<p>*Wake Forest Beats Flordia State (Winston-Salem Journal) *</p>
<p>Skinner connects with Moore for the go-ahead TD</p>
<p>
[quote]
Wake Forests Riley Skinner, the Florida kid too small to play for the Florida State Seminoles, has proven to be big enough to beat them twice.</p>
<p>My little 6-foot butt isnt getting any recruiting letters from Florida State, Skinner said....
[/quote]
</p>
<p>
[quote]
Navy's beleaguered defense suffered another significant loss during Wednesday's shootout with Pittsburgh.</p>
<p>Starting safety Ketric Buffin left the game after making a tackle in the second quarter and did not return. Several sources said Buffin suffered a broken arm, an injury that would likely put him out of action for at least a month....
[/quote]
</p>
<p>For the first time this season, the Naval Academy leadership has made supporting the football team for an away game a priority.</p>
<p>Capt. Margaret Klein, the Commandant of Midshipmen, has issued a mandatory order for the entire Brigade to watch tonight's Navy-Pittsburgh game at Alumni Hall. In addition, Capt. Klein has granted a "movement order" that will allow up to 200 first and second class midshipmen to attend the nationally televised game at Heinz Field.</p>
<p>Both moves are a departure from previous policy as Vice. Adm. Jeffrey Fowler, the first-year Superintendent of the Naval Academy, had restricted off-campus travel and liberty in an effort to get the Brigade of Midshipmen to focus on educational and military duties.</p>
<p>Other new policies, including mandatory study hour and on-campus dining every weeknight, were designed to get the Midshipmen to focus on the primary mission of the academy.</p>
<p>Due largely to the restrictions, the only Mids in dress whites at either the Temple or Rutgers away games were members of the Drum and Bugle Corps.</p>
<p>For one game at least, the commandant and superintendent seem to have relaxed the restrictions. Capt. Klein told the website GoMids.com the mandatory order for all Midshipmen to watch the Navy-Pittsburgh game at Alumni Hall came at the request of the brigade commander. Capt. Klein also said the "movement order" was her idea as a reward to a limited number of midshipmen based on merit. So far, only half of the eligible midshipmen have signed up to travel to the game.</p>
<p>Athletic director Chet Gladchuk moved swiftly to capitalize on the fact some 4,000 members of the Brigade will be watching the game at Alumni Hall. Sports information director Scott Strasemeier told The Capital the athletic department has hired a camera crew and satellite television truck to provide footage of the Midship-men cheering on the football team.</p>
<p>Gladchuk thought the national exposure for the Naval Academy justified the cost, which includes buying satellite time in order to send the footage to ESPN headquarters in Connecticut.</p>
<p>"ESPN is very excited and very enthusiastic about having the opportunity to flash to Annapolis and show the reaction of the Brigade," Gladchuk said. "We expect to see the Brigade on live television several times over the course of the broadcast."</p>
<p>Current Navy football coach Paul Johnson has worked hard to strengthen the connection between the team and the Brigade. Johnson has instituted a 12th man program that allows average midshipmen to cover the opening kickoff of home games and spoken at pep rallies in an effort to reach out to the Brigade.</p>
<p>"We should never underestimate the value of the football program to the spirit and morale of the Brigade. Success on the football field serves as a rallying point and helps bring the entire institution together," Gladchuk said. "Anything we can do to further the bond between the football team and the Brigade and to pro-mote the spirit of the Naval Academy as a whole is worthwhile."</p>
<p>Copyright 2007 Capital Gazette Communications, Inc.
