ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) -Louisiana Tech coach Derek Dooley thought Navy sure looked good. And that was before the Midshipment put a scare into the eighth-ranked Buckeyes.
“I didn’t need to see the Ohio State game to know that these guys are good. We’ve got one heck of a challenge ahead of us,” he said. “It’s important for us to go on the road and put up a good fight, to put two halves of football together.”
His Bulldogs aren’t coming off nearly as encouraging a loss, having lost to Auburn and lost 37-13. Navy had a tying two-point conversion attempt picked off and run back for a 31-27 loss in Columbus.
Both teams went 8-5 and earned bowl berths in 2008, and they’ll be using Saturday’s first meeting between the schools as a measuring stick for the upcoming season.
our hands full. It’s going to be a tough challenge.”
Dooley was even more effusive in his praise of Navy, which has six straight winning seasons and has beaten 13 Bowl Championship Series conference opponents since 2003.
“I thought Navy really put it to Ohio State,” Dooley said. “They beat them up and down the field and should have won the game.”
The Midshipmen used their triple-option offense to mount a 15-play, 99-yard touchdown drive against the Buckeyes. They also had a 15-play, 80-yard scoring drive.
“Navy has an amazing system. They are like a surgeon with the way they dissect your defense,” Dooley said. “I think the key is first down. You have to get them off schedule. When they are getting four and five yards per play, they go right down the field.”
Quarterback Ricky Dobbs accounted for 239 yards and had a hand in all four touchdowns – rushing for two and passing for two.
Slotback Marcus Curry had touchdown catches of 85 and 16 yards while fullback Alexander Teich plowed into the heart of a tough defense for 61 yards on 13 carries.
“Navy has gotten to the point in its program when it just reloads every year. It looks like the same offense I saw on tape last year and the year before. They just replace parts,” Dooley said.
r and wide receiver Phillip Livas. The Bulldogs brought back all five starters along the offensive line, including second-team All-WAC pick Rob McGill.
Porter showed a combination of speed and strength in rushing for 1,164 yards and nine touchdowns in 2008. Livas, a quick 5-foot-8, 175-pounder, had 2,015 all-purpose yards last season. Green said the Bulldogs will utilize Livas on screens, reverses and direct handoffs.
“They try to get him the football in a lot of different ways. You have to find him because he can really hurt you. He’s got great quickness, great speed and the moves to make people miss,” Navy defensive coordinator Buddy Green said.
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