11/8/2004 - Football
Navy-Rutgers Game Notes

Files associated with this release:
Navy-Rutgers Release

Game Data
Navy (7-2) is off this week before playing host to Rutgers (4-5) in the home finale at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (34,000) Saturday, Nov. 20. Kickoff is set for 1:30 p.m.

Navy is off to its best start since 1996 when the Mids started 7-2 and finished 9-3, which included a thrilling 42-38 victory over California in the Aloha Bowl.

Rutgers will be a formidable foe as the Scarlet Knights own a victory over Michigan State (19-14) and narrow defeats at the hands of Syracuse (41-31), West Virginia (35-30) and Boston College (21-10).

Next Saturday's game will be televised nationally by College Sports Television.
The game can be heard on the Navy Radio Network, which includes ESPN Radio in Baltimore (1300 AM), Sportstalk 980 in Washington, D.C. (980 AM), WNAV in Annapolis (1430 AM), ESPN Radio in Cambridge, Md. (1240 AM), FOX Sports Radio in Norfolk, Va. (1050 AM) and WFWR (91.5 FM) in Attica, Ind.

The game can also be heard world wide via the internet at
www.navysports.com, www.wnav.com or www.sportstalk980.com or on Sirius satellite radio (for channel number go to www.sirius.com).

The Navy Football Pregame show will air an hour before kickoff (12:30 p.m. EST) on those same networks.

Bob Socci is in his eighth season on the Navy football broadcasts and is in his seventh year as the full-time play-by-play announcer. Socci is joined by former Navy fullback Omar Nelson ('97), who is in his third year as a member of the Navy Radio Network and his second as the full-time color analyst. Noted sports author John Feinstein provides a weekly pregame segment.

Pete Medhurst and Joe Miller will kick things off with the Navy Tailgate Show on 1430 WNAV and www.wnav.com live from Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium at 11:30 a.m.

Close Calls
Navy is 4-0 this year in games decided by four points or less. Before this year, Navy had lost nine of its last-10 contests decided by four points or less dating back to the 1998 Rutgers game which Navy lost, 36-33. Navy's only "close" win in that span was a 31-28 upset at West Virginia in 1999.

In The Polls
Navy received votes in the coaches poll for the sixth time in the last seven weeks, earning five voting points (1 point for 25th, 2 for 24th, etc). The five points are tied with Fresno State for the 35th most in the country. Navy received votes in the Associated Press poll for the fifth time in the last six weeks, as Navy accumulated one voting point, tied with Clemson for the 36th most in the country.

Navy has not been ranked since Oct. 22, 1979, when the 6-0 Midshipmen rose as high as 17th in the polls.

Injury Report
Navy is expected to have its full complement of players for the Rutgers game on Nov. 20. No serious injuries were suffered in the Tulane game.

Series History
Navy leads the all-time series, which dates back to 1891, 9-8-1. Rutgers has won three straight against the Midshipmen, including a 48-27 thrashing last year in Piscataway. Navy, which is 7-4-1 all-time against the Scarlet Knights in Annapolis, last beat Rutgers in 1999, 34-7.

Going Home
Navy has two players on its varsity roster from New Jersey. Sophomore linebacker Rick Amos is from Hammonton and sophomore slot back Ricky Pyfrom is from West Windsor.

Scouting Rutgers
The Scarlet Knights are led by quarterback Ryan Hart, who has completed 242 of his 379 pass attempts for 2,611 yards with 14 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. Hart's favorite target is Tres Moses, who has 68 catches for 767 yards and two touchdowns. Clark Harris has four touchdown receptions for Rutgers.

The Scarlet Knight ground attack is led by Brian Leonard, who has rushed for 618 yards and six touchdowns.

Jarvis Johnson leds the defense with 62 tackles. Joe Porter has 52 tackles and a team-high four interceptions.

