Two teams in desperate need of a victory will meet today when Navy plays host to East Carolina. Both teams are 2-4, and each views the other as an opportunity to get healthy.
"We're beyond backs to the wall, we're a little in the wall right now," coach Ken Niumatalolo of Navy said. "So it's a big game for both of us."
Kickoff is set for 3:30 (CBSSN Ch. 537).
Navy is mired in a four-game losing streak for the first time since losing 10 in a row in 2002, and its run of eight straight winning seasons is in jeopardy.
Fullback and co-captain Alexander Teich said this team doesn't want to be the one that fails to uphold the tradition of success.
The Midshipmen need to win five of their last six games to post a winning record.
"We can't deny that the pressure is there. There's that elephant in the room," Teich said. "You don't want to think about it too much and start putting pressure on yourself. Because if you start feeling pressure, you're not going to go out and perform the way you should."
East Carolina is seeking to extend its streak of bowl appearances to six straight, but subpar defense and turnovers have been problematic.
The Pirates rank 120th out of 120 bowl subdivision teams in turnover margin (minus-2) and 105th in scoring defense (32.1 points per game allowed).
"It's been a battle. We have a young team, especially along the offensive and defensive lines," said coach Ruffin McNeill, adding that injuries also have hampered the Pirates.
An inability to score touchdowns in the red zone, poor third-down defense and place-kicking problems have hurt Navy.
The Midshipmen have scored on just 11 of 17 trips to the red zone in their past three games and rank 105th in the nation in that category. The Navy defense has allowed opponents to score on 21 of 26 red-zone opportunities, and 20 of those scores were touchdowns.
"We're working on the little things, because there are so many little things that we need to rectify," Niumatalolo said. "Hopefully, if we do better at the little things, it will add up to the big thing, which is a win."
Both teams have played difficult schedules. East Carolina's four losses are to teams with a combined 23-4 record.
Navy's four losses, three of them by a total of five points, are to teams with a combined 19-6 record.
Navy routed East Carolina 76-35 last season in Greenville, piling up 596 total yards. The Mids took advantage of four Pirates' fumbles in the third quarter, breaking open a game that was tied 21-21 at halftime.
"We didn't play well while Navy did a great job of executing. All credit goes to Navy," McNeill said. "It's not Kenny's job to stop his own offense. It's our job to stop them. They beat us fair and square between the white lines.
"There are no hard feelings from this side."
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