Nov. 14, 2005
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Game Data... The Navy Midshipmen (5-4), coming off a 42-21 loss to No. 7-ranked Notre Dame, will play host to the Temple Owls (0-10) on Senior Day this Saturday at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (34,000). A win over Temple would make the Midshipmen bowl eligible and a virtual lock to receive a school-record third-consecutive bowl bid. Saturday's game is being televised nationally by CSTV with Tom McCarthy and Scott Zolak calling the action. The game can be heard on the Navy Radio Network, which includes WBAL in Baltimore (1090 AM), Sportstalk 980 in Washington, D.C. (980 AM), and WNAV in Annapolis (1430 AM), as well as nationally on Sirius Satellite Radio (Channel 127) or around the world at www.navysports.com, www.wbal.com, www.sportstalk980.com and www.wnav.com. Armed Forces Radio will carry the game live to our troops stationed around the world. Bob Socci and Omar Nelson will call all the action beginning with the Navy Football Pregame Show at 12:30 p.m. Pete Medhurst and Joe Miller will get things started with the Navy Tailgate Show on 1430 WNAV and www.wnav.com at 11:30 a.m.
Second Quarter Mistakes Cost Mids... Brady Quinn threw for 284 yards and four touchdowns to lead Notre Dame to a 42-21 victory over Navy in front of 80,795 at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend. The Mids played the Irish even outside of the final 8:37 of the second quarter when Notre Dame scored 21-unanswered points thanks to a failed fourth down, a fumble and a short punt. The Mids had several impressive drives in the game, including a 16-play, 68-yard, 7:45 drive on their initial possession of the game. The drive ended on a nine-yard touchdown run by Adam Ballard (So./Lewisville, Texas) that tied the score at seven. The scoring drive was the longest drive by Navy this year in time and tied for the longest drive in plays, while it was the longest drive against Notre Dame in time and plays. Senior quarterback Lamar Owens (Savannah, Ga.) capped off another impressive drive to start the second half when he scored from one yard out, as the Mids marched 80 yards in 12 plays taking 6:12 off the clock. Reserve quarterback Brian Hampton (Jr./Scott Air Force Base, Ill.) led an impressive drive in the fourth quarter as the Mids marched 78 yards in 13 plays over 5:31 and capped it off with a 17-yard touchdown pass to Tyree Barnes (Fr./Hampton, Va.) Owens led the Navy offense with 62 yards rushing and a touchdown on 26 carries, while completing three of his seven pass attempts for 58 yards. Freshman slot back Karlos Whittaker (North Chicago, Ill.) had an impressive day running the football, rushing for 50 yards on seven carries and returning six kickoffs for 159 yards. The Navy defense was led by junior linebacker Rob Caldwell (St. John, Ind.), who was in on a team-high 14 tackles, and senior linebacker Jack Biles (Lorena, Texas), who recorded 11 stops. Safety DuJuan Price (Jr./Dallas, Texas) intercepted his first pass of the season, stopping a string of 130-straight passes by Quinn without and interception, which is a school record for the Irish.
Notes From The Notre Dame Game *Notre Dame extended its winning streak to 42-straight games over the Midshipmen. The Irish own a 69-9-1 series lead, including a 26-3 advantage in games played at Notre Dame Stadium.
*Notre Dame's 42 points are the most by a Navy opponent since Tulane scored 42 against the Midshipmen last year in the Green Wave's 42-10 win.
*Notre Dame's touchdown on the first drive of the game marked the third time this year the Navy defense gave up a touchdown on the first drive of the game and the first time since the Stanford game.
*Senior receiver Mick Yokitis' (Pittsburgh, Pa.) 14-yard catch in the second quarter was his first reception of the season and his fourth-career catch.
*Notre Dame's 28 points in the opening half are the most points allowed by Navy in the first half since giving up 31 to Connecticut in 2002. The Mids lost that game 38-0.