Mids A No Show In New Orleans
Tulane quarterback Lester Ricard completed 18 of his 19 pass attempts for 323 yards and four touchdowns as Tulane rolled to an easy 42-10 victory over Navy in front of 21,484 fans at the Super Dome.

The loss was a total team effort, as the Mids played poorly in all three phases of the game.

The offense never got on track as quarterback Aaron Polanco (Sr./Wimberley, Texas) played his worst game of the year. Polanco completed just two of his 12 pass attempts for 12 yards and an interception. He did manage to rush for a team-high 79 yards on 23 carries.

Polanco, though, was hurt by two drops that would have resulted in sure touchdows for the Mids. First, Jason Tomlinson (So./Arlington, Texas) dropped what would have been a 34-yard touchdown pass with Navy trailing 7-0 in the first and then the normally sure-handed Eric Roberts (Sr./Miami, Fla.) dropped his second touchdown pass of the year with Navy trailing 21-10. Roberts' dropped touchdown pass came just after his first lost fumble of the year which set up Tulane's third touchdown drive.

The Navy defense played its worst game in two years as Tulane riddled the Mids for 538 yards. Jovon Jacksom complemented Ricard's throwing with 95 yards rushing and two touchdowns. Jeremy McGown (So./Houston, Texas) led Navy with a career-high 13 tackles.

Navy's one bright light came on special teams when Josh Smith (Sr./Attica, Ind.) blocked a Nick Beucher field goal that was returned 33 yards by McGown to the Tulane 12. Six plays later Kyle Eckel (Sr./Haveford, Pa.) scored from one yard out to tie the game at seven.
Even the bright light of a special teams play was dimmed later when Geoff Blumenfeld (Sr./Granite Bay, Calif.) missed a chip shot 26-yard field goal. It was Blumenfeld's second miss inside 30 yards this year and he has made just three of his nine kicks on the year.

Notes From The Tulane Game
*With Air Force's 31-22 win over Army Saturday afternoon, Navy will at the
very least retain the Commander-In-Chief's Trophy, because if all three teams
split their games the school in possession of the trophy gets to keep the
trophy. Navy will have a chance to win the trophy outright when they play
Army on Dec. 4 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.

*Tulane's touchdown on the opening drive maks the fourth time in nine games this season that an opponent has scored on its initial drive against the Midshipmen. Northeastern (that drive started at the one-yard line following an interception) and Notre Dame also scored touchdowns on their initial drive while Duke kicked a field goal.

*Aaron Polanco's (Sr./Wimberley, Texas) interception in the first quarter was his first in five games.

*Navy has not scored in the first quarter in five of the last six games.

*The blocked field goal by Josh Smith (Sr./Attica, Ind.) in the second quarter was the first of his career.

*Lester Ricard's 87-yard touchdown pass to Roydell Williams was the longest pass play given up by the Navy defense this year. The previous long was 48 yards against Air Force on Sept. 30.

*The lost fumble by Eric Roberts (Sr./Miami, Fla.) in the second quarter was his first this year.

*Tulane's 21 first-half points were the most given up in the first half by Navy all year and the most in a first half by a Navy opponent since Central Michigan scored 21 in the first half of Navy's 63-34 victory on Nov. 22, 2003.

*The 42 points scored by Tulane are the most points given up by Navy since allowing 48 to Rutgers last year.

*Tulane's 323 pass yards are the most allowed by Navy this year and the most since Texas Tech threw for 497 yards in the Houston Bowl.

*The 32-point defeat is Navy's biggest loss since losing to Connecticut, 38-0, in 2002.

*Navy has given up 185 points to Tulane in the Mids' last four trips to New Orleans (46.25 per game).

*The 10 points scored by Navy is the Mids' second-lowest output. The Mids scored just nine against Notre Dame.

*Lamar Owens' (Jr./Savannah, Ga.) two pass completions in the fourth quarter were his first two completions of the year.

*Tulane's 538 yards of total offense are the most allowed by Navy this season. The last team to pile up more than 500 yards of total offense against Navy was Texas Tech with 561 in the Houston Bowl.

