Oct. 22, 2005

Final Stats

HOUSTON (AP) - Matt Hall rushed for 91 yards and two touchdowns as Navy beat Rice 41-9 on Saturday to extend the Owls' nation-leading losing streak to 12 games.

Karlos Whittaker and Trey Hines also had touchdown runs for Navy (4-2), which enjoyed its largest margin of victory since a 54-21 win over Rutgers last November. Four of Navy's previous five games this year were decided by three points and the fifth was a 28-21 win over Duke on Oct. 1.

Chase Clement went 10-for-22 for 81 yards and threw a touchdown pass for Rice (0-6), which is off to its worst start since going 0-11 in 1988. Clement, a redshirt freshman, started for sophomore Joel Armstrong, who injured his shoulder in last week's loss to Tulsa. Armstrong saw some action Saturday, but Clement took most of the snaps.

The Midshipmen, the nation's fourth-best rushing team, had 301 yards on 44 carries against the Owls, who ranked 106th out of 117 I-A teams in run defense.

Navy led 13-3 at halftime, but blew several chances to start the rout earlier.

On the only two plays of the Midshipmen's second possession, Owens scampered for 26 yards on an option keeper and Hall burst up the middle for a 31-yard touchdown.

Rice halfback Tommy Henderson fumbled less than two minutes later at the Owls' 18, but Navy receiver Jason Tomlinson lost five yards on a third-down run and Joey Bullen sliced a 37-yard field goal attempt.

Navy had first-down gains negated by penalties on its next two possessions. On the Middies' next drive, Owens threw a wobbly 54-yard pass to Marco Nelson, but then badly overthrew Mick Yokitis in the end zone. Navy settled for a 24-yard field goal by Bullen and a 10-0 lead.

Sophomore Luke Juist got the Owls on the board with a line-drive 53-yard field goal that bounced over the crossbar. Juist's first field goal of the season was the fourth-longest in school history and the longest since James Hamrick's 57-yarder against Texas Tech in 1985.

Brian Hampton, who replaced a limping Owens on Navy's final first-half possession, had two long runs to give the Midshipmen a first down at the Rice 14. The drive stalled there, though, and Bullen kicked a 31-yard field goal with 4 seconds left in the half.

Navy finally took control with a flurry of big plays to open the second half.

Whittaker returned the kickoff to midfield, Owens and Hines had consecutive first-down runs and Whittaker broke two tackles on a 19-yard TD run just 40 seconds into the third quarter.

A minute later, Navy linebacker Tyler Tidwell crashed into Armstrong and forced a fumble inside the Rice 20. Owens zipped a pass to Tomlinson for 11 yards and then pitched to Hall for a 7-yard TD run and a 27-3 Navy lead.

Clement threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Jarrett Dillard later in the third quarter.

Hall had a 46-yard run early in the fourth quarter and Hines scored from 11 yards out with 10:23 left in the game. Hampton had a 1-yard scoring run in the final minute.

Navy has a four-game winning streak for only the third time in 25 years. The Middies won their first five games in 2005 and their last four games in 1997.

Saturday's game was originally scheduled for Sept. 24, but was postponed because of Hurricane Rita.