11/10/2003 - Football
Navy Football Media Notes
Game Data
Navy will have a week off before taking on the Central Michigan Chippewas on Senior Day Saturday, Nov. 22. Kickoff is at 1:30 p.m. and tickets are available at 1-800-US4-NAVY.
The Mids are coming off a heartbreaking 27-24 loss at Notre Dame, while Central Michigan is coming off a 40-28 loss to Akron in its home finale. The Chippewas play at Western Michigan next Saturday before traveling to Annapolis for their season finale.
The Central Michigan 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 12:30 p.m. on the Navy Pregame Show.
Pete Medhurst and Joe Miller will host the Navy Tailgate Show starting at 11:30 a.m. on 1430 WNAV (www.wnav.com).
Mids Lose Heartbreaker To Notre Dame
D.J. Fitzpatrick nailed a 40-yard field goal as time expired as Notre Dame beat Navy for the 40th-consecutive time, 27-24, in front of a sellout crowd of 80,795 at Notre Dame Stadium.
The lead changed hands in the game six times and there were two ties as neither team led by more than seven points.
Notre Dame jumped out on top when Julius Jones broke a Jeremy Chase (So./Norfolk, Va.) tackle behind the line of scrimmage and rumbled 48 yards for a toucdown to give Navy a 7-0 lead.
The Mids would come right back on the next play as Tony Lane (Sr./Wrens, Ga.) took a pitch from Craig Candeto (Sr./Orange City, Fla.) and bolted 65 yards for a touchdown to knot the score at seven. The 65-yard run by Lane was the longest of his career.
The Mids took a 10-7 lead in the second on a Eric Rolfs (Sr./Bartlesville, Okla.) 35-yard field goal, but the Irish would regain the lead when Rhema McKnight caught a two-yard fade pass from freshman quarterback Brady Quinn with 14 seconds remaining to give the Irish a 14-10 halftime lead.
The Mids retook the lead with 5:50 left in the third when Kyle Eckel (Jr./Haveford, Pa.) bulled his way in from the five to give the Mids a 17-14 advantage.
The Irish, though, would come right back as they marched 66 yards on seven plays with Jones scoring from 12 yards out to make it 21-17 Notre Dame. Jones was credited with the touchdown despite clearly stepping out of bounds at the two-yard line.
The Mids refused to give up and took the lead one final time as Eckel fought his way in from the one-yard line with 9:53 left in the game to give Navy a 24-21 lead.
After the Irish tied the game at 24 with 5:10 remaining on a Fitzpatrick 30-yard field goal, the Mids took over at their own 27, needing just a field goal to pull off one of the biggest upsets in school history.
When Candeto hit Amir Jenkins (Jr./Temple Hills, Md.) on a wide receiver screen for 18 yards on third-and-seven from the Navy 30, it looked like Navy just might pull it off.
But after Lane picked up six yards on first down, Eckel was stopped for no gain on second-and-four and Eric Roberts (Jr./Miami, Fla.) lost a yard on third and four and Navy was forced to punt.
After a John Skaggs (Sr./Cantonment, Fla.) punt pinned the Irish back to their own 15, they went to work, or more correctly Julius Jones went to work.
Jones picked up nine yards on the first play of the drive and then Quinn hit Jones with a three-yard pass to give the Irish a first down.
After Quinn threw an incomplete pass on first down, he hit Jones with a pass for seven yards and then on third-and-three, Jones picked up the first down with an 11-yard run.
Quinn hit Ryan Grant for seven more yards on first down and then Quinn hit McKnight with a screen pass for 18 yards that moved the ball out to the Navy 30.
The pass to McKnight proved to be the biggest play of the game as Josh Smith (Jr./Attica, Ind.) was set to tackle McKnight for no gain when he was clipped in the back by tight end Jared Clark. Both Smith and Clark got up looking for the flag as McKnight raced down to the Navy 30.
After two Jones rushes netted seven yards, Fitzpatrick came on to kick the game-winning field goal.
Jones led the Irish with 221 yards and two touchdowns on 33 carries, while Lane had 92 yards rushing and a touchdown on eight carries. Eckel had 53 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries, while Candeto carried the ball 19 times for 47 yards.
Candeto connected on four of his five passes for 46 yards. Jenkins and Roberts had two catches apiece.
