MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The look on Ken Niumatalolo’s face and the tone of his voice spoke volumes. Navy’s 10th-year head coach wasn’t angry, he was disappointed.
Sitting in a small interview room underneath the stands of the Liberty Bowl, Niumatalolo could not hide his disappointment over the Midshipmen’s performance in a crucial American Athletic Conference contest.
Navy did not play with its normal focus and intensity in suffering a 30-27 loss to Memphis on a hot, steamy day in the deep south. There were just too many breakdowns in all facets of the game to beat a team that was picked to win the West Division in the preseason media poll conducted by the conference office.