10/6/2003 - Football
Navy Football Press Notes
Game Data
Navy travels to Nashville, Tenn., to take on the Vanderbilt Commodores Saturday at Vanderbilt Stadium (39,773). Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. locally, 2 p.m. in Annapolis.
Navy is coming off a 28-25 upset of 25th-ranked Air Force, while Vanderbilt lost at Mississippi State, 30-21.
Saturday's game can be heard on Navy's 10-station radio network, including 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 Omar Nelson will call the action starting at 1 p.m. (Eastern) on the Navy Pregame Show.
Pete Medhurst and Joe Miller will host the Navy Tailgate Show starting at 12 noon on 1430 WNAV (www.wnav.com).
Mids Stun 25th-Ranked Air Force, 28-25
Kyle Eckel (Jr./Havertown, Pa.) bulled his way to a career-high 176 yards rushing and one touchdown, while the much maligned Navy defense stood tall time after time as the Mids stunned 25th-ranked Air Force, 28-25, in front of 30,623 at FedEx Field in Landover, Md.
The victory was the first by Navy over Air Force since 1996 and the first over a ranked opponent since Sept. 28, 1985 (17-13 over Virginia), snapping a string of 35-straight defeats to ranked opponents.
The Navy defense served notice early that this wasn't the Navy team of past years, as the Mids stoned the Falcons on a fourth-and-two play from the Navy 21 as Jeff Vanak (Jr./Collegeville, Pa.) and Lane Jackson (Jr./Miami, Fla.) hit Air Force running back Darnell Stephens at the line for one-yard gain.
After a short punt by John Skaggs (Sr./Cantonment, Fla.) gave the ball back to Air Force on the Navy 48, the defense hung tough. Air Force drove to the Navy six-yard line, but then junior linebacker Bobby McClarin (Bethlehem, Pa.), playing with a boxing glove wrapped with tape on his broken left hand, made three-consecutive plays including knocking down a third-down pass from Air Force quarterback Chance Harridge in the end zone as the Falcons settled for a 25-yard field goal.
In the second quarter, the Mids got the diesel cranking as Eckel started ripping off huge chunks of yardage right up the middle. He carried the ball nine times for 43 yards on Navy's go-ahead touchdown drive that was capped off by Craig Candeto's two-yard touchdown run to give Navy a 7-3 lead. The Mids would never trail again.
Navy quickly made it 14-3 as Shalimar Brazier (Sr./Detroit, Mich.) intercepted his second-career pass on Air Force's next play and returned it 28 yards to the Air Force four. Two plays later, Michael Brimage (Jr./Birmingham, Ala.) scored from the three and the Mids had a 14-3 advantage.
Air Force answered Navy's second touchdown with one of its own, as the Falcons drove 76 yards on 13 plays with the drive capped off by a Chance Harridge one-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-one. Despite the touchdown, the Navy defense put up another impressive goal line stand as it took the Falcons four plays to score from the Navy three.
The defense stood tough one last time in the first half after a Craig Candeto (Sr./Orange City, Fla.) interception gave the ball back to Air Force at the Navy 47.
After a Chance Harridge 26-yard run gave the Falcons a first-and- 10 from the Navy 21, McClarin threw Stephens for a three-yard loss, Harridge threw an incomple pass and Stephens was knocked out of bounds by Jackson after a five-yard gain. Joey Ashcroft then shanked a 36-yard field goal attempt and Navy took a 14-10 lead into the locker room.
The Mids set the tone for the second half on the inital drive, as Navy pounded away at the Air Force defense with 12-straight runs by five different players before Candeto capped off the 82-yard drive with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Tony Lane (Jr./Wrens, Ga.). The touchdown pass was Candeto's first completion of the day.
After the Navy defense forced a punt, the Mids were driving down to put the game away but Eckel fumbled the ball at the Air Force 40 and it was recovered by Jeff Overstreet.