Bowl Eligible
Navy is bowl eligible and the Mids are trying to become just the second team in school history to play in a bowl game in back-to-back years. Last year, Navy played in the Houston Bowl.

Navy has played in bowl games in consecutive years just once in school history, 1980-81. The 1980 team lost to Houston, 35-0, in the now defunct Garden State Bowl in the Meadowlands, while the 1981 squad lost to Ohio State, 31-28, in the Liberty Bowl in Memphis.

Winning Season
Navy has posted back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 1996-97 when it finished 9-3 and 7-4. It is also just the fourth winning season in 20 years for the Midshipmen and 10th in the last 40 years.

Fallen Brothers
The Navy football family has lost two members and a third injured over the past two months in the line of duty.

Lt. Cmdr. Scott Zellem, USN ('91), was killed Aug. 10 when his Navy jet crashed in the Pacific Ocean. Zellem, a linebacker, was a four-year member of the Navy football team and lettered as a senior.

First Lt. Ron Winchester, USMC ('01), was killed Sept. 3 due to enemy action in Al Anbar Province, Iraq. Winchester, who played offensive tackle, was a four-year member of the football team and a two-year starter at tackle.

First Lt. Scott Swantner, USMC ('01), who played next to Winchester on Navy's offensive line, was wounded in Iraq on Oct. 6 when a grenade exploded during a house-to-house search.

Johnson Tabs Two Members Of The Brigade To Be 12th Mid
Navy head football coach Paul Johnson announced Oct. 22 that John McLaughlin (Sr./Deer Park, N.Y.) and John Reuland (Sr./East Orleans, Mass.) had been selected out of a pool of 18 candidates to be the 12th Mid. McLaughlin, a member of the 7th company, was the 12th Mid for the Delaware game, while Reuland, a member of the 18th company, will be the 12th Mid for the Rutgers game.

"I was very impressed with the candidates that tried out," said Johnson. "We easily could have picked any of the 18 guys, but the two we did select were just a little faster and they had pretty good size. I feel comfortable with either one of these guys running down on a kickoff."

The concept of a 12th Mid was hatched at Johnson's radio show when senior Tony DiFranco of the 2nd company posed the question to Coach Johnson. Johnson took it for immediate action and the idea will come to fruition on Oct. 30.

McLaughlin and Reuland will also have the honor of wearing No. 12, as 1963 Heisman Trophy winner Roger Staubach has given his permission for his number to be 'unretired' for those two games.

McLaughlin, who stands 6-3 and weighs 215 pounds, came to the Naval Academy to play lacrosse and is the current co-captain of the club lacrosse team. At Deer Park High School in New York, he was a three-year letterwinner on the football team and lettered five times in lacrosse (he played on the varsity lacrosse team as an eighth grader). McLaughlin's father, Mike, is a 1981 graduate of the Naval Academy and was a three-time All-American in lacrosse (1979-81).

When Reuland, who is 6-3 and weighs 195 pounds, steps on the football field Nov. 20 against Rutgers, it will be the first time he's ever played in an organized football game.

Reuland is a four-year member of the club hockey team at Navy and last year was named an Honorable Mention All-American as he scored 16 goals and handed out 18 assists. Reuland lettered twice in hockey at Phillips Exeter Academy and three times at Nauset Regional High School where he also played No. 1 singles on the tennis team for three years.

Home Sweet Home
Navy has won seven-straight home games dating back to last year, the longest home winning streak since the Mids won eight in a row over three seasons (1995-97). Navy is 9-1 (.900) at home over the last two years after losing 14 straight from 2001-03.

Tough In The First Quarter
Dating back to the start of last season (21 games, 15-6 over that span),
Navy has outscored the opposition, 144-71, in the first quarter.

