Navy passed its first road test on Saturday night with a 21-14 win over conference rival Tulane. Even with the Green Wave's new coaching staff adding a layer of uncertainty to the matchup, Ken Niumatalolo knew what kind of a contest it would be.

"Great win. That’s a really good football team. I knew when they hired Coach Fritz that Tulane would be a lot better," he said after the game. "What we saw today is what we expected, two running option teams.

"It was a back-alley fight; they punch us, we punch them, they punch us, we punch them. Fortunately, at the end, we found a way to win that game and I’m proud of the way our guys fought."

Punching and counter-punching is a good way to describe the course of the game. Tulane's defense would make a play, then Navy's defense would make a play. After Navy's first two touchdowns, Tulane scored on each ensuing drive. Both teams made their share of mistakes, too; Navy lost two fumbles and dropped multiple would-be interceptions, while Tulane had nine penalties and a missed field goal.