THESE are exciting times for the Midshipmen of the Naval Academy. Not only will the football team be playing for the first time overseas when they take on Notre Dame at Croke Park tomorrow, they also - and much more importantly - will do so at a time when they are enjoying their best start to a season since the 1970s.
This revolution in the fortunes of Navy coincides remarkably well with the arrival at Annapolis last year of head coach Charlie Weatherbie. In just over a year, Weatherbie has transformed a rather moribund football programme into one of the freshest and most dynamic in the college game.
Even a brief encounter with the man provides a strong insight into how he has pulled off this trick: enthusiasm. Weatherbie is bursting with it. At the start of the squad's training session at the RDS yesterday, Weatherbie sprinted out to take charge of his troops with all the zeal of a newly appointed high school coach.
As their 5-1 start this season indicates, however, Navy are far from a high school team. Their explosive offence have averaged 45 points in the last four games, and among their scalps this year are counted Air Force, who beat Notre Dame a fortnight ago.
As befits a military academy, Weatherbie's enthusiasm is underpinned by a genuine discipline, which allows Navy to run one of the most risky but potentially devastating game plans: the "option".
In the option, the quarterback operates almost like a running back with a good arm, i.e., he has three options: he can run the ball himself, he can pitch the ball to one of his backs, or he can throw it. When it's done well, the defence is too stretched to deal with all three options and is quickly overrun.
But the margin for error is non existent which is where the discipline comes in. Or, as it's known in the trade, "the fundamentals".
The fundamentals are what win football games, Weatherbie said yesterday probably not for the first time. You know, the steps, the techniques, the tackling, the wrapping up, not letting people slide off the tackles, that type of stuff on the defensive side of the ball.
"Offensively, it's to execute our offence, take care of the football and score at every opportunity we get."
Simple really. And fortunately for us neutrals, it's about as entertaining a way to play football as you can get.
Both schools have arranged for the players to enjoy a bit of entertainment themselves, though of course it falls under the heading "educational experience".
"I think it's great for these young men to have the opportunity to come out here and see what Ireland's all about," Weatherbie said. "You know, to see the culture and the land, and the hospitality.
"I believe everybody's real excited about us being here and, we're really looking forward to giving them a good show. You know, we're in the entertainment business as well as we are anything, and I believe these young men are ready to go out and have a good game on Saturday."
Also in the entertainment business are the marching bands and cheerleaders of the two schools, and they'll be strutting their stuff in public in two performances today. The first battle of the bands is at the top of Grafton Street at 1.0pm.
Then, at the RDS in the evening (indoors, in the main hall)
Navy and their supporters will join the Notre Dame mob for the traditional, "pep rally", of the Fighting Irish. Kick off is 7.0pm, and even it you are appalled at the very idea of American football, this extravaganza should be one of the great, outpourings of Americana to hit these shores. Admission is free.
Finally, Notre Dame are scheduled to hold a training session, open to the public, at Croke Park at 3.0pm this afternoon. But with heavy rain forecast, the session may be moved to the RDS to protect the pitch.
