11/20/2004 - Football
Football Defeats Rutgers 54-21
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Rutgers-Navy Box Score
Senior fullback Kyle Eckel rushed for 143 yards and two touchdowns. |
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) -- Aaron Polanco ran for two touchdowns and threw for another, and Navy used a 40-point first half to cruise past Rutgers 54-21 Saturday.
Kyle Eckel rushed for 143 yards and two touchdowns, and Eric Roberts also scored twice for the Midshipmen (8-2). Navy amassed 613 yards -- including 357 before halftime -- in effectively bouncing back from a 42-10 defeat at Tulane.
Representatives from five bowl games were in attendance. Navy, which could receive an invitation from the Emerald Bowl as soon as Sunday, has also generated interest from the Motor City Bowl, the Liberty Bowl, the Houston Bowl and the Champs Sports Bowl.
It was the eighth consecutive home win for the Midshipmen, who finish the regular season against Army on Dec. 4 in Philadelphia.
Rutgers (4-6) was eliminated from bowl contention with its fourth straight loss. Three turnovers by the Scarlet Knights enabled Navy to score three touchdowns and take a 40-7 halftime lead.
It was 54-7 before the Midshipmen reserves yielded two fourth-quarter touchdowns.
Ryan Hart went 27-for-40 for 264 yards for Rutgers, and tight end Clark Harris had nine catches for 116 yards and a touchdown. But the Scarlet Knights made too many mistakes on offense and had no answer for Navy's outstanding running game, which accumulated a season-high 476 yards on 67 attempts.
Rutgers' opening possession ended with a fumble by wide receiver Willie Foster, the first turnover forced by the Navy defense in five games. The Midshipmen then moved 52 yards in nine plays, taking a 7-0 lead on a 5-yard run by Roberts.
The Knights pulled even with an 80-yard march in which Hart went 9-for-9, including a 16-yard TD pass to Harris. But Navy took the lead for good on a 20-yard touchdown run by Eckel, following a 44-yard completion from Polanco to Jason Tomlinson.
The Midshipmen went up 21-7 late in the first quarter when David Mahoney picked off a sideline pass and took it 18 yards into the end zone, Navy's first interception return for a touchdown since 1999.
Rutgers coach Greg Schiano summoned backup quarterback Terrence Shawell for a series in the second quarter, with disastrous results. Shawell fumbled while being sacked on second down, and Navy recovered at the Rutgers 35.
Two plays later, Polanco ran in from the 1 for a 27-7 lead. Then, after a Rutgers punt, Navy moved 72 yards in a drive culminated by an 8-yard touchdown run by Frank Divis.
A 47-yard pass from Polanco to Roberts made it 40-7 two minutes before halftime, and Eckel ran for a 78-yard score on the second play from scrimmage in the third quarter.
