Sept. 28, 2008
Box Score
WEST POINT, N.Y. - Navy defensive back Mike Nolan (So./Carmichael, Calif.) keyed a Navy defense that delivered several key stops in a 14-7 non-conference win against Army at Shea Stadium on Sunday afternoon. The Midshipmen improved to 3-0 on the year and extended their winning streak to 12 games, dating back to the 2006 season. The Black Knights dropped their second-straight tilt to fall to 1-2 on the year.
Navy has won a series-record nine-straight games over Army, dating back to the 2004 campaign. The Midshipmen own a 36-30-1 advantage in the all-time series against the Black Knights.
Nolan led the team with 10 tackles, 3.5 of which went for a loss of seven yards with a sack. He also picked off a pass, broke up another aerial attempt and forced a fumble in the win. As a whole, the Navy defense registered seven sacks, a total of 14 tackles for a loss, five pass breakups, forced two fumbles and recovered one loose ball.
"It feels great to come out on the winning end of a hard-fought game," stated Navy head coach Maj. Jake Jenkins, USMC. "The defense played a great game. Mike Nolan played his heart out."
In addition to Nolan's efforts, defensive end Justin Nabozna (Sr./New Fairfield, Conn.) produced nine tackles with two sacks, while linebackers Tyler Hawkins (Jr./Canyon Country, Calif.) and Chris Combellick (Sr./Carmel, Ind.) each made eight stops. Defensive end Kyle Hayhurst (Jr./Pleasanton, Calif.) sacked the quarterback three times and linebacker Brian Smith (Sr./Gainesville, Fla.) chimed in with two sacks.
After a scoreless first quarter, Navy got on the board early in the second stanza with the help of a partially blocked Army punt. Running back Enrique Harris (Sr./Crawfordville, Fla.) came up with a key 20-yard run on a third-and-seven before quarterback D.J. Green (Sr./Indianapolis, Ind.) found wide receiver Tommy Tellson (Sr./Bedford, Texas) in the endzone from 15 yards out.
The defense sparked the Midshipmen on their second score of the game early in the third quarter. Nolan came up and delivered a jarring hit that forced the ball loose, which teammate K.C. Middleton (Jr./Jacksonville, Fla.) would come up with on the Army 41 yardline. Seven plays later, Green connected with tight end Karl Motoyama (Sr./Honolulu, Hawai'i) from 14 yards out on a third-and-10 for a touchdown.
Navy's defense would be put to the test after an Army interception had the Black Knights starting on the opposition's 13 yardline. The Midshipmen would be up for the challenge, as they stuffed the run on third-and-one before forcing an incompletion on fourth down.
The Black Knights got on the board with 11 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter to pull within one score at 14-7. It was the first score allowed by the Navy defense since the third quarter of the Catholic JV game on Sept. 7 in Annapolis, a span of 132 minutes and 27 seconds.
However, Navy's defense forced Army into a turnover on downs in two of its final-three drives to preserve the victory for the Mids.
Navy's defense limited Army to 219 yards on total offense, including minus-22 yards rushing. The Midshipmen effort against the running game ranks as the fourth-lowest yardage total in program history and the second-consecutive game against the Black Knights in which they were held to negative rushing yards.
Harris led Navy's running game with seven carries for 41 yards and also made a career-long 60-yard reception in the second quarter. Green completed 11-of-25 passes for 155 yards with two touchdowns and connected with seven different receivers on the day. Tight end Gaetano Bettinelli (Sr./St. Helena, Calif.), wide receiver JoJo Catrini (So./Norcross, Ga.), Motoyama and Tellson each recorded two receptions for the Midshipmen.
Kicker David Reifenberg (Jr./Ft. Wayne, Ind.) made both of his extra points on Sunday to increase his career total to 57 and surpass the previous school-record of 55 extra points made by Jaesen Van Yerger (1994-95).
The Midshipmen will return to action in the Empire State this Saturday, Oct. 4, when they take on Cornell (1-1) at the Allegiance Bowl in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. Kickoff is scheduled for 12 noon.
