Nov. 28, 2005

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Game Data... The Navy Midshipmen (6-4) travel to Philadelphia, Pa. to take on the Army Black Knights (4-6) Saturday at 2:30 p.m. at a sold out Lincoln Financial Field (68,000) in the 106th meeting between the two rivals.

A win over Army would mean that Navy would win the Commander-In-Chief's Trophy outright for a third-consecutive year for the first time in school history.

This is the first time since 1996 that the Trophy has been on the line for both schools.

Saturday's game will be televised nationally by CBS and around the world on American Forces Television with Ian Eagle, Boomer Esiason and Dwayne Ballen 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 125) 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 the action beginning with the Navy Football Pregame Show at 1:30 p.m.

Pete Medhurst and Joe Miller will get things started with the Navy Tailgate Show on 1430 WNAV and www.wnav.com at 12:30 p.m.

CBS Radio will broadcast the game live nationally with Hall of Fame broadcaster Tony Roberts and Sonny Randle calling the action.

Festivities will get under way at Lincoln Financial Field at 11:50 a.m. with the March-On of the Brigade of Midshipmen. The Corps of Cadets will march-on at 12:20 p.m.

Scouting Army... The Black Knights of the Hudson are on fire, having won four-straight contests for the first time since 1996. Army's biggest win of the year was a 27-24 conquest of Air Force in Colorado Springs.

Senior running back Carlton Jones leads the West Point offense with 944 yards rushing and six touchdowns on 247 carries. Senior Scott Wesley has also proven to be a dangerous ball carrier, rushing for 519 yards and 10 touchdowns on 99 carries.

Senior quarterback Zach Dahman has completed 145 of his 264 passes for 1,609 yards with eight touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Dahman's favorite target is sophomore Jeremy Trimble, who has 36 catches for 454 yards and two touchdowns.

Army is averaging 146.1 yards per game on the ground and 167.7 yards through the air.

Defensively, Army is led by sophomore defensive back Caleb Campbell and junior linebacker Barrett Scruggs. Campbell has record 87 tackles and picked off a team-high five passes, while Scruggs has been in on 76 tackles.

The Black Knights are giving up 140.9 yards per game on the ground and 187.2 yards through the air.

Series History... Navy has won three-straight contests over Army to tie the series at 49-49-7. A fourth-straight win would give the Mids the series lead for the first time since 1991. Navy's senior class is trying to become the first group of seniors to go 4-0 against Army since the Class of 1977 and just the sixth class overall (Class of 1943, `44, `63, `64 and `77). The Mids are 2-0 in games played at Lincoln Financial Field and have won the last three games by a combined score of 144-31.

Johnson Dominant Against Service Academy Teams... Navy head football coach Paul Johnson is 6-1 (.857) as a head coach against service academy teams (3-1 against Air Force and 3-0 against Army), which equals the best start for a Navy head coach against the other two service academies. Wayne Hardin was 6-1 against the two service academies from 1959-1964 (1-0 against Air Force and 5-1 against Army). Johnson could also be just the third coach in school history to win his first four games against Army, joining legendary head coaches Wayne Hardin (won his first five, 1959-63) and George Welsh (won his first four, 1973-76).

Johnson Tough With Time... Paul Johnson has posted an 11-5 record (.688) 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.

This year, Johnson is 1-1, losing to Maryland and beating Duke.

Service Selection... On Tuesday, Nov. 15, Navy's 18 seniors found out what they will be doing after graduation. In four years, the seniors have been part of a renaissance in Navy football as the Mids have posted a 26-21 (.553) record, will go to three-straight bowl games, won a bowl game, and won two-consecutive Commander-In-Chief's Trophies (Navy can win a third by beating Army). It is the first class to graduate with a winning record since the Class of 1999 graduated with a 24-22 (.521) mark.

Navy's 18 seniors and their assignments... Jake Biles (Marine Corps Ground), Mike Brammer (Navy Pilot), Jeremy Chase (Surface Warfare), Cory Colistra (Marine Corps Ground), Dan Gibbon (Marine Corps Pilot), Marshall Green (Dental School), Ed Kotulski (Marine Corps Ground), Jason Monts (Navy Pilot), Kenny Ray Morrison (Surface Warfare), Marco Nelson (Surface Warfare), Lamar Owens (Surface Warfare), Luke Penrose (Surface Warfare), James Polanco (Marine Corps Ground), Lloyd Regas (Supply Corps.), Eric Shuey (Surface Warfare), Mick Yokitis (Marine Corps Ground), Dan Wendolowski (Marine Corps Ground) and Matt Williams (Marine Corps Ground).

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 10 games this year, the Mids have scored three touchdowns, thrown four interceptions and lost a fumble on the first drive of the game (five of Navy's 18 turnovers have come on the first drive). Navy has scored on the first drive of the second half in seven of the 10 games (five touchdowns and two field goals).

Score First...! Navy is 4-0 when scoring first this year and 2-4 when the opposition scores first. The Mids have won 11-consecutive games when scoring first, with the last loss coming in 2003 on Homecoming to Delaware.

The Red Zone... Navy has scored 36 of the 44 times (82%) it has reached the red zone, including 29 touchdowns (66%). Navy's opponents have scored on 31 of their 40 opportunities in the red zone (78%) with 25 going for touchdowns (63%).