*The Mids have now thrown at least one interception in every game except the Rice contest.
*Junior QB Brian Hampton's (Jr./Scott Air Force Base, Ill.) 17-yard touchdown strike to Tyree Barnes (Fr./Hampton, Va.) was his first-collegiate passing touchdown and Barnes' second-career touchdown catch.
*Senior quarterback Lamar Owens (Savannah, Ga.) 26 carries were a season high for a Navy player, bettering his own mark of 24 against Rutgers.
*Freshman corner Ketrick Buffin (Rowlett, Texas) turned in a career-high five tackles.
*Senior linebacker Jake Biles (Lorena, Texas) posted 11 tackles, marking his fourth-career double-digit tackle game.
*Junior corner Jeremy McGown (Houston, Texas) had a season-high tying eight tackles.
*Junior outside linebacker David Mahoney (Fort Myers, Fla.) recorded his 200th-collegiate tackle.
*Senior slot back Marco Nelson (Scottsdale, Ariz.) went over 400 yards rushing for his career.
*Notre Dame's 505 yards of total offense were the most allowed by Navy this year and the most since Tulane's 538 yards last season.
Scouting Temple... The Owls may have played the most difficult schedule in the country this year as all 11 of their opponents could be bowl eligible. The Owls are averaging 76.7 yards per game on the ground and 157.5 yards through the air. Umar Ferguson has rushed for 585 yards and five touchdowns on 169 carries to lead the Owl running attack, while quarterback Mike McGann has passed for 1,224 yards and two touchdowns with 13 interceptions. Bruce Gordon is the leading Temple receiver with 32 catches for 476 yards. Defensively, Temple is allowing 184.3 yards per game on the ground and 273.2 yards through the air. Manuel Tapia leads the Owl defense with 93 tackles. Temple has been outscored this year, 460-90.
Senior Day... Saturday will be the final home game for Navy's 18 seniors. In four years, the seniors have been part of a renaissance in Navy football as the Mids have posted a 25-21 (.543) record, gone to two-straight bowl games, won a bowl game, and won two-consecutive Commander-In-Chief's Trophies. If the Mids can beat Temple on Saturday and Army in two weeks they will add a school-record third-straight bowl game and third-consecutive Commander-In-Chief's Trophy to their resume. It is the first class to graduate with a winning record since the Class of 1999 graduated with a 24-22 (.521) record. Navy's 18 seniors: Jason Monts (Midlothian, Va.), Lamar Owens (Savannah, Ga.), James Polanco (Wimberley, Texas), Luke Penrose (Reno, Nev.), Marco Nelson (Scottsdale, Ariz.), Kenny Ray Morrison (Kingwood, Texas), Cory Colistra (Amsterdam, N.Y.), Jeremy Chase (Norfolk, Va.), Jake Biles (Lorena, Texas), Marshall Green (Baton Rouge, La.), Ed Kotulski (Utica, Mich.), Dan Wendolowski (Parma, Ohio), Dan Gibbon (Tacoma, Wash.), Mick Yokitis (Pittsburgh, Pa.), Matt Williams (Franklin, Tenn.), Eric Shuey (Hacienda Heights, Calif.), Mike Brammer (Roanoke, Va.), Lloyd Regas (Jacksonville, Fla.).
Green Named ESPN The Magazine First-Team Academic All-District... Senior center Marshall Green (Baton Rouge, La.) has been named to the ESPN The Magazine First-Team Academic All-District II team by the College Sports Information Directors of America. Green, who carries a 3.33 GPA in chemistry, will now be eligible for Academic All-America honors. Green has started seven games this year and has helped pave the way for the third best rushing attack in the country.
Series History... Temple leads the all-time series with Navy, 4-1, including a 45-26 thrasing at Franklin Field in 2001. Temple is 2-1 all-time at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Navy's only win against the Owls came in 1997, 49-17.
