Record Attendance Expected For Navy Game

MeanGreen61 · November 9, 2007

Record attendance expected for Navy game

Mean Green hopes to initiate winning streak

Richard White

Issue date: 11/9/07 Section: SPORTS

Last weekend, in college football, Navy defeated Notre Dame 46-44 in triple overtime. It was the first time Navy had beaten its annual rival in 44 years and was seen by many sportswriters around the country as one of the biggest upsets in Navy's history.

Head Football Coach Todd Dodge, who saw the game on television during NT's bye week, is hoping for a similar outcome this week; a historic upset involving Navy. Only this time, Navy would be on the losing end as another program celebrates a memorable night in its program's history.

NT (1-7, 1-4) will host Navy (5-4) at 3 p.m. Saturday in Fouts Field on the Marine Corp's' 232nd birthday in the most anticipated NT home game of the season. Tickets for the game are nearly sold out as the athletic department is expecting one of the largest attendances in school history.

"They're very hard-nosed and tough, something you'd expect from guys at the Naval Academy," Dodge said. "We've got to bottle all the things that we've done well. Regardless of what our record is, we have to put it all together to beat a team like Navy."

The meeting is the first between the two teams and the first time a service academy has traveled to Denton.

Senior linebacker Maurice Holman hopes the Midshipmen will still be exhausted from the win over Notre Dame and take NT for granted, allowing for an easier Mean Green upset.

"That's a big win for them over Notre Dame, so hopefully they'll be out of gas when they come here to Texas," Holman said.

Navy will bring to Denton the No. 1-ranked rushing game in the nation, as the Midshipmen average 333.3 rushing yards per game. Things could get difficult for the Mean Green early as NT is ranked toward the bottom in run defense, ranking 107th in the nation.

"We're expecting a straight rushing attack," Holman said. "We've got to make them do something they don't want to do by stopping their first punch."

Dodge said the key to success is being patient and knowing when to blitz.

"We've got to be very sound with our assignments because they are one of the premier options teams in the nation," Dodge said. "We've also got to be very patient, because they don't mind making 3.3 rushing yards every down. We've got to pick and choose the times when we bring heat with our blitz because that's one of the things that they wait for."

Even though NT has trouble with its rush defense, it still could be a close game considering the average points each team allows. NT allows an average of 46.5 points per game while Navy allows an average 38.8 points per game. NT has yet to score more than 31 points in a game this season, but with Navy having its own trouble, this is NT's best chance to score early and fast.

NT enters Saturday's game with the No. 12-ranked passing offense in the country, averaging 297.9 passing yards per game. The Midshipmen's strength may be their rushing game, but their weakness is their passing defense as they allow more than 260 passing yards per game. If NT is to experience its greatest upset ever, it will need to capitalize with its air attack more than ever before.

Freshman quarterback Giovanni Vizza, who after last game now holds NT's single season record for most passing yards by a freshman, sees Saturday as a turning point in the season.

"This is a very important game for us because we have four games left and we want to start a winning streak on this game," Vizza said.

When Navy defeated Notre Dame, the administrators at the Naval Academy celebrated the victory by cancelling classes on Monday. Many Mean Green fans are hoping NT will do the same if the Mean Green pulls off an historic upset.

Smitty · November 9, 2007

NT (1-7, 1-4) will host Navy (5-4) at 3 p.m. Saturday in Fouts Field on the Marine Corp's' 232nd birthday in the most anticipated NT home game of the season. Tickets for the game are nearly sold out as the athletic department is expecting one of the largest attendances in school history.

I know Navy will bring a bunch of people, but this is still impressive. UNT fans have really stuck with the team despite the 1-7 start, and it bodes very well for the future when the wins start coming more often.

Green92 · November 9, 2007

I know Navy will bring a bunch of people, but this is still impressive. UNT fans have really stuck with the team despite the 1-7 start, and it bodes very well for the future when the wins start coming more often.

I agree. I think the fans see potential. We haven't had much success but the games are exciting and the kids are playing their guts out. The wins will come and it seems like a lot of fans believe that, too.