All Rights Reserved</p>
<p>Danger: Speed kills - Opponents haven't figured out that the Deacs can really run (Winston Salem Journal)</p>
<p>By Dan Collins
JOURNAL REPORTER</p>
<p>Wake Forest's football series with Florida State is the classic tortoise and hare story - with a twist.</p>
<p>The Wake Forest tortoise has beaten the Florida State hare twice in a row with resolve and determination. And along the way, the tortoise has become every bit as fast as the hare.</p>
<p>For confirmation, ask the Florida State defensive backs trying to run down Josh Adams while Adams was streaking past the Seminoles' bench on the way to an 83-yard touchdown in the Deacons' 24-21 victory Thursday night.</p>
<p>"I said 'Let's test Florida speed against North Carolina speed,' " said Adams, a native of Cary. "I just broke to the right side and took off."</p>
<p>Micah Andrews, a senior who shares the running-back position with Adams, was impressed. Not since 1996 has an opponent run at least 80 yards for a
touchdown against Florida State. That opponent was Morgan Kane of the Deacons, who streaked 80 yards for a touchdown in 1996 to prevent another Wake Forest shutout in a 44-7 FSU flogging in Orlando.</p>
<p>Before Adams, Clemson's Jacoby Ford had the longest run of this season against the Seminoles, 44 yards. Adams finished with 140 yards on 18 carries.</p>
<p>"Wow, I haven't seen anybody that fast since Chris Barclay," Andrews said, referring to Wake Forest's all-time leader in rushing yards, touchdowns and points scored. "I'm not going to lie to you.</p>
<p>"I thought somebody would clip his legs out from under him, but he just kept going."</p>
<p>Coach Jim Grobe of the Deacons summarized the player - and the play - with one word.</p>
<p>"Special," Grobe said. "The home run, that's what Josh gives you.</p>
<p>"He's got a lot of potential, and he's going to get better and better and better. But he's got the real good foot speed, and against a team like Florida State you've got to have that once in a while."</p>
<p>There were other examples Thursday in front of a national television audience, just as there have been other games when Wake Forest's speed has helped lift the Deacons from the depths to the top of the ACC standings. Perceptions die hard. And the longer the perception lasts, the harder it dies.</p>
<p>But most teams aren't supposed to be able to run with the Florida States of the college-football world. The Deacons are fast, as safety Alex Frye proved when he ran down Darrius Heyward-Bey to save a touchdown this season against Maryland.</p>
<p>Receiver Kevin Marion also proved it when he ripped off an 81-yard touchdown run to beat Boston College last season.</p>
<p>Cornerback Alphonso Smith proved it when he got back to his feet to run down Hakeem Nicks and save a touchdown last season against North Carolina,</p>
<p>And the sooner that opponents understand that, the better chance they'll have against a team that has now won 10 of its past 13 games against ACC teams.</p>
<p>The Deacons' speed is most obvious on defense. Anyone who can't run can't play defense for these Wake Forest teams.</p>
<p>Thursday night, the Deacons swamped the Florida State running game, holding the Seminoles to 47 yards rushing. And 17 of those came on Xavier Lee's touchdown with 17 seconds remaining.</p>
<p>Smith and safety Chip Vaughn each had seven tackles and an interception.</p>
<p>Cornerback Brandon Ghee and linebacker Aaron Curry had six tackles each.</p>
<p>The Deacons made eight tackles for losses.</p>
<p>"They have a great defense, they always do," defensive end Jeremy Thompson of Wake Forest said. "But we also have a good defense, and we're trying to prove that year in and year out.</p>
<p>"But we just focused the whole week, the short week, on beating Florida State's offense."</p>
<p>And after the mission was accomplished, all things seemed possible for a fast team fast becoming a team few opponents want to play.</p>
<p>"Hopefully, this will be a good morale builder for us and will give us a chance to look forward a little bit as far as what might happen down the road," Grobe said. "But I think as much as anything, we're just maybe playing a little bit better as a team right now.</p>
<p>"And that's the most important thing."</p>
<p>
[quote]
Two of the more prominent college football coaches in this town -- Maryland's Ralph Friedgen and Navy's Paul Johnson -- have a rare weekend off to reflect on their 4-2 records and even count their blessings. </p>
<p>Friedgen's Terrapins were as low as a team could get three weeks ago after losing a 24-3 lead in the third quarter at Wake Forest before falling, 31-24. The game turned on an interception of a pass by Jordan Steffy that Wake Forest returned 100 yards for a touchdown. </p>
<p>Seven days later, the Terrapins showed great resilience by upsetting No. 10 Rutgers, 34-24, as Steffy suffered a concussion and Chris Turner closed the game like a veteran. And last Saturday against Georgia Tech, the Terrapins again prevailed, 28-26, with Turner losing a fumble that was returned for a touchdown at the end of the first half when strategy seemed to dictate killing the clock....
