Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo talked all week about how impressed he was with Tulane's defensive front.
Niumatalolo insisted the Green Wave's collection of down linemen and linebackers were as good as any the Midshipmen had seen, and that included Notre Dame's.
It was hard to believe considering Tulane ranked at the bottom of the Football Bowl Subdivision statistics in nearly every defensive category. The Green Wave were allowing 38.5 points and 426.7 total yards per game.
Niumatalolo wasn't just blowing smoke and trying to pump up an opponent that Navy was favored to beat by 23 points.