the Midshipmen ranked fourth na- tionally with 310.1 rushing yards per game in 2016. The loss of three starters means Navy will once again have to rebuild up front, but the group is still expected to be the team's strength. Senior guard Evan Martin stood out last year, his first as a starter, and will anchor the unit. Martin will be joined on the right side by junior tackle Andrew Wood, a 14-game starter. Athlon se- lected Wood as a preseason second-team All-AAC pick. He weighs 290 pounds, and Martin checks in at 294, which gives the right side of the Midship- men line more size than usual. The return of Robert Lindsey, a four-game starter in 2015, provides a boost after an injury cost him all of last year. Junior left tackle Jake Hawk played in all 14 games last season, and so did senior center Parker Wade. In fact, Wade made four starts, so none of the new Navy starters are seeing their first action. CONCERN: Secondary The Fremeau Efficiency Index ranked the 2015 Navy defense No. 69 in the country, but in 2016 the unit dropped to No. 118. Its inability to stop the pass was the primary factor. Navy finished the 2016 season ranked 100th in passing yards allowed per game and 123rd in pass efficiency defense. Opponents completed 64.6 percent of their passes and tossed 29 touchdowns, while Navy had just seven interceptions. To make matters worse, the Midshipmen have to replace two starters on the back end. That includes safety Alohi Gilman, who announced in June that he was transferring to Notre Dame. Junior strong safety Sean Williams, who is known more for his run-stopping ability, returns after recording just three passes defended last season. Senior cornerback Elijah Merchant was arguably Navy's top pass defender early last season, but an injury cost him half the season. While his return should provide some help, Navy must find a quality player on the opposite side. Senior Tyvis Wooten, who started 14 games a season ago and led Navy with 10 passes broken up, has to become more consistent in coverage. If he can improve, Navy will have a solid corner combo in Wooten and Merchant. NAVY MIDSHIPMEN NOV. 18 • NOTRE DAME STADIUM • SOUTH BEND RETURNING LEADERS Rushing: FB Chris High (546 yards, 7 TD) Passing: QB Zach Abey (352 yards, 1 TD) Receiving: SB Darryl Bonner (278 yards, 3 TD) Tackles: LB Micah Thomas (107) Sacks: LB D.J. Palmore (6) Interceptions: CB Tyris Wooten (2) X-FACTOR: Junior Zach Abey replaced injured starter Will Worth for the final two games last year and rushed for 187 yards. He contributed 384 yards and six touchdowns on the ground over the final five games. PHOTO COURTESY NAVY