Air Force took advantage of the miscue by driving 60 yards in 12 plays and scored thanks to a lucky bounce as Harridge fumbled the ball on the Navy three-yard line and offensive lineman Brett Waller fell on the ball in the end zone for an Air Force touchdown.
Previous Navy teams would have folded after back-to-back bad breaks, but this year's edition isn't your typical Navy team. The Mids answered Air Force's touchdown with a 13-play, 71-yard drive capped off by a four-yard touchdown run by Eckel on fourth-and-one from the four that for all intents and purposes put the game away. Key plays on the drive were Candeto's nine-yard completion to Mick Yokitis (So./Pittsburgh, Pa.) on third down and nine from the Navy 30, Eckel's three-yard run on third-and-two from the Air Force 43 and then Eckel's 27-yard run on the next play that moved the ball down to the 13-yard line.
The Falcons did score with 20 seconds left on a one-yard touchdown run by Harridge on fourth-and-goal, but Josh Smith (Jr./Attica, Ind.) recovered the onside kick and clinched the victory.
Injuries
Second-team cornerback Hunter Reddick (Fr./San Diego, Calif.) is out with an injured right forearm, second-team cornerback Marcus Sanders (Sr./Antioch, Calif.) is out with a left arm injury, third-team guard Brett Nungesser (So./San Marino, Calif.) is out with a left knee injury, starting center August Roitsch (Jr./Houston, Texas) is out with a left foot injury and starting inside linebacker Ben Mathews (Sr./Pittsburgh, Pa.) is out with a right knee injury.
Series History
Vanderbilt leads the all-time series, 2-1-2. The two teams met twice in the 1990s with Vanderbilt winning both games by a combined score of 68-14. Navy last beat the Commodores in 1966, 30-14.
In Navy's last visit to Nashville, the Mids committed a school- record 10 turnovers in a 41-7 loss in 1993.
Navy is 7-9-2 all-time against the SEC . The last time the Mids beat an SEC opponent was a memorable contest as they shocked second-ranked South Carolina, 38-21, on Nov. 17, 1984.
Scouting Vanderbilt
You would be foolish to just look at Vanderbilt's 1-5 record and concede it isn't very good. The Commodores play in arguably the nation's toughest conference and have been competitive in every game but one.
Vanderbilt lost a heartbreaker in its opener against Ole Miss (24-21), a team that won at Florida last week, and has also lost close contests at #19 TCU (30-14), at Mississippi State (30-21) and at home against Georgia Tech (12-17, OT). Only Auburn has handled Vanderbilt (45-7) and that game was close for a half.
Vandy is averaging 139.5 yards per game on the ground and 234.5 yards through the air. The defense is allowing 158.3 yards per game on the ground and 192.3 yards through the air.
We Meet Again
Navy head coach Paul Johnson and Vanderbilt head coach Bobby Johnson are very familiar with each other as they used to do battle in the Southern Conference when Paul Johnson was at Georgia Southern and Bobby Johnson was at Furman.
Navy's Johnson was 4-2 against Vanderbilt's Johnson in head-to-head match-ups, but Bobby Johnson did win the final meeting between the two coaches, 24-17, in the I-AA playoffs in 2001. The loss was Paul Johnson's last game at Georgia Southern as he was named the head coach at Navy earlier that week.
The two staffs should be familiar with each other as Navy's Brian Bohannon (wide receivers), Ivin Jasper (quarterbacks) and Jeff Monken (slot backs) were on Paul Johnson's staff at Georgia Southern, while Ted Cain (offensive coordinator) and Bruce Fowler (defensive coordinator) were on Bobby Johnson's staff at Furman.
Cain and Navy defensive coordinator Buddy Green coached together at N.C. State.
ESPN Notice
Junior fullback Kyle Eckel (Havertown, Pa.) was awarded a helmet sticker by ESPN analyst Trev Alberts Saturday night as his player of the day. Eckel earned the sticker for his bruising 176-yard rushing day against Air Force.