The Red Zone
Navy had been tough in the red zone on offense all year before scoring
on just two of its five opportunities against Tulane. The Mids have scored
on 24 of their 34 trips (71 percent) inside the red zone with 21 (62 per-
cent) of those scores going for touchdowns.

Defensing The Red Zone
Navy's defense in the red zone has been a good news-bad news
proposition. The defense has allowed 23 scores in 29 opponent
opportunities (79 percent), but only 15 (52 percent) of those scores have
been touchdowns.

Go For It
Navy is 13 for 22 (59 percent) on fourth down conversions
this year and has made just two of its last 10 (20 percent). The opposition
has converted 10 of its 17 attempts (59 percent) on fourth down.

Disciplined Football
Navy is second in the country for the least amount of penalties
per game, averaging four penalties per contest. The Mids are also fourth
in fewest yards penalized per game.

Least Penalized Teams In The Country
(Penalties Per Game)
1. Illinois 3.70
2. Navy 4.00
3. Colorado State 4.11
4. Missouri 4.33
Oklahoma State 4.33
6. UCLA 4.78
Wisconsin 4.78
8. California 4.88
Virginia 4.88
10. North Carolina 4.89

Least Penalized Teams In The Country
(Penalty Yards Per Game)
1. Illinois 31.70
2. Colorado State 32.22
3. Missouri 33.11
4. Navy 33.78
5. Oklahoma State 35.22
6. Minnesota 35.80
7. North Carolina 38.33
8. Wisconsin 38.56
9. UCLA 40.22
10. Duke 41.11

Careful With The Throws
Navy quarterbacks have thrown just four interceptions this year, which
is tied with six other schools for the 10th fewest in the country.

Navy Trying To Defend Rushing Crown
The Mids led the nation in rushing in 2003, averaging 323.2 yards per game. It was just the second time in school history that Navy led the country in rushing. The only other time was in 1999 when the Mids averaged 292.2 yards per game.

Navy is third in the nation in rushing after nine games, averaging 269.33 yards per contest. Rice leads the country in rushing, averaging 311.44 yards per game.

Top Rushing Teams In The Country
1. Rice 311.44
2. Texas 306.67
3. Navy 269.33
4. West Virginia 260.56
5. Air Force 258.33
6. Virginia 254.75
7. Minnesota 249.60
8. Oklahoma State 246.00
9. California 240.75
10. Northern Illinois 239.11

Hitting Paydirt
Navy's 24 rushing touchdowns are the ninth most in the country. Navy has scored four rushing touchdowns in three games, three in three games and one in three games. Virginia and Louisville lead the country with 33 rushing touchdowns.

Most Rushing Touchdowns In the Country
1. Texas 33
2. Boise State 29
3. Louisville 28
4. Utah 27
Oklahoma State 27
6. Virginia 26
Rice 26
8. Minnesota 25
9. Navy 24
10. Air Force 23
Nevada 23

In Paul We Trust
Navy football has struggled over the last 20 years, compiling an overall
record of 76-157 (.326).

The Mids, however, have not struggled when Paul Johnson has been
calling the plays.

Johnson has been at Navy for five of those 20 years (two years as a
coordinator and this is his third season as a head coach), and in those five
years, the Mids are 31-26 (.544) and have appeared in two bowl
games.

The Mids are 15-7 (.682) over the last two years and have won 13 of
their last 18 contests (.722).

In the 15 years over that 20 year span that Johnson hasn't been on the
sidelines, Navy is 45-131(.256).

Johnson On Bobby Dodd "Watch List" The Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award Foundation has released a list
of Division I-A college head football coaches that are potential recipients of
the prestigious Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award.

Among the NCAA Division I-A head football coaches on the
Foundation's watch list are: Paul Johnson of Navy, Pete Carroll of USC, Mark
Richt of Georgia, Joe Tiller of Purdue, Larry Coker of Miami, Dan Hawkins of
Boise State and Urban Meyer of Utah.

The Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award is presented annually and is
selected by a blue-ribbon panel of college football experts. The award is in
honor of Coach Robert Lee "Bobby" Dodd, one of college football's all-time
coaching greats.