[/quote]
</p>
<p>
[quote]
It's a story Navy sophomore linebacker Ram Vela, a standout quarterback at Taft in 2004, can tell his grandchildren someday. </p>
<p>Although he laughs about it now, Vela was hardly smiling last spring when he was detained at a security checkpoint at the White House before the Midshipmen received the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy from President Bush. </p>
<p>"It was a very scary experience," said Vela, a 2005 Taft graduate who will start at outside linebacker when Navy plays at Pittsburgh tonight....
[/quote]
</p>
<p>There's a great interview on gomids.com with Paul Johnson. Good reading.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Paul Johnson didnt play football while he was attending Western Carolina University as an undergraduate in the late 1970s.</p>
<p>To get the kind of job he wanted, he didnt think it would be necessary.</p>
<p>When I first started, I assumed I was going to be a high-school football coach and teacher, Johnson said. I never had any inkling I would end up where I have....
[/quote]
</p>
<p><a href="http://navy.scout.com/2/690982.html%5B/url%5D">http://navy.scout.com/2/690982.html</a></p>
<p>
[quote]
The following is the transcript of Mondays conversation between GoMids.coms David Ausiello and Navy head football coach Paul Johnson. It was edited slightly for space considerations....
[/quote]
</p>
<p>*Comments from Navy head football coach Paul Johnson, quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada and slot back Reggie Campbell following practice on Monday, Oct. 15 *</p>
<p>On Wake Forest </p>
<p>"I wasn't surprised they beat Florida State. That is two years in a row. They have a good football team. They run well, they have a lot of speed and they have a lot of experience, especially on defense. Their quarterback is playing really well right now and they have a great kicker. They have scored five or six touchdowns on defense. They have a lot of speed on both sides of the ball. They do a good job of not beating themselves. We have to execute at a high level and play as well as we can to have a chance to win this game." </p>
<p>On Wake's ability to win close games </p>
<p>"They play to the end and they don't beat themselves. Usually if you have a great kicking game and a good defense it gives you a pretty good chance to win close games." </p>
<p>On losing Ketric Buffin </p>
<p>"We have to move on. It is what it is. Somebody else will get an opportunity to play." </p>
<p>On his respect for Jim Grobe and his accomplishments at Wake Forest </p>
<p>"He has done a nice job. He has laid a solid foundation and he has them ready for every game they play. He has done a great job." </p>
<p>On Wake Forest's Offense </p>
<p>"It's going to be Air Force on fast forward. If you want to see what it looks like just go put the Air Force game on and watch is on fast forward. That's what it will look like. It will be at warp speed, not at Air Force speed. They play to their personnel and they do a great job with it." </p>
<p>On what the Pitt victory meant </p>
<p>"It made us 4-2 which is better than the alternative. A lot of people watched the game so it might help recruiting and it helps with the perception of the program but other than that it's over. We don't get to carry any points over to this game." </p>
<p>On Navy playing close games every week </p>
<p>"I hope this week is a close game. We are going to have to play extremely well to have a chance in this game." </p>
<p>On having Wake Forest on the schedule </p>
<p>"Both schools are strong academically and Wake Forest graduates their players like we do." </p>
<p>Comments from Navy quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada following practice on Monday, Oct. 15 </p>
<p>On the Pitt game </p>
<p>"It was a good win. The offense got rolling a little bit and we did a good job of executing." </p>
<p>On the balance of the offense </p>
<p>"It always looks better when you complete the first pass on the first play of the game. That play set the tone for us." </p>
<p>On Wake Forest </p>
<p>"This defense we are going to see this weekend is the best defense we have played against all year. I don't think there's any doubt about that. They are very fast and coming off a win over Florida State they will be on the juice and will be flying around." </p>
<p>On Homecoming </p>
<p>"Last year all I saw was red (Rutgers) on Homecoming. We have another great team coming in here this year for Homecoming and it's a great chance for us to show people what we can do." </p>
