ANNAPOLIS | When discussing Navy’s depth at quarterback this week, coach Ken Niumatalolo joked that the backup is always the “prettiest girl at the dance.” With Saturday’s performance, third-stringer Ricky Dobbs did little to hurt that reputation.
Dobbs turned 42 carries into 224 yards and four touchdowns to lead the Midshipmen (5-3) to a 34-7 rout of SMU (1-8) on a rainy afternoon at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
It was the first time in 11 years a major-college team did not attempt a pass. It also has been at least 60 years since Navy accomplished that feat (that record was not kept before 1948).
The 6-foot-1, 194-pound Dobbs was forced into action when Jarod Bryant landed hard on his already banged-up right shoulder on Navy’s second drive, spraining an AC joint. Starter Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada was third on the depth chart Saturday, still nursing a left hamstring injury that has hampered him all season.
“With Kaipo being out, we’ve had no choice. Some other guys have had to step up,” Niumatalolo said. “Jarod has stepped up, and [Saturday] Ricky stepped up. That’s sports. When somebody goes down, somebody else has to step up.”
Dobbs has spent most of the season learning from the two seniors ahead of him, part of his grooming to become the Mids’ starter next year. The highly touted recruit showed promise in limited playing time this season, most recently when he led Navy on a touchdown drive late in last week’s blowout loss to Pittsburgh.
But Saturday, that promise transformed into an impressive display Navy fans hope is a sign of things to come. Offensive coordinator Ivin Jasper has said that if Dobbs played significant time this year, he would have to scale back the game plan. But even so, Dobbs burned SMU’s defense.
He was quick to hit the hole on quarterback follows, rarely taking a tackle for loss. And behind the strength of Navy’s offensive line, Dobbs was most impressive in open space, making first tacklers miss with regularity while compiling 5.3 yards a carry.
“Ricky’s strength is he’s real elusive,” left guard Anthony Gaskins said. “He has that ability to make a spectacular play and break it at any time. As a lineman, that gets you excited. You hold your block, and hopefully you’ll be watching his back running down the field.”
Dobbs entered with a 7-0 lead and possession in the red zone and carried on five consecutive plays for a touchdown.
After the Mustangs were stuffed, punter Thomas Morstead could not overcome gusts that reached 35 mph, and the Mids took over at the SMU 30-yard line. Dobbs needed only three carries to score again.
Bryant returned on the Mids’ next possession but aggravated his shoulder injury six plays into the drive. Dobbs then ripped off a 38-yard gain on his first carry and took a 1-yard keeper into the end zone on the next play.
“A lot of times when the quarterback goes down, a team gets morally down,” Dobbs said. “But we was able to come in, and everybody stayed positive.”
Dobbs had 124 yards and three touchdowns in the first half, and Navy held a 27-0 lead at the break. His lone mistake of the day was a third-quarter fumble.
Navy’s defense did its part as well, a week after looking overmatched against Pittsburgh’s offense. The Mids had the wind advantage in the first quarter and forced a three-and-out on the Mustangs’ first three drives. Each punt by Morstead fluttered into the wind, and Navy started its first three drives in SMU territory. Each resulted in a touchdown, and the Mids cruised the rest of the game.
The sloppy conditions were troublesome for coach June Jones and SMU’s gun-slinging offense. Freshman quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell finished 16-for-28 for 157 yards and the Mustangs’ only touchdown.
But the rain didn’t hamper the Mids.
“It’s always fun to play in the rain,” safety Wyatt Middleton said. “It’s like taking it back in the day when you were a little kid.”
Notes - With a 23-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, Shun White became the eighth player in school history to rush for 2,000 yards. …
Dobbs became the first Navy quarterback to rush for at least 200 yards in a game since Brian Madden had 201 against Tulane in 2001.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.