Upon reflecting on last season, Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo determined he made a mistake by not sticking with Malcolm Perry as the starting quarterback.
Following a dismal loss to service academy rival Air Force, Niumatalolo pulled the plug on the plan for playing Perry at quarterback and switched him back to slotback.
In hindsight, Niumatalolo thought the coaching staff did not do enough to put Perry in a position to succeed.
Prior to spring practice, Niumatalolo announced that Perry would be reinstated as the starting quarterback and the offense would be tailored to suit his strengths.
It’s still early, but it appears Niumatalolo made the right decision. Knowing he is the starting quarterback regardless of how things go has given Perry confidence and it shows on the field.
Perry continued his strong start to the season by rushing for 156 yards and four touchdowns to lead Navy in a 42-10 rout of East Carolina on Saturday. Perry also completed 5 of 7 passes for 151 yards and two scores as the Midshipmen torpedoed the Pirates in the American Athletic Conference opener for both schools.
“If Malcolm continues to play like that he’s going to give us a chance,” Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo said. “He’s playing really, really good football. He’s getting us into the right plays and running the offense really well. He’s got great command of our offense right now.”
Perry became the first Navy quarterback to surpass 150 yards rushing and passing in the same game since Ricky Dobbs did it against Arkansas State in November 2010. He was responsible for six touchdowns, most since former quarterback Keenan Reynolds accounted for seven (six rushing, one passing) against Georgia Southern in 2014.
Perry scored on runs of 18, 11, and 6 yards and also tossed a 29-yard touchdown pass to slotback C.J. Williams as Navy took a 28-3 halftime lead. Williams scored off an 80-yard catch and run as the Midshipmen increased the advantage to 42-3 with 6:34 remaining in the third period.
“We had a great game-plan going in. We practiced well all week. We knew what we were going to do. I thought the whole team played great as an offense. We took what they gave us and just executed,” Perry said.
It was another spectacular performance by Perry, who has rushed for 100 yards or more in seven of his 10 starts as a quarterback. The 5-foot-9, 190-pound speedster looked like he was on a video game with some of the stop-and-go moves he used to elude defenders.
“Malcolm jukes me out, too. I’ll be blocking someone one way and he will cut the other way. I’m like, okay I’ve got to block them this way then,” Navy senior center Ford Higgins said. “Any time you get the ball in Malcolm’s hands it’s going to work out pretty well. He gets all those extra yards and I don’t know how he does it.”
Senior Elan Nash was replaced in the starting lineup at the bandit safety position, but came off the bench to record a career-high nine tackles to lead a strong defensive effort by Navy (2-0). Freshman Tama Tiutele made his first career start at inside linebacker and contributed five tackles to match running mate Diego Fagot as the Midshipmen forced five three-and-outs and did not give up a touchdowns until the 12:30 mark of the fourth quarter.
Kevin Brennan, who made his first career start at bandit safety, recorded an interception while reserve defensive end Deondre Williams forced a fumble as Navy limited East Carolina to 222 total yards. Defensive coordinator Brian Newberry called another masterful game as the Pirates finished 2-for-13 on third down conversions.
“We did a really good job on third down as far as getting people off the field,” Niumatalolo said. “All the things we brought Coach Newberry in here for he’s doing. He’s doing an unbelievable job with our defense.”
A 22-yard shank by East Carolina punter Jonn Young gave Navy great field position for its opening possession. The Midshipmen needed only six plays to punch it in from 38 yards with Perry getting the payoff. He burst through a huge hole on the right side and waltzed into the end zone untouched on an 18-yard run.
Navy’s defense forced a second straight three-and-out to start the game and the offense followed with a 65-yard touchdown march. Perry had the big play, breaking another option keeper for a 30-yard gain. Perry capped that drive with an 11-yard touchdown trot along the left sideline.
The Pirates picked up two first downs before having to punt on their third possession. Cornerback Michael McMorris made a superb play to break up a third-down pass.
Navy took to the air for its third touchdown with Perry spotting Williams running open on a slant route and hitting him in stride for a 29-yard completion. That scoring strike capped a 10-play, 85-yard drive that was helped by a facemask penalty.
East Carolina (1-2) finally got on the board with a 23-yard field goal by Jake Verity, but it was a victory for Navy as the visitors had reached the 1-yard line before committing a false-start penalty.
Navy responded with a 72-yard touchdown drive that featured another personal foul on East Carolina for ripping off a ballcarrier’s helmet for the second time in the contest. Perry opened that possession with a 19-yard run then closed it with a 6-yard scamper to make it 28-3.
“I thought getting off to a good start helped us. It kind of took the wind out of their sails,” Niumatalolo said. “I thought our coaches did a great job of getting the team prepared. I thought the players performed very well.”
Navy did not let up in the third quarter – tacking on two more touchdowns. It was a methodical 14-play, 75-yard campaign that featured a 27-yard pass to slotback Keoni-Kordell Makekau and concluded with a 1-yard plunge by Perry.
There was no defender anywhere near Williams when he caught the Perry pass that turned into an 80-yard touchdown. That was the longest completion since November 2010 when Ricky Dobbs hooked up with Greg Jones on an 85-yard touchdown toss.
“I’ve been here a long time and that was as complete of a football game as I can remember us playing,” Niumatalolo said. “I thought we played well in all three phases, which was nice to see.”
Perry appropriately took a seat following Navy’s sixth touchdown and was replaced at quarterback by freshman Perry Olsen late in the third period. For the second straight game to start the season, the Midshipmen were able to substitute liberally in the fourth quarter.
Navy has its second bye week of the young season before traveling to Memphis to meet the defending East Division champions at the Liberty Bowl on Sept. 26.
“We’re going to take this win and enjoy it, but in 12 days we’re playing the team that’s picked to win our side of the conference. That’s going to be a tough game,” Niumatalolo said.
There was a lengthy delay late in the fourth period due to an apparently serious injury sustained by East Carolina free safety Davondre Robinson. Doctors and trainers from both schools attended to Robinson, who had lowered his head and crashed violently into a teammate during a tackle attempt. Robinson was placed in a neck braze then strapped to a stretcher board. He gave a thumbs up signal while being carted off the field.
NAVY@MEMPHIS
Sept. 26, 8 p.m.
TV: ESPN Radio: 1090 AM
