Navy @ Houston preview

Last Meeting ( Oct 20, 2018 ) Houston 49, Navy 36

After being blown out by Notre Dame, No. 24 Navy bounced back with a victory against a strong Southern Methodist team, keeping its hopes alive to win the American Athletic Conference West Division. In order to have a chance to do so, it starts with the Midshipmen needing to beat Houston on the road Saturday.

Navy’s success continues to ride on senior quarterback Malcolm Perry, whose 1,354 rushing yards and 18 rushing touchdowns place him in the top six in the country and highest among quarterbacks. “We kind of put everything on Malcolm’s shoulders. He actually told me at one time, ‘Coach, you’ve got to give me a break, man; give somebody else the ball.’ I was like, ‘Hey, suck it up; we need you,’” head coach Ken Niumatalolo told The Washington Post of Perry after the SMU game. As for the Cougars, they have struggled under center since senior D’Eriq King announced he would be redshirting. Sophomore Clayton Tune threw for just 89 yards against Tulsa, but he had his second straight week with double-digit rushes and a touchdown.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2. LINE: Navy -8.5.

ABOUT NAVY (8-2, 6-1 AAC): Perry hasn’t been the only effective runner for the Midshipmen as Nelson Smith and Jamale Carothers both have at least seven rushing scores on the season, with Carothers averaging over seven yards a carry. While Perry has leaned on his legs, he had one of his best games as a passer against SMU, throwing for 162 yards and a score. On the defensive side, linebacker Jacob Springer has registered 7.0 sacks on the season, tied for 30th in the nation.

ABOUT HOUSTON (4-7, 2-5): Tune has struggled to find his favorite target, senior Marquez Stevenson, in recent outings. Outside of a strong showing against Memphis, Stevenson has been held to under 20 yards in two of the last three contests. While Tune has flourished in the run game in recent weeks, junior running back Kyle Porter has struggled, averaging under three yards a carry the last two contests thanks to a poor showing two weeks ago against Memphis. It could be due to inconsistency on the offensive line, as the Cougars have started 12 different linemen with eight different combinations.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Navy needs a win and a Memphis loss to Cincinnati to win the AAC West.

2. This is Houston’s fifth game against a ranked opponent this season.

3. Houston has won three of four matchups since Navy joined the AAC.

PREDICTION: Navy 45, Houston 30