 | NAVY (9-4) vs. MISSOURI (8-4)
Texas Bowl
Dec. 31, 3:30 p.m. ET
ESPN |  |
INSIDE THE CAMPS
NAVY
Now Navy can start thinking about the Texas Bowl, and Missouri.
The Midshipmen, ending rival Army's bowl dreams with a 17-3 victory in Philadelphia, now turn their attention toward the Tigers, plus the chance to win 10 games in a season for the first time since 1905.
Navy beat Army for the eighth consecutive time in a tooth-and-nail battle that saw the Midshipmen trail 3-0 at the half. After playing their service-academy rival, the Mids have to come up with a whole different motivation to play well enough to knock off Missouri.
"Most people understand what this game is about," Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo said of the contest against Army. "This isn't the biggest rivalry in college football. It's the biggest rivalry in sports."
In other words, the Army is the Super Bowl for Navy, which hasn't allowed a touchdown to the Black Knights in the past three games.
And now, it's the 8-4 Tigers, winners of their last three games, going against the 9-4 Mids, who will be trying to end a three-game bowl losing streak when the teams meet on New Year's Eve in Houston.
MISSOURI
It's no surprise that Missouri defensive coordinator Dave Steckel has tremendous respect for Navy. Before he broke into coaching, Steckel served in the Marines. He also grew up on the East Coast. And as a former assistant at Rutgers, he has coached against Navy many times.
But pageantry and history won't be on his mind leading up to the Dec. 31 Texas Bowl as much as Navy's triple-option attack, specifically, the Mids' devastating cut blocks.
This won't be the first offense Missouri has played that cut blocks to free space for the running game, but few teams execute it as precisely as Navy, said Steckel, who has adjusted Missouri's practice drills to prepare for the crush of cut blocks coming the Tigers' way.
Missouri (8-4) faces the Midshipmen (9-4) in Houston on New Year's Eve, the schools' first matchup since the 1961 Orange Bowl.
"You just got to anticipate it and be shocked if they don't do it," Steckel said. "You've got to bend your knees and keep your outside leg forward. The other thing is it's going to be tough to emulate it in practice, just to see the speed and timing that they have. They do a great job."
While hosting a busy weekend for official recruiting visits, Missouri players and coaches had the chance to watch Navy play its annual rivalry game against Army on Dec. 12, a game the Mids won 17-3 after trailing 3-0 at halftime. In between holding a morning practice and hosting recruits, Missouri coach Gary Pinkel managed to watch some of the Army-Navy showdown.
"I was very, very impressed with their quarterback," Pinkel said of Navy's Ricky Dobbs, who broke Tim Tebow's NCAA record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback with his 25th score. "Their scheme really causes a lot of problems for defenses."
As for Missouri's offense, the Tigers should find out before Christmas if they'll have their full arsenal of wide receivers. Senior Jared Perry, the No. 2 target for quarterback Blaine Gabbert, cracked his tibia in the 10th game of the season and has been deemed questionable for the Texas Bowl.
The Tigers will face a defense that held Army's option-based attack to just 187 yards and 3-of-16 conversions on third down.
KEY MATCHUPS
Navy QB Ricky Dobbs vs. Missouri OLB Sean Weatherspoon.
Missouri's tackling machine faces a dangerous runner in Dobbs, who leads Navy's triple option attack with 913 rushing yards and 23 tackles. Weatherspoon, a unanimous All-Big 12 selection, looks to finish his celebrated career with another productive night. One of the best games of his career came in last year's Alamo Bowl when he won the game's Defensive MVP award. His play will be pivotal in containing Navy's run-oriented attack.
Missouri's offensive line vs. Navy's defensive line.
The Tigers haven't played many defenses that employ a base three-man front like Navy's, but MU figures to have an advantage in size and strength against a Navy line that averages just 262 pounds. The Mids average just 1.4 sacks per game, which ranks 102nd nationally. The Tigers, meanwhile, have given up just one sack over their final three games.
Missouri QB Blaine Gabbert and WR Danario Alexander vs. Navy DB Wyatt Middleton.
Middleton, a 6-2, 208-pound junior, plays the rover position and is the most productive playmaker for the Mids' pass defense, racking up six pass break-ups, three interceptions and 65 tackles. As the biggest player in the Navy secondary, Middleton could find himself matching up against Alexander, MU's brilliant playmaking receiver who leads the country in receiving yards and ranks second in catches. Snubbed for All-American honors and Biletnikoff Award consideration, Alexander is motivated to end his college career with one last prolific game, in his home state, no less.
Missouri P Jake Harry vs. Navy P Kyle Delahooke.
If this one turns into a battle for field position, two of the country's best punters could play a pivotal role. Harry helped the Tigers lead the Big 12 in net punting, often using rugby style kicks out of what MU calls its shield punt formation. Harry is coming off the best game of his career, when he landed all five of his punts inside Kansas' 20 yard-line, including three inside the 5, on Nov. 28. Delahooke ranks 25th nationally with a 43.1-yard average.
NAMES TO KNOW
NAVY
QB Ricky Dobbs -- He got at least some Heisman Trophy mention late in the season, and with good reason. With Army and the bowl game still ahead, he already had 23 rushing touchdowns, tying the Football Bowl Subdivision record. He missed almost two complete games and is playing with a cracked kneecap.
FB Vince Murray -- Dobbs leads the Mids with 924 net yards rushing, and Murray was second, with 884 yards and six rushing touchdowns. Both could wind up with 1,000 yards rushing.
LB Ross Pospisil -- He led the Mids in tackles with 91, including 6.5 for loss and 2.5 sacks. He also had three pass breakups and had forced one fumble and had a recovery.
Slot back Marcus Curry -- An injury knocked him out of three games, but he netted 442 yards and scored four touchdowns. He is always a threat.
MISSOURI
WR Jerrell Jackson -- The sophomore has emerged as the passing game's second-most productive weapon behind All-American candidate Danario Alexander. The Tigers have found ways to get Jackson involved in the running game and the quick passing game on screens and reverses. With defenses expected to focus their attention on Alexander, Jackson becomes a pivotal playmaker for QB Blaine Gabbert.
MLB Will Ebner -- Missouri's most explosive tackler other than OLB Sean Weatherspoon, Ebner figures to be busy against Navy's triple option. The sophomore can set the tone for the Tigers with a quick start against the run-first attack that will be coming his way.
FS Jasper Simmons -- After an eventful day trying to keep pace with Kansas' wide receivers, Simmons shouldn't have to cover too many pass routes against Navy, but he'll figure prominently into the run defense as MU's best tackler in the secondary. Simmons leads all MU safeties and corners with 67 tackles.
QB Blaine Gabbert -- The sophomore has a chance to end a promising debut season with another big game against a defense that's struggled against potent pass offenses. With a big day, Gabbert can establish himself as one of the Big 12's best quarterbacks for 2010, especially with the exodus of veterans Todd Reesing, Colt McCoy, Sam Bradford and Zac Robinson.
MEDICAL WATCH
NAVY
- QB Ricky Dobbs continues to play with a cracked kneecap and isn't about to sit now.
MISSOURI
- Coach Gary Pinkel was unsure if senior WR Jared Perry will be healthy in time to play in the Texas Bowl. MU's No. 2 receiver suffered a fracture of his right tibia in MU's victory at Kansas State. "I know he's excited about getting back," Pinkel said of Perry. "I hope he gets back. He's done so much for this football program. His teammates certainly do, too. If there's anyone who can do it, he certainly can."
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TSX PICKS: Navy 36-31
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