On A Roll... Navy is 24-11 (.686) over the last three years after posting a 3-30 (.091) record the previous three years. The Mids are 14-2 (.875) at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium over the last three years, after losing 14 straight at home the previous three years.

Navy Ranked No. 1 In The Nation In Rushing... Navy enters the Army game ranked No. 1 in the country in rushing offense, averaging 286.70 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 10th In The Nation In Tackles Per Game... Junior linebacker Rob Caldwell (St. John, Ind.) ranks 10th in the nation in tackles per game, averaging 11.6 per contest. Caldwell, who entered the season with 15-career tackles, has recorded 116 tackles this season. He has been in double figures in seven-of-10 games. If Caldwell finishes the season as the team's leading tackler (he leads by 25 tackles with two games remaining), it will mark the fourth-consecutive year and sixth time in the last 14 years that a player from 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 sixth most in the country this year and the most by a Navy player since Smith had 21 against Connecticut in 2002.

Tidwell Throwing The Opposition For A Loss... Junior outside linebacker Tyler Tidwell (Edmond, Okla.) is tied for 19th in the country in tackles for a loss, averaging 1.5 per contest. Tidwell, who entered the season with two tackles for a loss in his career, has recorded 15 tackles for a loss of 59 yards this season. Tidwell has been playing well of late, recording nine tackles for a loss over the last five games. The school record for tackles for a loss in a season is 20, set by Eric Rutherford in 1984.

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 11th-best average in the country.

Disciplined Football... Navy is back near the top of the national rankings for fewest penalties per game and fewest yards penalized per game, ranking fifth in both categories. 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 sixth most in the country. Arkansas leads the country with 18 true freshmen having seen time.

Go For It!... Navy is tied for eighth in the nation in fourth down efficiency, converting 16 of 24 opportunities (.667). Navy's 24 attempts are more than anyone else ranked in the top 30 in fourth down efficiency.

Ballard Comes Up Big... Sophomore fullback Adam Ballard (Lewisville, Texas) came up big in his first-career start, rushing for a career-high 168 yards and a touchdown on a career-best 29 carries against Temple. Ballard entered the Temple game with 180-career rushing yards.

Whittaker Out For The Year... Freshman slot back Karlos Whittaker (North Chicago, Ill.), who scored a Navy freshman record six touchdowns this year, is out for the season with a torn ACL and MCL in his left knee. Whittaker injured his knee in the second quarter of the Temple game.

Before his injury, Whittaker was having a sensational freshman campaign. His six touchdowns are tied for the 20th most in the country by a freshman this year and he was averaging a touchdown once every 6.2 carries.

Earlier this year, Whittaker scored in six-consecutive games, the longest scoring 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.

He 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 had 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 84-161 (.343). 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 40-30 (.571) and have appeared in three bowl games (this year will be the fourth), winning two. The Mids are 24-11 (.686) over the last three years and have won 22 of the last 31 contests (.710).

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 against Maryland. With the effort, 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 also 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 in a career.

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 1,114 yards on just 107 attempts, and averaging a school record 20.25 yards per pass completion on his 55 completions. He also owns the career mark for average yards per attempt, averaging 10.29 yards (1,152 yards on 112 attempts).

Owens has amassed 1,845 yards of total offense (731 rushing and 1,114 passing) on just 287 plays this year. His 6.4 yards per play ranks him fourth in school history for average yards per play for a season and his 5.88 average yards per play for a career (1,940 yards in 330 plays) is tied for second in the school annals.

Special Drought... The Mids have gone 110 games without returning a punt for a touchdown, the longest streak in the country. Navy last returned a punt for a touchdown on Oct. 5, 1996 when Ross Scott returned one 65 yards for a touchdown in a 64-27 Homecoming victory over Duke.

The Mids have gone 93 games without returning a kickoff for a touchdown, the eighth-longest streak in the country. Navy last returned a kickoff for a touchdown on Nov. 15, 1997, when Matt Nelson took a lateral and ran 58 yards for a touchdown in Navy's 52-24 victory over Colgate.

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 this year. As a unit, the A-backs have rushed for 1,049 yards and 13 touchdowns on just 132 carries (7.9 yards per carry) and have caught 25 passes for 544 yards and two touchdowns (21.8 yards per reception). All told, the slot backs have gained 1,585 yards and scored 15 touchdowns on 157 touches (10.1 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.

Lots Of Yards... Navy amassed 532 yards of total offense against Kent State, the 23rd-most yards in school history and the most since Nov. 20, 2004 when Navy produced 613 yards against Rutgers.

Ground Attack... Navy's 418 yards rushing against Tulane ranks as the 15th-best rushing game in program history. It was the Mids' first 400-plus yard rushing game since the 2004 Rutgers contest when Navy rushed for 476 yards.

Bullen Automatic... Navy sophomore kicker Joey Bullen (St. Simon's Island, Ga.) is 40 for 40 on extra-points this year. His 40 made extra-points is a Navy single-season record, while his 40 consecutive extra-points ranks third all-time at Navy. Bullen's 64 total points ranks as the sixth most in a season at Navy by a kicker.

Hall Out For The Year... Junior fullback Matt Hall (Cape Coral, Fla.), who was Navy's second leading rusher with 493 yards and six touchdowns, is out for the year after tearing his ACL and MCL in the Notre Dame game. Hall injurrd his left knee on his first carry of the game, a 10-yard gain.