New Offense Gives Army More Options

As a starting linebacker and one of Army's defensive captains, Black Knights senior John Plumstead was not directly affected by the decision that Coach Stan Brock made in the offseason to scrap the Cadets' pro-style offense in favor of the option. But he still had strong feelings about the switch.

"I really liked the idea. I think it reflects the personality of our football team more," said Plumstead, whose team faces Navy tomorrow in Philadelphia. "Let's not try to be a Florida or a Florida State; let's be a service academy. Let's put our hand in the dirt, line up against the guys across from us and try to hit them in the mouth every play. I like that mentality."

That sentiment was one of the things Brock was hoping for when he decided to return to the style of offense that Army ran from 1984 to 1999, a span in which it had eight winning seasons and played in four bowl games. The Cadets (3-8) have won more than three games in a season only twice since 1996, their last overall winning season.

Brock, a longtime tackle in the NFL, made the change because he felt the option fit Army's personnel and that it gave his team the best chance for success. But more than that, "We needed something our players had confidence in," Brock told ESPN.com in August.

"I can see it. The way they carry themselves on the field is more confident than the way they used to," Navy linebacker Clint Sovie said. "I think the option is a great offense for any school, period, but definitely for the service academies. They've got big guys, guys that can cut you if they need to and block you high if they need to. Their offensive line is tremendous, and they can pass-block well, because they've done that in the past."

The Midshipmen (7-4), of course, have used their mastery of the option to win 12 straight games against Air Force and Army, a streak that began in 2002, Paul Johnson's first year as head coach. After Johnson left for Georgia Tech last December, longtime assistant Ken Niumatalolo took over, and Navy continued to use the same triple-option principles.

Navy's offense hasn't matched its record-setting production of a year ago, but it also has had to use three starting quarterbacks. Niumatalolo has not said who will start tomorrow, but both senior Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada, who has been limited to just four games because of a lingering hamstring injury, and sophomore Ricky Dobbs, who has shined in relief and as a starter, worked with the first team offense during practice.

The Midshipmen led division I-A in rushing in each of the past three seasons; they currently rank first again at 292 yards per game.

"They're the measuring stick you compare option football to, if you're good enough to compete and compare to them," Brock said. "They totally understand what they're doing."

Army, meantime, still is learning, though Niumatalolo noted that the Cadets' offense has gotten better from week to week. Army scored a total of 20 points in its first three games -- losses to Temple, division I-AA New Hampshire and Akron -- but got on track in a close loss at Texas A&M and a blowout win at Tulane.

The Cadets rely heavily on senior fullback Collin Mooney, who needs only 54 yards to break the Army single-season rushing record; he has rushed for 1,285 yards on 214 carries. Army's rushing offense ranks ninth in the country at 254.09 yards per game.

"I think what our new offense does is it gives us the attitude that we don't have to make huge plays," Plumstead said. "We don't have to be completing 30-yard out routes. We can give it to Collin Mooney every time, he can get three yards a play, and we can be successful."

Regardless of the outcome tomorrow, the Commander-in-Chief's trophy will remain in Annapolis for the sixth straight year. A Navy victory gives the Midshipmen outright possession of the trophy; an Army win would give the Cadets an indication that they are on the right track. Since 1989, Army has won the trophy only once (1996).

"That's what happens in rivalries, one team goes down and the other goes up. We're just trying to end their streak of being up," Army linebacker Frank Scappaticci said. The Midshipmen "have a quiet confidence about them. You can tell that they have a winning program by the way they carry themselves and the way they play. You get there by working hard. I feel like that's the stage we're in now. Just winning this game would be huge and would propel us forward. Get the confidence of our team up, and once we get that attitude going, everything rolls downhill."