Navy has plenty of motivation for Air Force rematch

After Air Force beat Navy at Falcon Stadium last year, Midshipmen coach Ken Niumatalolo

stood outside the locker room and talked about how devastated his team was.

A year has passed, and those feelings haven’t changed.

“I still remember it like it was yesterday, looking into the eyes of the seniors and knowing how they felt,” Navy senior defensive end Jabaree Tuani said. “I felt like I let them down personally.”

Navy had beaten Air Force seven straight times, winning the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy every year in that span. There was a bit of disbelief among the Midshipmen that they had actually lost a service academy game. It was a new experience for every one of the players.

“It hit us hard,” Navy junior slotback Gee Gee Greene said. “It didn’t hit me until after the game was over. The game was close, and the whole time I was still thinking we had a chance. It was devastating to the whole team.”

These are the memories Navy has been carrying for the past year. A couple of months after the loss to the Falcons, Air Force’s equipment truck stopped by Annapolis on its way back from West Point to pick up the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy.

“Ever since last year, when we lost the game and the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy, it’s our main motivation to get it back,” Greene said.

Navy will be motivated, and the Midshipmen had a solid September. Their wins were against Western Kentucky and Delaware – not exactly difficult opponents – but they did impress in a 24-21 loss at nationally ranked South Carolina.

“We were crushed to lose to South Carolina,” Niumatalolo said. “But to go to SEC country and take on the No. 10 ranked team, and they played well and we still went toe to toe with them.

“Our kids didn’t flinch. I saw a little bit of our mental toughness.”

Navy lost quarterback Ricky Dobbs and eight defensive starters, but it doesn’t appear it is wallowing through a rebuilding phase.

“I really believed we were going to have a good team,” Tuani said. “I had 100 percent faith we’d be as good as last year, maybe better.”

Navy will be tested this week by a veteran Air Force team that is looking to retain the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy. Tuani said he has noticed a different intensity with the team this week, especially from the coaches in practice.

“Emotions are high going into the weekend,” Tuani said.