Xavier Arline takes over as Navy football starting quarterback this Saturday, just in time for an extremely difficult November.
Navy has road games against American Athletic Conference heavyweights Cincinnati (Saturday) and Central Florida (Nov. 19) sandwiched around the annual meeting with Notre Dame (Nov. 12), which is being held at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore.
If the Midshipmen make it through that meat grinder, they’ll get three weeks off before playing the biggest game of the season. Navy concludes the 2022 campaign against archrival Army at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on Dec. 10.
Speaking to the media Monday, coach Ken Niumatalolo acknowledged the challenge confronting his team, but made it clear the only opponent that matters this week is Cincinnati. Last season, the Bearcats went undefeated in capturing the American Athletic Conference championship and became the first Group of Five program to appear in the College Football Playoff.
“I can’t ever remember a stretch like this. This is a brutal one, but we can’t look at the other games, we just have to focus on this one,” Niumatalolo said. “It’s going to take a Herculean effort to beat this team.”
Cincinnati had nine players selected in the 2022 NFL Draft with cornerback Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner going No. 4 overall to the New York Jets. Wide receiver Alec Pierce went in the second round to the Indianapolis Colts, while quarterback Desmond Ridder was taken in the third round by the Atlanta Falcons.
Niumatalolo scoffed at statements from some college football critics who say the Bearcats have “fallen off.” That may be true considering Cincinnati was ranked as high as No. 2 last season and is currently in the others receiving votes category of the Associated Press poll.
Cincinnati (6-2, 3-1) opened this season with a 31-24 loss to Arkansas then reeled off five straight wins before bowing to Central Florida, 25-20, on Saturday. The Bearcats are in a three-way tie with UCF (6-2, 3-1) and Houston (5-3, 3-1) for second place in the AAC behind Tulane (7-1, 4-0).
“They still have really good players,” Niumatalolo said. “We have to play a perfect game and they have to be slightly off for us to have a chance.”
Cincinnati is led by sixth-year head coach Luke Fickell, who has compiled an impressive 54-17 record. The Bearcats went 4-8 in Fickell’s first season at the helm, but have posted records of 11-2 (2018), 11-3 (2019), 9-1 (2020) and 13-1 (2021) since.
Niumatalolo credits Fickell with prioritizing recruiting within the state of Ohio and getting more talented players to stay home. Fickell played at Ohio State and served as an assistant at his alma mater from 2002 through 2011.
“I think Luke had a philosophy and followed a blueprint for how he wanted to build the program,” Niumatalolo said. “The reason they’ve been able to sustain [success] since he’s been there is that he’s built a good foundation as far as culture.
“Luke is a tough, hard-nosed, defensive-minded coach. I think the team takes Luke’s personality — matter-of-fact, businesslike, physical, unrelenting.”
Ben Bryant returned to Cincinnati to replace Ridder as the starting quarterback. Bryant was Ridder’s backup for two seasons before transferring to Eastern Michigan to become a starter, throwing for more than 3,000 yards in 2021.
Bryant has been outstanding as a redshirt senior, passing for 2,059 yards and 16 touchdowns so far this season. Charles McClelland has succeeded Gerome Ford as the starting tailback and has amassed 667 rushing yards. Tre Tucker and Tyler Scott have teamed up to replace Pierce’s production, combining for 1,053 yards on 72 catches.
Tai Lavatai, who started all 17 games in which he played over the past two seasons, suffered a season-ending injury this past Saturday against Temple. Arline took over under center and did just enough to lead the Midshipmen to a 27-20 win, directing one long touchdown drive, then scoring the decisive touchdown on a 23-yard run in overtime.
Arline will have no time to get settled in and comfortable as starting quarterback as Cincinnati fields a ferocious defense. The Bearcats lead the country in tackles for loss and defensive touchdowns and rank third in sacks.
Linebacker Ivan Pace Jr., a transfer from Eastern Michigan, has been a dominant force with 82 tackles, including an FBS-leading 16 for loss with seven sacks.
Cincinnati has won 30 consecutive games at Nippert Stadium, the second-longest home winning streak in the country behind Clemson (38). Navy has played just one game at Nippert Stadium and it was ugly, a 42-0 loss in 2018.
However, the Midshipmen have more positive memories of their most recent matchup with the Bearcats — a 27-20 loss last season in Annapolis.
“Besides Alabama, we played Cincinnati as close as anyone. Our guys recognize that and hopefully, it gives us confidence,” Niumatalolo said. “We have to possess the ball the way we did last year, but we also have to score touchdowns, which is easier said than done against these guys.”
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