Heather Dinich, who covers Atlantic Coast Conference athletics for ESPN.com, has been carefully evaluating the bowl picture. Dinich talked with ACC assistant commissioner Michael Kelly today and found out that Clemson has edged N.C. State for the ninth and final slot in the league's bowl pecking order.
As a result, N.C. State (6-6) will not go to one of nine bowls the ACC has automatic tie-ins with and will have to find an at-large berth elsewhere or stay home.
Most observers believe Clemson, which has a strong fan base that travels well, will be selected for a bowl higher on the ladder than the Eagle Bank. Maryland and Wake Forest, the other two teams at the bottom of the ACC pecking order, cannot play in the Eagle Bank Bowl.
Maryland has already stated it would decline an invitation since the bowl coincides with the school's exams (yes, they do take final exams at Maryland). A provision in the Navy contract with the Eagle Bank Bowl states that it cannot play a rematch of a regular season opponent, which takes Wake out of the mix.
That leaves the Miami Hurricanes as the only other obvious candidate. That would certainly be an interesting matchup. Perhaps we can coin a catchy slogan such as "Officers versus Convicts." Remember the old Catholics vs. Convicts label that was attached to the 1988 regular season meeting between Notre Dame and Miami? The Fighting Irish won that matchup of undefeated teams 31-30 in one of the greatest college football games in history.

By: Bill Wagner of The Capital

Navy just came up with a huge defensive stand to preserve its shutout. Northern Illinois drove 66 yards in 20 plays and held the ball for nearly 10 minutes without scoring a point. Helped by a pair of questionable unsportsmanlike conduct penalties on the Midshipmen, the Huskies reached the visitors' 3-yard line before stalling. Quarterback Chandler Harnish tossed an incompletion in the end zone on fourth down as the home team turned the ball over on downs.
Navy is now attempting to run out the remaining seven minutes and put this one in the win column.

By: Bill Wagner of The Capital

Navy cornerback Emmett Merchant made a huge play on a fourth down conversion attempt at the visitors' 37-yard line. Down 9-0 with time running down in the third quarter, Northern Illinois head coach Jerry Kill elected to go for it on fourth-and-four in hopes of putting points on the board.
The Huskies called for an out pattern, but Merchant sniffed out the play and stepped in front of intended receiver Greg Turner to pick off the pass by quarterback Chandler Harnish. Merchant returned the interception 29 yards to the home team's 36-yard line.
The Midshipmen took advantage of the turnover by scoring a touchdown with fullback Eric Kettani diving over from 1-yard out to make it 16-0 with 2:21 remaining in the third quarter.

By: Bill Wagner of The Capital

Navy forced another punt and got the ball back with about a minute and a half left in the second quarter. Fullback Eric Kettani broke a 13-yard run to get the Midshipmen near midfield, but time ran out before they could get into field goal position.
Quarterback Ricky Dobbs has rushed for 94 yards on 16 carries while Kettani has gained 53 yards on 10 carries. Navy's triple-option offense has been clicking on all cylinders, piling up 174 yards on 32 carries. Meanwhile, the Navy defense has held Northern Illinois to 117 total yards. The Midshipmen have dominated time of possession to the tune of 17:04 to 12:56.

By: Bill Wagner of The Capital

Northern Illinois was forced to punt on its second possession and Navy took advantage of the defensive stop. Quarterback Ricky Dobbs led the Mids on an 10-play, 85-yard touchdown drive that put the visitors ahead 9-0 with 5:38 left in the first half. Holder Jarod Bryant dropped the snap on the point after attempt and was tackled while trying to run into the end zone.
Senior slot back Greg Shinego had two big plays on the drive, gaining 19 yards on a pitchout then catching a 32-yard pass to Dobbs that brought the ball to the NIU 4-yard line. Dobbs got the payoff, diving over from 1-yard out after following fullback Eric Kettani into the hole.
Dobbs has already rushed for 77 yards on 12 carries. Dobbs now has eight rushing touchdowns on the season, which leads the team.

By: Bill Wagner of The Capital

Northern Illinois received the opening kickoff and had a promising drive going until Navy cornerback Rashawn King intercepted a Chandler Harnish pass attempt at his own 9-yard line to halt the scoring threat.
Navy then proceeded to drive 87 yards to the Northern Illinois 2-yard line and seemed on the verge of scoring a touchdown. However, slot back Bobby Doyle was thrown for a 3-yard loss on a quick pitch and fellow slot Shun White was stopped for no gain on third-and-goal and the Midshipmen had to settle for a 27-yard field goal by Matt Harmon, which gave the visitors a 3-0 lead at the 14:55 mark of the second quarter.
Sophomore quarterback Ricky Dobbs, making his first career start, had an inauspicious debut - fumbling on Navy's first play from scrimmage. Fortunately, Dobbs recovered his own fumble then rushed for 53 yards on seven carries during the drive.
Game time temperature here in DeKalb was 29 degrees.

