1/13/2005 - Football
Final Navy Football Release

Mids Cap Off Remarkable Season With Emerald Bowl Win
Aaron Polanco (Sr./Wimberley, Texas) accounted for four touchdowns and 237 yards of total offense as Navy defeated New Mexico, 34-19, in the 2004 Emerald Bowl. The victory gave the Midshipmen a school-record tying 10 wins for the season and marked just the fifth bowl victory in school history.

On the first possession of the game, the Lobos marched 66 yards on 13 plays to take a 7-0 lead. Quarterback Kole McKamey capped off the drive with a 17-yard touchdown pass to tight end Logan Hall.

The Mids answered with a touchdown drive of their own, as Navy moved 80 yards on just seven plays and Polanco scored from 14 yards out to tie the game at seven.

The game turned on the ensuing possession when senior safety Vaughn Kelley (Coconut Creek, Fla.) hit New Mexico's DonTrell Moore just as he was catching a pitch. The hit caused a fumble that was recovered by Lane Jackson (Sr./Miami, Fla.) and knocked Moore out of the game.

Navy quickly took advantage of the turnover, as Polanco scored from one yard out five plays later to give Navy a 14-7 lead. The touchdown was set up by a third-and-eight pass from slot back Frank Divis (Avon, Ohio) to Polanco for 17 yards

Josh Smith (Sr./Attica, Ind.) stopped New Mexico's next drive with an interception and the Mids made the Lobos pay dearly, as Polanco hit wide receiver Corey Dryden (Sr./Longwood, Fla.) on the second play from scrimmage with a 61-yard touchdown pass to make the score 21-7.

New Mexico, a team that earlier in the year defeated Texas Tech, refused to die as it came back to cut the deficit to 24-19 at the half on a four-yard touchdown run by Roche Ferguson and a three-yard run by McKamey.

After the two teams punted on their initial possessions of the third quarter, Polanco ran for his third touchdown of the day, this one from 27 yards out, to make the score 31-19. Polanco was sprung by slot back Marco Nelson (Jr./Scottsdale, Ariz.) and Eric Roberts (Sr./Miami, Fla. ).

New Mexico, however, marched right back down the field. The Lobos had the ball first-and-goal at the Navy six, but could manage just five yards on the next four plays.

On fourth-and-goal from the one, Lobo running back D.D. Cox was stopped at the one-yard line as outside linebacker Jason Monts (Jr./Midlothian, Va.) forced Cox to run wide where he was met by Kelley and Bobby McClarin (Sr./Bethlehem, Pa.).

The Navy offense would take over the game from there, mounting an epic 26-play, 94-yard, 14:26 drive that was capped off by a Geoff Blumenfeld (Sr./Granite Bay, Calif.) 22-yard field goal to make the score 34-19. The 26 plays and 14:26 time of possession were both NCAA records for a single drive.

On the drive, the Mids converted five third downs and one fourth down and completed just one pass, a six-yard completion from Divis to Polanco on fourth-and-three.

Polanco, who was named the Emerald Bowl Offensive Most Valuable Player, rushed for 136 yards and three touchdowns, while Kyle Eckel (Sr./Haverford, Pa.) ran for 85 yards on 24 tough carries.

Polanco completed three of his six passes for 101 yards and a touchdown, while Divis completed both of his passes for 23 yards.

Polanco was the leading receiver with two catches for 23 yards.

McClarin led the defense with 17 tackles, two tackles for a loss and a sack. Jackson had 10 tackles, a fumble recovery and an interception, while Kelley, who was named the Defensive MVP of the Emerald Bowl, recorded nine tackles, forced a fumble and came up with the goal line stop late in the third quarter.

Navy Ranked 24th In Both Finals Polls
The Navy football team capped off a remarkable season by being ranked in the top 25 in both final polls. The Mids, who won 10 games this year for the first time in 99 years, won a bowl game for the first time since 1996 and won the Commander-In-Chief's Trophy for the second-consecutive year, finished the year ranked 24th in both the Associated Press and USA Today/Coaches Poll.

"I'm excited for our players, coaching staff and fans," said Navy head football coach Paul Johnson. "This is a validation for all the hard work that everybody has put into this program."
The top-25 ranking marks the first time Navy has cracked the polls at any point in the season since Oct. 22, 1979, when Navy was ranked 17th in the Associated Press poll. It's also the first time since 1963, when Navy finished second, that the Midshipmen have finished the season ranked in the Associated Press poll and the first time Navy has been ranked at any time in the USA Today/Coaches poll. The last time Navy ended its season ranked was 1978 when the Mids finished 17th in the UPI poll.

