12/13/2002 - Football
2002 Navy Football Wrap-Up
Mids Roll Over Black Knights For Second Biggest Blowout In Series History
Craig Candeto (Jr./Orange Park, Fla.) rushed for 103 yards and a school-record six touchdowns to lead Navy to a 58-12 rout over Army in the 103rd playing of the Army-Navy game. Candeto also threw a 23-yard touchdown pass to Tony Lane (Jr./Wrens, Ga.), accounting for seven of Navy's eight touchdowns.
The 58 points scored by Navy is the most in series history and the 46 point margin of victory is the second largest in series history (Navy won 51-0 in 1973).
Navy played a near perfect game, scoring on its first eight possessions. The Mids did not have a turnover or a penalty and didn't punt until nine minutes left in the game.
The Mids rushed for 421 yards and piled up an Army-Navy game record 508 yards of total offense.
The defense played equally well, allowing a season best 241 yards of total offense, including just 56 yards on the ground.
Fourteen different Navy players carried the ball. Besides Candeto, the Mids got big days from sophomore fullback Michael Brimage (Birmingham, Ala.), who had 10 carries for 84 yards; Lane, who carried the ball five times for 65 yards and senior fullback Bryce McDonald (Springfield, Mo.), who rushed for 63 yards and a touchdown on 10 carries.
Candeto completed four of his five pass attempts for 87 yards and one touchdown as four different receivers caught passes.
Lenter Thomas (Sr./Eagle Lake, Texas) led the Navy defense with nine tackles, while Lane Jackson (So./Miami, Fla.), Jeremy Chase (Fr./Norfolk, Va.) and Ben Mathews (Jr./Pittsburgh, Pa.) had six tackles apiece. Junior Steve Adair (Dumfries, Va.) and senior Pete Beuttenmuller (Wellington, Fla.) had two sacks apiece.
Candeto's Historic Day
Craig Candeto's (Jr./Orange Park, Fla) six touchdown performance against Army was arguably the greatest single-game performance in the 122-year history of Navy football. Following is a list of records broken or tied by Candeto in Navy's 58-12 win:
*Broke the Army-Navy game record for touchdowns. The previous record was four set by Charles Emrich in 1890 (The first Army-Navy game)
*His six rushing touchdowns is a school record. The previous record was four set by Eddie Meyers against Syracuse (1981) and Gerry Goodwin against Virginia (1975)
*Tied the Navy school record for total touchdowns, also held by Lou Benoist (1919 vs Colby) and Harold Martin (1917 vs Western Reserve)
*Set the Navy CAREER record for most touchdowns against Army and tied the Army CAREER record for most touchdowns in an Army-Navy game with six. Previous Navy record was five set by Joe Bellino (1958-60) and Bob Jackson (1973-75). Candeto tied Doc Blanchard (1944-46) for the Army-Navy career record.
*Tied the Meadowlands college football record for touchdowns. Henry Odom scored six for South Carolina State against Morgan State in 1980.
*36 points (six touchdowns) is an Army-Navy game record. Previous record was 20 set by Charles Emrich in 1890 (touchdowns were worth four points)
*36 points ties the Army-Navy game CAREER record and breaks the Navy Army-Navy game CAREER record for total points. Candeto tied Doc Blanchard (1944-46) and surpassed Navy's Bob Jackson (32 points from 1973-75).
*The 36 points is the second-most points scored by a Navy player in school history. Bill Ingram scored 38 against Villanova in 1917.
*Finishes the year with 16 rushing touchdowns, tied for the second most in school history. Chris McCoy scored 20 in 1997, which is the second most in NCAA history by a quarterback, and 16 in 1996.
*Sixteen touchdowns is the fifth most in school history in a single-season.
*His 96 points this year is the fifth most in school history. The record is held by Bill Ingram, who scored 174 points in 1917.
*His six rushing touchdowns tied an NCAA record for rushing touchdowns by a quarterback. Dee Dowis had six rushing touchdowns for Air Force in 1989 against San Diego State. The NCAA record for touchdowns by any player (rushing or receiving) is eight by Howard Griffith of Illinois in 1990 against Southern Illinois. The record against a Division IA opponent is seven set by Arnold Boykin of Mississippi against Mississippi State in 1951 and by Marshall Faulk against Pacific in 1991.
