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Of all the players who can make a statement for their Heisman Trophy chances this weekend, put Navy quarterback Keenan Reynolds first at the speaker’s podium.
The quarterback faces a convergence of circumstances in a 3:30 p.m. ET matchup at unbeaten and No. 13 Memphis. With one touchdown, he breaks the career FBS record for touchdowns that he currently shares with Wisconsin product Montee Ball (77). More importantly, he can put the Middies in the driver’s seat to lead win the AAC West along with Houston.
There are a number of indicators out there that he could do it because, as good as Memphis is, the 8-0, 4-0 Tigers have a high-octane offense that is fueled by the number of opportunities it has with the ball. On the other hand, Reynolds keys a ball-control offense ranked No. 4 nationally in rushing (319.7 YPG) that could keep the ball out of the Tigers’ hands. Memphis is ranked No. 22 nationally against the run (118.8), but this isn’t the kind of run the Tigers have been used to stopping.
As good a job as Memphis head coach Jason Fuente has done, this is the first time the Tigers will have faced a triple-option offense this season. In 6-1 Navy’s only loss, at Notre Dame, the Irish defense was coming off having already faced a terrific triple-option offense in Georgia Tech. Stopping the option was nothing new to Notre Dame, but it will be to Memphis, whose quarterback, Paxton Lynch, has received most of the AAC Heisman hype. If Lynch doesn’t have the ball, though, he cannot do anything with it, and Reynolds is just the guy who can monopolize the rock.
The Tigers have to lose sometime, and Reynolds — an experienced senior quarterback leading a good team — has the talent to take them down. And he’s poised to do just that.
Mike Gibson is a featured writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @papreps , “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
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