<p>Comments from Navy slot back Reggie Campbell following practice on Monday, Oct. 15 </p>
<p>On Zerbin Singleton </p>
<p>"He's a spark plug. He is always full of energy and he doesn't it without getting hardly any sleep. He gives a spark to the whole team. He is always excited. I admire him (on and off the field). He's a guy that is a great example of being able to do anything you want through hard work. His work ethic is something that I admire. The guy has his phone number posted in the locker room and anybody on the team can call him at any time if they need anything. He will go the extra mile for anybody. He has a big heart and he is a genuine person. That's a trait you can't find in everybody and that's why we get along so well. I like people that are genuine."</p>
<p>Veteran Wake team spreads problems</p>
<p>
[quote]
Whoever is scheduling Navy's homecoming opponents might want to rethink their strategy.</p>
<p>Last season, Navy played nationally ranked Rutgers on homecoming and got pounded, 34-0. This season, the homecoming opponent is defending Atlantic Coast Conference champion Wake Forest.</p>
<p>So much for scheduling a patsy for the purpose of sending the alumni home happy!...
[/quote]
</p>
<p>
[quote]
Coming into the season, Navy coaches wondered how the Midshipmen's retooled defense would perform. Six games later, the question remains unanswered.</p>
<p>Inconsistent play has plagued the Mids' defense thus far. The unit has made decisive plays in two victories but at other times has struggled with tackling and coverage. The 202 points yielded through six games are just 59 less than Navy gave up all of last year....
[/quote]
</p>
<p>
[quote]
Navy walked off the field a winner last week after defeating Pittsburgh, but its defense suffered a major loss.</p>
<p>Junior cornerback Ketric Buffin injured his right arm in the 48-45 double-overtime victory, and is doubtful for Saturdays Homecoming game against defending Atlantic Coast Conference champion Wake Forest and maybe longer.</p>
<p>Buffin is the third Midshipman to sustain a serious injury. Linebacker Clint Sovie and safety Jeff Deliz are out for the season....
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Tuesday Football Press Conference Quotes</p>
<p>Jim Grobe and the Deacons preview the Navy game</p>
<p>Vote for this week's Pontiac Game Changing Performance - almost $200,000 is on the line. </p>
<p>Oct. 16, 2007 </p>
<p>Head Coach Jim Grobe</p>
<p>On defending the Navy triple-option running attack...</p>
<p>"There are two problems. First, no one's doing it now. At one time, there were at least a few teams that were still running triple option. We were one of them at Ohio University, but you just don't see anybody doing that anymore, so they're very unique. And then, they do a good job on it as anyone's ever done. That's the problem. It would be one thing if they were just doing something unique, but they do it better than anyone we've ever seen do it....I thought that the last time we played Navy, we had a pretty good plan in place, but we didn't execute it very well, and that's your biggest problem. Knowing things you'd like to do to help stop the option is one thing, but being able to prepare for it in a week, getting the scout team ready to perform at the same speed of a game, there are just so many problems that go into preparing for this offense that knowing what to do doesn't always do much for you. You just gotta be able to practice it during
the week, and nobody can do a very good job of that."</p>
<p>On this week... </p>
<p>"This is a real bring-me-down-to-earth game for us because we've played some very conventional offenses here at the start of the season, and this preparation is the toughest we've ever had, so this is a tough week for us. We better not be thinking too much about what we just did with Florida State or what we might be able to do later on because this is one of the best team's we'll play all year."</p>
<p>On Navy... </p>
<p>"We haven't seen anybody slow these guys down. They've only punted around six times in six games. That tells you how good they are offensively, and then defensively, they're a typical Academy football team. They're going to play hard from start to finish. Our guys got some idea of that from when we played Army. We played a football team in Army that physically took it to us, and Navy's going to do the same thing. They're just a physical, real talented, well-coached football team."</p>