The Navy defense was led by Smith with 12 tackles, while Eli Sanders (Sr./Hartsville, Tenn.) and Lane Jackson (Jr./Miami, Fla.) added 11 tackles apiece.
Injuries
Starting center August Roitsch (Jr./Houston, Texas) is out with a left foot injury, third-team guard Brett Nungesser (So./San Marino, Calif.) is out with a left knee injury, third-team linebacker/nose guard Evan Beard (Boardman, Ohio) is out with a right knee injury..
Series History
This will be the first meeting between Navy and Central Michigan and the Chippewas are not on any future Navy schedules.
Scouting Central Michigan
The Chippewas are 3-7 heading into Saturday's tilt against Western Michigan. Central Michigan owns victories over two I-AA teams, New Hampshire and Eastern Kentucky, and a 38-10 rout of Eastern Michigan, a team that Navy beat, 39-7.
Jerry Seymour leads the Central Michigan ground attack with 801 yards and eight touchdowns on 145 carries. Terry Jackson has rushed for 703 yards and five touchdowns.
Quarterback Derrick Vickers' has completed 82 of his 157 passes for 922 yards with seven touchdowns and six interceptions.
Justin Harper is Vickers favorite target with 38 catches for 334 yards and one touchdown.
Defensively, James King leads the way with 122 yards, while Anthony Tyrus has 110. Both have 11 tackles for a loss.
Michigan Kids
Navy has three players hailing from the state of Michigan. Starting cornerback Shalimar Brazier is from Detroit, while two members of the junior varsity team, Ed Kotulski (Utica) and Ryan Engle (Reed City), are also from Michigan.
Paul Johnson-National Coach-Of-The-Year Candidate
It's pretty easy to make a case for Navy head football coach Paul Johnson to be a candidate for National Coach of the Year when you consider the following:
*Johnson took over a program that had gone 1-20 the previous two years, the worst two-year stretch in the 122-year history of Navy football.
*Navy, at 6-4, has equalled its second-best start in 21 years and its best start since 1997.
*The six wins are the third-most wins in 21 years
*The six wins are double what Navy had won the previous three years combined (3-30). With wins in the remaining two games, Navy will have has many wins this year than in the previous four seasons combined (eight).
*Navy defeated Air Force for the first time since 1996 and put the Mids in position to win the Commander-In-Chief's Trophy for the first time since 1981.
*One more win would give Navy just its ninth winning season in 40 years. With six wins, the Mids are already guaranteed to have their first non-losing season since 1997.
*The Mids are second in the nation in rushing, averaging 302.40 yards per contest, just one yard behind first-place Minnesota.
*Navy's victory over Air Force was the first over a ranked opponent since 1985 and broke a 35-game losing streak against ranked opponents.
*Navy has won three games at home this year after winning just three home games the previous five years combined.
*Johnson is doing all this with the youngest team in school history, as the Mids are dressing 18 freshmen and playing 11 (unheard of at a Service Academy).
Winning At Home. Finally!
Navy's three home wins this year (VMI, Eastern Michigan and Tulane) equal Navy's home win total for the previous FIVE years combined. The Mids won two home games in 1998, one in 1999 and none from 2000-02.
The three home wins are the most by a Navy team since 1997 when the Mids won five games at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
One Player And 86 Yards Away From Achieving History
The Navy offense is just one player and 86 yards away from becoming just the second team in NCAA history to have four 1,000-yard career rushers on the same team.
According to a survey of the 117 Division I-A Sports Information Directors of America conducted by the Navy Sports Information Office, the only team in NCAA history with four 1,000-yard career rushers on the same team is this year's Minnesota squad (Thomas Tapeh, Terry Jackson, Marion Barber and Asad Abdul-Khaliq).
The Mids currently have three players with 1,000-career rushing yards as senior quarterback Craig Candeto (Sr./Orange City, Fla.) has rushed for 1,651 yards, fullback Kyle Eckel (Jr./Havertown, Pa.) has rushed for 1,369 yards and senior slot back Tony Lane (Wrens, Ga.) has rushed for 1,137 yards.
Junior slot Eric Roberts (Miami, Fla.) is closing in fast on the 1,000-yard barrier with 914-career rushing yards.