This year's recipient will be announced during halftime of the Chick-Fil-A
Peach Bowl, which will be televised by ESPN on Dec. 31. Oklahoma's Bob
Stoops was the 2003 recipient of the award.

Defense Tightens Up After The First Quarter
The Navy defense has shown a penchant for tightening up as the game
goes along. Opponents are 20 for 36 (56 percent) in converting third
downs in the first quarter, 12 for 36 (33 percent) in the second quarter,
10 for 25 (40 percent) in the third quarter and just 12 for 34 (35 percent)
in the fourth quarter.

Shutout
Navy's 29-0 rout of Tulsa was its first shutout since Oct. 15, 1994,
when the Mids shut out Lafayette, 7-0. Navy last shut out a Division IA
team on Oct. 4, 1980, when it blanked Boston College, 21-0. The last time
Navy recorded a shutout on the road was Sept. 23, 1978, at Connecticut
(30-0), and the last time Navy recorded a shutout on the road against a
Division IA opponent was Sept. 16, 1978, when it shut out Virginia, 32-0.

QBs Over 100 Yards
Aaron Polanco (Sr./Wimberley, Texas) became the 13th quarterback in Navy history to rush for 100 or more yards in a game when he gashed Duke for 130 yards and a touchdown in Navy's 27-12 victory over the Blue Devils. Polanco became the first quarterback since Brian Madden in 2001 to rush for 100 yards in back-to-back games when he rushed for 143 yards and three touchdowns against Northeastern. Chris McCoy (1995-97) holds the Navy quarterback record with 15 100-yard games.

Polanco rushed for a career-high 179 yards on a career-high 33 carries against Rice. The 179 yards rushing were the most by a Navy player since quarterback Brian Madden rushed for 201 yards against Tulane on Nov. 10, 2001. His 33 carries were the most by a Navy player since Craig Candeto carried the ball 36 times for 151 yards last year against Rice.

Polanco Second In The Nation In Rushing Yards By A Quarterback
Aaron Polanco (Sr./Wimberley, Texas) is the second-leading rusher in the country among quarterbacks, averaging 89.44 yards per contest. Josh Cribbs of Kent State leads the country, averaging 91.75 yards per game.

Top Rushing Quarterbacks In The Country
1. Josh Cribbs (Kent State) 91.75
2. Aaron Polanco (Navy) 89.44
3. Joel Armstrong (Rice) 81.29
4. Drew Stanton (Michigan State) 76.29
5. Vince Young (Texas) 75.56
6. Reggie McNeal (Texas A&M) 70.89
7. Walter Washington (Temple) 70.11
8. Greg Henderson (Rice) 65.13
9. Rasheed Marshall (West Virginia) 65.11
10. Matt Jones (Arkansas) 62.38

Polanco Second In The Nation In Rushing Touchdowns By A Quarterback
Aaron Polanco (Sr./Wimberley, Texas) is second in the nation in rushing touchdowns by a quarterback with 10. Walter Washington of Temple leads with 12.

Rushing Touchdowns By A Quarterback
1. Walter Washington (Temple) 12
2. Aaron Polanco (Navy) 10
3. Vince Young (Texas) 8
Reggie McNeal (Texas A&M) 8
5. Josh Cribbs (Kent State) 7
6. Greg Henderson (Rice) 6
7. Drew Stanton (Michigan State) 5
8. Joel Armstrong (Rice) 4
Matt Jones (Arkansas) 4
10. Rasheed Marshall (West Virginia) 3

Eckel, Eckel, Eckel
Senior fullback Kyle Eckel's (Havertown, Pa.) hard-nosed running style has developed a cult following among the Brigade of Midshipmen as the student body chants his name in unison every time he touches the ball.

