Two weeks removed from a 50-10 loss to Notre Dame, Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo knows that his team has plenty of room for improvement.
Even so, considering Penn State’s own struggles on the field and off, Niumatalolo could be excused for thinking that his team might be in position to hand Penn State it’s third loss on the year.
He isn’t looking at it that way, though.
‘They’re a couple of plays away from being 2-0,’ Niumatalolo said earlier this week. ‘On the other side of it, we got blown out. They know they’re only a couple of plays away from being 2-0 and I’m sure their confidence level hasn’t been rattled at all.’
‘We’re need to be ready to face a good Penn State team,’ He said. ‘Watched the game this past Saturday and they definitely should have won the game against Virginia. Obviously, they had some field goals in their, but they moved the ball, and to Virginia’s credit they made enough plays but I’m sure Penn State felt like they should have won that game.’
The game will mark the first between the two programs since 1974, meaning that unlike many of the Nittany Lions’ opponents, no player or coach will have stepped foot inside of Beaver Stadium for a game.
‘That atmosphere we were in last week (Dublin, Ireland) was pretty impressive,’ Niumatalolo said. ”But you know, it’s going to be two, three times as many people. Time will tell.’
Unlike Penn State, which has thrown the ball just under 100 times in the first two games, Navy’s offense attack comes in the form of a triple-option running game that has resulted in 19 pass attempts in the opening game.
Ironically, the Midshipmen’s only touchdown this year came on a quick strike, three-play, 75-yard passing drive, but Niumatalolo hopes to get back to basics.
‘We’ve got to run the ball, eat the clock, score, and limit people’s possession,’ he said. ‘That never changes.’