9/2/2002 - Football
Navy-N.C. State Notes

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Game Data

Navy plays host to 24th ranked N.C. State in the home opener for the Midshipmen Saturday at 12 noon at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Tickets are available and can be bought at the Naval Academy Box Office in Ricketts Hall or by calling 1-800-US4-NAVY.

Navy is coming off a 38-7 win over SMU, snapping the Mids 10-game losing streak, while N.C. State is coming off a 34-0 win over East Tennessee State to improve to 2-0 on the year.

A victory by Navy would give the Mids a 2-0 record for the first time since 1996 and would break a 31-game winless streak against ranked opponents. Navy's last win against a team ranked in the Top 25 came on Sept. 20, 1985, when Navy upset 20th ranked Virginia, 17-13, in Charlottesville.

Before the game, the Naval Academy will add Operation Enduring Freedom to the list of battles on the facade of Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.

Saturday's fly-by will feature 4 F/A-18's which recently returned from patrolling the skies over Afghanistan while serving with distinction in Operation Enduring Freedom. Two of the pilots are former Navy football players. Tom Poulter ('97) was a three-year letterwinner at defensive tackle, while Matt Shubzda ('98) lettered once as a defensive back. A third pilot will be former Navy baseball player Matt Michalowicz ('99). Matt's brother Andy is currently a back-up quarterback for the Navy football team.

Saturday's game will 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 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. Clarkson tore the ACL and MCL in his left knee and Ross tore the ACL and MCL in his right knee in the preseason.

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.

Mids Win Season Opener For First Time Since 1996

Junior quarterback Craig Candeto (Orange City, Fla.) rushed for 153 yards and three touchdowns, while the Navy defense forced five turnovers and held SMU to just seven points as Navy kicked off the Paul Johnson Era in style with a 38-7 pasting of the Mustangs, in front of 25,000 at Gerald J. Ford Stadium.

The win broke a 10-game losing streak for the Midshipmen and was the first win for Navy in a season opener since the Mids defeated Rutgers, 10-6, in 1996.

SMU jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the first quarter when Tate Wallis hit John Hampton with a 13-yard TD pass with 8:10 remaining.

Navy was stopped on three straight plays on the next series and was forced to punt, but Jonas Rutledge muffed John Skaggs' (Jr./Cantonment, Fla.) punt and Shalimar Brazier (Jr./Detroit, Mich.) recoved the ball at the SMU 20. Two plays later, Eric Roberts (So./Miami, Fla.) scored from nine yards out to tie the score at 7.

On the ensuing kickoff, Navy's Bobby McClarin (So./Bethlehem, Pa.) separated Rutledge from the ball and Josh Smith (So./Attica, Ind.) recovered it at the SMU 24-yard line. Six plays later, Candeto scored from two yards out to make it 14-7 Navy.

The Mids put the game away in the second on 56 and one-yard runs by Candeto and made it 35-7 with 6:02 left in the third on a one-yard scoring run by Roberts, who had a great all-around day with 72 yards rushing and two touchdowns and 96 yards receiving. Eric Rolfs (Jr./Bartlesville, Okla.) kicked a 30-yard field goal with 5:57 left in the game to put the finishing touches on Navy's 31 point victory.

Smith paced the defense with 14 tackles, while Ben Mathews (Jr./Pittsburgh, Pa.) and Andy Sinitiere (Jr./Humble, Texas) added 10 tackles apiece. Smith, Brazier and Eddie Carthan (Jr./Donalsonville, Ga.) recovered fumbles, while Dustin Elliott (So./New Castle, Pa.) and Kevin Schwind (Jr./Fairfax, Va.) intercepted passes. The Navy defense also broke up six tackles, recorded four tackles for a loss and two sacks.

Series History

Navy leads the all-time series, 6-2, though this will be the first meeting between the two schools since 1921.

The Mids have lost six straight to ACC foes. Navy's last win against a school from the ACC came on Nov. 23, 1996, when Navy won at Georgia Tech, 36-26.

Navy-N.C. State

1911 Navy 17-6 Annapolis, Md.

1912 Navy 40-0 Annapolis, Md.

1914 Navy 16-14 Annapolis, Md.

1915 N.C. State 12-14 Annapolis, Md.

1916 Navy 50-0 Annapolis, Md.

1919 Navy 49-0 Annapolis, Md.

1920 N.C. State 7-14 Annapolis, Md.

1921 Navy 40-0 Annapolis, Md.

Scouting N.C. State

The Wolfpack come to Annapolis with a 2-0 record and ranked 24th in the country. N.C. State owns victories over New Mexico (34-14) and East Tennessee State (34-0).

Junior quarterback Philip Rivers is off to a great start, running for three touchdowns and throwing for three touchdowns in the first two games. He has completed 25 of 36 passes for 421 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions. Rivers' favorite target is senior Bryan Peterson, who has six catches for 107 yards and two touchdowns. Freshman running back T.A. McLendon has rushed for 124 yards and a touchdown in the first two games.

Defensively, sophomore rover Andre Maddox leads the team with 19 tackles, while sophomore linebacker Freddie Aughtry-Lindsey has recorded 12 tackles.

The Pack is averaging 157.5 yards per game on the ground and 232.5 yards through the air, while the defense is allowing 77.5 yards per game on the ground and 84 yards through the air.

