Photo credit: Charlotte Athletics

It's been a busy week on the blog, be sure to catch up on the previous content: mid-season report card, how to watch the game, advanced stats preview + betting odds, Poggi's weekly presser, and Dave's By the Numbers piece from earlier today. Given all that, we'll jump straight into some keys to defeating #25 Navy and bringing home Charlotte's first ever Top 25 scalp.

Avoid Dirty Eyes

The most important piece to this game to me is Charlotte's Linebackers. The must keep their eyes clean, focusing on their assignment, and trusting others to handle theirs. Playing a triple option team is like a 60-minute-long trust exercise on defense. Do your job, believe in the man beside you to do the same, and see where you stand when the buzzer goes off.

Hear me out, score points

After last year's donut performance against Navy at Jerry Richardson Stadium, I look for Charlotte's offense to keep pace in Annapolis. The question remains, who will be QB1? Biff previously mentioned that he didn't think someone should lose their job because of injury, so I'm fully expecting this to be the Max Brown show. Charlotte's offense is clearly leaps and bounds better than last season, but can they sustain the momentum created from the blitzkrieg they unleashed on ECU?

Strike First is over-used

That said, you cannot dig a hole versus Navy, it's akin to death by a thousand paper cuts, but now their offense — like Charlotte's — is more potent this year, and you get hit with a couple kidney blows as well. Keep pace with the Mids in the first half, don't let them impose their will while they possess the ball, and don't lose faith when they pop one or two big plays.

#BeatNavy