9/22/2003 - Football
Navy-Rutgers Game Notes
Game Data
Navy looks to start 3-1 for the first time since 1996, a year that saw Navy go 9-3 and win the Aloha Bowl, as the Mids travel to Piscataway, N.J. to take on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights Saturday night at Rutgers Stadium (41,500). Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
The game will be televised by MSG (Madison Square Garden Network) and will also be available on ESPN GamePlan with Bruce Beck calling the play-by-play and Tim Pernetti handling the color commentary.
Navy is coming off a 39-7 thrashing of Eastern Michigan as the defense forced six turnovers, including four in the first quarter, as the Mids shut out the opposition in the first half for the third-straight game.
The Scarlet Knights will have had two weeks to prepare for the Mids as Rutgers was idle last weekend. Rutgers is coming off a 36-21 pasting of Army. Rutgers will be trying to go 3-1 for the first time since 1993.
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 6 p.m. (Eastern) on the Navy Pregame Show.
Pete Medhurst and Joe Miller will host the Navy Tailgate Show starting at 5 p.m., on 1430 WNAV (www.wnav.com).
Defense Forces Six Turnovers As Mids Rip Eastern Michigan, 39-7
The Navy defense forced six turnovers, including four in the first quarter, while the offense got things cranked up in the second half in Navy's 39-7 win over Eastern Michigan in front of 27,627 fans last Saturday at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
The Navy defense was superb all day, holding the Eagles to 271 yards of total offense, including just 32 yards on the ground.
The defense forced turnovers on Eastern Michigan's first-four possessions as Lane Jackson (Jr./Miami, Fla.) intercepted his first-career pass, Josh Smith (Jr./Attica, Ind.) intercepted a pass at the Navy two-yard line, Eddie Carthan (Sr./Donalsonville, Ga.) recovered a fumble off a Navy punt and Eli Sanders (Sr./Hartsfield, Tenn.) intercepted his first-career pass.
The offense sputtered at times in the first half thanks to a couple of key holding calls and missed assignments, but still managed 11 first-half points. Eric Roberts (Jr./Miami, Fla.) made a spectacular catch in the end zone, one-of-two spectacular catches on the day, on a 15-yard toss from Craig Candeto (Sr./Orange City, Fla.) and Geoff Blumenfeld (Granite Bay, Calif.) made a 29-yard field goal. Blumenfeld also completed his first-career pass attempt when he hit Amir Jenkins (Jr./Temple Hills, Md.) for two points after Roberts' touchdown catch.
In the second half, the Mids were hitting on all cylinders as the offense ran up 294 yards of total offense and the defense came up with two more turnovers.
Tony Lane (Sr./Wrens, Ga.) scored on a 32-yard touchdown run, Trey Hines (Fr./Douglasville, Ga.) scored his first-career touchdown on a 17-yard run, Candeto scored on a three-yard run and Bronston Carroll (Sr./Katy, Texas) scored his first-career touchdown on a two-yard run.
Defensively, Pierre Moss (Jr./Charleston, W. Va.) came up with a fumble recovery in the second half and Smith intercepted his second pass of the day.
Lane led the Mids in rushing with 83 yards and a touchdown on five carries, while Candeto rushed for 72 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries. Candeto was 6-for-10 passing for 92 yards and a touchdown, while Roberts had two catches for 47 yards and a touchdown.
Ben Mathews (Sr./Pittsburgh, Pa.), Jeremy Chase (So./Norfolk, Va.) and Shalimar Brazier (Sr./Detroit, Mich.) were the leading tacklers with five apiece. Chase and Evan Beard (So./Boardman, Ohio) each recorded a sack.
Injuries
Cornerback Hunter Reddick (Fr./San Diego, Calif.) is out with an injured right forearm, cornerback Marcus Sanders (Sr./Antioch, Calif.) is out with a left arm injury and linebacker Bobby McClarin (Jr./Bethlehem, Pa.) is out with a left hand injury.
Series History
Navy leads the all-time series, 9-7-1, though the Scarlet Knights have won the last-two meetings and three of the last four.
The last meeting was in 2001 and Rutgers defeated Navy, 23-17, in Piscataway. Navy's last victory over Rutgers was in 1999, 34-7, in Piscataway.