*His 36 points is tied for the eighth most points in a game in NCAA history. The record is 48 by Howard Griffith of Illinois in 1991 against Southern Illinois
Candeto Wasn't The Only One To Break A Record
Lost in the Craig Candeto show was the fact that Aaron Weedo (So./Port Charlotte, Fla.) broke the Army-Navy game record for kickoff return yards with 143 yards on four returns. The previous record was 115 yards by Jason Wolf of Navy in 1998. Weedo would have had 27 more yards and a touchdown had he not been blatantly tripped by Army kicker Joe Riley on his 53-yard return in the third quarter. Weedo is just 57 yards away from breaking the Army-Navy career record for kickoff returns, which is 199 set by Army's Ken Waldrop (1961-63).
Kicker Eric Rolfs (Jr./Bartlesville, Okla.) set an Army-Navy game record with eight made extra-points. The previous record was six by Navy's Steve Young (1983) and Ned Snyder (1951). The eight extra-points are also tied for the second most in school history. Clyde King made 12 (in 17 attempts) against Colby in 1919 and Todd Solomon made eight against Lafayette in 1985.
John Skaggs (Jr./Cantonment, Fla.) is averaging 41.0 yards per punt for his career in Army-Navy games which is a Navy record. The previous record was 38.7 by Brian Schrum (1992-95).
The Mids 508 yards rushing is an Army-Navy game record. The previous record was 506 by Army in 1969.
Navy's 421 yards rushing was a Navy record for an Army-Navy game. The previous record was 380 set in 1997. The overall record is 438 set by Army in 1969.
The 58 points scored by Navy was an Army-Navy game record. The previous record was 51 set by Navy in 1973.
The 46-point margin of victory was the second biggest margin of victory in an Army-Navy game. The record is 51 set in 1973 (51-0).
Navy's eight touchdowns is an Army-Navy game record. The previous record was 7 set in 1973.
The eight extra-points was an Army-Navy game record. The previous record was six set in 1951 and 1983.
Navy's 22 rushing first downs tied a Navy record for the Army-Navy game. The Mids also had 22 rushing first downs in 1985 and 1997.
Patience Is A Virtue
When taking over a struggling football program, history has shown that it takes time to get things going in the right direction.
Bill Snyder at Kansas State is a perfect example. Snyder took over a program that was 6-47-2 (.127) the previous five years and had just one winning season in his first four years going 1-10, 5-6, 7-4, 5-6. Since then, Snyder has had winning seasons in nine of the last 10 years including four-straight 11 win seasons.
At North Carolina, Mack Brown took over a program that was 30-25-2 (.544) the previous five seasons and went 1-10 each of his first two years before winning six games (6-4-1) his third year. Brown went on to have seven more winning seasons, including three 10-win seasons, before leaving to become the head coach at Texas.
Iowa State was 14-38-3 (.282) the previous five seasons before Dan McCarney came on board. McCarney had five straight losing seasons (3-8, 2-9, 1-10, 3-8, 4-7) before finally getting his first winning season in year six (9-3). The Cyclones haven't looked back since as they are having their third-straight winning season.
Frank Beamer actually took over a very succesful program at Virginia Tech (40-16-1 the previous five years), but the program was hit hard by a loss of scholarships due to NCAA violations committed by the previous staff his second year. Beamer only had two winning seasons his first six years (2-9, 3-8, 6-4-1, 6-5, 5-6, 2-8-1) before reeling off 10-straight winning seasons, including four seasons of 10 wins or more.
Kirk Ferentz took over an Iowa program that had gone 32-25-1 (.560) and didn't have a winning season until his third year and went just 4-19 (1-10, 3-9) his first two years. After a 7-5 season last year, Iowa is currently 11-1 heading into their bowl game.
Paul Johnson took over a program at Navy that had gone 16-39 (.291) the past five years, including 1-20 the last two years. In his first year the Mids posted a 2-10 record, which is one more win than Navy had the last two years combined.
If you ask the people fans at Kansas State, North Carolina, Iowa State and Virginia Tech they will tell you that patience is a virtue.
Rebuilding The Program
Navy head coach Paul Johnson took over a program that had won just one game in the last-two years (1-20)-the worst two-year record in the 122-year history of Navy football. As Johnson says, "the program didn't get this way overnight and it's not going to change overnight."