The Mids were one of just five non-BCS schools in the final 25, joining Utah, Louisville, Boise State and Fresno State.

Mids Tie School Record For Wins
Navy's win over New Mexico in the Emerald Bowl gave the Midshipmen 10 wins for just the second time in school history and for the first time in 99 years.

The 1905 Navy squad, coached by Paul Dashiell, posted a 10-1-1 record with victories over North Carolina (38-0), Maryland (17-0), Penn State (11-5), Virginia (22-0) and Virginia Tech (12-6). Swarthmore handed the Mids their only defeat, 6-5, while Navy tied Army, 6-6.

Navy On Historic Run
Navy's 18 wins over the last two years (8-5 in 2003, 10-2 in 2004) ties the school record for most wins over a two-year span. The Mids also won 18 games over a two-year span in 1907-08 (9-2-1 in 1907 and 9-2-1 in 1908), 1905-06 (10-1-1 in 1905 and 8-2-2 in 1906) and 1906-07 (8-2-2 in 1906 and 9-2-1 in 1907.

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 three members and had a fourth injured over the past five 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.

Second Lt. J.P. Blecksmith, USMC ('03), was killed Nov. 11 (Veterans Day), during a military action in Falluja, Iraq. Blecksmith, who played quarterback and wide receiver, was a four-year member of the footbal team and earned a letter as a senior.

First Lt. Scott Swantner, USMC ('01), who played with Winchester on Navy's offensive line, was wounded in Iraq on Oct. 6, when a grenade exploded during a house-to-house search. Swanter, who played tackle, was a four-year member of the football team and a two-year starter.

Paul Johnson Named Bobby Dodd Coach Of The Year
Officials of the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation announced during halftime of the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl that United States Naval Academy Head Football Coach Paul Johnson was unanimously selected as the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year for 2004.

"All of us associated with the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation are thrilled at the selection of Coach Johnson for this prestigious honor," said George Morris, the President of the Foundation. "Coach Johnson has an outstanding reputation, and we respect his leadership on the field, as well as the many accomplishments of his team in the classroom and in life. He definitely fulfills the stringent requirements which we require for the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award. "

The annual Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year winner is determined by a vote from all previous winners of the award, plus a vote from a blue-ribbon panel made up from the "who's who" in college football.

Coach Johnson is a veteran of a quarter century of coaching football. He began his career as an assistant coach at Avery County (N.C.) High School. He had offensive coordinator assignments at Lees-McRae Junior College (1981-82), Georgia Southern (1983-86), Hawaii (1987-94) and Navy (1995-96). As head football coach at Georgia Southern (1997-2001), he posted a 62-10 (.861) record, won two straight Division 1-AA National Championships (1999 and 2000), five straight Southern Conference Championships and was named Division 1-AA National Coach of the Year four consecutive times (1997-2000).

Johnson took over a Navy program that was coming off the worst two-year span in its 123-year history (1-20) and one that had recorded just two winning seasons the previous 20 years. Navy's 18 wins over the last two years (8-5 in 2003, 10-2 in 2004) are equal to the most wins ever at Navy over a two-year span, while Navy's 10 wins in 2004 are the most in 99 years.

Johnson, a native of Newland, North Carolina, earned his Bachelor of Science degree in physical education from Western Carolina University in 1979 and a Master's of Science degree in health and physical education from Appalachian State University in 1982. He and his wife, Susan, are the parents of a daughter, Kaitlyn.

The Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation Award was established in 1976 to honor the NCAA Division I football coach whose program represents the highest ideals on and off the field. The Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award honors the coach of a team which enjoys a successful football season, while also stressing the importance of academic excellence and character, as did Coach Dodd's teams during his 22 years as head football coach of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Coach Dodd remains one of college football's legendary figures, both as a coach and a player. Coach Dodd was a native of Kingsport, Tennessee, and he played his college ball at the University of Tennessee where his team had 27 wins, one loss and two ties during the three years he played. Coach Dodd was selected to the College Football Hall of Fame both as a coach and as a player.

Eckel Named An Honorable Mention All-American By Pro Football Weekly
Fullback Kyle Eckel (Sr./Haveford, Pa.) was named an Honorable Mention All-American by Pro Football Weekly.

The magazine chose just one All-America team and selected Brian Leonard of Rutgers as its fullback. Eckel joined Paul Jefferson of Penn State, Ed Bailey of Rice and Madison Hedgecock of North Carolina as fullbacks receiving honorable mention recognition.