Navy Second In The Country In Rushing
Offense
After being held to 238 yards on the ground by Notre Dame, the Mids fell to second in the country in rushing (302.40) behind Minnesota (303.91).
Navy has led the country in rushing just once in school history, that coming in 1999 when the Mids averaged 292.2 yards per game.
NCAA Leaders In Rushing Yards Per Game
1. Minnesota 303.91
2. Navy 302.40
3. Air Force 301.80
4. Rice 264.22
5. Nebraska 241.60
6. Texas 229.20
7. Arkansas 226.20
8. New Mexico State 224.20
9. Virginia Tech 222.78
10. Kansas State 221.64
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 64-35 (.646). Eight of the 10 teams have winning records, while only Rice (2-7) and New Mexico State (3-7) have losing records.
The bottom-10 rushing teams-Temple, Michigan State, Brigham Young, Eastern Michigan, Wyoming, N.C. State, Colorado, Hawaii, Western Michigan and Army-are a combined 39-58 (.402). Three of those schools do have winning records, Michigan State, N.C. State and Hawaii.
Mids Fourth In The Country In Pass Defense
A big reason for Navy's success this year has been the improvement of its defense, especially the pass defense where Navy is ranked fourth in the country after finishing 63rd in the nation last year (116th in pass efficiency).
NCAA Leaders In Pass Defense
1. Oklahoma 133.20
2. Penn State 135.70
3. Miami (Fla.) 140.67
4. Navy 149.80
5. Texas 152.50
6. Michigan 153.20
7. Southern Miss 155.00
8. Nebraska 157.40
9. Georgia 165.78
10. San Diego State 167.20
Candeto Closing In On McCallum
Navy quarterback Craig Candeto's (Sr./Orange City, Fla.) three rushing touchdowns against Tulane marked the fourth time in his career he has rushed for three or more touchdowns in a game. He has also increased his career total to 28, the third most in school history. Candeto trails 2003 College Football Hall of Fame inductee Napoleon McCallum by just three touchdowns for second on the list. Chris McCoy is the career record holder with an amazing 43 rushing touchdowns.
Career Rushing Touchdown Leaders In School History
1. Chris McCoy (1995-97) 43
2. Napoleon McCallum (1981-85) 31
3. Craig Candeto (2001-03) 28
4. Joe Bellino (1958-60) 24
5. Cleveland Cooper (1972-74) 17
5. Brian Madden (1999, 2001) 17
5. Brian Broadwater (1998-00) 17
Candeto Fourth Player In School History To Have 1,000 Career Rushing Yards And 2,000 Career Passing Yards
Navy quarterback Craig Candeto (Sr./Orange City, Fla.) is just the fourth player in school history to rush for more than 1,000 yards and throw for more than 2,000 yards in a career.
Candeto has 1,651 yards rushing and 2,126 yards passing as he joins the elite list of quarterbacks: Chris McCoy (1995-97) rushed for 3,401 yards and threw for 2,486 yards; Alton Grizzard (1987-90) rushed for 2,174 yards and threw for 3,492 yards; and Brian Broadwater (1998-00) rushed for 1,719 yards and threw for 2,500 yards.
Candeto Closing In On All-Time Rushing List
Navy quarterback Craig Candeto (Sr./Orange City, Fla.) is just 17 yards away from passing Bob Jackson and Jason Van Matre for 10th place on Navy's all-time rushing list. Candeto has rushed for 1,651 yards in his career.
Career Rushing Leaders In School History
1. Napoleon McCallum (1981-85) 4,179
2. Chris McCoy (1995-97) 3,401
3. Eddie Meyers (1978-81) 2,935
4. Cleveland Cooper (1972-74) 2,582
5. Alton Grizzard (1987-90) 2,174
6. Joe Gattuso Jr. (1975-77) 1,890
7. Brian Madden (1999, 2001) 1,802
8. Chuck Smith (1984-87) 1,744
9. Brian Broadwater (1998-00) 1,719
10. Bob Jackson (1973-75) 1,667
10. Jason Van Matre (1990-93) 1,667
12. Craig Candeto (2001-03) 1,651
Candeto Makes It Hurt
Navy quarterback Craig Candeto (Sr./Orange City, Fla.) doesn't attempt a lot of passes, but when he does complete one, it usually is for big yardage. Candeto has completed 134 passes in his career for 2,126 yards. That averages out to 15.9 yards per completion, which ranks as the third-best average in school history. Candeto is also averaging 7.8 yards per attempt in his career (2,126 yards on 274 attempts), which is tied for the best average in school history.