<p>On the unpredictability of college football around the nation...</p>
<p>"You just never know from week-to-week. You just have to remember that you've got the unknown with the players. They're kids. They have responsibilities every week. Some weeks are tougher than others in the classroom. You have illnesses and injuries and all other types of things you have to deal with. And then you never know from week-to-week how strong the other team is going to be. And it's whether you're playing at home or playing on the road. There are so many intangibles in college football today that from week-to-week you see a little more balance talent-wise across the country. And then you take into account that you're really only going to get
sky-high for three or four games a year and the rest you have to win on talent. I think it's really, really tough as a college football coach to find a win on any Saturday."</p>
<p>On voting in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches poll...</p>
<p>"One way I try to look at it, this far along in the season, if I've got one team ranked above another one, I try to think who would win on a neutral field if they were playing today. That doesn't mean I'll feel the same way next week. It just means today that if they played on neutral field, this is
who I think would win, and that's a hard thing to do to take into account whether they're playing at home, playing on the road, who's injured, who's not injured. There's no science to it, that's for sure."</p>
<p>On the team's confidence...</p>
<p>"I don't think we've had any kind of confidence issue all year long. I think the problem we've had is we've just played a really tough schedule and that's not going to ease up. It's as tough a game coming up this week with Navy as any we've played all year. I think for our players, the biggest
problem for us has just been the schedule. Every week, we've had to get up and play, and I think it's been a little bit of a mental hurdle for us, starting off 0-2, and to bounce back and I'm really proud of the way we have. I really felt like the Florida State week was the first week we really
had fun. I thought that it was the first week of practice we really had fun; the first time that we took the field smiling and bouncing around and looking forward to playing a football game. I think there was so much pressure on our guys early that we may have stressed out a little bit. I think we're a pretty confident football team, but I don't think that came from beating Florida State. I think we just feel like we can win as long as we play well." </p>
<p>On the team's motto "We Finish"...</p>
<p>"I think we've adopted kind of a mentality that it is a four-quarter football game, and at times we don't play as well as we could in the first half. We've had first halves where we've played a little better than in the second half. We've gone both ways. But I think for us, our kids realize that
if you play late, good things can happen to you. So I think we have a mentality on our football team that no matter how far you're behind, you can come back. And I think we learned a lesson at Duke that no matter how far you're ahead, you can lose one. We know that playing late is important. We like to believe that we can finish football games. But you have to play well early too because sometimes you can run out of time."</p>
<p>Sophomore quarterback Riley Skinner</p>
<p>On the Navy defense...</p>
<p>"We've looked at them quite a bit. They're very well-coached. They play really hard. And they know their positions real well. They know how to play it at each position. It's just like Army. They come in and give it all they got. We had a tough time moving the ball on them at first, and I think
Navy's going to be the same way. I hope we don't struggle to move the ball. But we're going to have to bring our `A' game. We're going to have to come to play because going up to that environment, on homecoming, at their stadium, they're going to bring the heat. And we're going to have to play under that pressure and really just bring 110 percent to the game. Otherwise, we won't be able to move the ball. What we've seen on tape is a bunch of well-coached players that hit you hard. They're fast and physical and they know their position. There are very few mental mistakes. And that's one of the toughest things, when you play defenses that don't make any
mental mistakes."
On the Thursday game...