For instance, Navy's all-time winningest coach, George Welsh, who was 55-46-1 (41-44-1 against Division I-A teams, 14-2 against I-AA opponents) from 1973-81 at Navy, took over a program that had won seven games the previous two seasons and didn't have a winning season until his third year (7-4 in 1975) and only had one winning season in his first five years (24-31 in his first five years). It wasn't until year six that Welsh got the program turned around and the Mids posted a 31-15-1 record over his final four years in Annapolis and played in three bowl games, including a win over BYU in the Holiday Bowl, over those final four years.
Since Welsh, Gary Tranquill posted a 17-26-1 (.398) record, Elliott Uzelac was 8-25 (.242), George Chaump won 14 of his 55 games (.255) and Charlie Weatherbie was 30-48 (.385).
Since Roger Staubach won the Heisman Trophy in 1963 (38 seasons), Navy has had eight winning seasons (1967, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1996, 1997) and nine seasons with two wins or less (1968, 1969, 1970, 1987, 1991, 1992, 2000, 2001, 2002). In the last 20 years, Navy has had three winning seasons (1982, 1996 and 1997) and six seasons with two wins or less (1987, 1991, 1992, 2000, 2001, 2002).
Struggling Against Winning Programs
For those fans that expected Navy head coach Paul Johnson to perform a miracle in his first year, it should be noted that since 1990, Navy has defeated just four Division IA schools that finished the season with a winning record. In 1990, Navy defeated Toledo (9-2), 14-10; in 1993 Navy defeated Bowling Green (6-3-2), 27-20; in 1996 Navy defeated Air Force (6-5), 20-17; and in 1997 Navy defeated SMU (6-5), 46-16. Navy's other 29 wins against Division IA opponents since 1990 finished with a losing record.
Who's That?
The only Navy fans who knew about Michael Brimage (So./Birmingham, Ala.) were those who watched the Navy junior varsity beat Lackawanna Junior College, 50-23, on Sept. 13. In that game, Brimage rushed for nearly 100 yards in the first half and showed that, if given a chance, could be productive.
Brimage got his chance when starting fullback Kyle Eckel (So./Haverford, Pa.) went down with a knee injury against Notre Dame. After carrying the ball just six times for 24 yards in the muck against Connecticut, Brimage got a chance to show off his speed and moves against Wake Forest, carrying the ball 21 times for 171 yards and one touchdown.
Brimage's 171 yards rushing are the most yards rushing by a back other than a quarterback since Oct. 4, 1986 (182 games), when Chuck Smith rushed for 182 yards on 26 carries in Navy's 45-0 win over Dartmouth.
The 171 yards rushing were the most by any Navy player since Nov. 10, 2001 (13 games), when Brian Madden rushed for 201 yards and three touchdowns on 31 carries in Navy's 42-28 loss to Tulane.
It was the first time a Navy fullback had rushed for over 100 yards since Sept. 16, 2000 (30 games), when Raheem Lambert rushed for 118 yards on 19 carries in Navy's 40-13 loss to Georgia Tech.
Brimage proved he wasn't a one-hit wonder against Army, rushing for 84 yards on 10 carries before having to leave with turf toe.
Scoring Outburst
Navy's 58 points scored against Army was the most points scored in an Army-Navy game and the most points scored in any game since 1996 when Navy scored 64 points in a 64-27 victory over Duke. It ranks as the fourth most points scored since 1929. Navy defeated Princeton, 65-7, in 1953 and defeated Wake Forest, 61-0, in 1929.
Senior Class Goes Out The Right Way
By virtue of Navy's 58-12 victory over Army the Navy senior class becomes just the second class in the last 16 years to beat Army three times (joining the Class of 2001).
The Mids have now won four of the last six contests against the Black Knights.
Tough Schedule
Six of Navy's 10 losses this year were to teams who will be playing in bowl games.
Tulane will take on Hawai'i in the Hawai'i bowl on Dec. 25, Boston College will take on Toledo in the Motor City Bowl on Dec. 26, Wake Forest will take on Oregon in the Seattle Bowl on Dec. 30, Air Force will play Virginia Tech in the San Francisco Bowl on Dec. 31 and NC State will play Notre Dame in the Gator Bowl on New Year's Day.