Navy's Epic Drive In Emerald Bowl An NCAA Record
Navy's epic 26-play, 94-yard, 14:26 drive in the Emerald Bowl victory over New Mexico is an NCAA record for number of plays in a drive and for time of possession in a drive.

In the past, the NCAA has not kept a record on either statistic, but due to extensive research by the Navy sports information office and surveys of the other 116 Division I-A football programs, it was determined that both marks were records. The NCAA is strongly considering adding both records to the official NCAA record book next year due to the research.

Eckel And Smith Named All-East; Polanco Earns Honorable Mention Honors
Senior fullback Kyle Eckel (Haverford, Pa.) and senior safety Josh Smith (Attica, Ind.) were named All-East by the 11 Division IA head football coaches in the ECAC. Senior quarterback Aaron Polanco (Wimberley, Texas) earned honorable mention honors.

Navy Voted Second Best Team In The East
The Navy football team, which posted a 10-2 record, won the Commander-In-Chief's Trophy and the Emerald Bowl, finished second behind Boston College in the final ECAC Lambert Football balloting.

Established in 1936 as the "Lambert Trophy" to recognize supremacy in eastern college football, the award has since grown to recognize the best teams in the East in Divisions I-A, I-AA, II and III. Before asking the ECAC to assume the administration, the Meadowlands Sports Complex managed the weekly poll and the award beginning in 1983 through the 2001 season.

To be eligible for the Lambert Meadowlands Awards, a school must be located in the East or play half of its schedule against eligible Lambert teams.

Four separate panels of media, one in each division, participate in a weekly poll and the final poll determines the winners. Playoffs and bowl games are including in the polling.

All-Bowl Teams
Navy had numerous players honored on All-Bowl teams by various publications.
Cornerback Vaughan Kelley (Sr./Coconut Creek, Fla.) and guard August Roitsch (Sr./Houston, Texas) were named to Sports Illustrated's All-Bowl Team.

The starting offensive line of James Rossi (So./Buda, Texas), Roitsch, Dennis Ray Phillips (Sr./Katy, Texas), Tyson Stahl (Sr./Raleigh, N.C.) and Sam Brown (Sr./Columbus, Ohio), along with linebacker Bobby McClarin (Sr./Bethlehem, Pa.), were selected by College Football News.

The offensive line was also tabbed by CBS Sportsline, while Kelley made ESPN.com's team.

Bowl History
This was Navy's 11th bowl game appearance overall and the second-straight year the Mids have played in postseason play.

The Emerald Bowl appearance marks just the second time in school history that Navy has gone to back-to-back bowl games (1980 Garden State Bowl and 1981 Liberty Bowl).
Navy is now 5-5-1 all-time in bowl games.

Notes From The Emerald Bowl
*New Mexico's touchdown on the opening drive marked the seventh time
this season the opponent has scored first in a game. Navy was 5-2 in
those games. The Mids were 5-0 when they scored first.

*Lane Jackson's (Sr./Miami, Fla.) fumble recovery in the first quarter
was his first of the year.

*Frank Divis' (Sr./Avon, Ohio) two completions to Aaron Polanco
(Sr./Wimberley, Texas) were the first two completions by a
non-quarterback by Navy this season and the first-career completions for
Divis and receptions for Polanco.

*Josh Smith's (Sr./Attica, Ind.) interception at the end of the first
quarter marked the second-straight bowl game interception for the safety.
Last season in the EV1.net Houston Bowl, Smith returned an interception 36
yards, a Navy bowl record, against Texas Tech.

*Navy's 14-first quarter points were the most scored by a Navy team in the
first quarter of a bowl game.

*Polanco's 61-yard touchdown pass to Corey Dryden (Sr./Longwood,
Fla.) was the longest scoring pass of the year for Navy and it was Dryden's
first career touchdown catch.

*Jackson's interception at the end of the second quarter was the second of
his career and helped the team tie a school bowl game record for
interceptions in a game with two (1978 vs. BYU).

*Navy outscored the opposition, 120-33, in the first half of the final-three
games.

*Polanco's three rushing touchdowns set a Navy bowl game record. It
marked the fourth time in his career and third time this season that he
rushed for three touchdowns in a game.

*New Mexico's Kole McKamey's 138 yards rushing are the most rushing
yards Navy has allowed to a single player this season.

*Polanco's 136 yards rushing against New Mexico was a Navy bowl game
record and marked the fourth time this year he went over 100 yards.

