9/16/2002 - Football
Navy-Northwestern Notes
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Game Data
Navy will play host to the Northwestern Wildcats Saturday at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is 12:05 p.m.
Navy was off last week after losing to N.C. State, 62-19, Sept. 7. Northwestern is coming off a 26-21 win over Duke, its first victory of the season.
A win over Northwestern would get Navy off to its best start since 1997, when the Mids started 2-1 en route to a 7-4 season. It would also be just the fifth time since 1990 that Navy has started a season 2-1 (1990, 1993, 1996, 1997).
There will be two fly-bys before Saturday's game. A P-3 from Whidbey Island, Wash., and 4 F/A-18's from VFA-131 in NAS Oceana. Flying the P-3 will be former Navy football player Lt. Keith Galloway, USN ('96). Pilots in the F/A-18's are Lt. William Burns, USN ('95), Lt. Jennifer Drake, USN ('97), Lt. j.g. Brett Holdiman, USN ('99) and Lt. Brian Larmon, USN (Nebraska '98).
Saturday's game will be televised live by HDNet TV. Pete Medhurst will call the play-by-play, while former Navy fullback Omar Nelson ('97) will handle the color commentary. HDNet television is available on DirecTV on Channel 199, but you must have a high definition television to view that channel. HDNet programming is also available at participating restaurants and bars and other public viewing locations throughout the United States. For locations showing HDTV go to: http://www.hd.net/sportsbars.html(.)
Saturday's game will also be shown on a taped delay basis on Comcast Channel 8 (you do not need a high definition TV to watch the replay) at a time to be announced.
The game will also be broadcast live on the 10-station Navy Radio Network (locally, the game can be heard on 1430 WNAV in Annapolis, 980 WTEM in Washington, D.C. and 1300 WJFK in Baltimore) and worldwide on the internet at www.navysports.com(.) Bob Socci and John Feinstein will call the action, starting at 11:30 a.m. with the Navy Pregame Show.
Pete Medhurst and Joe Miller will host the Navy Tailgate Show, starting at 10:30 a.m., on 1430 WNAV (www.wnav.com).
Injuries
Safeties Paul Clarkson (Jr./Oconomowoc, Wis.) and Scooter Ross (So./Neptune Beach, Fla.) are out for the year with knee injuries.
Team captain and slot back Donnie Fricks (Sr./Houston, Texas) is out with a fractured left clavicle. Sophomore linebacker Reggie Sealey (Upper Marlboro, Md.) is out with an injured left shoulder. Junior defensive tackle Kevin Schwind (Fairfax, Va.) is out with an injured left leg.
Turnovers Doom Navy
N.C. State scored 28 points off two Navy turnovers and two blocked punts and went on to defeat Navy, 65-19, in front of 29, 613 fans at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
The Wolfpack jumped out to a 21-0 lead four minutes into the game thanks to two Navy turnovers.
Philip Rivers hit Bryan Peterson on a third-and-10 pass over the middle for a 64-yard touchdown on State's opening drive and on the ensuing kickoff, Navy sophomore Eric Roberts (Miami, Fla.) fumbled and Lamont Reid picked the ball up and rumbled 30 yards to make it 14-0. On Navy's first offensive play from scrimmage, Roberts couldn't handle a pitch from quarterback Craig Candeto (Jr./Orange City, Fla.) and the ball was recovered by Jerrick Hall. Five plays later Rivers hit Sterling Hicks with an 18-yard scoring strike to make it 21-0 with 11:18 left in the first quarter.
The Mids made an attempt to get back into the game by driving 73 yards on nine plays the next time they had the ball. It was capped off by Kyle Eckel's (So./Haverford, Pa.) first-collegiate touchdown, an eight-yard touchdown run on fourth and two. Eric Rolfs (Jr./Bartlesville, Okla.), though, had his extra point blocked, leaving the score at 21-6.
Navy closed the gap to 28-12 early in the second when Eckel capped an eight-play, 77-yard drive with a one-yard touchdown run on fourth down.
Navy scored the only points of the fourth quarter when Candeto scored from four yards out to make it 65-19.
Eckel rushed for 59 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries, while Candeto rushed for 58 yards and one touchdown on 17 carries. Candeto was just 2-of-6 through the air for 33 yards.
Rivers showed why he was an All-America candidate at quarterback for the Wolfpack, completing 10 of his 15 passes for 309 yards with five touchdowns. Rivers also had a rushing touchdown.
Greg Golden was State's leading rusher with 88 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries, while Peterson had two catches for 152 yards and two touchdowns.
Vaughn Kelley (So./Coconut Creek, Fla.) led the Navy defense with nine tackles, while Shalimar Brazier (Jr./Detroit, Mich.), Lenter Thomas (Sr./Eagle Lake, Texas) and Josh Smith (So./Attica, Ind.) recorded six tackles apiece. Brazier recorded Navy's only sack of the day.
Series History
Northwestern leads the all-time series with the Mids, 2-0. This will be the first meeting between the two schools since 1951 when Northwestern beat Navy, 16-7, in Evanston. The two teams were supposed to meet last year, but the game was cancelled due to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on America.
Navy-Northwestern
1950 Northwestern ...22-0 Annapolis, Md.
1951 Northwestern... 16-7 Evanston, Ill.
2001 Cancelled due to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on America
Scouting Northwestern
Northwestern is 1-2 with losses to Air Force (52-3) and TCU (48-24) and a win over Duke (26-21).