State is ranked ninth in the country in pass efficiency defense (60.01), eighth in total defense (161.50), sixth in kickoff returns (34.50) and ninth in pass defense (84.0 per game).

Candeto Has Big Day

Sophomore quarterback Craig Candeto (Orange City, Fla.) had a big day in Navy's 38-7 win over SMU. Candeto rushed 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 was the longest pass play by Navy since Nov. 11, 2000, when Brian Broadwater hooked up with Dominic Bailey for an 81-yard completion at Tulane.

NCAA Scoring Leaders

1. Ovie Mughelli (Wake Forest) 24.0

1. Howard Jackson (UTEP) 24.0

3. Craig Candeto (Navy) 18.0

3. Chris Perry (Michigan) 18.0

3. David Mikell (Boise State) 18.0

3. Maurice Clarett (Ohio State) 18.0

3. Derrick Nix (Southern Miss) 18.0

3. Rashaun Woods (Oklahoma State) 18.0

3. Anthony Harris (Southern Miss) 18.0

10. Alex Walls (Tennessee) 17.0

Scoring Outburst

Navy's 38 points was the most by a Navy team since Nov. 11, 2000, when Navy scored 38 points in a 50-38 loss to Tulane. Navy's 28 first-half points was the most points scored in a half by a Navy team since Sept. 11, 1999, when the Mids scored 28 points in the first half enroute to a 48-28 victory over Kent State. The 38 points was the most in an opener since Sept. 13, 1975 when Navy ripped Virginia, 42-14.

Defense

The seven points Navy allowed on defense was the least amount of points allowed by the Navy defense since Nov. 6, 1999, when the Mids allowed just seven points in a 36-7 victory over Rutgers. That game, ironically enough, was also the last time Navy had won a road game before Navy's win at SMU. The seven points allowed was also the least amount of points allowed in a season opener since Sept. 7, 1996, when Navy held Rutgers to six points in a 10-6 win.

North Carolina Natives

The Mids have 10 players from the state of North Carolina. Sophomore quarterback Ryan Moody is from Greensboro, junior linebacker Chris Wade and freshman offensive lineman Michael Scott are from Wilmington, sophmore fullback Ryan Barry, sophomore defensive end Tyson Stahl, sophomore punter Matt Clark and sophomore defensive end Jesse Moore are from Raleigh, sophomore defensive end Chris Gunderman is from Charlotte, sophomore linebacker Adam Horne is from Lexington and freshman slot back Tyson Meadors is from Pembroke.

Familiar Names

Navy defensive coordinator Buddy Green is a 1976 graduate of N.C. State and was the defensive coordinator for the Wolf Pack from 1990-93 and again from 2000-01.

N.C. State senior defensive end Drew Wimsatt is the brother of former Navy defensive lineman Brad.

Wolf Pack junior defensive back Craig Moody is the brother of Navy sophomore quarterback Ryan Moody

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.

Breaking Streaks

Navy snapped a nine-game road losing streak with its 38-7 victory over SMU on Saturday. The Mids will now look to snap its nine game home losing streak on Saturday against N.C. State. The Mids last won a game at Navy-Marine Corps on November 13, 1999, when the Mids knocked off Tulane, 45-21.

Turnovers

Last year the Mids forced just 19 turnovers while committing 25. Navy got off to a great start in turnover margin in the opener, causing five SMU turnovers, while not turning the ball over. The Mids are currently ranked third nationally in turnover margin (+5.0).

NCAA Leaders In Turnover Margin

1. Texas A&M +8.0

2. Miami (Ohio) +7.0

3. Navy +5.0

3. California +5.0

5. Duke +4.0

5. Tennesee +4.0

5. Wake Forest +4.0

5. Virginia Tech +4.0

10. Wisconsin +3.5

Red Zone

The Mids were terrific in the red zone on both offense and defense against SMU. The Navy offense scored all five times it got in the red zone (1.000) and scored four touchdowns in those five trips (.800).

The defense gave up points just once in SMU's three trips inside the red zone (.333). The one SMU score was a touchdown (.333).

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 13th (293.0)

Passing Offense 92nd (106.0)

Total Offense 44th (399.0)

Scoring Offense 32nd (38.0)

Rushing Defense 73rd (182.0)

Pass Defense 33rd (144.0)

Pass Efficiency Defense 21st (75.5)

Total Defense 51st (326.0)

Scoring Defense 12th (7.0)

Net Punting 79th (31.0)

Punt Return None

Kickoff Return 95th (11.0)

Turnover Margin 3rd (+5.0)

Rushing Craig Candeto (12th, 153.0)

Eric Roberts (79th, 72.0)

Total Offense Craig Candeto (23rd, 259.0)

Receiving Yards Per Game Eric Roberts (26th, 96.0)

Interceptions Dustin Elliot (10th, 1.0)

Kevin Schwind (10th, 1.0)

Punting John Skaggs (20th, 42.8)

Field Goals Eric Rolfs (27th, 1.0)

Scoring Craig Candeto (3rd, 18.0)

Eric Roberts (16th, 12.0)

All-Purpose Runners Eric Roberts (18th, 179.0)

Craig Candeto (41st, 153.0)

Mids Have Dropped 31 Straight To Ranked Opponents

Navy has lost 31-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