Johnson Wins Army-Navy Debut
Navy head coach Paul Johnson became the first coach from either school to win his first Army-Navy game as a head coach since 1982 when Gary Tranquill won his first-ever Army-Navy game, 24-7. Since Tranquill won his debut, Navy's Elliot Uzelac (17-3 in 1987), George Chaump (30-20 in 1990), Charlie Weatherbie (14-13 in 1995) and Rick Lantz (26-17 in 2001) all lost their debuts, as did Army's Jim Young (42-13 in 1983), Bob Sutton (24-3 in 1991) and Todd Berry (30-28 in 2000).
Mids Set Kickoff Record
Navy set the school record for kickoff return yards with 1,187 yards on 59 returns. The previous record was 1,133 yards on 55 returns in 1971.
Tony Lane (Jr./Wrens, Ga.) led the way with 484 yards on 22 returns (22.0 per return), while Aaron Weedo (So./Port Charlotte, Fla.) returned 11 kicks for 269 yards (24.5 average).
In A Rush
Navy finished third in the nation in rushing, averaging 270.75 yards per game. Last year, the Mids averaged a paltry 181.8 yards per contest. Navy has led the nation in rushing just once in school history, that coming in 1999 when the Mids averaged 292.2 yards per game en route to a 5-7 record.
NCAA Leaders In Rushing Offense
1. Air Force 314.50
2. West Virginia 286.92
3. Navy 270.75
4. Nebraska 268.92
5. Kansas State 267.42
6. Rice 247.73
7. Colorado 241.23
8. Wake Forest 239.92
9. Ohio 239.83
10. Penn State 233.50
Smith A Tackling Machine
Navy sophomore Josh Smith (Attica, Ind.) recorded 83 tackles over the last-six games, more than any other Navy player recorded all year (12 games). Smith finished with 127 tackles, 53 more than the next-closest teammate (Eddie Carthan with 71). His average of 10.6 tackles per game ranked 34th in the country, fifth among sophomores.
His 127 tackles equals the most by a Navy player since 1993 when Javier Zuluaga recorded 144 tackles.
Smith reached double figures in tackles in six of Navy's 12 games including a herculean 21-tackle performance against Connecticut where he also recovered a fumble and intercepted a pass. Smith also had double-digit tackle games against SMU (14), Air Force (10), Rice (18), Boston College (15) and Wake Forest (14).
Smith's season is more impressive if you consider the fact that coming out of spring practice, he wasn't selected to appear in the Navy football media guide and barely made the invite list (105 players) to go through two-a-day practices. Thanks to an injury to last year's leading tackle, Lenter Thomas (Sr./Eagle Lake, Texas), Smith got his chance to show the coaches what he could do during two-a-day practices.
Experience Returning
The Mids will return 46 players that were listed on the depth chart for the Army game. Navy will return 18 on the offensive side of the ball (five linemen, three wide receivers, five slot backs, two fullbacks and three wide receivers), 25 on the defensive side of the ball (eight linemen, eight linebackers and nine defensive backs) and three specialist (both kickers and the punter).
Jaskowiak Named All-Independent
Senior offensive tackle Derek Jaskowiak (Sr./Chesterfield, Mo.) was named to the College Football News All-Independent team. Jaskowiak was Navy's top lineman on a team that finished third in the country in rushing (270.75).
Jaskowiak was not only excellent on the football field, but in the classroom as well. He was named Academic All-District by the College Sports Information Directors of America. Jaskowiak has a 3.71 GPA in systems engineering.
Moody Named Second-Team Academic All-American
Senior offensive guard Grant Moody (Sr./Eureka, Kan.) was named Verizon Second-Team Academic All-American by the College Sports Information Directors of America.
Moody, who carries a 3.93 GPA in Quanitative Economics, was a two-year starter for the Midshipmen and was a finalist for a Rhodes Scholarship.
Chase Impressive
Freshman Jeremy Chase (Norfolk, Va.) got his first-career start at Tulane and came through with a game-high tying 10 tackles and deflected a pass. Chase followed that performance up with a seven-tackle day, including a sack, against Notre Dame and had five tackles against Connecticut. Chase finished his plebe year with a six-tackle performance against Army.
