Quarterback
Navy quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada is the driving force behind the Midshipmen’s offense. The junior leads the team in rushing with 782 yards and 11 touchdowns and has passed for 830 yards and six touchdowns. His backup, Jarod Bryant, has rushed for 463 yards and five touchdowns. Meanwhile, Utah quarterback Brian Johnson didn’t have his best game against the Cougars, completing 17-of-29 for 129 yards and two interceptions. The junior’s record as a starting quarterback this season speaks for itself. Since returning from a shoulder injury, Johnson and the Utes are 7-1.
Edge — Navy
Running back
The cliché “Thunder and Lightning” couldn’t be more applicable than when referring to the Midshipmen. Bruising fullbacks Eric Kettani and Adam Ballard provide the thunder and shifty speed backs Shun White, Zerbin Singleton and Reggie Campbell are lightning fast. The Midshipmen rank first in the nation with 351.5 rushing yards per game. Utah’s Darrell Mack was largely left out of the game plan against the Cougars two weeks ago despite ranking second in the Mountain West Conference in yards per game (102.5). If the Utes want to get back into the win column against the Midshipmen, the ball needs to find Mack’s hands more often.
Edge — Navy
Wide receivers
Coming into this season, Utah’s wide receiving corps was touted as one of the best in the conference. But those claims have gone largely unproven this year because of Utah’s reversion back to their bread and butter running attack. Still, junior Bradon Godfrey and senior Derrek Richards give quarterback Brian Johnson viable threats downfield. Navy’s receivers have similarly been rendered nearly useless because of the Midshipmen’s punishing running attack. Most of the team’s receiving yards this season have come from running backs.
Edge — Utah
Offensive line
Not to discredit the Midshipmen’s offensive line, but a lot of Navy’s rushing yardage is the result of misdirection and the opposing team’s inability to play assignment defense. That being said, the Midshipmen’s lugs are undersized — averaging 6-foot-1, 278 pounds — but resilient and lead the No. 1 rushing attack in the nation. Meanwhile, Utah’s front five struggled against the superior defensive line of BYU in the recent loss, but still led one of the better rushing offenses in the Mountain West Conference.
Edge — Even
Defensive line
The Utah defensive front took a damaging blow against BYU when tackle Gabe Long went down with a shoulder injury. The senior was key to the resurgence of the Utah rush defense and will be sorely missed if he doesn’t play against Navy. As of right now, his status is questionable for the game. Navy’s frontline is led by defensive end Michael Walsh, who has recorded three sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss in his junior year. The Midshipmen’s rush defense has proven to be rather porous this season, allowing an average of 172.7 yards per game.
Edge — Utah
Linebackers
Utah’s linebacking corps has been dealt a tough hand this season, with injuries to every one of the three players who began the season as starters. Still, the Utes have persevered, and backups such as Stevenson Sylvester have filled the void. Navy has been solid in the middle all season long. Irv Spencer is second on the team in tackles (82) and tackles for loss (7.5). Matt Wimsatt has proven himself as the best all-around defensive player on the Navy roster, recording 73 tackles, six tackles for loss, three sacks and two interceptions.
Edge — Navy
Secondary
Aside from safeties who lead their respective teams in tackles, Utah and Navy couldn’t be more different in the secondary. Utah ranks near the top of the country in pass defense, allowing a mere 188.8 yards per game. The Midshipmen, meanwhile, rank 106th out of 119 Division-I teams, allowing 265.5 yards per game. Navy cornerback Ketric Buffin leads the pass defense with four interceptions while safety Wyatt Middleton leads the team with 85 tackles.
Edge — Utah
Special Teams
Although it’s definitely up for debate, Utah’s “Sweet” Louie Sakoda could be the most valuable player for the Utes this season. He ranks nationally in both kicking and punting and was recently named a Rivals.com All-American. The Utah return games were basically nonexistent against BYU. On the other side of the ball, Navy’s Reggie Campbell has been one of the best return men in the nation. The senior averages 28 yards per kickoff return and 14.3 yards per punt return. Last week against Army, Campbell returned a kick 98 yards for a touchdown. The Midshipmen’s kicking game is subpar.
Edge — Even
Coaching
Head coach Paul Johnson has completely turned around the Navy football program. When he took over, the Midshipmen were in shambles, posting a 1-20 record during two seasons. Although the team struggled in his first year at the helm, Johnson has posted a 43-19 record during the past seasons and has led the Midshipmen to a bowl each year. Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham has been a beacon of solidity for his players in his third year as head coach. With a win over Navy, Whittingham would post his first nine-win season.
Edge — Even