Air Force Falcons vs Navy Midshipmen Football Preview

Navy entered the 2010 season with high expectations and lots of positive media attention. After completing yet another bowl season, they entered 2010 looking to possibly be a dark horse national title contender as well as having their do-it-all option quarterback Ricky Dobbs be considered for the Heisman trophy. So far, the Midshipmen, and Dobbs, haven’t gotten off to the hot start they’d imagined. Air Force, on the other hand, has played consistent football, and is well on its way to bowl contention again. Fans of option football will be in for a treat when these two teams meet on Saturday.

Ricky Dobbs was billed as “the people’s choice” for Heisman by devoted fans hoping that his exploits as a multi-faceted quarterback in the Midshipmen’s option attack at the helm of one of the country’s service academies would appeal to a wide variety of Heisman voters and fans. With so much attention paid to him preseason, defenses took the hint and have hounded Dobbs. Through four games, Dobbs has just 174 yards rushing. A total that is far below his statistics from a year ago. If Navy cannot get Dobbs loose, the Midshipmen will struggle to continue their postseason streak dating back to the Paul Johnson era.

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Air Force, on the other hand, has exceeded preseason expectations thus far in the 2010 season. The Falcons are a mere field goal from starting 4-0 and having wins over BYU and Oklahoma on the road. Even with the close loss to the Sooners, Air Force is 3-1, has a win over Mountain West rival BYU, and is poised to have another bowl eligible season. As a team, Air Force has already rushed for over 1,500 yards through just four games. Running backs Jared Tew and Asher Clark are a physical tandem in Air Force’s option attack and each is on pace to have close to 1,000 yards rushing. The Falcons have also benefitted from a better than expected defense which has only allowed 19 points per game through the first month of the season.

With both teams utilizing wishbone/option style rushing attacks, fans can expect a low-scoring and relatively quick football game. Navy has struggled to get Ricky Dobbs going with opposing defenses keying on him, and Air Force’s defense has been better than predicted. With Air Force’s own ability to utilize multiple backs in their rushing game, look for the Falcons to control the ball, the clock, and come away with a close, low-scoring win over Navy.

By: Matt Zemek
DFN Sports Senior Staff Writer