"It gave us an extra practice on Saturday. It gave us some extra meeting time. And that helped. You can't complain when you get extra practice and meeting time because you just feel that much more prepared. And hopefully our team will be ready to play on Saturday. And their offense obviously is very unique and very tough to stop. We're going to have to come play and hopefully the extra day will give us a little more knowledge of what we need to do against them."
On the ACC and where Wake Forest currently stands...
"We feel very good about where we are right now. We're sitting 3-1 in the conference. We lost to a very good team in Boston College. But, we know we've got a tough schedule ahead. We have to go to Virginia, who's playing really well right now. We have to go to Clemson. And so we feel like we still have a run in this thing and we're going to do everything in our ability to get back to Jacksonville. But right now we can't look ahead of Navy, because Navy brings a lot to the table and we're going to have to be fully prepared for that game in order to win."
On the "We Finish" mentality...
"That's something that we talked about last year and it's carried over to this year. And that's been evident in some of the ways last year and this year how we finished a game in the fourth quarter. Because a lot of times when we play, the Deacs always go down to the last couple minutes of the game. We like to keep it close. So a lot of times that's the deciding factor in the season. In those close games, you have to be able to finish those out. You can't crumble in the last minute. That was evident in the Duke game when we almost let it slip. And really evident in the Maryland game at the opposite end of the spectrum and we were able to come back and really finish off that game. And the Boston College and the Nebraska games were games we wished we could have finished. They kind of slipped away at the end. But that's a motto we're trying to carry through for the entire season because it's a big part of what we do here. And with so many close games coming down to the end of the fourth quarter, you've have to be able to finish."
On the confidence of the team...
"We feel pretty confident, but once again, we can't get overconfident because if we lose this game, it'd be a big detriment to our season. And we know that. We know this is just as big of a game as the Florida State game we played last week. We'll be as prepared for this game as we would for any other game. This is the game we're playing this week, and that's really all that matters to us."
Senior center Steve Justice
On the feel of the season...
"It's doing better than it was the first two weeks. Coming back and winning four games has been great. But like Coach Grobe always says, `never too high, never too low.' So we have to come out and try to keep it going."</p>
<p>On Navy... </p>
<p>"I think their defense is good. I just think their offense, they put some points on the board and they run the ball really well. So, we've been watching film of their defense. They have a lot of good players. And they have a bunch of different fronts. So it's going to be hard for us to go in
there. They have a good defense."</p>
<p>"On the Wake Forest running game...</p>
<p>"We always have to make it better. When [Chris] Barclay was here, he was ripping off 150 yards a game or something like that, and we need to get back to that. Coach Lobo was saying this morning in meetings where we need to get it so it's four yards a carry. Once you have a good running game it opens up the passing game. That's how it works. So we're trying to get to that."</p>
<p>On the confidence of the team...</p>
<p>"It's on the rise, I think. The first two games, it felt like it might be a rough season for us. But after a couple of wins for us, like any team, it boosts your confidence. So I think it's on the rise."</p>
<p>On Navy's defense...</p>
<p>"A lot of different fronts. A lot of speed. And strength. They may not have the size of some other D-I schools, but they definitely have the strength."</p>
<p>Senior defensive end Jeremy Thompson</p>
<p>On the Wake Forest defense...</p>
<p>"I feel good about our defense, but I know that this week we have the biggest challenge probably of the year going against Navy's offense. You don't really see too many triple option teams this year, but they're probably the best at what they do, and we know it's going to be a really big
test for us to try and slow down the run."</p>
<p>On defending Navy's unorthodox triple-option offense...</p>
