This will be the 3rd game over there, they played each other in 1996 and 2012
Last year, the Midshipmen were uncharacteristically bad on that side of the ball, ranking 103rd in the country in points allowed, giving up over 33 per game. That, in turn, led to a 3-10 season that is the worst mark of Niumatalolo’s tenure. In the offseason, the team brought in Brian Newberry to overhaul the unit, and he has done exactly that. Previously the coordinator at FCS power Kennesaw State, Newberry brought a multiple 4-2-5/3-4 style of defense that has allowed the Midshipmen to flourish this year, cutting their points allowed in half down to 16.2 (12th in FBS) per outing.
A big part of the improvement on the defensive side of the ball has been the play of the defensive line, which CBS Sports Network college football announcer Carter Blackburn calls a “play-making bunch.”
“It goes back to the defensive line. When Navy football is good defensively, they have a very salty defensive line, and that’s exactly what they have,” said Blackburn.