2019 Navy Football 16 Commander-In-Chief’S Trophies | 15 Bowl Games in Last 17 Yrs | 2015 (Co), ‘16 and ‘19 (Co) Aac West Division Champions
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2019 NAVY FOOTBALL 16 COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF’S TROPHIES | 15 BOWL GAMES IN LAST 17 YRS | 2015 (CO), ‘16 AND ‘19 (CO) AAC WEST DIVISION CHAMPIONS NAVY SCHEDULE 11-2 / 7-1 AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE POSTSEASON NOTES Aug. 31 Holy Cross W, 45-7 CBS SN NAVY FINISHES HISTORICAL SEASON WITH NIUMATALOLO WINS STALLINGS AWARD Sept. 14 East Carolina + W, 42-10 CBS SN AUTOZONE LIBERTY BOWL WIN • Navy head football coach Ken Niumatalolo was named Sept. 26 at Memphis + L, 35-23 ESPN • Navy’s thrilling 20-17 AutoZone Liberty Bowl win over the 2019 winner of the Stallings Award, presented annually Oct. 5 Air Force W, 34-25 CBS SN Kansas State gave the Mids a school-record tying 11 wins to a college football head coach who is both a humanitarian Oct. 12 at Tulsa + W, 45-17 ESPNU against just two losses. Only the 2015 team matched the and an exceptional coach. The award is named in honor of Oct. 19 USF + W, 35-3 CBS SN 11-win total in 139 years of football. Gene Stallings to pay tribute to his son, Johnny, and those Oct. 26 Tulane + W, 41-38 CBS SN • The Mids finished the 2019 campaign as American Athletic who triumph no matter their circumstances. Nov. 1 at UConn + W, 56-10 ESPN2 Conference West Division Co-Champions, Commander-In- • Niumatalolo, who was also named the American Athletic Nov. 16 at Notre Dame L, 52-20 NBC Chief’s Trophy Champions and Liberty Bowl Champions. Conference Coach of the Year for the third time in five Nov. 23 SMU + W, 35-28 CBS SN • Navy was ranked 20th in both the Associated Press and years and the ECAC (best coach in the East) Coach of the Nov. 30 at Houston + W, 56-41 ESPN2 Year, led Navy to a school-record tying 11 wins against two Dec. 14 vs. Army ^ W, 31-7 CBS USA Today Coaches Polls. It is just the second time in the losses, the Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy, a share of the Dec. 31 vs. Kansas State # W, 20-17 ESPN last 56 years that Navy finished in the AP Top 20 (Mids All times Eastern were 18th in 2015). Navy did finish 17th in the now defunct AAC West Division title and a victory over Kansas State in + American Athletic Conference Opponent UPI poll in 1978, but was unranked in the Associated Press the AutoZone Liberty Bowl. He also became the all-time ^ played at Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia, Pa.) Poll (only top 20 at the time). Navy also finished 24th in 2004. winningest coach in the history of the Army-Navy game # AutoZone Liberty Bowl • This year marked the fourth time in the last five years Navy with Navy’s 31-7 destruction of Army. (Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, Memphis, Tenn.) cracked the top 25 at least once (2015, 2016, 2017, 2019), • Navy improved by 8.0 games from last year, which was the biggest improvement in the Football Bowl Subdivision, and NAVY IN THE RANKINGS (130 TEAMS) which also coincides with the Mids joining the American NCAA AAC Athletic Conference. Navy has been ranked for a total of tied for the second-biggest improvement in FBS history. Statistic Avg./Total Rk Rk 17 weeks over the last five years. Prior to that, Navy was • Niumatalolo, Navy’s all-time winningest coach with 98 Rushing Offense 360.5 1 1 ranked for ONE week (at the end of the 2004 season) the career wins, led Navy to a national ranking of #20 in both Team Passing Efficiency 176.92 7 1 previous 35 years. the Associated Press and USA Today Coaches Polls. Navy Passing Yds. / Comp. 22.51 2 1 • The AutoZone Liberty Bowl marked Navy’s 24th bowl has been ranked in the top 25 on 17 different occasions Total Offense 455.8 19 4 appearance and the 15th in the last 17 years. over the last five years, prior to that it was ranked one week Scoring Offense 37.2 12 4 • Navy has won five of its last six bowl games and head (at the end of the 2004 season) the previous 35 years. Tackles for Loss Allowed 5.31 42 3 coach Ken Niumatalolo’s six bowl wins are the most in • A unique aspect of the Stallings Award is that each win- Rushing Defense 105.8 10 1 school history. ner is selected by past recipients, who understand what it Pass Defense 208.3 39 4 • This year marked just the fifth time in school history Navy takes to simultaneously build a winning football program, Total Defense 314.2 16 1 has won 10 or more games in a season. The Mids also won build young men and to make a positive impact on their Scoring Defense 22.3 34 2 10 in 1905, 2004, 2009 and 11 in 2015 and 2019. community. Red