That's probably a good thing for the senior quarterback who has been at the helm of the Mids' offense while its starter nurses a hamstring injury.

If Bryant did pay attention to the media, he would know that his ability to read defenses and execute Navy's triple-option offense has drawn scrutiny and become a hot-button topic on the popular fan site GoMids.com.

Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo and offensive coordinator Ivin Jasper have both said Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada has been the best quarterback of the triple-option era in terms of making the reads and distributing the ball. With Kaheaku-Enhada at the controls, the triple-option offense seems to click on all cylinders.

Bryant has struggled at times this season to direct the intricate attack, having enough missed reads and ball-handling issues to cause the coaching staff to be more conservative. The Midshipmen have reduced the read element of the triple-option in favor of more designed plays with Bryant at quarterback.

However, that does not mean Bryant can't run the triple-option.

"We can run the triple option whether I'm at quarterback, Kaipo is at quarterback or Ricky Dobbs is at quarterback. We're a triple-option team and all the quarterbacks have been taught how to run it. We practice it every day," Bryant said yesterday.

"For whatever reason, we have struggled with it somewhat this season. I haven't done a great job of running it lately, but it's not because I don't know what to do. It's just lack of execution."

Kaheaku-Enhada has played a total of eight quarters this season due to a nagging hamstring injury.

The senior from Hawaii started and went the distance against Rutgers, but lasted just one half against Duke and Wake Forest.

Bryant started and finished the Towson, Ball State and Air Force games. He relieved Kaheaku-Enhada and played the entire second half versus Duke and Wake Forest. The senior captain from Alabama has played a total of 16 quarters so far this season.

A recent analysis of Navy's offense discovered there is not much difference in production between the two quarterbacks. The Midshipmen are averaging 6.36 yards per play with Bryant under center and 6.18 yards per play with Kaheaku-Enhada at the helm.

However, statistics can be misleading and it's obvious to any observer that Navy's offense looks dramatically different under Bryant and has sputtered far more often than past seasons. Niumatalolo and Jasper admit that's a fair assessment and said Bryant needs to get better.

"Jarod isn't playing bad, but he's not playing as well as we want him to," said Jasper, who doubles as the quarterbacks coach. "I'm taking that personally. It's my job to get him ready."

Jasper spent a good portion of the bye week addressing the situation. Concerned that perhaps he's put too much time into being offensive coordinator and not enough as quarterback mentor, Jasper decided to go back to the basics with Bryant.

"Last week, I spent more time on film and the fundamentals just to make sure I'm doing all I can to get that kid ready to play," Jasper said. "Jarod can be just as good as Kaipo in this offense. It's my job to make sure he knows what's coming and has the confidence to trust what he sees."

Reading the option may be one of the most difficult skills to master in all of sports. It requires the quarterback to make split-second decisions based on defensive movements and distribute the ball in any of three directions.

Jasper said the initial read, in which the quarterback decides to keep the football or give it to the fullback, is by far the toughest. It has to be made instantaneously based on what angles the interior defensive linemen take after the snap.

Jasper conducts clinics on the triple-option and also meets with colleagues who come to Annapolis to study Navy's unique offense. He said the most common question among coaches is: How do you teach the quarterback to read the option?

"There is no secret formula. The kids have to study it and rep it repeatedly, but a lot of it comes down having good instincts and a feel for it. That's something you can't coach," Jasper said.

Kaheaku-Enhada has uncanny instincts for the triple-option, largely because he learned the offense in high school from a coach who was taught the system by the master. Kapolei offensive coordinator Michael Carter, like Niumatalolo and Jasper, played quarterback at Hawaii under Coach Paul Johnson.

Not every quarterback can become an expert at reading the triple-option, no matter how much film they watch or how many practice repetitions they take. Craig Candeto, Navy's starter in 2002 and 2003, ranks second behind Kakeaku-Enhada in terms of executing the offense, Jasper said. Aaron Polanco (2004), Lamar Owens (2005) and Brian Hampton (2006), the other starters during the current triple-option era, had varying degrees of success at reading defenses and distributing the ball.

It's the job of the coaching staff to call plays that take advantage of the individual strengths of the quarterback. Navy did not run as much triple-option with Polanco and Hampton as it did with Candeto and Owens, Jasper said. However, the coaching staff has always taken great pride in having two quarterbacks who understood the system and could execute it when called upon.

Polanco replaced an injured Candeto against Notre Dame in 2002 and the offense was able to function. Kaheaku-Enhada became the starter midway through the 2006 after Hampton suffered a season-ending injury and the Midshipmen did not miss a beat. Bryant replaced Kaheaku-Enhada numerous times last season and the offense has continued to churn out yards and points.

Based on that history, Jasper is somewhat frustrated that the quarterback transition has not been as seamless this season. He thinks Bryant just needs to settle down, relax and do what he's been taught.

"I think the kid has put too much pressure on himself to lead us to the promised land," Jasper said. "I just want him to say, 'Hey, I'm just going to do my job. Let the linemen block, let the fullback take the handoff, let the slot backs catch the pitch. Jarod just needs to do his job and play his game."

Bryant, who played in a passing offense at Hoover High in Alabama, insists he's comfortable directing the triple-option after four years in the system and that he hasn't lost confidence in his ability to do so. "I've done OK at (reading) this season. Not great, but not terrible either. It's not in my head or anything."

However, the veteran signal-caller agreed it's high time for the Navy offense to start hitting on all cylinders as it normally does by the midway mark of the season.

"I think we need to put together a complete game as an offense. Usually, the offense really starts to click by about the fourth or fifth game," he said. "That hasn't happened so far this season. We've done it in spurts, but not for a whole game. We're close, but we're not there yet."