Navy's loss to BYU Monday night was the worst of the Ken Niumatalolo era
Monday night got ugly in a hurry. What was pegged to be an intriguing matchup between BYU and Navy turned into a lopsided affair essentially from the opening kickoff.
BYU defeated Navy 55-3 in Annapolis, closing out the first full weekend of the college football season. That 52-point loss was the worst the Midshipmen have endured under head coach Ken Niumatalolo — by 10 points. Prior to Monday night’s loss, Navy’s worst loss came by 42 points on two separate occasions. The Midshipmen fell 56-14 to Notre Dame in 2011 and loss a 42-0 contest to Cincinnati in 2018.
Niumatalolo has been the head coach at Navy since 2008.
The Cougars dominated every facet of the game Monday night. BYU tallied 580 yards of total offense, with 301 coming on the ground. It converted 6-of-11 3rd down opportunities and committed just one penalty the entire game, totaling just 5 yards.
Tyler Allgeier rushed for 132 yards and 2 touchdowns on 14 carries while Lopini Katoa totaled 80 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 10 touches. Quarterback Zach Wilson completed 13-of-18 passes for 232 yards with 2 touchdowns and an interception.
Wide receiver Gunner Romney had 4 catches for 134 yards and a score.
Navy picked up just 7 first downs the entire game and converted only 2 of its 12 3rd downs. The Midshipmen had just 149 yards of total offense when the final whistle blew.