ANNAPOLIS, Md. — At Navy's media day last month, Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada was asked for his thoughts on being named to the watch list for the Davey O'Brien Award, which is given annually to the nation's top college quarterback. He said that he was honored, then added, with a grin, "I hope it's not for my passing."

The senior, who has completed a mere 78 passes (out of 147 attempts) in his career, jokes that he's "the quarterback that can't throw." He has pointed out that his top two backups, senior Jarod Bryant and sophomore Ricky Dobbs, both have superior throwing arms.

Then why, if he is so poor at the one skill that is most identified with his position, is Kaheaku-Enhada slated to start at quarterback for the third straight season?

"I can make the reads," Kaheaku-Enhada said without hesitation. "I run the offense."

Kaheaku-Enhada is, to be sure, a better passer than he gives himself credit for, and he also has worked hard to get better. But Navy (8-5 last season) does not need Kaheaku-Enhada to be a prolific thrower; for the past three seasons, the Midshipmen have led the country in rushing, while their quarterbacks have averaged just 10.4 pass attempts per game. What Navy's triple-option offense needs is a great decision-maker — and Kaheaku-Enhada is certainly that.

"He's probably the best option read guy that we've ever had here," said Ken Niumatalolo, who is in his 11th season at Navy, but his first as the head coach. "We might have had guys that are a little better at running with it, maybe stronger running inside, but he's probably one of the faster quarterbacks we've had. And he's the best as far as decision-making goes."

A triple-option quarterback has a lot of decisions to make; even on running plays, he does not always know who is going to get the ball when the play is first called — it's all predicated on the defense.

"We try to run well against any type of defensive front," said Kaheaku-Enhada, who is recovering from a hamstring pull suffered in a scrimmage Aug. 9. "It doesn't matter what (defenses) throw at us, we need to be able to adjust so that we can compete against them. As quarterback, you have to get the offense into that right play, to be able to counter that defense. You have to stay on your toes."

Last season, Navy broke several school records on offense, including nearly every season rushing mark. The Midshipmen ran for a total of 4,534 yards (348.8 per game) — yet they didn't have a single 1,000-yard rusher, which is a testament to how well Kaheaku-Enhada ran the offense and distributed the ball. Seven players finished the season with more than 450 yards rushing, including Kaheaku-Enhada himself (834 yards on 180 carries).

"The thing about playing quarterback in this offense is it's fun," Kaheaku-Enhada said. "You dictate what the defense does. You control the ball. In other offenses, you're just a tool to get the ball to someone else. You are the one doing the work in this offense."

The 5-foot-11, 195-pound Kaheaku-Enhada has the physical tools to be effective. He has quick hands and he is fast. ("If you give him a seam, he's the one quarterback that we've had that's been able to take it to the house," Niumatalolo said.) Last season, Kaheaku-Enhada produced two of the longest runs in school history: an 80-yard touchdown run against Ball State, followed by a 78-yard touchdown run against Air Force.

He is very comfortable running the option; after all, it's essentially the only offense he's ever played in. His Kapolei (Hawai'i) High team used the triple option. When Kaheaku-Enhada came to Annapolis, "he knew the footwork, he knew the terminology, and I didn't have too much to do to get him ready mechanics-wise. It was definitely a big help," said quarterbacks coach Ivin Jasper, a former University of Hawai'i quarterback.

Kaheaku-Enhada's laid-back personality — Bryant describes him as "a different cat" — also is a help. He is coolly confident and rarely gets rattled. Niumatalolo cites last year's Air Force and Notre Dame games as classic Kaheaku-Enhada performances for the calm way he handled the pressure — the mental and physical pressure.

That's why Navy's offense is in good hands with Kaheaku-Enhada — even if those hands don't produce thousands of passing yards.

"As a play-caller, you're not always going to call the right play," Niumatalolo said. "But if you have a quarterback on the field that knows what we're looking for, he can get you in the right play. It's a great security knowing that you might call something that maybe is not meant for that defense, but he can look at it and get you to the right play."

PAUL JOHNSON: BIG SHOES TO FILL

Washington Post

No one was more identified with Navy's renaissance than Paul Johnson, who coached the Midshipmen to six consecutive victories over Army, five Commander-in-Chief's trophies and five straight bowl games. Johnson now is at Georgia Tech, and Ken Niumatalolo, who played for and coached with Johnson for 17 years, has taken over.

Like his mentor, Niumatalolo is detail-oriented, demanding and unafraid to yell — though unlike his mentor, he never curses (Niumatalolo is a devout Mormon). He has a deep understanding of the triple-option offense, having run it as a player (at Hawai'i in the late 1980s) and having taught it as Navy's assistant head coach (2002-07). Said quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada: "Everything is exactly the same on offense. The biggest difference is the person who's going to be recognized, whether it's a win or a loss."