Junior linebacker Bobby McClarin (Bethlehem, Pa.) also got some prime time mention for his diving knock down in the end zone of a Chance Harridge pass in the end zone. McClarin, who was wearing a boxing glove wrapped in plastic on his left hand to protect a broken hand, used the club to knock down the pass and save a touchdown. His play was ranked as the fourth best play in all of sports on Saturday by SportsCenter.
Navy Leads The In The Country In Rushing Offense
Navy maintained its lead as the nation's best rushing offense by battering Air Force for 294 yards. Last year, the Mids finished third in the country with an average of 270.8 rushing yards per contest.
NCAA Leaders In Rushing Yards Per Game
1. Navy 308.20
2. Air Force 303.50
3. Minnesota 277.00
4. Syracuse 267.00
5. Arkansas 247.75
6. Nebraska 241.00
7. Rice 240.00
8. Virginia Tech 231.80
9. Wisconsin 222.50
10. Oklahoma State 222.00
Run To Win
Teams that are successful running the ball are usually successful on the scoreboard. The combined record of the top-10 rushing teams in the country is 41-10 (.804).
The bottom-10 rushing teams-Utah State, Notre Dame, Hawaii, La.-Lafayette, Colorado, Arizona, Wyoming, Eastern Michigan, Texas Tech and Army-are a combined 14-39 (.264).
In A Rush
Navy's 373 yards rushing against Rutgers are the most by Navy this year and the 31st most in school history. It also ranked as the fifth most in the NCAA this year. Navy has three of the top-seven rushing performances in the country this year.
NCAA Leaders For Yards Rushing In A Game By A Team
1. Arkansas State 437 yards vs Tennessee-Martin
2. Air Force 431 yards vs Wyoming
3. Michigan 392 yards vs Houston
4. Air Force 380 yards vs Wofford
5. Navy 373 yards vs Rutgers
6. Navy 372 yards vs Eastern Michigan
7. Navy 370 yards vs VMI
8. Bowling Green 367 yards vs Liberty
9. Cincinnati 361 yards vs East Carolina
9. West Virginia 361 yards vs East Carolina
Pounding The Ball
Navy's 65 rushing attempts against Air Force equalled a season high (Navy also had 65 attempts against Eastern Michigan) and it ranks as the sixth-most rushing attempts in Division I-A this year.
NCAA Leaders For Rushing Attempts In A Game By A Team
1. Air Force 75 vs Wyoming
2. Air Force 74 vs Wofford
3. Nebraska 72 vs Penn State
4. Purdue 67 vs Illinois
5. Ohio 66 vs Northern Illinois
6. Navy 65 vs Eastern Michigan
6. Navy 65 vs Air Force
6. Kent State 65 vs Youngstown State
6. Nebraska 65 vs Oklahoma State
10. Rice 64 vs Duke
10. Nebraska 64 vs Utah State
Candeto Fourth All-Time In Rushing TDs
Navy quarterback Craig Candeto's (Sr./Orange City, Fla.) rushing touchdown against Air Force gives him 21 for his career, the fourth most in school history. Candeto trails Joe Bellino, who won the Heisman Trophy in 1960, by just three touchdowns for third place.
Career Rushing Touchdown Leaders In School History
1. Chris McCoy (1995-97) 43
2. Napoleon McCallum (1981-85) 31
3. Joe Bellino (1958-60) 24
4. Craig Candeto (2001-03) 21
5. Cleveland Cooper (1972-74) 17
5. Brian Madden (1999, 2001) 17
5. Brian Broadwater (1998-00) 17
Tougher Than Rocky
Junior fullback Kyle Eckel (Havertown, Pa.) has to make all of South Philly proud with his punishing running style. Eckel ran over the Air Force defense for a career-high 176 yards (previous career high was 129 this year against VMI) on a career-high 33 carries (previous career high was 18) and scored one touchdown.
His 176 yards rushing are the most by a non-quarterback at Navy since Chuck Smith rushed for 182 yards against Dartmouth in 1986. It also ties for the 21st most in the country this year and his 33 carries are tied for the 12th most in the country for 2003.