Touchdown Navy Quarterback
Navy quarterbacks Craig Candeto (Jr./Orange City, Fla.) and Aaron Polanco (So./Wimberley, Texas) scored 23 of Navy's 34 rushing touchdowns (.676). Candeto led the team with 16 rushing touchdowns on 177 carries (one touchdown every 11.1 carries), while Polanco has seven in just 74 carries (one touchdown every 10.6 carries).
Red Zone
Navy scored on 35 of its 44 trips inside the Red Zone (.795) and scored touchdowns on 31 of those 44 trips (.705).
The defense gave up points in 51 of the 59 times the opposition has reached the Red Zone (.861). Fourty one of the 59 trips resulted in touchdowns (.695).
Navy In The 2002 National Rankings
{117 Teams in Division IA}
Rushing Offense 3rd (270.8)
Passing Offense 115th (98.7)
Total Offense 69th (369.4)
Scoring Offense 80th (24.2)
Rushing Defense 102nd (202.5)
Pass Defense 61st (220.3)
Pass Efficiency Defense 116th (167.4)
Total Defense 100th (422.8)
Scoring Defense 108th (36.3)
Net Punting 45th (35.2)
Punt Return 107th (6.3)
Kickoff Return 57th (20.1)
Turnover Margin 105th (-1.2)
Rushing Craig Candeto (77th, 70.5)
Total Offense Craig Candeto (98th, 147.1)
Punting John Skaggs (40th, 41.2)
Kickoff Returns Tony Lane (56th, 22.0)
Scoring Craig Candeto (20th, 8.7)
Army-Navy Game Draws National Interest
The outcome of the Army-Navy football classic has been wildy unpredictable over the years. One thing is certain: cities from across the country would like an opportunity to host one of college football's true national treasures.
Representatives from 14 cities, stretching from the southern-most regions of the country to the great Northeast, have expressed interest in serving as the long-term host for the Army-Navy classic.
The process for securing a long-term home for future Army-Navy football games officially began in September with the two service academies distributing a formal "Request for Proposal" to agencies representing more than 90 different cities nationally.
An agreement between the city of Philadelphia and the academies to host the Army-Navy game expires following next year's battle.
The deadline for parties to submit official letters of interest was Nov. 15.
The academies received official letters stating an interest in hosting the game from representatives of the following cities: Miami, Fla., Tampa, Fla., Jacksonville, Fla., Pittsburgh, Pa., the New England region (headed by Providence and Warwick, R.I.), Houston, Texas, San Antonio, Texas, East Rutherford, N.J., Chicago, Ill., Philadelphia, Pa., Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Md., and Buffalo, N.Y.
The academies will accept bids from prospective host cities through the middle of January 2003 with a decision date set for early spring. Any agency wishing to submit a bid for the five-year period of 2004 through 2008 is encouraged to do so. Bidders will not be limited to those submitting official letters of interest.
"It's obvious, based on the expressed interest to date, this big time event will clearly end up in a big time city," said Naval Academy Director of Athletics Chet Gladchuk. "Each prospective host is in a major market, has a first-class venue and a proven track record of hosting special events. The selection process will be very interesting."
"We are pleased with the significant interest expressed by those wishing to serve as the long-term host for one of the greatest spectacles in all of sports," said Army Director of Athletics Rick Greenspan.
"This expression of interest affirms the respect that the nation holds for this great game and the service academies."
Seventy-six of the 102 Army-Navy games have been held within Philadelphia's city limits. Since 1945, the contest has been played in Philadelphia with but five exceptions. While the 1983 game was played at the Rose Bowl, the 1989, 1993 and 1997 confrontations took place at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., while Baltimore, Md. served as host city in 2000, the last time the game was held outside of Philadelphia. This year's classic is once again set for Dec. 7 at Giants Stadium, while next year's Army-Navy game will be held in the Philadelphia Eagles' new home, Lincoln Financial Field, slated for a September 2003 opening.
Skaggs Is Navy's Top All-Time Punter
Navy junior John Skaggs (Cantonment, Fla.) is Navy's all-time top punter by average (43.1). Skaggs set the school record for punting average in a season last year with a 44.8 average and averaged 41.2 yards per punt this year, which ranks as the fourth best average in school history for a single-season.