By: Bill Wagner of The Capital

One more note from the desk of super SID Scott Strasemeier. We all know the Navy defense is better this season, but here is tangible evidence. The Midshipmen have the sixth most-improved scoring defense in the Football Bowl Subdivision this season.
Navy is allowing 25.7 points per game this season after giving up an average of 36.4 in 2007. That's a 10.7 points per game improvement, ranking behind
1. Florida 13.5
2. Alabama 13.0
3. Northern Illinois 12.5
4. Northwestern 11.7
5. Florida International 11.1


Notice that tomorrow night's opponent, Northern Illinois, is third on the list.

By: Bill Wagner of The Capital

Navy super sports information director Scott Strasemeier came up with these interesting notes in advance of tomorrow night's game against Northern Illinois.
First, Navy is one of 11 Football Bowl Subdivision schools to start three quarterbacks this season. The Midshipmen's record of 6-4 ranks seventh out of those 11 schools. Of course, Navy's starters have been Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada, Jarod Bryant and now Ricky Dobbs.
Interestingly, one of the other schools to start three different quarterbacks this season is Georgia Tech, which of course is now coached by former Navy boss Paul Johnson. Josh Nesbitt, Jaybo Shaw and Calvin Booker have all started for the Yellow Jackets, who own an 8-3 mark.
Another interesting fact is that Northern Illinois, tomorrow night's opponent, has also started three quarterbacks. Chandler Harnish, Dan Nicholson and DeMarcus Grady have all started under center for the Huskies (6-5).
Cincinnati (9-2), Connecticut (7-3), North Carolina (7-4), South Carolina (7-4) and LSU (7-4) are the other teams with winning records that have started three quarterbacks this season.
N.C. State (5-6), Memphis (5-6) and Washington State (2-10) are the other programs to have started three different signal-callers.

By: Bill Wagner of The Capital

For those that didn't catch the release issued by the Navy sports information department last week, please make note of the fact the Navy-Northern Illinois game on Tuesday night will NOT be televised on ESPN as originally planned.
That's because network officials switched the game to ESPN Classic in a last-minute programming change. As things turn out, Navy-Northern Illinois is not the biggest game being held Tuesday night. That honor would go to the Ball State-Western Michigan game that will decide the West Division champion of the Mid-American Conference. Ball State enters the contest with a perfect 11-0 overall record and 7-0 mark in the MAC while Western Michigan is 9-2, 6-1.
This is the last chance for an opponent to knock Ball State from the ranks of the unbeaten.
While Navy officials certainly understand the reasoning behind the switch, they still are not happy about it. Navy agreed to move this game from a Saturday to a Tuesday because of the opportunity to play on national television. Getting shuffled to ESPN Classic just days before the game is certainly a major disappointment and vitually ruins the reasoning behind playing an oddball, mid-week night game.

By: Bill Wagner of The Capital

I spent some time watching Ricky Dobbs direct the first team offense in practice today. The hotshot sophomore looked sharp running triple-option plays - displaying superb footwork, excellent timing and solid ball distribution skills.
Dobbs executed one counter-option play to perfection - selling the fake to the right, making a nice reverse pivot, drawing a defender then pitching at just the right moment.
I was standing next to former starting quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada at the time and remarked that Dobbs looked smooth on that particular play. "Ricky has been doing a good job this week. He's getting better every day. The kid is going to be something special," Kaheaku-Enhada said.
That is high praise coming from the quarterback the coaching staff has called the "best orchestrator" of the triple-option during the current era, which began when Paul Johnson became head coach in 2002.