Career Average Yards Per Completion
1. Brian Broadwater (1998-2000) 16.9
2. Chris McCoy (1995-97) 16.4
3. Craig Candeto (2001-03) 15.9
4. Bob Leszczynski (1976-78) 14.6
5. Bob Zastrow (1949-51) 14.4
Career Average Yards Per Attempt
1. Craig Candeto (2001-03) 7.8
1. Brian Broadwater (1998-2000) 7.8
2. Chris McCoy (1995-97) 7.7
2. Roger Staubach (1962-64) 7.7
Candeto Closing In On 1,000-1,000 Mark
Craig Candeto (Sr./Orange City, Fla.) is closing in on 1,000 yards rushing and passing this year, which would make him just the 22nd player in NCAA history and second player in Navy history (Chris McCoy in 1997) to accomplish that feat.
Candeto has rushed for 814 yards and thrown for 947 yards on the season.
Candeto over 100
Craig Candeto's (Sr./Orange City, Fla.) 140 yards rushing against Tulane marked the second time this year (he had 151 yards against Rice) and fifth time in his career that he's rushed for 100 yards or more in a game.
No Picks
Navy has thrown just five interceptions (four by Candeto and one by Aaron Polanco) this year which ranks tied for fifth in the country for fewest interceptions thrown. Boise State, Syracuse and Utah lead the country with three interceptions thrown. Army has thrown the most interceptions with 21.
Candeto Careful With His Throws
Quarterback Craig Candeto (Sr./Orange City, Fla.) has been intercepted just 11 times in 274 pass attempts or an average of .040 percent of the time which is the third-best average in school history.
Lowest Interception Percentage
1. Bob Powers (1977-79) .035 (7-of-199)
2. Brian Broadwater (1998-00) .039 (8-of-209)
3. Craig Candeto (2001-03) .040 (11-of-274)
4. Roger Staubach (1962-64) .041 (19-of-463)
Candeto Responsible For A Lot Of Points
Quarterback Craig Candeto (Sr./Orange City, Fla.) has been responsible for 258 points in his career (28 rushing touchdowns, 15 touchdowns passing), the second most in school history. Only Chris McCoy, with 390 points, has been responsible for more.
Career Points Responsible For (rushing and passing)
1. Chris McCoy (1995-97) 390
2. Craig Candeto (2001-03) 258
3. Roger Staubach (1962-64) 216
4. Bill Byrne (1984-86) 214
Two Over The Century Mark
Craig Candeto's (Sr./Orange City, Fla.) 140 yards rushing and Kyle Eckel's (Jr./Haverford, Pa.) 120 yards rushing against Tulane marked the second time this year and the 23rd time all-time that Navy has had two players go over 100 yards rushing in a game.
Against Rutgers, Eric Roberts (Jr./Miami, Fla.) rushed for 125 yards on nine carries, while Eckel rushed for 104 yards on 18 carries.
Going, Going, Gone
Junior slot back Eric Roberts' (Miami, Fla.) 69-yard touchdown run in the first quarter against Rice was the longest of his career and the longest by a Navy player since Sept. 25, 1999, when Raheem Lambert had a 79-yard touchdown run against Rice.
His 66-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter against Delaware was the longest touchdown catch by a Navy player since Dec. 5, 1998, when Brian Broadwater threw a 69-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Read against Army.
Roberts Closing In On 1,000 Yards Rushing And Receiving For A Career
Junior slot back Eric Roberts (Miami, Fla.) is closing in on the the 1,000-yard mark for both rushing and receiving in his career. Roberts currently has 914 yards rushing and 786 yards receiving in his career.
If Roberts can get to 1,000 in both, he would be the first player in Navy history to accomplish this feat.
Eckel, Eckel, Eckel
Junior fullback Kyle Eckel's (Havertown, Pa.) hard-nosed running style has developed a cult following among the Brigade of Midshipmen. The student body chants his name in unison every time he touches the ball, which lately has been often and for big gains.
