Navy's one-two Hawaiian-Samoan punch upsets #16 Wake Forest

September 28, 5:54 PMAsian-American Sports ExaminerMichael Street

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Last season, the 8-5 Midshipmen did so well under Kaipo that they earned a berth in the Poinsettia Bowl, losing to Utah 35-32 in an exciting contest that might have ended differently, were it not for a controversial call awarding Utah a touchdown instead of a fumble out of bounds. Though the officials admitted their error after the game, it was too late to affect the outcome. 

But Kaipo and his Samoan head coach—who learned the triple option as an assistant under Johnson at Hawaii—continued their Polynesian power this season, rolling to a 3-2 record with their huge upset of the #16 Demon Deacons yesterday. Though Kaipo had to leave the game after aggravating a hamstring injury, he ran in the first two scores, giving Navy a lead they would never relinquish. Leading 17-0 at the half, Navy would capitalize on Wake Forest mistakes and control the ball, leading time of possession 36:49 to 23:11. 

One of the signatures of the triple option is not only the grinding, old-school, ball-control nature of its attack, it also focuses on the intelligence and athleticism of its players, particularly the versatile Kaipo. Because it takes so long to score, the triple option requires tight, mistake-free coaching decisions. Both were outstanding and perfectly fitted to Navy's program.

Kaipo's status is still uncertain for Navy's next game, on Saturday against rival Air Force. But the nice thing about having a one-two Asian punch is that you've got two devastating weapons, and Niumatalolo's triple-option expertise and ability to motivate his team are arguably the more important factor, especially against rival Air Force.

Either way, these two Asian stars have given fans a reason to watch Navy play, something they haven't had for many, many years.