Eckel has now rushed for over 100 yards three times this year (VMI, Rutgers and Air Force) after not topping the century mark once a year ago. He is the first Navy player to rush for over 100 yards in back-to-back games since Brian Madden did it against Rutgers (24-128), Toledo (24-121) and Tulane (33-201) in 2000.
Eckel is the first non-quarterback to rush for over 100 yards in back-to-back games since Raheem Lambert did it against Tulane (19-101) and Hawaii (18-120) in 1999. The last non-quarterback to have three-straight 100-yard rushing days is current Navy radio analyst Omar Nelson who did it against SMU (16-108), Boston College (14-118) and Duke (15-118) in 1996.
Eckel has carried the ball 98 times this year and has lost yards just once.
Go For It
Navy head coach Paul Johnson has quickly become a fan favorite with his penchant to go for it on fourth down. Navy has gone for first downs 16 times on fourth down and has converted nine (.563). The opposition has gone for it on fourth down just eight times, converting five (.625).
Mahoney Steps Up
Freshman David Mahoney (Fort Myers, Fla.) made his first-career start a memorable one, recording a career-high 11 tackles, including six solo stops. Mahoney is the first freshman to start for Navy since Shalimar Brazier (Sr./Detroit, Mich.) started the 2000 Army-Navy game.
Big Game For Brazier
Senior Shalimar Brazier (Detroit, Mich.) may have had the best game of his career against Air Force. Brazier set up a Navy touchdown when he intercepted his second career pass in the second quarter and returned it 28 yards down to the Air Force four-yard line. Brazier also recorded a career-high tying eight tackles.
The Club
Junior Bobby McClarin (Bethlehem, Pa.), wearing a boxing glove on his left hand wrapped in plastic and covered with tape to protect his broken right hand, had a career game against Air Force. McClarin, who had missed three games with the broken hand, recorded a career-high 10 tackles, a career-high three tackles for a loss and broke up his first-career pass, a diving knockdown of a pass that looked to be a sure Air Force touchdown in the end zone.
Clutch Catch By Yokitis
Sophomore wide receiver Mick Yokitis (Pittsburgh, Pa.) picked a fine time to come up with his first-career catch. With Navy leading by just a 21-18 count early in the fourth quarter and facing a third-and-nine deep in its own territory, Yokitis came up with a key nine-yard reception on the right sideline. That catch ignited a long touchdown drive that was capped by Eckel's four-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-one.
Mids Like NFL Stadiums
Navy has played very well in its last-three ventures into NFL stadiums. Last year, the Mids nearly pulled off the upset of the century against Notre Dame before fallling in the final seconds, 30-23, at Ravens Stadium in Baltimore. The Mids then pummeled Army, 58-12, in the season finale at Giants Stadium.
This year, the Mids beat Air Force, 28-25, for the first time since 1996 at the Washington Redskins' FedEx Field. The Mids have one more contest this year at an NFL stadium, as they travel to Philadelphia to take on Army on Dec. 6 at the Eagles new Lincoln Financial Field.
Tackle Sanders
Senior safety Eli Sanders (Hartsville, Tenn.) has been in on 29 tackles over the last-two games. Sanders recorded a career-high 16 against Rutgers and then followed that up with a 13-tackle day against Air Force.
Mids 10th In The Country In Pass Defense
Navy is currently 10th in the nation in pass defense, allowing just 163.8 yards per contest. Last year, Navy finished 61st in the country allowing 220.3 passing yards per contest
NCAA Leaders In Passing Yards Allowed Per Game
1. Texas 110.00
2. Penn State 119.33
3. Houston 138.40
4. Oklahoma 141.20
5. Michigan 143.33
6. South Carolina 144.20
7. Nebraska 145.80
8. San Diego State 148.17
9. Minnesota 152.17
10. Navy 163.80
Dynamic Duo
In Navy's loss at Rutgers, Eric Roberts (Jr./Miami, Fla.) and Kyle Eckel (Jr./Haverford, Pa.) became the first Navy duo to rush for 100 yards each since Nov. 20, 1999, when Brian Madden (29-150) and Raheem Lambert (18-120) went over the century mark against Hawai'i. Roberts had nine carries for 125 yards, while Eckel carried the ball 18 times for 104 yards against the Scarlet Knights.
