Patience key for RU’s ‘D’ against Navy
Friday, September 7, 2007
By ADITI KINKHABWALA
STAFF WRITER
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PISCATAWAY -- Eric Foster knows tonight won't be much fun.
"Oh no it's not fun," he said with a snort.
Foster's already decided his role tonight will be terribly uninteresting.
"My job is kind of boring," the All-American defensive tackle said.
Worst of all, Foster's sure tonight, he and his gut are going to be brawling some.
"I know there are going to be times where I want to tackle somebody I'm not supposed to tackle," Rutgers' captain said, blowing out a big sigh. And then smiling. Because all this moaning means he's absolutely ready for Navy.
The Midshipmen (1-0) come to town tonight with their always-dangerous triple option, the one that aims to deceive linemen, sucking them into making a move they shouldn't, and then wreaking havoc when they do. There's no exploding off the ball, there's a ton of sitting back and being patient, and after four years of this wretched baiting, Foster knows there's one key for he and his linemen -- the more tedious they find the game, the better a night they'll have.
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Rutgers vs. Navy <HR>Tonight
7 o' clock
At Rutgers Stadium
ESPN
WOR-AM 710
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SCARLET KNIGHTS NEWZER <HR>
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"The guy we tackle might not be the guy with the ball, but we have to stick to our guy and our assignment," Foster said. "If it don't get done, it's on us."
Navy's gone from winless in 2001 to its current streak of four straight bowl games in no small part because of that pressure it puts on front fours. Coach Paul Johnson doesn't have skill players on national award watch lists, or big offensive linemen, but his triple option demands exquisite defensive discipline and defenders who do what at Rutgers is famously called their "one-eleventh."
A year ago, the now 15th ranked Scarlet Knights (1-0) managed exactly that in a 34-0 thumping in Annapolis, Md.
They held a Navy team that would finish the season with a 327-yard per game rushing average to just 161 total yards. They shut Navy out for the first time since 2002 and they allowed the Midshipmen just nine first downs.
A year ago, Connecticut and Army both lined up their defenses exactly as Rutgers did, Johnson said, and neither beat Navy. The year before, with Rutgers playing the same defense, Navy scored 21 points up here in Piscataway and turned the ball over twice on top of that. The difference in 2006, the Navy coach said, was Rutgers' unwavering focus. And Ramel Meekins.
The nose tackle from Westwood had a national player of the week game in Annapolis, forcing three fumbles, sacking both quarterbacks Navy used and notching 12 tackles. Hearing the now-graduated captain was at practice earlier this week, Rutgers coach Greg Schiano immediately started craning his head, while Foster said, "I wish Ramel had red-shirted with me so he could be here."
The Scarlet Knights will surely need a Meekins-esque performance out of someone. Rutgers' starting nose tackle out of camp, Pete Tverdov, will miss a second straight game because of his ankle. His replacement, Vantrise Studivant, is still green after having seen just mop-up minutes before last Thursday's first start. Rutgers' other two tackles are true freshmen Alex Silvestro and Justin Francis and Schiano knows none of them have ever seen cut-blockers like the Midshipmen.
"It's such a hard job inside because they're just nipping at you all the time," Schiano said. "People are on your feet, at your knees. This is a nasty game. That's the way Navy likes it. They really try to get you distracted."
And miserable. But then again, the way Foster figures it, being miserably bored won't be all that bad. Not tonight.
E-mail:
kinkhabwala@northjersey.com
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SCOUTING THE SCARLET KNIGHTS
Navy at Rutgers
Kickoff: Tonight, 7 o'clock
TV: ESPN Radio: WOR-AM 710
Series record: 10-10-1
Betting line: Rutgers by 17½
Rutgers report
Navy presents more of a challenge than Buffalo, which No. 15 Rutgers handled, 38-3, in its opener. The Midshipmen's triple option, run-oriented offense will test the patience of the RU defense, especially the new linebackers. Kevin Malast, an outside LB, had a career-high 10 tackles and half a sack against Buffalo in his first start. Offensively, Rutgers has a big size advantage in the matchup of its offensive line versus Navy's defensive front.
Navy report
Has Rutgers finally come up with the answer to beating Navy? After several frustrating matchups, the Scarlet Knights have won the last two games of the series, including last year's shutout, the first of the Middies since 2002. Navy hopes it has an answer, with a ball-control offense and a defense that plays bigger than its size. The longer this game is close, the better chance Navy has of pulling off the upset. A fast start is imperative for the Middies.
Players to watch
What would a Rutgers game be without plenty of helpings of Ray Rice? The junior running back needs 17 yards to overtake Terrell Willis as the leading career rusher in school history. Navy's top players are QB Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada, who ran for 102 yards and passed for 78 in a season-opening 30-19 win over Temple, and RB Shun White, who gained 122 yards on eight carries. Rutgers limited Navy to 113 yards rushing in a 34-0 victory last year in Annapolis.
Prediction : Rutgers 37, Navy 17
