Nov. 19, 2005
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ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) - Navy scored 24 straight points in the second half to beat Temple 38-17 Saturday, becoming bowl eligible for the third consecutive year.
Adam Ballard rushed for 167 yards and a touchdown on 29 carries for the Midshipmen (6-4), who trailed 17-14 at halftime before shutting out Temple in the second half, scoring on drives of 85, 80 and 81 yards.
It is the first time in program history that Navy has been bowl eligible for three straight seasons.
Lamar Owens threw for 120 yards and rushed for 84, and Marco Nelson added 83 yards rushing, including a 22-yard touchdown, for the Midshipmen, who finished with 495 yards of total offense, including 375 on the ground.
Temple came into the game as the lowest-scoring team in Division I-A, but gained a season-best 383 yards. Mike McGann completed 24 of 38 passes for 245 yards, and Umar Ferguson rushed for 116 yards on 22 carries. Bruce Gordon had 10 catches for 125 yards.
The Owls led at halftime for the first time this season, and their 17 points tied a season-high. Temple gained 241 yards in the first half and moved into Navy territory on all five possessions.
Nelson opened the scoring with a 22-yard run early in the second quarter, capping a 14-play, 80-yard drive for the Midshipmen. The drive included two fourth-down conversions, including one on a fake punt from the Navy 29.
Temple tied the game less than four minutes later on Josh Bundy's 1-yard touchdown run.
Navy took a 14-7 lead after a 3-yard run by Owens with 6:01 left in the half, but Temple countered with a 65-yard drive, capped by a 22-yard pass from McGann to Gordon with 3:38 remaining. The Owls tacked on a field goal to close the half.
The Midshipmen tied it with a field goal early in the third quarter, set up by a 65-yard pass from Owens to Nelson. After blocking a field goal attempt, the Midshipmen drove 80 yards and took the lead on Owens' 11-yard run.
The Midshipmen padded their lead with an 81-yard drive that covered six minutes, ending with Ballard's 4-yard run. On Temple's next possession, Tyler Tidwell tackled McGann to force a fumble, and John Chan returned it 41 yards for a touchdown with 2:33 remaining in the game.