Eckel had his string of consecutive 100-yard rushing days snapped against Rice as he carried the ball just three times for 11 yards. Eckel sat out most of the Mids' victory over the Owls with an injury. Eckel was also held in check against Delaware (15 carries, 45 yards), but came back with a vengeance against Tulane, rushing for 120 yards on 26 carries.
Eckel rushed for over 100 yards for the third-consecutive game, as he pounded the Vanderbilt defense for 115 yards on 20 carries in Navy's upset win over the Commodores.
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 in Navy's upset of Air Force.
His 176 yards rushing are the most by a non-quarterback at Navy since Chuck Smith rushed for 182 yards against Dartmouth in 1986.
Eckel has now rushed for over 100 yards five times this year (VMI, Rutgers, Air Force, Vanderbilt and Tulane) after not topping the century mark in 2002.
He is the first Navy player to rush for over 100 yards in three-straight games since Brian Madden did it against Rutgers (24-128), Toledo (24-121) and Tulane (33-201) in 2001.
Eckel is the first non-quarterback to rush for over 100 yards in three-straight games since 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 175 times this year and has lost yardage on just three of those carries, all of which were one-yard losses.
Candeto And Eckel Closing In On 1,000 Yards Rushing
Navy fullback Kyle Eckel (Jr./Haverford, Pa.) and quarterback Craig Candeto (Sr./Orange City, Fla.) are both closing in on the 1,000- yard rushing mark for the season. Eckel has rushed for 859 yards on the year, while Candeto has garnered 814 rushing yards.
If they both get to 1,000 yards, it will mark just the 28th time in NCAA history and the first time in Navy history that two players have rushed for over 1,000 yards in a single season.
It will also mark just the eighth (if one makes it) and ninth (if both make it) time in school history that a Navy player has rushed for over 1,000 yards in a season.
If Candeto makes it, he will become just the second quarterback in school history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season (McCoy did it twice). If Eckel reaches the 1,000-yard mark, he will be the first non-quarterback to rush for 1,000 yards in a season since Napoleon McCallum in 1985.
Single-Season Rushing Leaders In School History
1. Napoleon McCallum (1983) 1,587
2. Chris McCoy (1997) 1,370
3. Napoleon McCallum (1985) 1,327
4. Eddie Meyers (1981) 1,318
5. Joe Gattuso Jr. (1977) 1,292
6. Chris McCoy (1996) 1,228
7. Cleveland Cooper (1972) 1,046
8. Eddie Meyers (1980) 957
9. Chuck Smith (1986) 933
10. Brian Madden (1999) 905
Kyle Eckel (2003) 859
Craig Candeto (2003) 814
Third Down Conversions
After a slow start, Navy has been remarkable at converting third downs over the last-six games, as the Mids have converted 52-of-88 (.591) third-down opportunities after starting the year 19-of-56 (.339). Navy was nine-of-nine on third down in the first half against Rice and was 10-of-12 on third downs for the game against Tulane.
In Navy's six wins, the Mids have converted 50-of-86 third downs (.581). They are 21-of-60 (.350) on third down conversions in the four losses.
In Navy's last-four wins, it is 42-of-63 on third down (.667).
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 1,049 yards on 113 carries (9.3 yards per carry) and 10 touchdowns (one every 11.3 carries). The slots are led on the ground by Tony Lane (Sr./Wrens, Ga.) who has rushed for 472 yards and four touchdowns on 39 carries (12.1 yards per carry).
The slots have also proven dangerous through the air, catching 25 passes for 517 yards (20.7 yards per catch) and four touchdowns. Roberts leads the way with 16 catches for 357 yards (22.3 yards per catch) and five touchdowns.
All told, the slots have touched the ball 138 times (rushing and receiving) and have gained 1,566 yards (11.3 yards per touch) and scored 15 touchdowns.
Lane Loves The Irish
Senior slot back Tony Lane (Wrens, Ga.) rushed for a career-high tying 92 yards and a touchdown in Navy's 27-24 heartbreaking loss at Notre Dame. Lane's other 92-yard game came last year against Notre Dame in Baltimore.