By: Bill Wagner of The Capital

Some fans have worried that the increased playing time - and exposure - that quarterback Ricky Dobbs is receiving this season might prompt another program to lure him away.
I am fairly certain that it's illegal for coaches at opposing schools to directly contact players on the roster at another NCAA Division I institution, but we all know that shenagigans go on and that intermediaries can be used. In truth, it's usually the player wishing to transfer that contacts prospective schools, either directly or through an intermediary.
That being said, if Dobbs did want to leave the Naval Academy and transfer to a major conference school, he will certainly now have more than enough game action to put together a highlight tape.
Of course, all this speculation is pointless if Dobbs is perfectly happy at the Naval Academy and has no intention of departing following his sophomore season. As diehard fans all know, Midshipmen at the Naval Academy are eligible to leave without penalty prior to starting their junior year.
Head coach Ken Niumatalolo was asked about this prospect during the last Navy Football Kickoff Luncheon. Niumatalolo said he thought Dobbs was content in Annapolis and told a story that certainly backed up that assertion.
After Paul Johnson left to become head coach at Georgia Tech, Dobbs took it upon himself to call every single football player at the Naval Academy Prep School and urge them to follow through on plans to attend the Naval Academy.
Dobbs is probably the number one choice of coaches to serve as host for recruits taking official visits to Annapolis. The Georgia native is so friendly, so outgoing and so enthusiastic that he automatically leaves a positive impression on these high school seniors.

By: Bill Wagner of The Capital

As expected based on his comments immediately following the Notre Dame game and again on Sunday during an interview with The Capital, Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo has elected to start sophomore Ricky Dobbs at quarterback against Northern Illinois.
Niumatalolo informed Dobbs and season-long starter Jarod Bryant of the decision on Monday, reiterating his previous commments that it was based on a combination of game results and gut feeling.
"We need a spark offensively. Hopefully, Ricky can provide that spark," Niumatalolo said. "Ricky still does a lot of stuff wrong, but for whatever reason the ball moves and the team scores points when he is in there."
Niumatalolo emphasized that this decision was more of an endorsement of Dobbs than an indictment of Bryant, who has started six of 10 games this season.
"Most of our offensive woes against Notre Dame and in previous games were not Jarod's fault. However, there comes a time when you have to do something in order to move the ball. At this point, we are pretty desperate."
Bryant, a popular senior captain, was not pleased with the decision but accepted it, the head coach said. "Jarod is a great person who has always put the team first. Considering the circumstances, he was as gracious as could be and handled it well," Niumatalolo said. "Jarod is a competitor who wants to get out there and lead the team so obviously he is disappointed."
Meanwhile, Niumatalolo said he believes Dobbs understands the magnitude of being named the starter and the increased responsibility that entails.
"We don't have practice today so the kids have the day off, but I just walked past the staff room and Ricky was in there watching tape so I think he knows he has to work harder than ever to get prepared," Niumatalolo said.

By: Bill Wagner of The Capital

Navy is getting blown out in its men's basketball season opener against Towson. The Midshipmen are short-handed as returning starters Romeo Garcia (hamstring) and Mark Veazey (back) are both sitting out.
However, the absence of those two players does not fully explain Navy's woeful offensive performance. The Midshipmen cannot make a shot, are committing turnovers at a ridiculous rate and struggling just to get open shots against an aggressive defense by the Tigers.
Towson guard Josh Thornton, a transfer from Georgetown, put on a shooting display early in the second half to turn the game into a romp. Thornton scored 14 points in four minutes by hitting a jumper and four consecutive 3-pointers, all of which came from NBA range.
With just 10 minutes remaining in the game, Navy still does not have a single player in double figures. The Mids are shooting a horrendous 14-for-51 from the field and have committed 16 turnovers.
I am typing this blog entry because there is no point in keeping play-by-play any longer. Towson leads 70-41.

By: Bill Wagner of The Capital

Navy’s three-man defensive line has really stepped up of late with junior nose guard Nate Frazier, junior right end Matt Nechak and freshman left end Jabaree Tuani all enjoying outstanding seasons.
Nechak leads all down linemen with 31 tackles, including a team-high 7.5 for loss and a team-leading four sacks. Tuani, who did not enter the starting lineup until the fifth game, has quickly accumulated 30 tackles, including 6.5 for loss and 1.5 sacks.
Frazier, an aggressive 6-foot-3, 287-pounder, has been a force up front – routinely taking on double teams yet still recording 21 tackles, 3.5 of which have gone for loss.

By: Bill Wagner of The Capital

Navy has used four different players at offensive right tackle this season. Senior Andrew McGinn started the season opener, but classmate Mike Von Bargen took over for the next four games. Junior Austin Milke then earned four straight starts, but has given way to sophomore Matt Malloy the past two games.
Malloy, a 6-foot-3, 280-pound product of Stephen Decatur High in Berlin, has impressed the coaching staff with his combination of size and athleticism. In a real rarity, Malloy’s first career start was also his first collegiate appearance.
"Matt is a very talented kid. I think the biggest thing with Matt was mentally, not physically. We always knew he was going to be a good football player and could do the job athletically. He just needed to gain experience," Navy offensive line coach Ashley Ingram said. "Just through repetitions at practice he got better and better and we felt more comfortable putting him in there."