Slots Rushing For 100
Eric Roberts' (Jr./Miami, Fla.) 125 yards rushing against Rutgers marked the first time a Navy slot back has rushed for 100 yards since Oct. 2, 1999, when Dre Brittingham rushed for 124 yards on 12 carries in Navy's 31-28 upset at West Virginia.
Slot Backs Make Big Plays
In the triple option, the slot backs tend to touch the ball less than the fullback and the quarterback, but when they do get their hands on it the result is usually a big play. The Navy slot backs have rushed for 512 yards on 47 carries (10.9 yards per carry) and five touchdowns (one every 9.4 carries). The slots are led on the ground by Eric Roberts (Jr./Miami, Fla.) who has rushed for 234 yards and one touchdown on 25 carries (9.4 yards per carry).
The slots have also proven dangerous through the air, catching 13 passes for 275 yards (21.1 yards per catch) and two touchdowns. Roberts leads the way with seven catches for 181 yards (25.9 yards per catch) and two touchdowns.
All told, the slots have touched the ball 60 times (rushing and receiving) and have gained 787 yards (14.1 yards per touch) and scored eight touchdowns.
Lane On Pace To Smash School Record For Career Rushing Yards Per Attempt
Senior slot back Tony Lane (Sr./Wrens, Ga.) is on pace to set the school record for career yards per carry (minimum 100 attempts). The current school record is 5.7 yards per carry set by Bob Craig (1952-54) who rushed for 668 yards on 118 carries. Lane is averaging 8.1 yards per carry in his career, rushing for 894 yards on 111 carries.
The record, though, may not be Lane's for very long as teammate Eric Roberts (Jr./Miami, Fla.) is just 17 carries away from qualifying for the record and he is averaging a whopping 8.5 yards per carry in his career (706 yards on 83 carries).
Career Rushing Yards Per Attempt
1. Tony Lane (2001-03) 8.1
2. Bob Craig (1952-54) 5.7
3. Joe Gattuso (1952-54) 5.5
4. Ned Oldham (1955-57) 5.2
Plebe Alert
Freshman Trey Hines (Douglasville, Ga.) continues to impress when he sees action, scoring on a 20-yard run against Rutgers, which included a stiff arm at the 10-yard line that jolted a Rutgers defensive back to the ground. Hines has now scored on two-straight carries, he had a 17-yard touchdown run in his only carry against Eastern Michigan, and is the first Navy freshman to score two touchdowns in a season since Dre Brittingham in 1999.
Interception Streak
The Navy defense has intercepted at least one pass in six-straight games dating back to last year's Army-Navy game.
Youngest Team In School History
The Naval Academy put its youngest team in school history on the field against VMI, as the Mids dressed 14 freshmen (or plebes) for the opener and played eight (Brian Hampton, Trey Hines, Chase Hobby, Keenan Little, David Mahoney, Kevin Newsome, Tyler Tidwell and Jason Tomlinson).
Against TCU the Mids dressed 12 freshmen and played six (Hampton, Little, Mahoney, Newsome, Tidwell and Tomlinson).
Against Eastern Michigan the Mids dressed 12 freshmen and played 10 (Diggs, Little, Hines, Tidwell, Newsome, Byron McCoy, DuJuan Price, Hampton, Tomlinson and Mahoney).
Against Rutgers, the Mids dressed 13 freshmen and played nine (Tye Adams, Little, Hines, Tidwell, Newsome, Price, Hampton, Tomlinson and Mahoney).