Eckel, who is an All-America candidate and ranked as the best NFL fullback prospect in the country by draftboardinsider.com, rushed for 100 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries in Navy's 27-12 victory over Duke. It was Eckel's eighth-career 100-yard rushing day (seven in 2003 and once this year) and it was the fifth time in his career he has rushed for two touchdowns in a game.

Eckel had his first-career three-touchdown day against Tulsa, as he rushed for 98 yards and three scores on 23 carries in Navy's 29-0 shutout of the Golden Hurricane.

Against Air Force Eckel rumbled for 97 yards and a touchdown in Navy's win in Colorado Springs.

Eckel became just the fourth Navy player in 29 years to rush for over 100 yards against Notre Dame when he rumbled for 102 yards on 22 carries against the Irish.

Against Delaware, Eckel rushed for a season-high 143 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries.

Eckel scored Navy's only touchdown while rushing for 76 yards on just 16 carries in Navy's loss at Tulane.

Eckel was named the Philadelphia Sportswriters Most Valuable Player in 2003 for his 152-yard, two-touchdown performance against Army.

Eckel ran over the Air Force defense for a career-high 176 yards (previous career high was 129 in 2003 against VMI) on a career-high 33 carries (previous career high was 18) and scored one touchdown in Navy's 2003 upset of the No. 25 ranked Falcons

His 176 yards rushing last year against Air Force were the most by a non-quarterback at Navy since Chuck Smith rushed for 182 yards against Dartmouth in 1986.

Last year, he became the first Navy player to rush for over 100 yards in three-straight games since Brian Madden did it in 2001, and became the first non-quarterback to rush for over 100 yards in three-straight games since current Navy radio analyst Omar Nelson did it against SMU, Boston College and Duke in 1996.

Eckel carried the ball 236 times in 2003 and lost yardage on just three of those carries, all of which were one-yard losses. He has not lost any yards in 2004 on his 170 carries.

Most 100-Yard Rushing Games In A Season
1. Napoleon McCalllum (1985) 8
Napoleon McCallum (1983) 8
Eddie Meyers (1981) 8
4. Kyle Eckel (2003) 7
Joe Gattuso Jr. (1977) 7

Most 100-Yard Rushing Games In A Career
1. Napoleon McCallum (1981-85) 19
2. Chris McCoy (1995-97) 15
3. Eddie Meyers (1978-81) 14
4. Cleveland Cooper 91972-74) 12
5. Kyle Eckel (2002-current) 11

Eckel On Career Rushing List
Senior fullback Kyle Eckel (Haverford, Pa.) moved past Alton Grizzard into fifth place on Navy's career rushing list with his 22-carry, 102-yard performance against Notre Dame. Eckel is 83 yards behind Cleveland Cooper (1972-74) for fourth place.

Navy Career Rushing Leaders
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. Kyle Eckel (2002-03) 2,499
6. Alton Grizzard (1987-90) 2,174
7. Craig Candeto (2001-03) 1,949
8. Joe Gattuso Jr. (1975-77) 1,890
9. Brian Madden (1999, 2001) 1,802
10. Chuck Smith (1984-87) 1,744

Eckel Fifth In School History In Rushing Touchdowns; Polanco Sixth
Senior fullback Kyle Eckel (Haverford, Pa.) has 22-career rushing touchdowns, the fifth most in school history. He needs just two more rushing touchdown to tie 1960 Heisman Trophy winner Joe Bellino for fourth on the list.

Senior quarterback Aaron Polanco (Sr./Wimberley, Texas) has 18-career rushing touchdowns, the sixth most in school history.

Navy Career Rushing Touchdowns
1. Chris McCoy (1995-97) 43
2. Craig Candeto (2001-03) 33
3. Napoleon McCallum (1981-85) 31
4. Joe Bellino (1958-60) 24
5. Kyle Eckel (2002-current) 22
6. Aaron Polanco (2002-current) 18
7. Cleveland Cooper (1972-74) 17
Brian Broadwater (1998-2000) 17
Brian Madden (1999, 2001) 17