Navy kicker Bijan Nichols recovered from injury, regaining form just in time for Army-Navy game | NOTES

Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo asked a rhetorical question when speaking with the media earlier this week.

How many Army-Navy games have been decided by a late field goal attempt? Of course, the answer is quite a few and that is why Niumatalolo feels much better about Navy kicker Bijan Nichols being back to his old self. That was evident when Nichols calmly booted a 45-yard field goal in the fourth quarter to provide the winning margin in a 17-14 upset of Central Florida, which was ranked 20th at the time.

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“This game has come down to a field goal so many times, so I feel so much better having Bijan back and healthy,” Niumatalolo said.

Nichols came through in the clutch during last year’s Army-Navy game, kicking a 43-yard field goal with 6:10 remaining in the fourth quarter in Navy’s 17-13 victory.

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“Bijan is an All-American type kicker. He’s at an elite level as far as accuracy and range, so it is very comforting knowing we have him when we need to make a kick,” Niumatalolo said.

For a while it was looking like Nichols would not play at all this season. The senior captain sustained a lower-body injury during practice in late August and was a surprise scratch from the season opener. Niumatalolo told the media that Nichols tried to kick in pregame and could not go, so it sounded like he would not be sidelined for long.

It turned out the injury, which involved both a groin and hip flexor, lingered for much longer than expected. Nichols spent as much time as possible getting treatment in the training room and periodically attempted the entire kicking process to gauge his recovery. Week after week, the conclusion was that he was not ready and backup Daniel Davies was still a better option.

Davies acquitted himself well in his best friend’s absence, making 19 of 19 extra points and going 10-for-16 on field goals. He made three field goals against East Carolina, including the game-winner in overtime.

However, Davies missed a chip shot field goal against Air Force that proved crucial in a 13-10 loss. He missed twice in losses to Houston and Cincinnati.

“I’m grateful for what Dan did when we needed him. We were fortunate to have another solid, experienced kicker to fill in,” Niumatalolo said.

However, Davies does not have nearly the experience of Nichols, a four-year starter who has made three game-winning field goals during his career. Davies also does not have the range of Nichols, whose powerful leg has boomed a pair of 50-yard field goals and eight others of 45 yards or longer.

Nichols sat out nine games before finally returning against Notre Dame. It appeared the long layoff and inactivity had taken a toll when Nichols poorly struck his first kick of the season, delivering an extra point so low it practically hit the backs of his blockers.

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“I just had to shrug that off and not worry about it,” Nichols said. “I’d been kicking fine in practice leading up to that game, so I knew it was just a fluke thing.”

Nichols rebounded to make the next extra point along with a 26-yard field goal to help fuel the Midshipmen’s comeback against the Fighting Irish. He knew all was well when striking the 45-yarder at UCF.

“I normally watch the kick all the way to see it go through the uprights,” Nichols said. “That kick felt so good and was hit so true that I didn’t even look. I knew it was going in.”

Navy had three weeks off between UCF and Army, giving Nichols more time to fine-tune his technique and further increase his leg strength.

“The past couple of weeks, I’ve really been feeling myself again, which gives me a lot of confidence going into this game,” he said.

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Defensive Coordinator Brian Newberry, right, works with the defense during warmups before a game against SMU on Oct. 9. (Paul W. Gillespie/Capital Gazette)

This will be the fourth Army-Navy game for Navy defensive coordinator Brian Newberry. So far, he’s done an outstanding job of devising game plans to shut down Army’s option attack.

Army has averaged 127 rushing yards and 180 total yards in the three previous meetings. The Black Knights were held to seven points in 2019, 15 in 2020 and 13 in 2021.

When Niumatalolo was interviewing candidates to replace the retired Dale Pehrson as defensive coordinator, experience against the option and a sound understanding of the unique offense was a requirement.

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At the same time, Niumatalolo was looking for a defensive coordinator who was aggressive, unpredictable and innovative. Newberry, who came from Kennesaw State, checked all the boxes. He knew the triple-option well since that is what Kennesaw State runs under head coach Brian Bohannon, who was an assistant at Navy and Georgia Tech under Paul Johnson.