Zone Offense .959 3 1 • Navy improved by 8.0 games in 2019 compared to 2018. • Coach Niumatalolo will be honored at the annual Stallings Red Zone Defense .789 30 5 The Mids were 3-10 in 2018 and finished 11-2 in 2019. Award dinner in May at the Dallas Country Club. 3rd Down Conversion .462 19 1 The 8.0-game improvement was the biggest improvement 3rd Down Conversion Def .327 30 2 in the country and tied for the second-biggest turnaround NIUMATALOLO NAMED PAUL “BEAR” BRYANT 4th Down Conversion .765 4 1 in FBS history. AWARD FINALIST 4th Down Conversion Def .538 77 6 • Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo completed his 12th year • Navy head football coach Ken Niumatalolo was named Net Punting 39.08 47 4 as the head coach at Navy, making him the longest-tenured one of 10 finalists for the 2019 Paul “Bear” Bryant Award, Punt Return Defense 8.67 80 7 head coach in school history. With 98 career wins, he is the which recognizes the country’s top college football coaches Kick Return Defense 22.05 94 9 winningest coach in program history. for their contributions both on and off the field. The award Turnovers Gained 22 23 3 • Senior quarterback Malcolm Perry rushed for 2,017 yards is voted on by the National Sports Media Association and Fumbles Recovered 10 27 5 and 21 touchdowns in 2019, making him the leading rusher is the only college coaching honor selected after all bowl Passes Intercepted 12 31 3 for a quarterback for a single season in FBS history, the games are concluded. Turnovers Lost 16 41 2 only quarterback in FBS history to rush for more than 2,000 • Niumatalolo was joined by Ryan Day of Ohio State, Sonny Time of Possession 33:29 8 1 yards and the 24th-leading single-season rusher among all Dykes of SMU, P.J. Fleck of Minnesota, James Franklin of Turnover Margin +0.46 27 1 positions in FBS history. Perry’s 155.2 rushing yards per Penn State, Mike Norvell of Memphis (now Florida State), Fewest Penalties / Game 4.15 4 1 game is also an FBS record for a quarterback. Ed Orgeron of LSU, Matt Rhule of Baylor, Dabo Swinney Fewest Penalty Yards / Game 35.31 4 1 • Navy led the nation in rushing, averaging a school-record of Clemson and Kyle Whittingham of Utah. Defensive TD’s 2 33 5 360.5 yards per game. Fewest First Downs Allowed 15.2 T3 1 • Navy set school records in total rushing yards (4,687), PERRY FINISHES IN TOP 4 FOR THE LOMBARDI rushing yards per attempt (6.1), rushing yards per game AWARD (360.5), total offense yards per game (455.8) and tied the • Navy senior quarterback Malcolm Perry was among the NAVY SPORTS INFORMATION record for total offensive yards per attempt (6.8). final four candidates for the Lombardi Honors Award, 566 Brownson Road | Annapolis, Md. 21402 which is presented to an FBS or FCS football player based Fax: 410-293-8954 | www.NavySports.com POWER 6 on performance and leadership honed by character and • The American Athletic Conference finished with four teams resilience. Combined, those traits are a “force multiplier” Sr. Associate AD (Primary Contact) .. Scott Strasemeier ranked in the Associated Press Top 25: #17 Memphis, #20 and greatly increase the influence on and effectiveness of Phone #s ...............410-293-8775 (o) / 443-336-9023 (c) Navy, #21 Cincinnati and #24 UCF. E-Mail ............................................. [email protected] a team. • The four top 25 teams ranked third among all conferences • Joining Perry in the final four were Derek Brown of Auburn, with only the Big Ten (six) and SEC (five) having more Assistant AD (Secondary Contact) .......... Stacie Michaud Joe Burrow of LSU and Jonathan Taylor of Wisconsin. Phone #s ..............410-293-8773 (o) / 410-212-3761 (c) proving once again the AAC is part of the Power 6. Burrow won the award. E-Mail .............................................. [email protected] • The Lombardi Finalist were selected by a combination of analytical metrics and a select panel of journalists and SOCIAL MEDIA: #NAVYFB broadcasters. Finalists included three quarterbacks, a Twitter ................................ @NavyAthletics and @NavyFB running back, two defensive linemen and a linebacker. The Facebook .........................................................NavyAthletics group represents players from the SEC, Big 12, Big 10, Instagram ........................... @NavyAthletics and @NavyFB Pac-12 and the American Athletic Conference. 2: 2019 NAVY FOOTBALL GAME NOTES COVERING THE MIDSHIPMEN MOST IMPROVED TEAM IN THE COUNTRY PERRY EARNS INVITATION TO EAST-WEST • Navy improved by 8.0 games in 2019 compared to 2018. SHRINE BOWL REGULAR SEASON INTERVIEW POLICY The Mids were 3-10 in 2018 and finished 11-2 in 2019.