Having a shutout is never fun, even less so when it happens at home, like the Marine midshipmen was discovered on Saturday due to the Tulane Green Wave.
The Midshipmen were unable to get anything going against the Green Wave’s stout defense, something many teams can say this year.
At one point earlier this year, it was a game that many were circling as one that would potentially crown the American Athletic Conference champions. While that didn’t happen, it did strengthen the two teams that will be in the championship game: Tulane and the Army Black Knights.
The Mids are now just 1-3 in the last four weeks after starting the year on a six-match winning streak. Their latest efforts have seen their shares plummet, and so has Chris Vannini The Athletics once again dropped the program in its weekly college football rankings, moving from 38th last week to 46th this week.
Navy now has two weeks to prepare for their final game of the regular season, Nov. 29 against 6-4 East Carolina Pirates. The rivalry game with the Black Knights is not considered part of the regular season, and with seven wins already, the Midshipmen should be locked in for a bowl game.
It will be the program’s first bowl game since playing in the Liberty Bowl in 2019, and the 16th this century. Even with the recent losing streak, it has been a successful sophomore campaign for head coach Brian Newberry.
The Midshipmen and the Pirates share two common opponents this year in the Temple Owls and the Charlotte 49ers. Although records against regular opponents don’t always indicate who would win in a matchup, the Mids went 2-0 against those teams, while East Carolina went just 1-1 and lost to the 49ers 55-24.
Navy defeated these two teams 89-28 and should be the favorites to win next Saturday and end their 2024 regular season with eight wins, a mark to be proud of.
Not only is this Newberry’s second season as head coach of the Midshipmen, it is only his second season as a head coach anywhere. If he can lead this program to wins, and add another three wins to the current total, a 10-win year would be a fantastic mark on his resume.
It all starts next week with East Carolina.