In Navy's upset win over Air Force, the Mids dressed a record 15 freshmen and played six (Little, Hines, Newsome, Hampton, Tomlinson and Mahoney).
Youthful Mids Part II
The Mids start just nine senors and have just 12 seniors on the two-deep.
Volunteer Navy
The Mids have two players on the varsity roster from Tennessee, safety Eli Sanders (Sr./Hartsville) and long snapper Matt Williams (So./Franklin).
Navy In The 2003 National Rankings
{117 Teams in Division IA}
Rushing Offense 1st (308.20)
Passing Offense 115th (108.80)
Total Offense 33rd (417.00)
Scoring Offense 56th (26.80)
Rushing Defense 86th (169.60)
Pass Defense 10th (163.80)
Pass Efficiency Defense 73rd (118.28)
Total Defense 41st (333.40)
Scoring Defense 48th (21.40)
Net Punting 45th (37.19)
Punt Return 102nd (5.88)
Kickoff Return 92nd (18.41)
Turnover Margin 17th (+1.00)
Rushing Kyle Eckel (20th, 103.00); Craig Candeto (68th, 69.00)
Interceptions Josh Smith (13th, 0.60), Eddie Carthan (48th, 0.40)
Kickoff Returns Brian Hampton (28th, 26.00)
Field Goals Geoff Blumenfeld (80th, 0.75)
All-Purpose Runners Kyle Eckel (48th, 120.40)
Mids Break 35-Game Losing Streak To Ranked Opponents
Navy had lost 35-straight games to ranked opponents before Saturday's stirring 28-25 upset of 25th-ranked Air Force. It was the first time Navy had beaten a ranked team since Sept. 28, 1985, when Navy went into Charlottesville and stunned 20th-ranked Virginia, 17-13.
Red Zone
Navy has scored on 17 of its 22 trips inside the red zone (.773), with 15 of those scores resulting in touchdowns (.682).
The Mids scored on 35 of their 44 trips inside the red zone (.795) in 2002 and scored touchdowns on 31 of those 44 trips (.705).
The defense has given up 14 scores in 20 trips inside its 20 (.700), with 11 of those scores being touchdowns (.550).
Last year, the defense gave up points in 51 of the 59 times the opposition reached the red zone (.861). Forty one of the 59 trips resulted in touchdowns (.695).
First-Half Shutout
The Mids shut out the opposition in the first half of their first-three games this year (VMI, TCU and Eastern Michigan). It was the first time a Navy team had shut out the opposition in the first half in three-straight games since 1955 when Navy shut out William & Mary, South Carolina and Pittsburgh (519 games).
The streak ended at Rutgers when the Scarlet Knights put up 21 first-half points.
Skaggs Is Navy's Top All-Time Punter
Navy senior 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 in 2001 with a 44.8 average.
Career Punting 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
1. John Skaggs (2001) 44.8
2. Bill Busik (1941) 43.8
3. John Skaggs (2003) 43.3
4. Tom Moore (1971) 41.9
5. John Skaggs (2002) 41.2
Skaggs Selected For East-West Shrine Game; On Ray Guy Award Watch List
Navy punter John Skaggs (Cantonment, Fla.) has been selected to play in the prestigious East-West Shrine All-Star game, to be played Saturday, Jan. 10 at Pacific Bell Park in San Francisco. Kickoff is 2 p.m. (EST) with live coverage by ESPN.
Skaggs is the 17th Navy player to be selected for the East-West game and the third in as many years. Defensive tackle Josh Brindel was picked to play in the game last year, while wide receiver Jeff Gaddy was tabbed in 2001. He is just the second kicker and first punter from Navy to be selected for any all-star game. Kicker Todd Solomon played in the Hula Bowl in 1985.
Skaggs is also one of 32 punters on the initial Ray Guy Award Watch list. The list will be narrowed to 10 semi-finalists who will be announced in early November. The three finalists will travel to Orlando, Fla., for the Home Depot College Football Awards Show on Dec. 11, with the winner being announced and presented with the award live on ESPN.
