Sept. 15, 2014

2014 Navy Football Game Specifics Game 4 Navy (2-1) vs. 2-1 Rutgers (2-1 / 0-1 Big Ten) Date and Kickoff Sept. 20, 2014 at 3:30 pm ET Location Annapolis, Md. | Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (34,000) Television CBS Sports Network TV Talent John Sadak (play-by-play), Randy Cross (analyst) and Sheehan Stanwick-Burck (sideline) Video Streaming Navy All-Access Radio WNAV (1430 AM, 99.9 FM; Annapolis) | WBAL (1090 AM; Baltimore) | WFED (1500 AM, 820 AM; Washington, D.C. / Northern Virginia) | WBQH (1050 AM; Washington, DC / Northern Virginia) | WXTG (102.1 FM; Virginia Beach, Va.) | ESPN/XEPE 1700 AM (San Diego) | Satellite Radio (Sirius Ch. 93 / XM Ch. 209) Game Notes Navy | Rutgers Live Stats GameTracker on NavySports.com Game Day Info Game Day Central

Setting the Stage
• Navy and Rutgers will meet for the 25th time when the two squads square off on Saturday afternoon at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is set for 3:30 pm. Saturday's presenting game sponsor is BB&T.
• Rutgers leads the all-time series, 12-11-1, which includes a 21-20 victory over the Mids in their last meeting in 2011. This will be the Scarlet Knights' first trip to Annapolis since 2008, when Navy scored a 23-21 win over Rutgers.
• Saturday's game will be televised by CBS Sports Network with John Sadak (play-by-play), Randy Cross (analyst) and Sheehan Stanwick-Burch (sideline) on the call.
• The Navy Football Tailgate Show on WNAV 1430 AM / 99.9 FM will air at 1:30 pm with Robert Bode, Chloe Gunther, Wiley Baker and Joe Miller live from Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
• The Navy Football Pregame Show with Pete Medhurst, Omar Nelson and Joe Miller will get underway at 2:30 pm, followed by game action beginning at 3:30 pm on the Navy Radio Network.
• Following the contest, Medhurst, Miller and Baker will recap the day's events in a 60-minute postgame show live on WNAV 1430 AM / 99.9 FM and WFED 1500 AM. The tailgate show, the pregame show, the game and the postgame show are available over the internet to Navy All-Access subscribers.

Game Day Festivities
• Pregame festivities will get underway at approximately 1:15 pm with the Navy Football Team Walk. Originating at the Blue Angel in the southwest corner of the stadium, the team will make its way down the sidewalk and through NavyFest before walking up the drive to the stadium. Fans are encouraged to line up on both sides of the sidewalk to cheer for the team.
• The March-On of the Brigade of Midshipmen will take place at 3:10 pm.
• Following the game, Navy's alma mater, the Navy Blue & Gold, will be played as the team will stand at attention in front of the Brigade of Midshipmen. It is one of the best traditions in college sports.
Scouting Rutgers
• The Scarlet Knights are off to a 2-1 start with victories over Washington State (41-38) and Howard (38-25) and a heartbreaking 13-10 loss to Penn State last week in their first Big Ten game.
• Rutgers led Penn State, 10-3, after three quarters, but a Sam Ficken 25-yard field goal cut the lead to 10-6 and then with 1:13 remaining, Bill Belton scored on a five-yard touchdown run to give Penn State the win.
• The Rutgers offense is led by quarterback Gary Nova, who has completed 46 of his 76 pass attempts for 755 yards with six touchdowns and six interceptions. Nova's favorite target is Leonte Caroo, who has caught 14 passes for 279 yards and two touchdowns.
• Paul James leads the rushing attack with 272 yards and four touchdowns on 56 carries.
• Steve Longa leads the defense in tackles with 24, while Kevin Snyder has 21 and Gareef Glashen has recorded 20.

Navy vs. the Big Ten
• Navy is 54-61-4 (.471) all-time against teams currently in the Big Ten Conference. The Mids lost to Ohio State in their opener, 34-17. Navy has defeated a Big Ten opponent in each of the last two years, defeating Indiana in both 2012 (31-30) and 2013 (41-35).
Backup QB Tago Smith Leads Navy Past Texas State, 35-21
• (AP) - Playing without the leader of its offense put a scare in Navy, but Tago Smith quickly put those fears to rest with a stellar outing in his first career start.
• Smith amassed 202 total yards and accounted for four touchdowns in place of injured starter Keenan Reynolds as the Midshipmen rolled to a 35-21 victory over Texas State.
• The Midshipmen put up 469 total yards, including 352 rushing yards, before the second-largest crowd in Texas State's history.
• Smith rushed for 85 yards and two touchdowns and passed for 117 yards and two more scores, including a 67-yarder - the longest for Navy since 2010.
• His only hiccup came on an underthrown pass a few minutes into the third quarter that was intercepted by Germond Williams. Navy's defense softened the blow, forcing a punt on fourth-and-28 on Texas State's drive following the turnover.
• Noah Copeland, from nearby San Antonio, rushed for a game-high 116 yards on 11 carries for Navy.
• Texas State quarterback Tyler Jones completed 24 of 36 passes for 231 yards and a touchdown and also rushed for 82 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries. Robert Lowe added 92 yards and a touchdown for the Bobcats.
• Smith led the Midshipmen to touchdowns on their first four possessions of the game, averaging just under 4 minutes and 60 yards on each drive.
• Chris Swain opened the scoring with a 14-yard run with 4 minutes, 2 seconds left in the first quarter, capping a seven-play, 59-yard drive for the Mids. Smith rushed for 19 yards on three carries and completed his only passing attempt of the drive for three yards.
• Brendan Dudeck then slipped behind the defense after Navy stormed the middle on its previous two plays, leaving him wide open in the right corner of the end zone for a six-yard reception from Smith. It was Dudeck's first touchdown reception and Smith's first touchdown pass.
• Smith's first rushing touchdown of the season came on a 1-yard run early in the second quarter. Geoffrey Whiteside accounted for 57 yards in the drive, cutting back at Texas State's and Navy's 45-yard lines on a 38-yard run. He also had a step on two defenders and appeared heading for a touchdown but stumbled after having to twist backwards and fell for a 19-yard reception.
• Smith followed with his second rushing touchdown on the next possession, scoring again on a 1-yard run.
• Texas State took advantage of a late hit on a punt return to cut Navy's lead in half at 28-14 with 13:36 remaining. Robert Lowe scored on a 1-yard run, nine plays after a 15-yard penalty set up the Bobcats at the 29-yard line.
• Navy regained its momentum quickly as Smith found Jamir Tillman wide open along the left sideline for a 67-yard touchdown pass.

New Jersey Ties
• Navy has three players on its roster from New Jersey.
• Senior wide receiver Brendan Dudeck is from Hamilton Square, sophomore slot back Calvin Cass Jr. is from Sicklerville and freshman defensive back Abdul Majeed is from Moorestown.

Mids Winners Of Eight Straight At Navy-Marine Corps
• Navy posted a 5-0 record at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium last year, going undefeated at home for the first time since 2004. The Mids won home games over Delaware, Air Force, Pitt, Hawai'i and South Alabama.
• Dating back to the 2012 season, Navy has won eight straight game at home. Navy's last loss at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium was against San Jose State (12-0 on Sept. 29, 2012).
• Navy has the 10th longest home winning streak in the country.