Navy is 58-76-4 all-time against the Big East.
Scouting Rutgers
Rutgers will attempt to go 3-1 for the first time since 1993, as the Scarlet Knights have beaten Army and Buffalo and lost to Michigan State.
Rutgers is 87th in the country in rushing offense (28.67), 43rd in passing offense (247.00), 70th in total offense (365.67), 44th in scoring offense (29.33), 65th in rushing defense (140.33), 45th in pass efficiency defense (111.48), 67th in total defense (361.00) and 75th in scoring defense (25.00).
Quarterback Ryan Hart is 26th in the country in passing efficiency (145.50) and 41st in total offense (228.67). Tres Moses is No. 2 in the country in punt returns (22.80).
First-Half Shutout
The Mids have yet to give up a point in the first half this year. It's the first time that a Navy team has 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).
Navy last pitched a first-half shutout in four-straight games back in 1921 when the Mids shut out NC State, Western Reserve, Princeton and Bethany (825 games).
Mids No. 1 In The Country In Turnover Margin
Navy is No. 1 in the country in turover margin, averaging +2.33 turnovers per game. The Navy defense has come up with 12 turnovers, which is tied for the sixth most in the country. Only UNLV (15), Tulane (15), Florida (13), Troy State (13) and Washington State (13) have come up with more. Last year, the Mids finished 105th in the country in turnover margin at -1.2 per game.
NCAA Leaders In Turnover Margin
1. Navy +2.33
2. Tulane +2.25
3. Arkansas +2.00
3. UNLV +2.00
3. USC +2.00
3. Syracuse +2.00
3. Toledo +2.00
8. Washington State +1.75
8. West Virginia +1.75
10. Southern Miss +1.67
10. Texas +1.67
Navy Fourth In The Country In Rushing Offense
Navy ranks fourth in the country in rushing yards per game, averaging 291.3 yards per game. 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. Air Force 338.00
2. Minnesota 292.75
3. Nebraska 292.67
4. Navy 291.33
5. Syracuse 255.00
6. Virginia Tech 242.67
7. Rice 239.00
8. Arkansas 234.00
9. Missouri 232.00
10. Michigan 229.75
Navy Eighth In The Country In Scoring Defense
Navy is No. 8 in the country in scoring defense, giving up just 11.3 points per game. Last year, the Mids were 108th in scoring defense giving up 36.3 points per contest.
NCAA Leaders In Scoring Defense
1. Florida State 7.5
2. Nebraska 8.0
3. Iowa 8.3
4. Georgia 8.5
5. LSU 9.3
6. Michigan 10.3
7. San Diego State 10.5
8. Navy 11.3
9. Boise State 12.0
10. Stanford 12.0
Candeto Fourth All-Time In Rushing TD's
Navy quarterback Craig Candeto's (Sr./Orange City, Fla.) rushing touchdown against Eastern Michigan gives him 20 for his career, the fourth most in school history. Candeto trails Joe Bellino, who won the Heisman Trophy in 1960, by just four 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) 20
5. Cleveland Cooper (1972-74) 17
5. Brian Madden (1999, 2001) 17
5. Brian Broadwater (1998-00) 17
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.
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.
Interception Streak
The Navy defense has intercepted at least one pass in four-straight games dating back to last year's Army-Navy game.
Playing Against The Home State
The Mids do not have any players from New Jersey on the varsity roster.
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 all 12 (Little, Hines, Tidwell, Newson, Byron McCoy, DuJuan Price, Hampton, Rob Caldwell, Josh Oates, Brandon Diggs, Tomlinson and Mahoney).
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.
Rushing Against The Best
Navy's 132 yards rushing against TCU came against one of the NCAA's best rush defenses. TCU led the nation in rush defense in 2002, allowing just 64.8 yards per game and allowed just 66 yards rushing to Tulane in the season opener.
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 298 yards on 28 carries (10.6 yards per carry) and three touchdowns. The slots are led on the ground by Tony Lane (Sr./Wrens, Ga.) who has rushed for 179 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries (16.3 yards per carry).
