Jerry Kill said before Tuesday’s game that teams can only do so much to prepare for the triple option.

“The problem is, whether you’ve faced it before or not, it’s getting ready for it for four or five days,” Kill said after Friday’s practice. “You can’t simulate it in practice. You try to do the best you can but you’re not going to see the speed of it until you get in the game.”

Navy used its option attack to run for 262 yards Tuesday night in a 16-0 victory over NIU at Huskie Stadium in the team’s season finale.

Navy quarterback Ricky Dobbs, making his first career start, ran 25 times for 124 yards to lead the Midshipmen. When it wasn’t Dobbs, it was Eric Kettani on the fullback dive. Kettani rushed for 92 yards on the night. Slot back Greg Shinego averaged 7.8 yards per carry when Dobbs decided to pitch the ball.

Navy also was able to control the clock. After an interception on NIU’s first drive, Navy drove 81 yards to the NIU 10-yard line before settling for a field goal. The drive ate up almost 11 minutes of clock.

“You can‘t miss on the offensive side. We moved the ball on offense but we couldn‘t finish; they were able to finish,” Kill said. “Once they get control of the game and get ahead, it’s very hard to catch up.”

One of the bigger plays of that drive, and the game, was a third and eight from the Navy 22, when Dobbs was able to scamper for 19 yards.

“My uncle always said when I was little that I run scared,” Dobbs said. “I always try to find somewhere where somebody’s not at, and that’s where I try to get in. I went through the back door.”

Most of the time, however, the Midshipmen were able to get their yards on first and second down, and avoided the third and long situations. Dobbs’ run was the only time Navy was faced with more than a third and five all game.

“It’s just one of those things that it was important for us to hold them to one to two yards on first and second down,” said defensive end Larry English, who played his last collegiate football game Tuesday night. “That was one of the biggest things is that they got those four yards on first down. That’s what made it tough.”