Navy’s “Slash” season with Malcolm Perry– a chapter borrowed form Kordell Stewart’s early NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers — was an intriguing idea.
After all, Stewart’s nickname was derived from separating his multiple positions with slashes – quarterback/running back/receiver — and Perry fit the profile as that kind of dynamic athlete.
Keep the defense guessing, where’s Malcolm?
But shortly after last season’s 3-10 record concluded, Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo decided Perry would be better off commanding one position, quarterback. And since Perry had compiled 1,309 total yards in 2018, “better off” in 2019 suggested a more consistent offense.
“Playing quarterback is a different deal,” Navy’s 13th-year head coach said. “You’re the leader of the offense. The team looks to you. You can’t be thinking, ‘I’m here one play at this position and there for another.’ You’ve got to lead the offense.
“We made the decision the next season we would not be switching him. We would evolve our offense around him. That gave him confidence and allowed him to work on things that he needed to improve.”
The results have so far paid big dividends, especially in last week’s AAC opener, a 42-10 win over East Carolina.
Navy began the season with a 45-7 win over Holy Cross, but the Crusaders are a Football Championship Subdivision member. ECU was supposed to present a tougher physical test, but the Midshipmen combined the triple-option’s patented long scoring drives in addition to explosive passing plays. In addition to a one-play, 80-yard catch-and-run TD, there were scoring possessions of 8-65, 10-80, 8-72 and 14-75.
Perry found the end zone four times covering run yardage of 18, 11, 6 and 1 that might have been expected against an opponent that hadn’t seen the triple-option offense since the 2016 season. But with two TD passes of 29 and 80 yards, his total offense was split evenly – 156 rushing and 151 passing.
“I thought he was on point running our offense getting the plays we wanted,” Niumatalolo said. “He was smart with the football; didn’t turn it over. He was commanding the offense. When the quarterback plays like that, everybody feeds off him.”
Running the ball has been Perry’s forte since he was a 5-foot-9 quarterback at Clarksville (Tenn.) Kenwood, but if can mix in pass plays, he can keep the defense honest for himself and the other backs. As ECU crept into the box to stop the fullback dive and make Perry prove he could beat them throwing, the deep ball was open. On both touchdown passes, C.J. Williams streaked behind the defense down the middle of the field. The 80-yarder was midway through the third period for a 42-3 lead.
“The play was called on the sideline,” Perry told NavySports.com. “We recognized what they were doing on defense and it was going to be there. It felt good to see it happen, make the throw and watch him run into the end zone.”
Perry did miss some passes, finishing the day 5-of-7 without an interception, but he nevertheless sent a message to the remaining AAC teams on Navy’s schedule.
The Midshipmen (2-0, 1-0 AAC West) are off this week before a Thursday night game on Sept. 26 at Memphis (3-0, 0-0 West). The result will go a long way to deciding the AAC West Division title. Memphis was Phil Steele’s College Football preseason West favorite, with Navy picked fifth. The Midshipmen hope to resume contending for the AAC West title as they did in 2016, winning it outright, and 2015, sharing it with Houston.
To elevate Perry’s passing game, Niumatalolo hired Billy Ray Stutzman from Hawaii, Niumatalolo’s alma mater, as an offensive assistant coach.
“That’s his main purpose with me – establishing a passing game I’m comfortable with,” Perry said. “That’s what I practiced all spring and summer. It feels good to see it coming together.”
Perry first showed his “Slash” versatility as an Annapolis freshman when he was pulled out of the stands for the 2016 season opener against Fordham. He went from fan to college athlete with one change of Navy dress whites to his football uniform.
He didn’t dress for the game after having missed three days of practice with an illness and having played in the JV game a day earlier. That dropped him from sharing the No. 3 spot on the depth chart to No. 4.
But in the second quarter of the Fordham game, starter Tago Smith went down with a season-ending knee injury. That left only No. 3 QB Will Worth available since Niumatalolo had suspended backup Zach Abey for the game for breaking team rules.
Perry entered the contest with 38 seconds left in the third quarter and finished the game. He carried seven times for 30 yards and directed a 90-yard drive that ended with a field goal.
In 2017 as a sophomore, he started nine games at slot back and three at quarterback. He was second on the team in rushing with 1,182 yards while scoring 11 touchdowns. He caught 13 passes for 303 yards and two touchdowns. At QB, he threw for one TD, although his only other passing attempt for the season was intercepted.
In 2018, splitting positions, he was the leading rusher with 1,087 yards and seven touchdowns. Garret Lewis led the team in passing with 479 yards, while Perry was 9-of-25 for 222 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.
For his career, he’s in position post his third straight 1,000-yard season. To start the season, he’s rushed for 184 yards, despite Niumatalolo emptying the bench in the fourth quarter in lopsided wins. He’s 11-of-16 passing for 254 yards and two TDs without an interception.
For the year, he needs only 564 yards on the ground to move into fifth on Navy’s career rushing yardage list and 658 to become the program’s third 3,000-yard career rusher. Perry, a quite leader, deflected an attention on him after the game.
“I’m more proud of the team; we played well,” Perry said. “We prepared well all through the week in practice and we came out here and executed what we’ve had been doing all week.”
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Tom Shanahan, Author: Raye of Light http://tinyurl.com/knsqtqu
— Book on Michigan State’s leading role in the integration of college football. It explains Duffy Daugherty’s untold pioneering role and debunks myths that steered recognition away from him to Bear Bryant.
http://shanahan.report/a/the-case-for-duffy-and-medal-of-freedom
Don’t believe the myths at Duffy Daugherty’s expense about Bear Bryant’s motivation to play the 1970 USC-Alabama game or myths about the Charlie Thornhill-for-Joe Namath trade. Bear Bryant knew nothing about black talent in the South while he dragged his feet on segregation.
http://www.shanahan.report/a/forty-four-underground-railroad-legacy-facts
http://shanahan.report/a/myths-that-grew-out-of-1970-alabama-game-with-usc
http://shanahan.report/a/mystery-solved-in-thornhill-and-namath-myth
David Maraniss, Pulitzer Prize winner and biographer; “History writes people out of the story. It’s our job to write them back in.”
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