2009 Navy Midshipmen NCAA Football Predictions

Written July 9, 2009 by Jason Lowry

Navy Midshipmen 2009 Predictions The Navy Midshipmen finished up the 2008 season at 8-5, and have now won at least 8 games in each of the last 6 seasons. Navy finished the regular season at 7-4, but was unable to come away with a win in their EagleBank Bowl game against Wake Forest. This year the Midshipmen will have to keep the streak of 8 win seasons a live with just 11 returning starters, but they were able to win 8 games last year with just 12 starters back. Here is a quick look at both sides of the football, plus my prediction on how I see the Midshipmen finishing up the season this year.

On offense the Midshipmen have just 4 starters back from last season, but a number of players are ready to make their mark on this side of the ball. At quarterback the Midshipmen will likely hand the starting job to junior Ricky Dobbs, and while it normally can be difficult for a quarterback in his first year as a starter, because of how much the Midshipmen run the football he should have a pretty easy transition into the starting role. Plus Dobbs played in 7 games last season, and was a force on the ground running for 495 yards and 8 scores. One concern is the Midshipmen lost their top two backs from last season, and thats over 2,000 yards and 12 touchdowns this team will have to replace. Seniors Bobby Doyle and Cory Finnerty are the top two candidates to fill the void, but even though Navy is known for doing a good job at replacing backs, I don’t think these two guys will be able to put up those kind of numbers. Only one receiver had more than 4 catches last season in Tyree Barnes, but he is no longer with the team. Juniors Mike Schupp and Mario Washington are expected to start, but they will be used more as blockers than receivers. One plus for the Midshipmen is three of the four starters that are back on offense just so happen to be on the offensive line. The right side remain intact with senior guard Curtis Bass and Junior tackle Matt Molloy, while senior guard Osei Asante will fill the void at left guard along side returning starting left tackle Jeff Battipaglia. Sophomore Brady DeMell is expected to start at center, and he should be a solid option for years to come. Bet the Midshipmen this season at Sportsbook.com.

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The Midshipmen should have one of the better defenses this season, as they have 7 returning starters back and plenty of talent to fill the voids. Up front all three starters are back, including the outstanding duo of seniors Matt Nechak and Nate Frazier. Sophomore defensive end Jabaree Tuani had a pretty solid freshman campaign with 1.5 sacks and 7.5 tackles for a loss, and they are expecting even better numbers this season. At linebacker the Midshipmen have three returning starters, including two very good players in seniors Ross Pospisil and Clint Sovie. Tony Haberer is expected to become a full time starter at the open inside backer spot, and he has performed well when given the chance. In the secondary the only starter back is junior free safety Wyatt Middleton, and he will likely be joined by sophomore free safety Kwesi Mitchell. At the two open corner spots senior Blake Carter and junior Kevin Edwards are expected to take over and how well they play could really determine just how good this defense is this season. Bet college football this season at Sportsbook.com.

My 2009 Prediction: 8-5 Overall. I think that if the Midshipmen play well at home their schedule will work out in their favor. It won’t be an easy start to the season with two of their first three games on the road against Ohio State and Pittsburgh, but it gets easier as the season goes on. If the offense struggles to replace the production at running back I could see the Midshipmen dropping all the way down to around 6 wins.

For those of you looking for some help with your NCAA football predictions this season, be sure to check back for our expert college football picks and the latest NCAA football odds at Betfirms.

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