Career Punting Average Average
1. John Skaggs (2001-02) 43.1
2. Tray Calisch (1997-99) 40.7
3. Bill Busik (1940-41) 40.6
4. Dave Church (1965-66) 39.4
5. Brian Schrum (1992-95) 39.3
Single-Season Punting Average Average
1. John Skaggs (2001) 44.8
2. Bill Busik (1941) 43.8
3. Tom Moore (1971) 41.9
4. John Skaggs (2002) 41.2
5. Tray Calisch (1999) 40.9
Roberts Ranks Second On Single-Season Yards Per Catch List
Navy sophomore Eric Roberts (Miami, Fla.) averaged 25.2 yards per catch this year, which ranks as the second best yards per catch average in school history. Roberts caught 17 passes for 429 yards (25.2 yards per catch) and two touchdowns. Ryan Read holds the school record, avearaing 25.5 yards per catch in 1998.
Average Yards Per Catch In A Season Average
1. Ryan Read (1998) 25.5
2. Eric Roberts (2002) 26.0
3. Phil McConkey (1978) 24.2
4. Pat McGrew (1997) 22.6
5. Jim Stewart (1961) 22.1
Receivers Finally Get In The End Zone
Navy's wide receivers finally hit paydirt in Navy's 30-27 victory over Wake Forest. Craig Candeto's (Jr./Orange Park, Fla.) 19-yard touchdown pass to Lionel Wesley (So./Duncanville, Texas) was the first touchdown catch by a Navy wide receiver since Oct. 20, 2001 (15 games), when Jeff Gaddy caught a 13-yard touchdown pass from Brian Madden in Navy's 23-17 loss at Rutgers. It was also Wesley's first-career touchdown reception. Wesley's four catches are the most by a Navy receiver this year.
Chandler Sims' (Sr./Oklahoma City, Okla.) followed Wesley's touchdown catch with one of his own, this one a 53-yard strike from Candeto. It was not only Sims' first-career touchdown catch, but it was also the longest catch by a wide receiver since Dominic Bailey caught an 81-yard pass thrown by Brian Broadwater in Navy's 50-38 loss at Tulane on Nov. 11, 2000 (23 games.).
Mids Improving
Even though the Mids lost the game, the 30-27 defeat at Wake Forest was an indication Navy is improving.
Entering the Wake game Navy had lost the last-six games (dating back to 1999) against ACC opponents by an average score of 53-16 (316-96).
The loss was Navy's ninth straight to the ACC. The Mids' last win against an ACC opponent came on Nov. 23, 1996, when the Mids upset Georgia Tech, 36-26, in Atlanta.
Long Return
Aaron Weedo's (So./Port Charlotte, Fla.) 45-yard punt return against Notre Dame was the longest punt return by a Navy player since Oct. 5, 1996, when Ross Scott took a punt back 65 yards for a touchdown in Navy's 64-21 victory over Duke.
Long Pass Play
J.P. Blecksmith's (Sr./San Marino, Calif.) 79-yard pass completion to Eric Roberts (So./Miami, Fla.) against Northwestern was the fourth-longest pass play in school history and the longest pass play in school history that did not result in a score.
The longest pass play in school history came in 1995 when Chris McCoy hit Matt Scornavacchi with an 87-yard touchdown pass in Navy's 35-7 victory over Tulane.
Three of the five-longest pass plays in school history have come when Navy was running the current spread offense. The fifth- longest pass play in school history came in 1998 when Brian Broadwater threw a 78-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Read in Navy's 32-31 upset win at Boston College.
Player-Receiver (Opponent, Year) Yards
1. Chris McCoy-Matt Scornavacchi (Tulane, 1995) 87
2. Rob Klemick-Jim Stewart (Miami, Fla., 1961) 83
3. Brian Broadwater-Dominic Bailey (Tulane, 2000) 81
4. J.P. Blecksmith-Eric Roberts (Northwestern, 2002) 79
5. Brian Broadwater-Ryan Read (Boston College, 1998) 78
Not So Sweet Home
Navy has lost 14 straight and 19 of the last 20 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. The Mids last won a game at Navy-Marine Corps on Nov. 13, 1999, when the Mids knocked off Tulane, 45-21. The Mids have been outscored, 535-222 (average loss 38.2-15.9) during the 14-game home losing streak. Only five of the 14 games during have been decided by 10 points or less.
