Curry Could Fill Key Hole for Midshipmen

Every time Marcus Curry walks out of the Navy locker room to head to the football practice field, he passes by a large trailer that is plastered with pictures of recent Midshipmen stars, such as quarterback Craig Candeto, slotback Reggie Campbell and linebacker David Mahoney.

"My goal," said Curry, "is to be on that truck one day."

Curry, a slotback, appeared in only a handful of games last season as a freshman and didn't record a single carry or catch. But he will get a chance tonight to start working toward that goal and to display some of the potential that has intrigued Navy's coaches.

Curry is slated to start at slotback for the Gold team in the annual Blue-Gold game (7 p.m., Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium), and is one of several young players who could contribute greatly to Navy's offense this season.

The Midshipmen went 8-5 and won their sixth straight Commander-in-Chief's Trophy last fall, but they lost the bulk of their offensive skill players from that team. Four of their top five rushers -- quarterbacks Jarod Bryant and Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada, fullback Eric Kettani and slotback Shun White, who totaled 2,850 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns -- and their top three receivers -- Tyree Barnes, White and Greg Shinego, who combined for 28 catches, 566 yards and 4 touchdowns -- are graduating.

This is the most turnover that Navy has had in its backfield in recent seasons. In each of the past two years, the Midshipmen had at least three players who had previously rushed for more than 500 yards in a season on the roster. They won't have any this fall; quarterback Ricky Dobbs, who gained 495 yards on 106 carries as a sophomore, is the closest.

Alex Teich, who carried the ball seven times for 24 yards as a freshman, is the front-runner to replace Kettani (982 yards on 190 carries). Bobby Doyle (169 yards on 16 carries as a junior) and Cory Finnerty (71 yards on eight carries as a junior) are Navy's most experienced slotbacks.

"We're interested to see how guys responded," said Coach Ken Niumatalolo, who is beginning his second full season as head coach. "There's been a lot of guys that have kind of played, but that haven't been the front-runner so to speak, with Tyree and Shun and Eric and Kaipo. But we've been pleased with what we've seen at this point. . . . I'm encouraged."

Curry is the type of player whom Navy could rely upon this fall. He's physically talented -- Niumatalolo describes him as "the type of slotback we are looking for, if we could build the perfect slot" -- but has little experience.

He spent the 2007-08 academic year at the Naval Academy prep school, which introduced him to the triple-option offense and gave him a chance to get bigger and stronger; the 5-foot-11 Curry left high school weighing 175 pounds but is now listed at 207. Watching film during the offseason and getting reps with the starters during the spring has helped him understand the offense better.

"From a physical standpoint, he has all the tools," Niumatalolo said. "He can catch, he can run, he can block. Sometimes we've had to structure guys because maybe he wasn't too big to block, or he didn't have the greatest hands, or we didn't want him to catch a pitch. You're not worried about [Curry]; he can do all that. He's got a decent grasp of the offense, but we want him to know it like Shun knew it."

Curry played well in Navy's last scrimmage, rushing for 30 yards on four carries and also catching a touchdown pass. But he knows he has plenty of work to do to get ready for the Midshipmen's first game, which is at Ohio State on Sept. 5. He often turns to White (1,092 rushing yards last season) for advice, as well as encouragement.

"He's one of my best friends. He pretty much is telling me I have to step it up," Curry said. White "likes to talk a lot of noise: 'You're going to run for a thousand this year? You going to catch me?' He's trying to encourage me on, and tells me that I'm the guy, so I have to step it up."

Midshipmen Note: Admission to the spring game is free, though there is a $5 parking fee. Vice Adm. Jeffrey Fowler, the superintendent of the Naval Academy, will coach the Blue team, while Capt. Matthew Klunder, the commandant of midshipmen, will lead the Gold team. The game will consist of four 12-minute quarters, with the possibility of a running clock in the second half.