By: Bill Wagner of The Capital

Slot back Bobby Doyle does not touch the ball much, but when he does something good usually happens.
Doyle has scored three touchdowns on 11 touches, an amazing ratio. Equally remarkable is the fact many of his carries from scrimmage have also resulted in first downs.
Doyle, who is used primarily as a blocker, has run the ball eight times for 112 yards – a phenomenal average of 14 yards per carry. The 5-foot-11, 195-pound junior also has two receptions for 54 yards.
Doyle has scored on a 38-yard pass against Towson, a 17-yard run versus Duke and a fumble recovery in the end zone at Air Force. The product of Chardon High in Ohio had a 16-yard catch and a 24-yard run against Temple, a 13-yard run versus Air Force and broke a career-long 39-yard run at Wake Forest.
That penchant for producing long gains on minimal touches led Niumatalolo to dub Doyle as "big-play Bobby" during Tuesday's Navy Football Luncheon.
"Bobby is an outstanding football player. He has a great attitude and great athletic ability. When he gets his opportunities, he takes advantage and makes the most of them," Navy slot backs coach Joe DuPaix said. "Bobby has been magical when he’s had the ball. He's not real flashy, he's not going to wow you with speed and moves, but he knows how to get the job done and has been very productive."
Senior Shun White has started every game at one slot back position, but multiple players have shared the opposite spot. Junior Cory Finnerty started the initial seven games, but senior Greg Shinego has started the last two. Doyle obviously sees significant action while DuPaix has also used sophomore Andre Byrd and freshman Cory James at times.
"There's not a slot back that we have that I don't have complete confidence in.
It's a very competitive position, the depth chart changes day-by-day, week-by-week," DuPaix said. "Lately, Shinego has proven himself to be a little bit better than the others and has earned that other starting spot."

By: Bill Wagner of The Capital

Navy and Notre Dame supporters have joined forces to hold a "Kickoff Luncheon" tomorrow in the B&O Warehouse at the Camden Yards complex. Hosted by the Notre Dame Club of Maryland in conjunction with the Baltimore chapter of the United States Naval Academy, the event will be held from 11:30-1:30 p.m. with WJZ-TV (Channel 13) sports anchor Mark Viviano serving as master of ceremonies.
Organizers have put together an impressive list of speakers for the luncheon, a combination of former Notre Dame and Navy greats. Two of the finest players in each program's respective history - Notre Dame tight end Mark Bavaro and Navy safety Chet Moeller - are the keynote speakers. Bavaro enjoyed a distinguished career in the NFL with the New York Giants while Moeller was a first team All-American.
Also slated to speak are former Notre Dame running back Greg Bell, former Navy quarterback Bill Byrne. There will be a special recognition of Rip Miller, one of the seven "Mules" who blocked for the famous Four Horseman on the 1924 Notre Dame national championship team and later served as head coach at the Naval Academy.
Miller served as an assistant athletic director at Navy from 1948 through 1974. His widow, Esther Miller, who remarkably turns 102 years old on Friday, will be in attendance.
Tickets cost $50 per person, $500 per table. For further information, contact Chris McCabe by calling 443-285-3434 or e-mailing chrismccabend78@comcast.net.

By: Bill Wagner of The Capital

Navy normally holds football practice from about 3:30 to 6 p.m. The Midshipmen did that even during August camp because Coach Ken Niumatalolo wanted the players to get used to being ready to perform at 3:30, which is the time of Navy home games.
Niumatalolo took advantage of the fact Tuesday was a holiday to hold an early afternoon practice. If Niumatalolo had not needed to attend his coach's luncheon, he probably would have started practice at noon. That's because he wants to replicate the noon start of this Saturday's contest against Notre Dame.
"I wanted to get as close as possible to noon. We haven't played many games at noon except Duke, and we know what the results were from that game," he said. "I truly believe that if you can get your body acclimated to the time that you are (competing) that it helps. I kind of got that from boxers and mixed martial arts who try to get used to doing stuff at fight time."
To that end, Niumatalolo said he would hold at least one late practice under the lights in advance of the Tuesday night game at Northern Illinois.

