Navy quarterback Ricky Dobbs, who dazzled at times last season off the bench, is being counted on this year to lead the Midshipmen to a seventh straight bowl season. (AP photo / November 15, 2008) |
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Ricky Dobbs is aware of the pressure he faces this season as he steps in as Navy's full-time starting quarterback. So the junior, who dazzled at times last season off the bench, tries to avoid reading newspaper articles or listening to radio reports about his role with the Midshipmen.
But this week, junior wide receiver Mario Washington showed him an article that pegged Navy's success - and potential seventh straight bowl bid - to Dobbs' performance this fall. "It's all on him," said Washington, one of Dobbs' close friends. "If he don't roll, the team ain't going to roll."
Dobbs will make his second career start today, when the Midshipmen face sixth-ranked Ohio State in Columbus. He won't be the only quarterback facing pressure; Buckeyes sophomore Terrelle Pryor, the nation's top recruit in 2007, is entering his second year as a starter, and his continued development could help push Ohio State into the national championship picture.
"The biggest improvement with Terrelle is his comfort level with running the offense, and he's more comfortable reading our defense," said Anderson Russell, a three-year starter at safety for Ohio State. "He's coming along fast."
Dobbs has been making similar strides at Navy. He has the strongest arm of any Navy quarterback in recent years, and coach Ken Niumatalolo has said the Midshipmen will throw the ball more this season. But Dobbs' first priority is still making the right reads in Navy's triple-option offense.
"In practice, seeing him throw the football around, you know he can definitely throw it," said Ivin Jasper, Navy's offensive coordinator and play caller. "He understands that it doesn't matter if you can throw it if the ball is not going to the right place, to the right guy."
Last year, Dobbs passed just 16 times in eight games, completing nine for 212 yards. In Navy's 34-7 victory over Southern Methodist on Oct. 25, Dobbs didn't pass once after taking over at quarterback in the second quarter. Instead, he ran the ball 42 times for 224 yards and four touchdowns in a driving rainstorm.
In that game, there was an instance in which Dobbs appeared to run a play the wrong way, with the incorrect formation and the motion going in the opposite direction. Actually, Dobbs changed the play at the suggestion of Shun White, the standout senior slotback and one of his mentors.
On that drive, Navy had run several dive plays to the right and White had noticed that the defense was keying off his motion at slotback. So he told Dobbs to send the other slotback to the left but still run the play to the right. Dobbs ended up scoring a touchdown. Later, Dobbs and White were called into Jasper's office and "got an earful," White said.
"I shouldn't have done it," Dobbs said. "I wouldn't do it now, unless it was a game-time thing and I felt like it was the right thing to do."
That's just one indication of how much Dobbs has grown as a quarterback. Last season, he was surrounded by veterans such as White, fullback Eric Kettani and wide receiver Tyree Barnes; he knew he could turn to them.
"This year, there's none of them. He's not the senior guy in the huddle, but he kind of is. He's the quarterback," White said. "He's matured a lot."
Dobbs worked hard in the offseason, studying plays and practicing with teammates. "I feel like I've matured more in this offense," he said. "I feel more confident."
There's no question about Dobbs' leadership skills; he's been one, on and off the field, since he got to Annapolis. Last spring, he ran a Bible study group for the quarterbacks and successfully ran for vice president of the junior class. In his campaign speech, which can be seen on YouTube, he told classmates he had had an opportunity to play football at other schools but chose to attend "the school that would make me a man, rather than simply go to the school where I would be the man."
But now he's turned into just that, according to Washington.
"He just knows he's the man now, and he's got to live up to a lot of people's expectations," Washington said. "He's got it. I think he could've handled it last year if he had to. He knows how to handle pressure."
But this week, junior wide receiver Mario Washington showed him an article that pegged Navy's success - and potential seventh straight bowl bid - to Dobbs' performance this fall. "It's all on him," said Washington, one of Dobbs' close friends. "If he don't roll, the team ain't going to roll."
Dobbs will make his second career start today, when the Midshipmen face sixth-ranked Ohio State in Columbus. He won't be the only quarterback facing pressure; Buckeyes sophomore Terrelle Pryor, the nation's top recruit in 2007, is entering his second year as a starter, and his continued development could help push Ohio State into the national championship picture.
"The biggest improvement with Terrelle is his comfort level with running the offense, and he's more comfortable reading our defense," said Anderson Russell, a three-year starter at safety for Ohio State. "He's coming along fast."
Dobbs has been making similar strides at Navy. He has the strongest arm of any Navy quarterback in recent years, and coach Ken Niumatalolo has said the Midshipmen will throw the ball more this season. But Dobbs' first priority is still making the right reads in Navy's triple-option offense.
"In practice, seeing him throw the football around, you know he can definitely throw it," said Ivin Jasper, Navy's offensive coordinator and play caller. "He understands that it doesn't matter if you can throw it if the ball is not going to the right place, to the right guy."
Last year, Dobbs passed just 16 times in eight games, completing nine for 212 yards. In Navy's 34-7 victory over Southern Methodist on Oct. 25, Dobbs didn't pass once after taking over at quarterback in the second quarter. Instead, he ran the ball 42 times for 224 yards and four touchdowns in a driving rainstorm.
In that game, there was an instance in which Dobbs appeared to run a play the wrong way, with the incorrect formation and the motion going in the opposite direction. Actually, Dobbs changed the play at the suggestion of Shun White, the standout senior slotback and one of his mentors.
On that drive, Navy had run several dive plays to the right and White had noticed that the defense was keying off his motion at slotback. So he told Dobbs to send the other slotback to the left but still run the play to the right. Dobbs ended up scoring a touchdown. Later, Dobbs and White were called into Jasper's office and "got an earful," White said.
"I shouldn't have done it," Dobbs said. "I wouldn't do it now, unless it was a game-time thing and I felt like it was the right thing to do."
That's just one indication of how much Dobbs has grown as a quarterback. Last season, he was surrounded by veterans such as White, fullback Eric Kettani and wide receiver Tyree Barnes; he knew he could turn to them.
"This year, there's none of them. He's not the senior guy in the huddle, but he kind of is. He's the quarterback," White said. "He's matured a lot."
Dobbs worked hard in the offseason, studying plays and practicing with teammates. "I feel like I've matured more in this offense," he said. "I feel more confident."
There's no question about Dobbs' leadership skills; he's been one, on and off the field, since he got to Annapolis. Last spring, he ran a Bible study group for the quarterbacks and successfully ran for vice president of the junior class. In his campaign speech, which can be seen on YouTube, he told classmates he had had an opportunity to play football at other schools but chose to attend "the school that would make me a man, rather than simply go to the school where I would be the man."
But now he's turned into just that, according to Washington.
"He just knows he's the man now, and he's got to live up to a lot of people's expectations," Washington said. "He's got it. I think he could've handled it last year if he had to. He knows how to handle pressure."
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