The slots have also proven dangerous through the air, catching eight passes for 172 yards (21.5 yards per catch) and one touchdown. Eric Roberts (Jr./Miami, Fla.) leads the way with five catches for 111 yards (22.2 yards per catch) and one touchdown.
All told, the slots have touched the ball 36 times (rushing and receiving) and have gained 470 yards (13 yards per touch) and scored four touchdowns.
Lane On Pace To Smash School Record For Career Rushing Yards Per Attempt
Senior slot back Tony Lane (Jr./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 7.9 yards per carry in his career, rushing for 844 yards on 107 carries.
Career Rushing Yards Per Attempt
1. Tony Lane (2001-03) 7.9
2. Bob Craig (1952-54) 5.7
3. Joe Gattuso (1952-54) 5.5
4. Ned Oldham (1955-57) 5.2
Carthan Comes Up With Another Turnover
Senior linebacker Eddie Carthan (Donalsonville, Ga.) has come up with four turnovers in the first-three 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. Carthan is one-of-eight linebackers in the country with two interceptions on the year.
Putting A Hand Down
Yes, that was linebacker Evan Beard (So./Boardman, Ohio) at nose guard and, yes, that was outside linebacker Jeremy Chase (So./Norfolk, Va.) at defensive end.
In Navy's continued attempt to get more speed on the field, Beard is playing nose guard and Chase is playing defensive end on passing situations as Navy tried to get more pressure on the quarterback.
Beard recorded three tackles, two tackles for a loss, a sack and forced a fumble in his first-career varsity game against VMI, while Chase had five tackles, 1.5 tackles for a loss and a sack.
Beard had one tackle against TCU, while Chase recorded nine tackles and a tackle for a loss.
Against Eastern Michigan, Chase had five tackles and a sack, while Beard had two tackles and a sack.
Chase is tied with Jeff Vanak (Jr./Collegeville, Pa.) for the team lead in tackles for a loss with 3.5, while Beard has three tackles for a loss. Chase and Beard are tied for the team lead in sacks with two.
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.
Touchdown Navy Quarterback
Navy quarterbacks Craig Candeto (Orange City, Fla.) and Aaron Polanco (Wimberley, Texas) have scored 26 of Navy's 40 rushing touchdowns (.650) over the last-two years. Candeto led the team with 16 rushing touchdowns on 177 carries (one touchdown every 11.1 carries) last year, while Polanco has seven in just 74 carries (one touchdown every 10.6 carries) a year ago. Candeto has three touchdowns on 36 carries this year (one touchdown every 12 attempts).
Red Zone
Navy has scored on 11 of its 14 trips inside the red zone (.786) with nine of those scores resulting in touchdowns (.643).
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 five scores in nine trips inside its 20 (.556), with four of those scores being touchdowns (.444).
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).
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.
Struggling Against Winning Programs
For those expecting Navy head coach Paul Johnson to perform miracles immediatel, 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.
Navy In The 2003 National Rankings
{117 Teams in Division IA}
Rushing Offense 4th (291.33)
Passing Offense 108th (131.67)
Total Offense 36th (423.00)
Scoring Offense 63rd (26.33)
Rushing Defense 31st (108.00)
Pass Defense 43rd (192.33)
Pass Efficiency Defense 29th (104.34)
Total Defense 29th (300.33)
Scoring Defense 8th (11.33)
Net Punting 48th (36.38)
Punt Return 81st (7.57)
Kickoff Return 42nd (23.13)
Turnover Margin 1st (+2.33)
Rushing Kyle Eckel (47th, 78.33); Craig Candeto (60th, 72.00)
Interceptions Eddie Carthan (18th, 0.67), Josh Smith (18th, 0.67), Eli Sanders (72nd, 0.33)
Punting John Skaggs (19th, 43.38)
Punt Returns Lionel Wesley (66th, 9.25)
Kickoff Returns Kyle Eckel (90th, 18.50)
Field Goals Geoff Blumenfeld (45th, 1.00)
Scoring Geoff Blumenfeld (93rd, 6.33)
All-Purpose Runners Kyle Eckel (83rd, 107.33)
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 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. John Skaggs (2003) 43.4
4. Tom Moore (1971) 41.9
5. John Skaggs (2002) 41.2