By: Bill Wagner of The Capital

I attended the third installment of the Navy head coach's luncheon today at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Coach Ken Niumatalolo had some interesting responses to a couple questions from fans in the audience.
One diehard fan that had attended several junior varsity games mentioned the fact there are five freshman quarterbacks on the roster. He was curious as to why one or more had not been moved to another position yet.
"It would be unfair to move anybody yet. None of them have really been coached. They've been playing in the JV games or on the scout team," Niumatalolo said. "We are excited about all of them. We think they are all pretty good."
Niumatalolo said all five plebes would remain at quarterback through spring practice so the coaching staff can get a firm handle on their respective capabilities. However, he also said there was no way all five would remain at quarterback.
"We don't have the luxury to keep five good athletes at quarterback," he said.
Niumatalolo named all five freshman signal-callers and said each "has some sort of positive attribute." He said Kriss Proctor (Big Bear, Cal.) was probably the "smoothest, most polished" in terms of directing the triple-option and called Sy Gaines (Midlothian, Va.) a "big, strong, powerful" kid. Michael Stukel (Fleming Island, Fla.) was rated the best all-around athlete of the bunch, Kameron Smith (Garner, N.C.) was also described as being extremely athletic while Brian Blick (Greenville, N.C.) was touted for being smart and skilled.

By: Bill Wagner of The Capital

Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo said this evening that senior quarterback Jarod Bryant had an outstanding practice and showed no ill affects from the bruised shoulder he suffered against SMU.
"Jarod was really sharp today. I think that week off kind of got his legs back a little bit. He looks like he's got a little burst there," Niumatalolo said.
Meanwhile, sophomore Ricky Dobbs continued to make some of the same mental mistakes that drive the coaching staff crazy.
"I've got to stop watching Ricky in practice because he does some things in practice that make you scratch your head," Niumatalolo said.
Niumatalolo pointed to the fact Dobbs came off the bench and performed well against SMU and Temple to suggest that perhaps the youngster raises his game and focuses better during games.
"Maybe Allen Iverson was right... practice is overrated," Niumatalolo said.
Meanwhile, senior quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada did not suit up for practice yesterday after underdoing treatment for his hamstring injury. Kaheaku-Enhada was dressed in sweats and watched practice from the sideline.

By: Bill Wagner of The Capital

It looks like Navy's revolving door of quarterbacks will continue. Just when you think you've got the situation figured out, it changes.
Jarod Bryant was directing the first team huddle during practice today and head coach Ken Niumatalolo said the senior captain would likely start against Notre Dame.
It would be the sixth start this season for Bryant, who has rushed for 440 yards and six touchdowns, passed for 265 yards and another two scores.
Bryant suffered a sprained shoulder against SMU and was not available to play quarterback against Temple. He did serve as the holder on place kicks during the miraculous comeback victory over the Owls.
"I thought Jarod was playing well in the SMU game before he got injured. He was on his way to having a big game," Niumatalolo said.
Bryant rushed for 48 yards on just six carries versus SMU before giving way to Ricky Dobbs, who rushed for 224 yards and four touchdowns against one of the nation’s weakest defenses.
While Bryant will likely start against the Fighting Irish, there is a high probability that Dobbs will play. Niumatalolo said the hotshot sophomore has earned the right to share signal-calling duties with Bryant, but would not commit to how much time the youngster would get next Saturday.
Meanwhile, senior Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada did not practice yesterday and likely will not attempt to work in full pads prior to the Notre Dame game, being held Nov. 15 at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. The senior from Hawaii was clearly a step slow against Temple and had no burst.
"Kaipo probably wouldn't be able to go (against Notre Dame)," Niumatalolo said. "Kaipo is more sore than anything. He just doesn't have any explosiveness. I think he's a little bit frustrated that he doesn't."


"There are some different scenarios. I don't know the exact formula... three-to-one series or the first series of second quarter," Niumatalolo said. "I'd just like to see him play. The kid has done well."

By: Bill Wagner of The Capital

In our continuing effort to provide Navy fans with the finest coverage, The Capital has introduced a new feature to its website. Beginning today and continuing every Thursday, The Capital will tape a video segment titled "Navy Sports Chat."
Staff writers Dave Broughton and Bill Wagner will discuss a variety of topics about Navy athletics with the focus on the primary sport(s) in season. This week's inaugural segment takes a look back at the Navy football season to date and the miraculous comeback over Temple.
Next week's segment will provide a preview of the Notre Dame football game along with some discussion about Navy men's and women's basketball, both of which open next Friday.
Here is the link to the first installment of "Navy Sports Chat."