The Wildcats are giving up 296.7 yards per game on the ground and 167.3 yards through the air, while they are averaging 110.7 yards per game on the ground and 198 yards through the air. Northwestern has been killed by turnovers, turning it over 10 times, including seven on fumbles, while coming up with five turnovers on defense.
Offensively, the Wildcats have played three quarterbacks, with freshman Brett Basanez receiving the most snaps. Basanez has completed 41 of his 77 pass attempts for 477 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions.
Senior Jon Schweighardt leads the Northwestern receiving corps with 13 catches for 200 yards, while junior Jason Wright has rushed for 160 yards on 45 carries to lead the Northwestern ground attack.
Sophomore middle linebacker John Pickens leads the Northwestern defense with 30 tackles.
Playing The Big 10
Northwestern will be the first Big 10 team to play the Midshipmen since 1986 when Navy lost to Indiana, 52-29.
The Wildcats are the first Big 10 team to visit Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. The last time Navy played host to a school from the Big 10 was in 1950 when Navy played host to Northwestern at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, Md. Penn State has made several trips to Navy-Marine Corps over the years, but never as a member of the Big 10.
Navy and Northwestern were supposed to play last year in Evanston, but the game was cancelled due to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on America.
Candeto Ninth In The Country In Scoring
Sophomore quarterback Craig Candeto (Orange City, Fla.) is tied for eighth in the country in scoring, averaging 12 points per game.
Candeto had a big day in Navy's 38-7 win over SMU, rushing for a career-high 153 yards and a career-high three touchdowns, while throwing for a career-high 106 yards in just his third- career start.
Candeto's 56-yard touchdown run was the longest run by a Navy player since Nov. 6, 1999, when Raheem Lambert had a 61-yard touchdown run in Navy's 36-7 victory over Rutgers.
His 69-yard pass completion to Eric Roberts (So./Miami, Fla.) was the longest pass play by Navy since Nov. 11, 2000, when Brian Broadwater hooked up with Dominic Bailey (Sr./Houston, Texas) for an 81-yard completion at Tulane.
Against N.C. State, Candeto carried the ball 17 times for 58 yards and one touchdown in Navy's 65-19 loss to the Wolfpack.
NCAA Individual Leaders In Scoring
1. Troy Hollings (Georgia Tech) 16.0
1. Zack Abron (Missouri) 16.0
3. Josh Harris (Bowling Green) 15.0
4. Maurice Clarett (Ohio State) 14.0
4. Derrick Nix (Southern Miss.) 14.0
4. Jonathan Golden (Baylor) 14.0
7. Shaun Suisham (Bowling Green) 13.0
8. Craig Candeto (Navy) 12.0
8. Jared Siegel (Oregon) 12.0
8. Thero Mitchell (Hawaii) 12.0
Illinois Natives
Senior offensive tackle David Walsh is from Glenview and slot back coach Jeff Monken is from Peoria.
Brotherly Love
The Mids have 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.
Not So Sweet Home
Navy has now lost 10 straight and 15 of the last 16 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. The Mids last won a game at Navy-Marine Corps on November 13, 1999, when the Mids knocked off Tulane, 45-21.
In A Rush
Navy is seventh in the nation in rushing, averaging 268 yards per game. Last year, the Mids averaged just 181.8 yards per game on the ground.
NCAA Leaders In Rushing Offense
1. Air Force 368.5
2. Kent State 314.0
3. Virginia Tech 283.0
4. West Virginia 282.0
5. Troy State 280.7
6. Florida State 268.3
7. Navy 268.0
8. Toledo 266.0
9. Arkansas 262.0
9. Iowa 262.0
Smart Up Front
Senior left offensive tackle Derek Jaskowiak (Chesterfield, Mo.) sports a 3.74 GPA in systems engineering, while senior left offensive guard Grant Moody (Eureka, Kan.) carries a 3.91 GPA in quantitative economics. Both are Academic All-American candidates.
Red Zone
The Mids have been terrific in the red zone on offense this year, scoring all eight times inside the Red Zone (1.000) and scoring touchdowns on seven of those eight trips (.875).
The defense has given up points in six of the nine times the opposition has reached the Red Zone (.667). Five of the six have been touchdowns (.556).
No Overtime
Since the NCAA adopted the overtime rule in 1996, Navy is one of just 10 schools who have not played an overtime game.
Schools That Have Never Played An Overtime Game
Connecticut
Florida State
Navy
North Texas
Ohio State
South Carolina
Temple
Tulane
Troy State
Tulsa
Navy In The 2002 National Rankings
{117 Teams in Division IA}
Rushing Offense 7th (268.0)
Passing Offense 114th (69.5)
Total Offense 81st (337.5)
Scoring Offense 59th (28.5)
Rushing Defense 91st (176.5)
Pass Defense 86th (236.0)
Pass Efficiency Defense 111th (160.1)
Total Defense 95th (412.5)
Scoring Defense 105th (36.0)
Net Punting 114th (23.2)
Punt Return 116th (0.0)
Kickoff Return 64th (20.2)
Turnover Margin 29th (+1.0)
Rushing Craig Candeto (28th, 105.5)
Total Offense Craig Candeto (68th, 175.0)
Interceptions Dustin Elliot (44th, 0.5)
Kevin Schwind (44th, 0.5)
Punting John Skaggs (50th, 40.0)
Kickoff Returns Eric Roberts (36th, 23.5)
Tony Lane (74th, 19.8)
Field Goals Eric Rolfs (86th, 0.5)
Scoring Craig Candeto (8th, 12.0)
All-Purpose Runners Eric Roberts (39th, 139.5)