<p>"Every other game, it's kind of a read and react. This game, you have to know what you have to do, and it's just doing it or not doing it. Doing your job is the most important thing."</p>
<p>On the confidence level of the team...</p>
<p>"We're pretty confident now, but we know we haven't played our best football. And like I said before, Navy's probably our biggest challenge of the year. Even though we might be confident, we're definitely humbled, because we know it's going to be tough."</p>
<p>On the "We Finish" motto...</p>
<p>"In college football, the players are so good and the momentum swings are so high. Just like at Maryland, at any point in a game, there could be a game-changing play, and it's a close game again. In order to win, you need to play four good quarters, and it's never over until the clock [strikes zero]." </p>
<p>On the extra day of rest...</p>
<p>"It feels really good. I'm not used to having fresh legs on Monday. Navy had a Wednesday game so they feel good too. But it feels really good coming into the work week feeling refreshed and having energy."</p>
<p>*Interviews with Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada, Reggie Campbell and Rashawn King are also available *</p>
<p>ANNAPOLIS, Md.--Video of Paul Johnson's Tuesday afternoon press briefing is available on Navy All-Access. CSTV's Pete Medhurst was also on site and conducted player interviews with Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada, Reggie Campbell and Rashawn King. </p>
<p>To sign in or subscribe to Navy All-Access fans should go to <a href="http://www.navysports.com%5B/url%5D">www.navysports.com</a> and click on the All-Access button on the right side of the page. </p>
<p>Subscribers to Navy All-Access will have the ability to view numerous events including Paul Johnson's daily press conferences, interviews with selected football players every Wednesday, football postgame press conferences (home and away) and every home basketball game (men's and women's). </p>
<p>The price for Navy All-Access is $6.95 per month, $49.95 for a 12-month package and 99.95 for CSTV All-Access XXL, which will provide you access to every CSTV.com school. For best results you should have broadband and high-speed cable access to the internet. Fans can sign up for the package on the front page of navysports.com by clicking on the Navy All-Access button.</p>
<p><a href="http://navy.scout.com/2/691666.html%5B/url%5D">http://navy.scout.com/2/691666.html</a></p>
<p>
[quote]
Here's a look at how Navy's 2007 opposition fared recently. Each week GoMids.com will track all 12 Mids opponent's performances....
[/quote]
</p>
<p>
[quote]
Zerb Singleton's story of perseverance has been told many times.</p>
<p>Aspiring to become an astronaut, Singleton was accepted to the Naval Academy as a senior at Columbia High in Decatur, Ga. However, Singleton's dream was deferred when he was involved in an auto accident with a drunk driver one week before graduating as class valedictorian....
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Comments from Navy head football coach Paul Johnson, slot back coach Jeff Monken and senior slot back Zerbin Singleton following practice on Tuesday, Oct. 16</p>
<p>On if Wake Forest is the best team Navy has faced this year </p>
<p>"Probably. We will know more after the game on Saturday. They are big, physical and they run well. They present a lot of problems. </p>
<p>On Defensive Changes </p>
<p>"Kevin Snyder is going to replace Buffin at rover. He played most of the game against Pitt. We just have to keep fighting, get ourselves into better position and tackle better. If we do that we can get off the field some." </p>
<p>On the youth in the secondary </p>
<p>"The young guys aren't playing any worse than the older guys. We have to tackle better and get to our assignments better." </p>
<p>On stopping Riley Skinner </p>
<p>"It's a tough assignment. We just have to try and slow him down. For us to be successful we have to stop the running game. If you look at our stats this year that is the big difference. We have given up passing yards in the past, but team's have run the ball with more success against us this year." </p>
<p>On playing against Wake Forest's running game </p>
<p>"You have to have a good plan against it, play assignment football and you can't miss tackles. They are going to spread you out so if you miss tackles they are going to gash you." </p>
<p>On missed tackles </p>
<p>"We had 30 missed tackles against Pitt. It has been a problem. Our goal is to have more big plays on defense than the combined number of missed assignments and missed tackles and we haven't been close in any game this year." </p>