Lane And Roberts On Pace To Smash School Record For Career Rushing Yards Per Attempt
Junior slot back Eric Roberts (Jr./Miami, Fla.) and senior slot back Tony Lane (Sr./Wrens, Ga.) are 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 8.4 yards per carry in his career, rushing for 1,137 yards on 135 carries. Roberts is averaging 8.3 yards per carry in his career, rushing for 914 yards on 110 carries.
Career Rushing Yards Per Attempt (minimum 100 attempts)
1. Tony Lane (2001-03) 8.4
2. Eric Roberts (2002-03) 8.3
3. Bob Craig (1952-54) 5.7
4. Joe Gattuso (1952-54) 5.5
5. Ned Oldham (1955-57) 5.2
Roberts On Pace To Smash School Record For Career Receiving Yards Per Attempt
Junior slot back Eric Roberts (Jr./Miami, Fla.) is on pace to set the school record for career receiving yards per reception (minimum 25 receptions). The current school record is 19.3 yards per reception set by Jim Stewart (1960-62), who caught 47 passes for 907 yards in his career.
Roberts is averaging 23.8 yards per catch in his career, catching 33 passes for 786 yards.
Career Receiving Yards Per Catch
1. Eric Roberts (2002-03) 23.8
2. Jim Stewart (1960-62) 19.3
3. Matt Scornavacchi (1993-95) 19.2
4. Phil McConkey (1975-78) 19.1
Turnover Streak Over
The Navy defense did not come up with a turnover against the Irish, ending a streak of 16-straight games of coming up with a turnover.
Touchdown Trey
Freshman slot back Trey Hines (Douglasville, Ga.) has scored three rushing touchdowns on just nine carries this year.
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 (Scott Air Force Base, Ill.), Trey Hines (Douglasville, Ga.), Chase Hobby (Clearwater, Fla.), Keenan Little (Boiling Springs, N.C.), David Mahoney (Fort Myers, Fla.), Kevin Newsome (Jacksonville, Fla.), Tyler Tidwell (Edmond, Okla.) and Jason Tomlinson(Arlington, Texas).
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 (Brandon Diggs (Newport News, Va.), Little, Hines, Tidwell, Newsome, Byron McCoy (Liberty, Mo.), DuJuan Price (Austin, Texas), Hampton, Tomlinson and Mahoney).
Against Rutgers, the Mids dressed 13 freshmen and played nine (Tye Adams (Blackfoot, Idaho), Little, Hines, Tidwell, Newsome, Price, Hampton, Tomlinson and Mahoney).
In Navy's upset win over Air Force, the Mids dressed 15 freshmen and played eight (Little, Tidwell, Hines, Newsome, Hampton, Price, Tomlinson and Mahoney).
The Mids dressed 15 freshmen against Vanderbilt and played 10 (Adams, Hampton, Hines, Little, Mahoney, Jeremy McGown (Houston, Texas), Newsome, Price, Tidwell and Tomlinson.
The Mids dressed a school-record 18 freshmen at Rice and played 11 (Adams, Zach Gallion (Rowlett, Texas), Hampton, Hines, Little, Mahoney, McGown, Newsome, Price, Tidwell and Tomlinson).
Navy dressed 16 freshmen for the game against Delaware and played 10 (Adams, Hampton, Hines, Mahoney, McGown, Newsome, Price, Hunter Reddick (San Diego, Calif.), Tidwell and Tomlinson.
Against Tulane, Navy dressed 15 freshmen and played 11 (Adams, Hampton, Hines, Little, Mahoney, McGown, Newsome, Price, Reddick, Tidwell and Tomlinson).
Against Notre Dame, Navy dressed14 freshmen.
Rolfs On Target
Senior kicker Eric Rolfs (Bartlesville, Okla.) has made six- straight field goals after missing his initial attempt this year at Vanderbilt.
Turnovers Cause Losses
Over the last two years, Navy is 4-0 when it plays a game without committing a turnover and 4-14 when it turns the ball over at least once.
Go For It!
Navy was two-of-three on fourth down against Notre Dame and on the season, the Mids are 13-of-25 (.520).
Offensive Machine
The Navy offense scored on nine-straight possessions dating back to the second half of the Mids win at Vanderbilt through the first half of the Mids win at Rice. Navy scored six touchdowns and kicked three field goals in those nine possessions.
