With its five-year post-graduation service commitment, a rigorous academic program, Ivy League admission standards and regimented lifestyle, Navy will never be able to recruit the same kids your average FBS football team attracts.
Instead, your typical Midshipman football player is undersized, bright, disciplined and team oriented. Which explains why Navy has become synonymous with the unique triple-option offense that’s an endangered species in today’s world of spread offenses and passing pyrotechnics.
With record-setting quarterback Keenan Reynolds as the trigger man of their unique scheme, the Mids lead the country in rushing, averaging 345 yards per game. Reynolds has 1,182 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns, fullback Noah Copeland has 889 rushing yards and a 7.6 yards per carry average and Navy has scored 40 or more points in four of their last six games.
Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo and offensive coordinator Ivin Jasper both cut their teeth on the triple option as former Hawaii quarterbacks who ran that system under then-head coach and option maestro Paul Johnson (who now runs the option at Georgia Tech). They’ve added some wrinkles to their system over the years, but fundamentally, the Mids’ offense is simply impeccably executed old school football.
San Diego State coach Rocky Long might hold the country’s longest eight-game win streak against service academies and their various option offenses, but he scoffs at any suggestion that he’s figured out the secret to beating the triple option. Actually, he maintains that the wishbone triple option might be the most indefensible offense in football.
“If their coach came in here and we were up on the board (diagramming plays) they would win every single time,” Long said. “You’re never right on the greaseboard. They always win. Because they don’t have to block two people.”
The Mids’ offense is based on isolating individual defenders and forcing defenses into situations where they will always be outnumbered.
Unlike Air Force and New Mexico, both of whom have lost to the Aztecs this year, Navy’s option is a traditional wishbone scheme with the quarterback under center and the fullback behind him, flanked by two slot backs who line up behind the tackle at each end of the offensive line.
Fundamentally, the quarterback has one of three options: hand off to the fullback, keep the ball and run it himself, or pitch it out to a slotback.
To determine which option to execute, the quarterback makes two reads on every play. His first read is generally the defensive end. If the defensive end stays outside, the quarterback gives the ball to the fullback for the dive up the middle.
“Our offense starts with the fullback,” said Jasper. “Our main focus in every game is to get that guy going.”
If the defensive end floods the inside, the quarterback keeps the ball and looks to his second read key, usually the outside linebacker. If the outside linebacker stays on the slot back outside, the quarterback keeps the ball and zips up field. If the outside linebacker commits to defending the quarterback, the quarterback will pitch the ball to the slot back – often right before he’s tackled – leaving a running lane open as the defense engulfs him.
Of course, the defense will try to disguise what it’s trying to do, and you can count on the wily old Long to mix up his blitz packages and send different players after the quarterback to keep things fresh.
Amidst all that chaos, the quarterback has to stay calm, process what he sees and make fast decisions. It’s all about reading the defense’s body language and learning to pick up on read keys.
“We say, ‘Make the read, read his body language, read his instincts about it,” Jasper said, stressing that smooth footwork is of utmost importance. “(Our quarterbacks) have quick feet, make decisions on a split second and get up to fast speed in a split second.
“There’s a lot of detail work that goes into it. We attack the defense and try to pull them into the quarterback so you can get the ball pitched.”
As a three-year starter who holds the NCAA record for career touchdowns by a quarterback, Reynolds’ efficiency has been instrumental in the Mids’ success.
“They’ve got an experienced quarterback who’s really, really good,” Long said. “If you do a good job against the run, he uses play action pass and throws the ball extremely well.
“They know what they’re doing and they have been able to run that offense forever.”