Piling Up The Yards
Navy piled up 678 yards of total offense against Northwestern, the third most in school history. The school record for total offense is 724 yards, which ironically enough also came in a loss, was when the Mids lost to Tulane, 50-38, in 2000. The second-biggest output was 680 yards against Colgate in 1998. Four of the six-best total offensive days in school history have come when either Paul Johnson or Ken Niumatalolo have called the plays.
Yds. (R /P) Opponent Date
1. 724 (362/362) Tulane 11/11/00
2. 680 (515/165) Colgate 10/17/98
3. 678 (378/300) Northwestern 9/21/02
4. 653 (358/295) Colgate 9/12/70
5. 646 (251/395) California 12/25/96
6. 635 (563/72) Kent State 11/22/97
Throwing The Ball
Craig Candeto's (Jr./Orange City, Fla.) 212 yards passing against Northwestern were the most by a Navy quarterback since Nov. 11, 2000, when Brian Broadwater threw for 302 yards and two touchdowns in Navy's 50-38 loss to Tulane.
100 Yards Receiving
Eric Roberts' (So./Miami, Fla.) 136 yards receiving against Northwestern marked the first 100-yard receiving day by a Navy player since Nov. 11, 2000, when Dominic Bailey (Sr./Houston, Texas) had three catches for 119 yards and Josh Bock had nine catches for 119 yards and one touchdown in Navy's 50-38 loss at Tulane.
Brotherly Love
The Mids had a remarkable four sets of brothers on the team. Junior linebacker Ben and freshman slot back Sam Mathews (Pittsburgh, Pa.), junior guard Nate and freshman linebacker Jeremy Chase (Norfolk, Va.), senior guard Grant and freshman guard Evan Moody (Eureka, Kan.) and sophomore quarterback Aaron and freshman wide receiver James Polanco (Wimberley, Texas). Aaron and James, who transferred to Navy from Texas Tech, are identical twins.
No Overtime
Since the NCAA adopted the overtime rule in 1996, Navy is one of just six schools who have not played an overtime game.
Schools That Have Never Played An Overtime Game
Navy
North Texas
South Carolina
Temple
Troy State
Tulsa
Mids Have Dropped 34-Straight To Ranked Opponents
Navy has lost 34-straight games to ranked opponents. The last time the Mids pulled an upset was Sept. 20, 1985, when Navy went into Charlottesville and stunned 20th-ranked Virginia, 17-13.
Losses To Ranked Opponents
Year Teams
1985 Air Force, Notre Dame and South Carolina
1986 Notre Dame
1987 Notre Dame and Syracuse
1988 Notre Dame and Syracuse
1989 Air Force, Pittsburgh and Notre Dame
1990 Virginia and Notre Dame
1991 Notre Dame
1992 Virginia and Notre Dame
1993 Notre Dame and Louisville
1994 Virginia, Notre Dame and Duke
1995 Notre Dame
1996 Notre Dame
1997 Notre Dame and Air Force
1998 West Virginia and Notre Dame
1999 Georgia Tech
2000 TCU and Notre Dame
2001 Georgia Tech
2002 North Carolina State, Air Force and Notre Dame
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium
This was the 44th season the Midshipmen have played at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. The stadium was dedicated Sept. 26, 1959, when Navy defeated William & Mary, 29-2. In the 172 games played at Navy-Marine Corps since its dedication, the Midshipmen have attracted 4,245,337 fans-an average of 24,682 fans. Navy set an attendance record in 1999 with an average of 31,996 and it was also the first time in stadium history the Midshipmen drew over 30,000 in every game. Navy averaged 27,808 at home this year, which is the 10th best average attendance in stadium history.
The Mids have a record of 99-80-1 (.553) in games played at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
Navy-Marine Corps Stadium Attendance Records
Single Game
Opponent (Year) Attendance
Air Force (1997) 36,172
West Virginia (1998) 36,009
Air Force (1993) 35,830
Air Force (1991) 35,640
Air Force (1989) 35,632
Air Force (1987) 35,416
Air Force (1995) 35,340
Air Force (1985) 35,106
Air Force (1983) 34,210
Boston College (1999) 34,052
Season Average
Season Attendance
1999 31,996
2001 30,307
1998 29,393
2000 29,329
1989 29,286
1996 29,256
1985 29,158
1995 28,091
1983 28,021
2002 27,808
1984 27,672
1997 27,362
1986 27,287
1987 26,700
