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| Navy won the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy for the third straight year in 2005. (Toni L. Sandys - The Washington Post) |
"It's like playing your brother," Tomlinson said. "No matter how many times you play each other, you always want to beat him again."
Navy, which holds just a one-game edge over the 106 times the teams have met, has beaten Army the past four years and has won the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy the past three.
The Army-Navy game is the second of two nationally televised games for the Midshipmen, the first being against Notre Dame. It's heresy to say any game is more important in Annapolis than the regular season finale, but given that the Irish have won 42 straight in the series and might even be ranked No. 1 when they come to Baltimore, this season might feature two "big games" for the Midshipmen.
Said co-captain James Rossi: "Because we won the Commander-in-Chief's three times in a row, and we've been to three bowl games, it's just something I'd really like to do before I leave -- beat Notre Dame."
• Saturday, East Carolina, 5:30
First-ever meeting between the Midshipmen and the Pirates.
• Sept. 9 Massachusetts, 1:30It's the first meeting between these two, as well, and Navy doesn't want a repeat of last season's 0-2 start.
• Sept. 16 at Stanford, 10The Cardinal has 10 starters back on the offense that scored 41 points in last season's victory over the Midshipmen.
• Sept. 23 Tulsa, 1:30Navy's defense needs to be on the watch for Tulsa quarterback Paul Smith, who ranked 24th in the country in passing efficiency last season.
• Sept. 30 at Connecticut, TBAThe Huskies are coming off a 5-6 season filled with injuries. Navy looks for its first win against Connecticut since 1979.
• Oct. 7 at Air Force, 2Navy needed a last-second field goal to beat Air Force for the third straight season last year.
• Oct. 14 Rutgers, 1:30Last season, Rutgers made it to the postseason for the first time in 27 years, losing to Arizona State in the Insight Bowl.
• Oct. 28 vs. Notre Dame in Baltimore, noonThe Fighting Irish have won 42 straight games against Navy, the nation's longest streak over one opponent.
• Nov. 4 at Duke, TBAWith a young Blue Devils team finishing 1-10 finish last year, this looks to be one of the easy games on Navy's schedule.
• Nov. 11 vs. Eastern Michigan in Detroit, 1The Eagles started last season 3-2, but then lost five straight. The teams have met only once -- in 2003, when Navy won, 39-7.
• Nov. 18 Temple, 12:30Last year, Adam Ballard rushed for a career-high 167 yards and one touchdown in Navy's 38-17 win against the Owls.
• Dec. 2 vs. Army in Philadelphia, 2:30The big game.
Coach Paul Johnson has repeated that his biggest area of concern is the kicking game following punter Eric Shuey's graduation. In 2005, Shuey averaged 38.4 yards per punt (his longest punt was 58 yards) and while Navy returns place kicker Joey Bullen, Johnson isn't comfortable with the amount of experience in the kicking game.
After a month-long competition with seniors Ethan Gouge and Leif Walroth, junior Greg Veteto is expected to start the season as Shuey's replacement, though Johnson hasn't ruled out using more than one punter, if necessary.
"When you lose your punter, Eric Shuey did a great job for us you could rely on him and he was consistent, but when you're going to have a new snapper and a new punter it can be a concern," Johnson said. "People don't realize, but that's the best way I know to get beat really quick is in the kicking game."
Johnson also is quick to point that, no matter how many kicking game simulations the Midshipmen run in practice, kicking in a game is a different undertaking.
Asked whether he expected a drop-off from last season, Johnson said: "I have no idea. The kid hasn't kicked in a game. Let's let them kick a few before I anoint them or tell them they aren't very good."
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| Brian Hampton |
• Bottom Line: Navy was 35th in the nation in rushing in 2001, the season before Coach Paul Johnson arrived. In four since, it has not ranked lower than third.
