Oct. 31, 2008

Box Score

ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Navy sprint football defensive back James Campbell (Sr./Kansas City, Mo.) intercepted three passes as the Midshipmen blanked Army, 24-0, to claim the N-Star, CSFL outright title for the 26th time in program history and a perfect season on Friday night at Rip Miller Field.

The Midshipmen completed the 2008 season with a 7-0 record overall and a 4-0 mark in CSFL play. The undefeated season is the 22nd in the program's 63-year history and its fifth over the last-seven years. The Black Knights end their season with a 2-5 overall mark and a 1-3 ledger in league play.

Navy has won a series-record 10-straight games against Army, with Friday's performance as the sixth shutout victory for the Midshipmen against the Black Knights. The Midshipmen have won 16-straight overall contests, dating back to the 2006 slate.

The shutout was Navy's third of the season and its defense ended the year by allowing just seven points over its final-three contests.

"Every win is rewarding, especially against our rivals from West Point," stated Navy head coach Maj. Jake Jenkins, USMC. "To end the season with a shutout was perfect, given how our defense has played this year. We couldn't have scripted it any better."

Campbell's three interceptions tied the school record for the most in a game with John Pontrello against Frostburg State JV in 1999. Friday's effort finished his season with seven interceptions and 13 for his career - both of which are new program records.

"James is a ball hawk and is a leader in the secondary," stated Jenkins. "He was making all the right calls and always around the ball, which is where we want him to be."

With the help of Campbell directing the secondary against an Army team that came in throwing the ball for 278 yards per game, the Midshipmen held the Black Knights to just 75 yards on 18-of-36 passing with five interceptions. As a whole, Navy's defense limited Army to just 102 yards of total offense.

"Our goal coming into the game was to get some interceptions given the number of times they throw the ball in a game," said Jenkins. "We did that and the interceptions were huge momentum changers."

In addition to Campbell, linebackers Tyler Hawkins (Jr./Canyon Country, Calif.) and Brian Smith (Sr./Gainesville, Fla.) led the Mids with seven and six tackles, respectively. Defensive backs Bryce Brigham (Sr./Bellevue, Wash.) and Andrew Wright (S./Baltimore, Md.) each had interceptions to preserve Navy's shutout.

While the defense did its part, Navy's offense used a balance attack to rack up 333 yards of total offense - 179 of which came on the ground and 154 yards through the air. In the previous meeting between the two teams on Sept. 28 in West Point, Navy was held to just 72 yards rushing.

"I challenged the offensive line going into tonight to run the ball," said Jenkins. "The guys up front answered the challenge and we had more than 100 yards on the ground at halftime."

Four different Midshipmen accumulated more than 30 rushing yards. Running back Enrique Harris (Sr./Crawfordville, Fla.) led the way with 75 yards on 13 carries, while fellow running back Alfonso Meidus (Sr./Leechburg, Pa.) ran 11 times for 50 yards with a touchdown. Quarterback D.J. Green (Sr./Indianapolis, Ind.) chalked up 37 yards on eight attempts, followed by running back Stephen Benson's (Jr./Ellenwood, Ga.) 32 yards and a score.

Green was 14-of-27 through the air for 154 yards with a touchdown. Wide receiver Logan Coffey (Sr./Dalton, Ga.) hauled in five passes for 35 yards, while fellow receiver Tommy Tellson (Sr./Bedford, Texas) caught four balls for 40 yards with a touchdown.

After a scoreless first quarter, Navy pieced together an eight-play, 74-yard scoring drive midway through the second stanza. Harris bolted through for a 47-yard run and a Green 11-yard pass to Tellson on third-and-eight helped set up Meidus' three-yard touchdown run with 8:47 on the clock.

The Midshipmen would tack on seven more points before the break, as a high snap forced Army punter Jeff Caracio to run and come up short of a first down to give the hosts the ball on Army's 44-yardline. Seven plays later, Benson scampered eight yards for a touchdown with less than four minutes remaining in the quarter.

Navy's defense wasted no time in building the lead to 21-0 early in the third quarter. On Army's first play from scrimmage, Campbell picked off an Abe Payne pass to put the Mids on the Army 48. With the ball, Green escaped what looked to be a sure loss of yardage, reversed field and gained 35 yards to put the Mids in the red zone. Later in the drive, he would find Tellson in the endzone from 10 yards out for a touchdown.

Campbell's third interception of the contest set up for Navy's final scoring drive of the night late in the third period. The offense was able to move the ball up to Army's 27 before kicker Stephen Phillips (Jr./Barhamsville, Va.) connected on a 44-yard field goal. It was his second 40-plus-yard field goal he had made this season, as he booted through a 46-yard attempt in the Allegiance Bowl against Cornell on Oct. 4.

Friday's contest served as the final career game for each of Navy's 22 seniors - a group that combined for a 25-1 (.962) record with three outright CSFL titles and a perfect 8-0 record against Army.