By: Bill Wagner of The Capital

Navy has released its 2009 football schedule. You can find the complete release about the schedule at www.navysports.com.
There are only two changes from the schedule that is printed in this year's Navy football media guide. A home game against Louisiana Tech, which was revealed a few months back by the local newspaper in Ruston, replaces a road game at Temple on Sept. 12.
Temple remains on the schedule, but now become a home game and replaces the one that was originally schedule against Georgia Southern for Oct. 31.
Navy is playing 13 regular season games for the first time in school history. The NCAA allows teams to play one extra game in seasons that include a road game at Hawaii.
Obviously, the big addition to the schedule is a road game at Ohio State. The Midshipmen have not played at the fabled "Horseshoe" (Ohio Stadium) in Columbus since way back in 1931.
Navy is playing a total of seven opponents it played in 2008, headlined of course by permanent opponents Army, Air Force and Notre Dame. Other holdovers from this season are Temple, Pittsburgh, SMU and Wake Forest.
2009 Navy Football Schedule
Sept. 5: at Ohio State
Sept. 12: Louisiana Tech (First meeting)
Sept. 19: at Pittsburgh
Sept. 26: Western Kentucky (First meeting)
Oct. 3: Air Force
Oct. 10: at Rice
Oct. 17: at SMU
Oct. 24: Wake Forest
Oct. 31: Temple
Nov. 7: at Notre Dame
Nov. 14: Delaware
Nov. 21: at Hawaii
Dec. 12: vs. Army in Philadelphia

By: Bill Wagner of The Capital

Yesterday's story on Navy defensive end Michael Walsh may have been misleading.
Walsh has not yet earned a fifth season of eligibility from the NCAA. Navy will apply for a medical redshirt season on Walsh's behalf, but the NCAA probably will not issue a ruling until sometime in the spring.
However, in Walsh's instance, this should be a mere formality as Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo indicated. The NCAA has very clear-cut rules with regard to what is required to receive a medical redshirt. Walsh falls within those parameters, particularly in terms of games played prior to the season-ending injury.
Walsh played in three games plus nine plays. The NCAA rule states that a player cannot have appeared in more than 30 percent of his team's games during the season in question. Once Navy qualified for a bowl and brought its total number of games to 13, Walsh fell under the maximum level of games played.
Truth be told, the more difficult aspect of a Naval Academy football player receiving an extra year of eligibility involves meeting in-house regulations. Walsh needed to gain approval from the Naval Academy leadership to withdraw from school for the remainder of this semester and thus be extended academically into the Fall semester of 2009 in order to have an opportunity to play football for a fifth season.
That hurdle has been cleared and Walsh is now resting at home in Newtown, Pa. after undergoing season-ending surgery on Friday. Getting the NCAA to sign off on Walsh's medical redshirt should not be a problem.
In addition, yesterday's story mentioned a couple current Navy football players who are or will be fifth-year seniors. That list omitted starting safety Jeff Deliz, who suffered a season-ending injury in the second game of the 2007 season and ultimately withdrew from school after undergoing surgery.

By: Bill Wagner of The Capital

Spoke with Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo this afternoon and he said it's too early to speculate about which quarterback will start for Navy against Notre Dame. The Midshipmen are off for two days before resuming practice on Wednesday.
Niumatalolo said the staff will evaluate the health status of seniors Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada and Jarod Bryant before determining who will get the most repetitions with the starting unit on Wednesday.
Kaheaku-Enhada is bothered by the lingering affects of a hamstring injury. He appeared a step slow and lacked acceleration against Temple before aggravating the hamstring and leaving in the third quarter.
"It's frustrating for Kaipo because he just doesn't have his usual burst. On Saturday, there were gaps that he normally would be able to hit and be gone, but he just didn't have the explosiveness to make it through," Niumatalolo said.
Bryant suffered a sprained shoulder against SMU and was limited to holding on place kicks against Temple. He could rejoin the mix if the shoulder heals more and feels better.
What is not in question is that sophomore Ricky Dobbs is completely healthy and capable of practicing in full pads and at full speed.
"We'll have to wait and see where Kaipo and Jarod are at and go from there," Niumatalolo said. "At this point, we are comfortable playing with any of the three. We can win with Kaipo, Jarod or Ricky."
Navy's latest depth chart lists Kaheaku-Enhada or Dobbs or Bryant at quarterback.

By: Bill Wagner of The Capital