Tag: Tai Lavatai

Navy statistical leaders using 2022 statistics

Check out the Midshipmen’s best returning players.

Navy has a new coach at the helm in Brian Newberry. Normally, a new coach at a service academy would have a lot to learn about leading such a program. But Newberry previously was the Midshipmen’s defensive coordinator for four seasons. If he doesn’t know what the team is capable of by now, he’s in serious trouble.

When you take a look at some of the returning leaders for the Midshipmen, you’ll notice that some of the figures are not what you would expect from a typical college football program in 2023. It often looks more like something you’d see from the middle of the last century. Alas, these are players who have their eye on serving their country instead of playing in the NFL. They just happen to be the best football players the Naval Academy has to offer.

Statistically, here are the top returning players on this year’s team from 2022:

Know your foe: Which Midshipmen could give Notre Dame problems

This should be a win for the Irish but that doesn’t mean Navy will back down

The season opener for [autotag]Notre Dame football[/autotag] should be a win against [autotag]Navy[/autotag], but that doesn’t mean the Irish will walk all over the Midshipmen.

The gimmicky offense that Navy trots out there is a blast from the past, one that Notre Dame won’t see again all season. It does help that it’s game one, but like last year, can give quality teams problems.

Navy almost pulled off the upset against the Irish last season and the following week did exactly that against a ranked UCF team. The venue changes this year, but the Middies scheme doesn’t. Find out below which Midshipmen could give the Irish problems.

Tale of the Tape: Starting Quarterbacks – Drew Pyne vs. Tai Lavatai

Hardly a fair comparison, but it’s gotta be done.

We don’t see much of a change in [autotag]Drew Pyne[/autotag]’s numbers from Notre Dame’s upset win over Clemson. That’s because the Irish mainly relied on the ground game and were very effective at it. Still, somebody had to guide the offense in dominating the Tigers, and Pyne did a fine job. On the passing side, he’s still playing at a decent pace given that he didn’t start until the third game of the season.

Sizing up Navy’s quarterbacks always is tough since the service academies are known to rank at or near the bottom in pass attempts, and this year is no exception. Tai Lavatai is a perfect example of that as he’s run the ball more than he’s thrown it. It’s strange to think that the Irish’s secondary might not be needed much in any game, but it’s a possibility here. Still, you never know when the Midshipmen might try a surprise.

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Notre Dame vs. Navy: Third-Quarter Analysis

This game holding your interest?

In the third quarter, Notre Dame got a lesson in why Navy is among the best in the country at time of possession. More than half of the frame went by before the Irish touched the football. And what did it all amount to? Not much as the Irish have a 17-6 lead going into the fourth.

With Tai Lavatai unlikely to return because of an injury suffered in the second quarter, Xavier Arline assumed quarterback duties for the Midshipmen. With him under center and what little passing game it had before now nonexistent, the offense ran, ran and ran some more. It worked as five first downs were picked up, only two of which came on third down. This long drive eventually stalled at the Irish’s 4-yard line, and Bijan Nichols kicked a 21-yard field goal to get something out of it.

Whether the long wait to see the field again affected the Irish’s offense may never be known. A case could be made for it because the unit went three-and-out. The Midshipmen took the ball back, and this time, the Irish’s defense showed, forcing a three-and-out of their own. When the offense came back out, it got just across midfield before the clock ran out on the quarter, so maybe, the Irish are on the cusp of putting this game away.

Notre Dame vs. Navy: Second-Quarter Analysis

That’s more like it.

We might have more of a clear picture of how this game between Notre Dame and Navy will go. The Irish came in as the favorite, though they didn’t start like it. However, the talent discrepancy between them and the Midshipmen finally began to show itself. That means the Irish have a 17-3 halftime lead.

After stopping the Midshipmen on their first possession of the second quarter, the Irish showed more signs of life on offense. There was a Kyren Williams run here, a Michael Mayer gain there, and they set up a 38-yard pass from Jack Coan to Kevin Austin, which put the Irish at the Navy 11-yard line. An illegal block from Braden Lenzy set things back and might have cost the Irish a touchdown as they only got as far as the 6 after that. Jonathan Doerer tied the game on a 24-yard field goal.

The Irish then forced another three-and-out, which paved the way for a run-heavy drive mainly led by Tyler Buchner. Williams, Buchner and Logan Diggs pushed through on the ground before reaching the red zone. An 11-yard pass from Buchner to Austin was the first sign that this drive would end more successfully than the last one because that placed the ball at the 1. After that, Williams only needed one play to score the game’s first touchdown after that.

The Midshipmen once again failed to pick up a first down on the next possession, but they may have lost more than a chance to chip away at the deficit. Tai Lavatai suffered an injury on the field and was helped back to the locker room. Xavier Arline took over at quarterback for one play, but we’ll see if he’ll be needed for more in the second half. A 65-yard punt from Riley Riethman down the ball at the Irish’s 5.

All the Midshipmen had to do with time running out in the half was hold the Irish to their own side of the field, and they could go into the break down by only a score. It almost worked, but on third down, Coan found Austin for a 70-yard touchdown on his longest pass of the season. Slowly but surely, things have come up Irish.

Notre Dame vs. Navy: First-Quarter Analysis

We have a game.

Some might have thought Notre Dame would just cruise to victory over Navy. If that’s going to happen, we haven’t seen it yet. In fact, the Midshipmen are showing they won’t just be pushed around at Notre Dame Stadium. Consequently, they have a 3-0 lead after the first quarter.

Neither team picked up a first down on the game’s first three possessions. On the fourth possession, the Midshipmen showed the first signs of life when they converted on a fourth-and-1, which was followed by a 32-yard gain from Jayden Umbarger on a reverse pitch. Four plays later, Tai Lavatai was successful at converting a fourth-and-1 in the red zone, but he then was sacked on back-to-back plays by Kurt Hinish and Jordan Botelho. Even after that disaster for the Midshipmen, who burned all three of their first-half timeouts on the drive, Bijan Nichols kicked a 49-yard field goal to open the game’s scoring.

The Irish sent their offense back onto the field, and things finally got moving, at least for a bit. After a couple of runs from Kyren Williams, Coan hit Deion Colzie for a 31-yard completion to the Navy 25-yard line. Though the Irish got into the red zone over the next three plays, they opted to go for it on fourth down. Coan was sacked by John Marshall, and the Irish turned it over on downs.

Hopefully, this is just a slow start.

Tale of the Tape: Starting Quarterbacks – Jack Coan vs. Tai Lavatai

Hardly seems fair to compare.

Winning cures everything, so given recent trends, Notre Dame’s quarterback issue going its game against Navy doesn’t seem so big. It helps that Jack Coan surprised everyone with a couple of big runs in the Irish’s victory over North Carolina. His passing numbers are holding steady, which is about all Irish fans can ask for right now. Averaging over 200 yards a game certainly inspires confidence, too.

Diehard college football fans have known this for years, but for those who don’t, the military academies historically do not have pass-heavy teams. That’s because they’re undersized. That being the case, it hardly makes sense to compare Coan’s numbers to Tai Lavatai’s as it would be completely unfair, but we’re putting the chart together to stay consistent with the rest of the season. The one thing worth highlighting is that Lavatai is a much better runner, although that probably is out of necessity more than anything else.

This historical rivalry always provides an interesting look at the differences at how the programs operate, and quarterback might be the most notable example.