Johnson Tabs Brad Bowlin To Be The 12th Mid Navy head football coach Paul Johnson announced Nov. 9 that Brad Bowlin (Sr./Dandridge, Tenn.) has been selected out of a pool of 18 candidates to be the 12th Mid. Bowlin, a member of the 7th company, will be a member of the kickoff team when Navy kicks off for the first time in the Temple game. Bowlin is the second member of the 7th company to serve as the 12th Mid. Last year, John McLaughlin was the 12th Mid for the Delaware game. Bowlin 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 this game. Bowlin, who stands 6-4 and weighs 215 pounds, came to the Naval Academy to play baseball and was a pitcher on the JV team his freshman year. At Jefferson County High School He was a four-year letterwinner in baseball and basketball and led it to district titles in baseball as a junior and basketball as a senior. He was a two-time all-district and all-region selection in basketball. Bowlin last played organized football as a freshman in high school.
Tale Of Two Halves The Navy offense has been up and down on the first drive of the game, yet sensational on the first drive of the second half. In nine games this year, the Mids have scored three touchdowns and thrown four interceptions on the first drive of the game (four of Owens' eight interceptions have come on the first drive). Navy has scored on the first drive of the second half in seven of the nine games (five touchdowns and two field goals), including six-consecutive games (five touchdowns and one field goal). Navy has scored a touchdown on the first drive of the second half in four-straight games.
Score First! Navy is 3-0 when scoring first this year and 2-4 when the opposition scores first. The Mids have won 10-consecutive games when scoring first, with the last loss coming in 2003 on Homecoming to Delaware.
The Red Zone Navy has scored 32 of the 39 times (82%) it has reached the red zone, including 26 touchdowns (67%). The opponents have scored on 30 of their 37 opportunities in the red zone (81%) with 24 going for touchdowns (65%).
Navy Second In The Country In Rushing Offense Navy enters the Temple game third in the country in rushing offense, averaging 276.89 yards per game. The Mids have never finished lower than third in the country in rushing during Paul Johnson's tenure at the Academy. Last year, the Mids finished third in the nation, averaging 289.50 yards per contest, while in 2003 the Mids led the nation in rushing, averaging a school-record 323.2 yards per game. In 2002, Johnson's first year at Navy, the Mids finished third in the nation in rushing, averaging 270.8 yards per contest.
Caldwell Eighth In The Nation In Tackles Per Game; 20th In The Nation In Forced Fumbles Junior linebacker Rob Caldwell (St. John, Ind.) is tied for eighth in the nation in tackles per game, averaging 12.2 per contest. Caldwell, who entered the season with 15-career tackles, has recorded 110 tackles this season. He has been in double figures in seven-of-nine games this season. If Caldwell finishes the season as the team's leading tackler, it will mark the fourth-consecutive year and sixth time in the last 14 years that a player from the great state of Indiana has led Navy in tackles. Safety Josh Smith (Attica, Ind.) led Navy in tackles in each of the last three years, and Javier Zuluaga (Indianapolis, Ind.) led Navy in tackles in 1992 and 1993. He would also be the first linebacker to lead Navy in tackles since Clint Bruce in 1995 and 1996. Caldwell's 21 tackles against Air Force are tied for the fourth most in the country this year and the most by a Navy player since Smith had 21 against Connecticut in 2002. Caldwell is also tied for 20th in the nation in forced fumbles, averaging 0.38 forced fumbles per contest.
Mahoney And Tidwell Spell Double Trouble Junior outside linebackers Tyler Tidwell (Edmond, Okla.) and David Mahoney (Fort Myers, Fla.) are tied for 17th in the country in tackles for a loss. Tidwell, who entered the season with two tackles for a loss in his career, has recorded 13.5 tackles for a loss of 49 yards this season. Tidwell has been playing well of late, recording 7.5 tackles for a loss over the last four games. Mahoney, who entered the season with 14.5 tackles for a loss for his career and recorded a career-high 12 last year, already owns 13.5 tackles for a loss of 63 yards this year to give him 28 for his career. The school record for tackles for a loss in a season is 20, set by Eric Rutherford in 1984. The school record for tackles for a loss in a career is 44, set by Andy Person (1992-95).
