Mids Used to Playing Catch-Up

Navy has fallen behind and trailed at the end of the first quarter of both of its games. At Ohio State, some players admitted to being nervous at the start, in a stadium that contained 105,000 fans. Against Louisiana Tech, "we came out sleeping," linebacker Tyler Simmons said. Whatever the reason, Coach Ken Niumatalolo is looking for a change.

"There are things we're looking at, maybe from a game preparation, from a pregame deal," said Niumatalolo, whose team was blown out early by Pittsburgh last season. "Whatever we can do to try to get our guys minds right."

One of the hallmarks of last year's team was its resilience; the Midshipmen put together fourth-quarter rallies to edge Rutgers and Temple, and nearly did so against Notre Dame before falling short. This year's team displayed that quality while coming back to nearly tie the game against Ohio State.

Quarterback Ricky Dobbs's passing ability factored into the comebacks against Temple, Notre Dame and Ohio State, but that doesn't mean the Midshipmen should feel comfortable if they fall behind.

"I think we have more confidence in us being able to throw the ball, but not in those situations because you still have to protect the guy and get open," Niumatalolo said. "I feel more comfortable about our passing game, but I never feel comfortable falling behind."