“The way we have played against Army since [Newberry] has been the coordinator is exactly why I hired him,” Niumatalolo said. “It was obvious to me that Brian knew option football. He had great ideas, very detailed stuff as far as defending it.”

Newberry now has six service academy games under his belt with Navy also playing well defensively against Air Force in the last two meetings.

“One thing I’ve taken away from these academy games is that you have to be careful to not outthink yourself. The most important thing in that environment is to take as much of the thinking process out so your kids can go play fast,” Newberry said. “I’ve made mistakes in the past of maybe having too complicated of a game plan and it caused our guys to play slow.”

Newberry said he enjoys the chess match that takes place when going against Army and Air Force. Veteran offensive coordinators like Army’s Brent Davis know how to counter every defensive tactic employed against the option.

“These games are stressful, but they’re fun at the same time. I’ve always enjoyed scheming against the option. I think it’s old-school football at its finest,” Newberry said. “In a game like this, every play matters, every inch matters. One little mistake can lead to a big play that can ultimately be the difference in the game, so our eyes have to be perfect. There really is no margin for error.”

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Newberry said Davis has introduced new concepts and schemes every year they have matched wits. Trying to figure out what different elements the Army offense might unveil becomes nerve-wracking and Newberry admits he spends a lot of time “chasing ghosts.”

“They do a nice job every year of making some changes and adapting to their personnel. We’ll always see a few new wrinkles when we play these guys,” Newberry said. “I think Coach Davis and his staff do a great job of tweaking things and showing some new looks against us.”

Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo runs on to the field with his team during the 2021 Army-Navy game. (Adam Hunger/AP)

This will be the 25th Army-Navy game for Niumatalolo and he said it never gets old. It also never gets less nerve-wracking.

“It’s a different season but it’s still the same. I still get nervous beforehand, still get chills when I walk onto the field,” Newberry said. “I have so many great memories of the Army-Navy game. I feel very blessed and honored to have been able to participate in this game for so many years.”

In fact, Niumatalolo knows it will be time to retire the year he does not get butterflies before taking the field for the Army-Navy game.

“This still feels like year one as far as the Army-Navy game goes. It’s Army week, so there’s always the emotions, the anxiety, the excitement.”

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This season has been unique as Navy went three full weeks between its last game at Central Florida and Army. Niumatalolo thought long and hard about how to approach preparation for the big game before deciding to give the players a week off from practice the week after UCF, then going hard for two weeks.

“I think the bye came at a good time because we were beat up and needed the rest,” he said. “At the same time, we were playing really well before the bye, so that was my one concern. You lose some of your rhythm.”

Niumatalolo said he structured the three weeks in such a way that Navy will peak on Saturday as opposed to too early or too late. Navy went good on good and conducted several highly physical practices last week before limiting the contact and working against the scout teams this week.

“We feel good about our plan, but the game is always the tell. How you play determines whether you are in top form mentally and physically,” Niumatalolo said. “We’ve definitely done some hitting. This is always the most physical game of the season and you can’t go into it without hitting at all.”

Navy linebacker Tyler Fletcher (0) in action during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Temple, Saturday, Oct. 29, 2022, in Annapolis, Md. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams) (Terrance Williams/AP)

Navy will be without backup inside linebacker Tyler Fletcher, who will be leaving the academy and has reportedly entered the transfer portal.

Navy athletics spokesman Scott Strasemeier confirmed that Fletcher is no longer a member of the football team and intends to withdraw from the Naval Academy due to what was described as “personal reasons.”

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As a sophomore, Fletcher is allowed to leave the academy without penalty. The 6-foot-3, 210-pounder from Nashville, Tennessee has been the backup behind classmate Colin Ramos at the Will inside linebacker spot all season.

Fletcher totaled 31 tackles (five for loss) and four sacks through 11 games. He also had an interception and two pass breakups.