Navy Tough On Punt Returners The Mids, led by their dimuntive gunners sophomore Reggie Campbell (5-6, Sanford, Fla.) and senior Marco Nelson (5-7, Scottsdale, Ariz.), have been tough against opposing punt returners, allowing just 5.05 yards per return. The 5.05 yard average is the 10th-best average in the country.
Disciplined Football Navy is back near the top in the national rankings for fewest penalties per game and fewest yards penalized per game. The Mids are tied for fifth in fewest penalties per game (4.56 per contest) and third in yards penalized per game (34.00). Last year, Navy finished second in the country for the fewest amount of penalties per game (4.17) and fifth in fewest yards penalized per game (35.83). Plebes Getting Experience Navy has played 12 true freshmen this year (the Naval Academy does not redshirt), which is tied for the third most in the country. Arkansas leads the country with 18 true freshmen having seen time.
Whittaker Sets Freshman Touchdown Record Freshman slot back Karlos Whittaker (North Chicago, Ill.) turned in his sixth touchdown of the season on a nine-yard run against Rutgers. Whittaker's six touchdowns this year are a school record for a freshman and are tied for the 19th most in the country by a freshman this year. He is averaging a touchdown once every 5.8 carries. Whittaker had scored in six-consecutive games, the longest streak by a Navy player since Brian Madden scored a touchdown in eight-consecutive games from 1999-2001 (Madden missed all of the 2000 season and the first three games of the 2001 season with a knee injury), before being shut out in the Tulane game. Whittaker became just the second freshman in school history (Alton Grizzard was the other) to rush for over 100 yards in a game when he rushed for 110 yards and a touchdown on just seven carries against Stanford. Grizzard rushed for 225 yards on 23 carries in 1987 against Penn. Whittaker has also started to become quite a threat on kickoff returns, averaging 25.6 yards per return, which is the fourth-best mark in school history for a single season and third best for a career. His 52-yard kickoff return against Rice was the longest by a Navy player since Aaron Weedo returned a kickoff 53 yards against Army in 2002.
In Paul We Trust... Navy football has struggled mightily over the last 21 years, compiling an overall record of 83-161 (.340). The Mids, however, have not struggled when Paul Johnson has been calling the plays. Johnson has been at Navy for six of those 21 years (two years as a coordinator and four as a head coach), and in those six years, the Mids are 39-30 (.565) and have appeared in three bowl games, winning two. The Mids are 23-11 (.676) over the last three years and have won 21 of the last 30 contests (.700).
On A Roll... Navy is 23-11 over the last three years (.676) after posting a 3-30 (.091) record the previous three years. The 23 wins are tied for the 20th most in the country over the last three seasons. The Mids are 13-2 (.867) at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium over the last three years, after losing 14 straight at home the previous three years.
Tomlinson Records Back-To-Back 100-Yard Receiving Games Junior wide receiver Jason Tomlinson (Arlington, Texas) turned in back-to-back big games for the Midshipmen, catching four passes for a then career-high 114 yards and a touchdown against Air Force and catching five passes for a career-high 115 yards against Kent State. He is the first Navy player to top 100 yards receiving in back-to-back games since Ryan Read in 1998. His touchdown against the Falcons came on a 61-yard toss from Lamar Owens (Sr./Savannah, Ga.). It was the longest reception in Tomlinson's career and the longest play by Navy since last year's Emerald Bowl when Aaron Polanco hit Corey Dryden with a 61-yard touchdown pass against New Mexico. Tomlinson is averaging 17.6 yards per catch for his career, with 49 receptions for 861 yards. It's the fifth-best receiving average in school history.