*Bobby McClarin's (Sr./Bethlehem, Pa.) 17 tackles were a career
high.

*Hunter Reddick's (So./San Diego, Calif.) eight tackles were a
career high.

The Red Zone
The Mids scored on 37 of their 50 trips (74 percent) inside the red
zone with 32 (64 percent) of those scores going for touchdowns.

Disciplined Football
Navy finished second in the country for the least amount of penalties
per game, averaging 4.17 penalties per contest. The Mids finished fifth
in fewest yards penalized per game, averaging 35.83

Least Penalized Teams In The Country
(Penalties Per Game)
1. Illinois 3.82
2. Navy 4.17
3. Missouri 4.27
4. Colorado State 4.36
5. Oklahoma State 4.42
6. Wisconsin 4.75
7. Vanderbilt 4.82
8. Arizona 5.09
Army 5.09
East Carolina 5.09

Least Penalized Teams In The Country
(Penalty Yards Per Game)
1. Illinois 32.82
2. Colorado State 35.00
3. Missouri 35.36
4. Oklahoma State 35.42
5. Navy 35.83
6. Wisconsin 36.92
7. Duke 38.18
8. Minnesota 38.92
9. East Carolina 39.73
10. Vanderbilt 40.36

Careful With The Throws
Navy quarterbacks threw just four interceptions all year, which tied for the least amount in the country and tied a school record for fewest interceptions thrown. Navy also threw just four interceptions in 1989.

Least Amount Of Interceptions In The
Country
1. Navy 4
Ball State 4
Bowling Green 4
North Texas 4
Texas A&M 4
6. Georgia 5
Vanderbilt 5
Virginia 5
Utah 5
Oklahoma State 5
Louisville 5

Efficient With The Throws
Though Navy was predominately a running team in 2004, the Mids
proved time after time that they could throw the ball when necessary
finishing ninth in the nation in passing efficiency with a rating of 150.45.

NCAA Leaders In Passing Efficiency
1. Louisville 174.36
2. Auburn 173.61
3. Utah 173.41
4. Bowling Green 165.47
5. California 160.05
6. Oklahoma 159.06
7. USC 157.43
8. Toledo 157.29
9. Navy 150.45
10. Purdue 150.22

Navy Finishes Third In The Country In Rushing
The Mids finished third in the nation in rushing, averaging 289.5 yards per game. Two Navy opponents finished in the top-10. Rice (306.55) finished first and Air Force (277.36) finished fourth. The Navy defense held both of those teams significantly under their average, holding the Owls to 223 yards and the Falcons to 182 yards.

Top Rushing Teams In The Country
1. Rice 306.55
2. Texas 299.17
3. Navy 289.50
4. Air Force 277.36
5. Minnesota 256.83
6. California 256.75
7. West Virginia 252.83
8. Louisville 250.42
9. Virginia 242.83
10. Michigan State 238.50

Johnson Tough With Time
Paul Johnson has posted a 10-4 record (.714) as Navy's head coach when having more than one week to prepare.

In 2002, the Mids posted a 2-2 record with more than one week to prepare, defeating SMU and Army and losing to Northwestern and Notre Dame.

In 2003, Navy was 4-1 in games in which they had more than one week to prepare, defeating VMI, Eastern Michigan, Central Michigan and Army and losing to Texas Tech in the Houston Bowl.

In 2004, the Mids were 4-1 (defeating Duke, Rutgers, Army and New Mexico and losing to Notre Dame) when having more than one week to prepare.

In Paul We Trust
Navy football has struggled over the last 20 years, compiling an overall
record of 78-157 (.332).

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 34-26 (.567) and have appeared in three bowl
games, winning two. The Mids are 18-7 (.720) over the last two years and
have won 16 of their last 21 contests (.762).

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

Johnson Dominant Against Service Academy Teams
Navy head football coach Paul Johnson is 5-1 as a head coach against
Service Academy teams, which is the best start for a Navy head coach
against the other two Service Academy teams since George Welsh started
his Hall-of-Fame career 5-1 (1973-75). Welsh finished his career 13-4-1
against the other two Service Academy teams.

Defense Tightens Up After The First Quarter
The Navy defense showed a penchant for tightening up as the game
went along in 2004. Opponents were 26 for 46 (57 percent) in converting
third downs in the first quarter, 18 for 49 (37 percent) in the second
quarter, 14 for 36 (39 percent) in the third quarter and just 15 for 41 (37
percent) in the fourth quarter.

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 finished his career with a 136-yard, three-touchdown effort against New Mexico.