<p>On Wake Forest being able to create so many turnovers on defense </p>
<p>"They are aggressive, they are big, they have good athletes and they run well. They get a good pass rush and they have good corners. Their corners can run really well and they are good athletes. They aren't going to give you anything. They challenge every inch of the field. They create turnovers." </p>
<p>On Zerbin Singleton </p>
<p>"He is a great young man. As long as I've been coaching I don't know if I've ever enjoyed having anybody on the team more than Zerb. He brings energy and enthusiasm and he works his tail off. He is a pleasure to have out here and to have around. He has such a great attitude that he's refreshing to be around." </p>
<p>Comments from Navy slot back coach Jeff Monken following practice on Tuesday, Oct. 16 </p>
<p>On Zerbin Singleton </p>
<p>"Zerbin is just wired differently than anybody I've ever been around. Our whole team feeds off his energy. Not just the offense, the whole team. The coaches get excited watching him play because he plays with tremendous effort and great pride. The loyalty he has to this team is amazing. He is the best team player we have. He is great for all of us. We feed off his energy." </p>
<p>Comments from Navy slot back Zerbin Singleton following practice on Tuesday, Oct. 16 </p>
<p>On his father </p>
<p>"I didn't know him until my senior year in high school, but after I met him we had a good relationship. My freshman year at Navy he committed suicide. I still keep in touch with his wife. She is kind of like a mother to me too." </p>
<p>On growing up </p>
<p>"I lived in Alaska with my mother and aunt until I was 10. She was in the military and was stationed in Alaska and when she got out the military, which was before I was born, she decided to stay there. My mother was on parole for drugs and living with her boyfriend when a bounty hunter showed up at the house to have her sign some papers. She thought she was going to go to jail and she didn't want to go so she ran and the bounty hunter shot at her. It was at point blank range, but by the grace of God it didn't hit her. It went right through her blouse without hitting her. I was nine or 10 at the time." </p>
<p>On his positive outlook </p>
<p>"The biggest thing is my faith in God and keeping a positive attitude. You can't quit on life. The troubles and adversity you go through makes you a stronger person." </p>
<p>On talking about his childhood </p>
<p>"It is getting easier to talk about it. I never talked about it before, because I didn't think I needed to talk about it. Hopefully kids can read this and use it as motivation to do better. " </p>
<p>On graduating from the Academy </p>
<p>"It will be one of my biggest accomplishments so far. I will be the first male in my family to graduate from college and the third person overall."</p>
<p>Homecoming Change
By
Bill Wagner
Annapolis Capital</p>
<p>My article in the Tuesday (Oct. 16) edition of The Capital had a very tongue-in-cheek introduction.</p>
<p>I wrote the following:</p>
<p>Whoever is scheduling Navy's homecoming opponents might want to rethink their strategy. </p>
<p>Last season, Navy played nationally-ranked Rutgers on homecoming and got pounded, 34-0. This season, the homecoming opponent is defending Atlantic Coast Conference champion Wake Forest. </p>
<p>So much for scheduling a patsy for the purpose of sending the alumni home happy!</p>
<p>It was brought to my attention that some readers might not take that passage the way it was intended. Some readers might infer that it was downright idiotic for the Navy athletic department to schedule Rutgers and Wake Forest for Homecoming in back-to-back seasons. </p>
<p>First and foremost, let me say that I had no intention of criticizing or ridiculing athletic director Chet Gladchuk for his scheduling decisions. College football scheduling is a difficult and complicated process with a myriad of factors involved.</p>
<p>In most cases, schedule agreements are made years in advance when the circumstances of each respective program are often drastically different. For instance, when Navy initially scheduled Rutgers for the 2006 Homecoming, it is likely the Rutgers program was nothing like it is now.</p>
<p>As far as this season is concerned, Wake Forest was not supposed to be the Homecoming opponent. Duke was originally scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 20, but the Atlantic Coast Conference had a scheduling issue and asked Gladchuk if he would be willing to swap the Duke and Wake Forest dates.</p>
<p>Gladchuk obliged, and thus Navy is playing Wake on Homecoming instead of on Sept. 22.</p>