Owens Putting Up Big Numbers... Senior quarterback Lamar Owens (Savannah, Ga.), who entered the season with 129-career rushing yards, rushed for 122 yards on 19 carries in his first-career start. Owens became just the 14th Navy quarterback to rush for over 100 yards in a game (54th time overall). He also joined Chris McCoy (26 carries for 273 yards on Sept. 9, 1995 at SMU) and Brian Madden (34 carries for 168 yards on Oct. 30, 1999 at Notre Dame) as the only Navy quarterbacks to rush for over 100 yards in their first-career start. Owens rushed for 106 yards and a touchdown against Duke and 110 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries against Kent State, making him just the seventh quarterback in school history to rush for 100 yards in a game on three or more occasions. Owens can also hurt you through the air as he is averaging a school record 10.4 yards per pass attempt this season, throwing for 994 yards on just 96 attempts, and a school record 19.49 yards per pass completion, throwing for 994 yards on 51 completions. He also owns the career mark for average yards per attempt, averaging 10.1 yards (1,032 yards on 101 attempts) Owens has already amassed 1,641 yards of total offense (647 rushing and 994 passing) on just 258 plays. His 6.4 yards per play would put him fourth in school history for average yards per play for a season and his 5.76 average yards per play for a career (1,736 yards in 301 plays) would also place him fourth in the school annals.
NCAA First Senior slot back Marco Nelson (Scottsdale, Ariz.) is the first player in NCAA history to return a fumble for a touchdown, score a rushing touchdown and catch a touchdown pass in the same game as he accomplished this feat in Navy's 41-38 loss to Stanford. Nelson returned a fumbled punt 19 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter, scored on a one-yard run with 5:33 remaining in the second quarter and then caught a 54-yard touchddown pass from Lamar Owens in the fourth quarter (12:38). Nelson, who entered this season with just one-career touchdown, has four in the first two games. Nelson's fumble return for a touchdown was the first by a Navy player since Brad Wimsatt returned a fumble for a touchdown against Army on Dec. 2, 2000.
A's Make Plays Navy's slot backs, or A-Backs as they are called in the offense, have been big-play contributors in both the rushing and passing game. As a unit, the A-backs have rushed for 927 yards and 12 touchdowns on just 119 carries (7.8 yards per carry) and have caught 23 passes for 465 yards and two touchdowns (20.2 yards per reception). All told, the slot backs have gained 1,392 yards and scored 14 touchdowns on 142 touches (9.8 yards per touch).
Mr. October Sophomore slot back Reggie Campbell (So,/Sanford, Fla.) was Navy's Mr. October. Against Duke, Campbell ran the ball three times for 50 yards, including a career-long 52-yarder that set up Navy's go-ahead touchdown in the third quarter. He had a huge game against Air Force, carrying the ball three times for 46 yards, including a game-tying 40-yard burst with just over two minutes remaining, and had three catches for 47 yards. He accounted for 69 yards on Navy's game-tying drive. Campbell had another strong game against Kent State, running eight times for 31 yards and catching two passes for 59 yards, including a career-long 44-yard catch. After a quiet game against Rice (20 yards rushing on four carries), Campbell came back against Rutgers and carried the ball four times for 69 yards and a touchdown. His touchdown run was a spectacular 60-yard run off an option pitch and was the longest run of his career, the longest run by a Navy player this year and the second-longest play by a Navy player this year. Campbell got November started right by rushing for 52 yards and a touchdown on five carries and catching one pass for 29 yards against Tulane and caught a 34-yard pass against Notre Dame.
Biles Playing Well Senior linebacker Jake Biles (Lorena, Texas) has recorded double figures in tackles in three of the last four games. Biles was in on a then career-high tying 11 tackles in Navy's win over Rice (He also had 11 against Duke), followed up with a career-high 14 tackles against Rutgers and had 11 against Notre Dame.
