HONOLULU (AP) -Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo and his Midshipmen are officially the away team against Hawaii but there will be plenty of hometown cheers for the island-born coach and his players Saturday.
Niumatalolo grew up on Oahu’s North Shore, sold newspapers at Aloha Stadium as a boy and would later play in the 50,000-seat venue as a quarterback for Hawaii. He eventually served as a graduate assistant and an assistant coach for the Warriors.
On Saturday, he’ll proudly return as one of Navy’s most successful head coaches and as college football’s first Samoan head coach.
The 44-year-old said it’s going to be an emotional game for him, recalling nights when he would stand outside the locker room in hopes of getting a keepsake from players as they came out.
Niumatalolo led the Midshipmen to a bowl game during his first full season. Navy’s 8-5 record last season was the best-ever for a first-year coach at Navy during the modern era.
the Texas Bowl on New Year’s Eve.
The Laie native and three-year Hawaii letterwinner said he’s been fielding calls from family and friends for tickets.
“I’ve got to put a stop to it,” he said. “If we keep going, we’re going to have the whole north end zone.”
Navy will likely get additional support from the many sailors stationed at Pearl Harbor, located across the street from Aloha Stadium. The game is being held on Hawaii’s military night, when servicemen and women are eligible to get half-priced tickets.
Warriors coach Greg McMackin and his assistants have been preparing for the matchup by spending sleepless nights watching film of the Midshipmen’s’ multifaceted option offense.
The rushing attack is led by Ricky Dobbs, who is one shy of an NCAA record set by Air Force’s Chance Harridge and Florida’s Tim Tebow for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback.
Navy ranks third in the country in yards rushing per game (282.6). The option has propelled Navy to wins over Wake Forest and Notre Dame this season.
“I don’t think anybody stops that offense,” McMackin said. “We’re not going to stop them. We need to just do the little things and try to get our breaks when we can.”
Niumatalolo has no plans to go easy on his alma mater, despite the temptations offered by the surf and warm weather.
bowl game. I know a lot of people come to Hawaii and treat this game like a bowl game. It’s paradise, and I want our guys to enjoy the beauty of it. But we want to win.”
Hawaii (5-6) ranks third in the nation in passing yards per game (347.1).
Quarterback Bryant Moniz is expected to start after missing last week’s overtime victory at San Jose State with bruised ribs. Receiver Greg Salas is also running better on his sore foot, getting Hawaii back to full strength on offense.
The Warriors are again treating this weekend’s game as a playoff. Win and they continue a turnaround from six-straight losses and maintain their chances to reach the postseason for the fourth straight year. Lose and they’re out.
Hawaii has won three straight, but all those victories have come against the Western Athletic Conference’s basement teams – which are 7-25 combined. If the Warriors manage to defeat Navy and Wisconsin, they would salvage a dismal season with an improbable bowl berth and perhaps take away from the negative attention on their coach.
“I’m not going to let outside people limit what our expectations are,” McMackin said. “There’s people that don’t believe that we can do it, and we can’t be limited by that. I think this team believes. I think they’re going to give it their best shot this weekend. We’re completely focused on Navy. I think it’s a big challenge, but I believe we’re up to it.”
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