Oct. 19, 2007
Final Stats
ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Ten different Navy sprint football players scored a touchdown on Friday night as the Midshipmen cruised to an 83-0 victory over Princeton at Rip Miller Field. Navy improved to 4-0 on the year and 2-0 in CSFL action, while Princeton fell to 0-5 overall and 0-3 in league play.
"I was quite pleased with the effort our team played with tonight," stated Navy head coach Maj. Jake Jenkins, USMC. "It was definitely a positive to get some experience for our team heading into the final-two games of the season. I was impressed with Princeton's effort this evening, as well. The played hard on every play until the final whistle."
Navy's 83-point performance ranks as the second-highest mark in program history. The Midshipmen set the school record with a 98-0 win over Princeton on Oct. 21, 2005, in Annapolis.
Navy out-gained Princeton by 490 yards on Friday night, churning out 550 yards while holding its guests to 60 yards. The total yardage differential ranks second in school history, with the 664-yard disparity against the Tigers two seasons ago topping the list.
Of the 550 yards collected by the Midshipmen, 373 came from the rushing attack on 32 carries (8.7 ypc). Navy ran the ball on 25 of its 26 offensive plays in the second half, gaining 214 yards.
Defensively, the Midshipmen recorded their first shutout of the season and their first since a 58-0 triumph at Princeton last year. The 60 yards allowed ranks as the fifth fewest in school history, while the 17 yards yielded on the ground ranks sixth best in the program's all-time annals. Navy's defense also produced five sacks, nine tackles for a loss of 45 yards and three interceptions.
Following a Princeton punt on its opening drive, Navy wasted little time in taking the lead for good. On the first play from scrimmage, running back Richard Engel (Sr./Medford, N.J.) ran for a 62-yard touchdown on a toss to the left. It marked the 22nd rushing touchdown of his career, moving him into a tie for second place on Navy's all-time list, only one shy of the record of 23 touchdowns by Matt Sobecki (1994-97).
The Midshipmen would make it 28-0 at the end of the opening quarter following touchdown runs from running back Enrique Harris (Jr./Crawfordville, Fla.) and wide receiver Todd Barriger (Sr./Prescott, Mich.) and a scoring strike from D.J. Green (Jr./Indianapolis, Ind.) to wide receiver Tommy Tellson (Jr./Bedford, Texas).
Backup quarterback Jon DeWitt (Jr./Mendham, N.J.) entered in the second quarter and delivered touchdown passes to Barriger and wide receiver Brad Cash (So./Wilmington, N.C.). Kicker David Reifenberg (So./Ft. Wayne, Ind.) kicked the first of his two field goals of the evening in between the two aerial scoring plays as the Midshipmen carried a 45-0 lead into halftime.
Navy would expand its lead to 80-0 with five touchdowns in the third quarter. DeWitt, running backs Alfonso Meidus (Jr./Leechburg, Pa.) and Steve Benson (So./Ellenwood, Ga.) and linebacker Cartwright Hall (Fr./Cincinnati, Ohio) all ran for a touchdown in the penultimate quarter. Defensive lineman Tom Hayes (So./Ballston Lake, N.Y.) also picked off a pass on fourth down and returned it 15 yards for a touchdown.
Benson led Navy's 17 ball carriers on the evening with 101 yards on only six carries, marking his first-career 100-yard effort. Engel also collected 81 yards in just three rushing attempts before exiting the contest in the first quarter.
Green and DeWitt each completed 4-of-7 pass attempts on the evening, with eight different Mids making a reception. Green threw for 86 yards, while DeWitt accumulated 91 yards through the air.
Linebacker Tyler Hawkins (So./Canyon Country, Calif.), the team's leading tackler coming into the night, led the Midshipmen with eight stops. Defensive lineman Justin Nabozna (Jr./New Fairfield, Conn.) delivered 2.5 sacks for a loss of 20 yards, while Hayes, linebacker Emery Persinger (Fr./Cheswick, Pa.) and defensive back Nicholas Pretty (So./San Jose, Calif.) all picked off a pass.
With its shutout against Princeton, Navy's defense has held the Tigers scoreless in each of the last-three meetings, a span of 183:18 dating back to the 2004 campaign. The Midshipmen have surpassed the 50-point mark in each of the last-seven contests against Princeton, averaging 71.1 points per game during that span.
Friday night's contest also marked the final home game for the Navy sprint football class of 2008. The group of Barriger, Engel, Chip Broun (Dunwoody, Ga.), Lou Feaman (Boynton Beach, Fla.), Tom Lucey (Reed City, Mich.), Taylor Brashear (Collierville, Tenn.), Jason Feipel (Walcott, Iowa), Hunter Armour (Malibu, Calif.), Tony Choros (Cresson, Pa.) and Taylor Dodd (San Juan Capistrano, Calif.) were a perfect 9-0 on its home field in Annapolis, extending Navy's home winning streak to 16 games in the process.
The Midshipmen head back on the road next Friday night, Oct. 26, when they take on Penn (2-1, 1-0 CSFL) in a 7 p.m. showdown at Franklin Field in Philadelphia.