Skaggs is Navy's all-time punting leader for a single-season and a career. He broke Bill Busik's 60-year old single-season record in 2001 when he averaged 44.8 yards per punt, while his 43.1 yards per game career average is also a school record.
Johnson Unique
Navy head football coach Paul Johnson is one of just six Division I-A head coaches that did not play college football. The other five are David Cutcliffe (Ole Miss), Dennis Franchione (Texas A&M), Mike Leach (Texas Tech), Mark Mangino (Kansas) and Dean Pees (Kent State).
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 two winning seasons (1996 and 1997) and six seasons with two wins or less (1987, 1991, 1992, 2000, 2001, 2002).
Four Picks
Navy's four interceptions against Eastern Michigan were the most by a Navy team since Dec. 1, 2001, when the Mids intercepted four passes against Army.
Wide Receiver Pass
Andy Michalowicz's (Sr./Pasadena, Md.) 55-yard touchdown pass to Eric Roberts (Jr./Miami, Fla.) marked the first time a non-quarterback has thrown a touchdown pass for Navy since Oct. 27, 2001, when Chandler Sims threw a 34-yard touchdown pass at Toledo. Last year, former quarterback-turned-wide receiver J.P. Blecksmith completed two of his three pass attempts for 88 yards.
Carthan A Turnover Machine
Senior linebacker Eddie Carthan (Donalsonville, Ga.) has come up with four turnovers in the first-five games of the year. Carthan intercepted a pass against VMI, picked off a pass and recovered a fumble against TCU and recovered a fumble against Eastern Michigan.
Blocked Field Goal For A Touchdown
Rutgers' Brandon Haw's 88-yard field goal return of a blocked field goal was the first blocked field goal returned for a touchdown against Navy since Dec. 2, 1972, when Scott Beatty of Army returned a blocked field goal 84 yards for a touchdown.
Defensive Letdown
The 48 points scored by Rutgers were the most points allowed by the Navy defense since Oct. 26, 2002, when Tulane scored 51. Rutgers' 249 yards rushing were the most since Oct. 5, 2002, when Air Force rushed for 429 yards.
Six Turnovers
Navy's six forced turnovers against Eastern Michigan were the most forced by a Navy defense since Oct. 13, 1990 (141 games), when the Mids forced six in a 17-13 win over Akron.
Major Improvement
For the third-straight season, Navy has played a ranked opponent in the second game of the season, and for the first time the Mids had a chance to win.
In 2000, the Mids were blitzed by Georgia Tech, 70-7, while last year N.C. State hammered Navy, 65-19.
This year, the Mids led 25th-ranked TCU, 3-0, at the half before falling, 17-3.
Vanak Comes Up Big
Outside of his immediate family, not a lot of Navy football fans had heard of Jeff Vanak (Jr./Collegeville, Pa.) before the Mids opener against VMI. But Vanak may become a household name before the season is over if he continues to produce the way he did in his first-career start against the Keydets.
Vanak recorded seven tackles, had 2.5 tackles for a loss and forced a key fumble in Navy's first home victory since 1999.
Vanak came back and had a solid game against TCU, coming up with five tackles and a tackle for a loss.
He had two tackles, including a tackle for a loss, against Rutgers and recorded four tackles against Air Force.
Two Straight
Navy's 58-12 win over Army at the end of the 2002 season along with the Mids 37-10 victory over VMI marked the first time Navy has won back-to-back games since 1999 when the Mids defeated Rutgers (36-7) and Tulane (45-21).
Offensive Outburst
Navy's 598 yards of total offense (370 rushing/228 passing) against VMI ranks ninth on the Mids' all-time list and it's the most yards by Navy since last year's Northwestern contest in which Navy ran up 678 yards (378 rushing/300 passing) against the Wildcats. Five of Navy's top-nine offensive outputs in school history have come in the triple option offense with either Paul Johnson or Ken Niumatalolo calling the plays.
