Sept. 22, 2014

2014 Navy Football Game Specifics Game 4 Navy (2-2) vs. Western Kentucky (1-2 / 0-1 Conference USA) Date and Kickoff Sept. 27, 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. 208) Game Notes Navy | Western Kentucky Live Stats GameTracker on NavySports.com Game Day Info Game Day Central

Setting the Stage
• Navy and Western Kentucky will meet for the fourth time on the gridiron and for the second consecutive year 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 Navy Mutual.
• Navy leads the all-time series, 2-1, but lost last year in Bowling Green, 19-7, when the Hilltoppers knocked out Navy starting quarterback Keenan Reynolds in the second quarter with the Mids up 7-3.
• 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 as 4,200 midshipmen will march on to the field at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium by company. It is one of the great traditions in all of college athletics.
• 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, too, is one of the greatest traditions in college sports.

Scouting Western Kentucky
• The Hilltoppers are 1-2 on the year, defeating a solid Bowling Green squad (who came back to beat Indiana), 59-31, and losing heartbreakers to Illinois (42-34) and Middle Tennessee (50-47 in 3 OT).
• The Hilltoppers are ranked second in the country in passing offense (486.3), third in third down conversions (.600), third in total offense (608.7), ninth in scoring offense (46.7), 12th in completion percentage (.688) and 16th in passing efficiency (161.9).
• WKU is led by quarterback Brandon Doughty, who has completed 117 of his 170 pass attempts (.688) for 1,459 yards with 12 touchdowns and just two interceptions. Doughty leads the nation in passing yards per game (486.3) and total offense per game (480.7), is second in the country in completions per game (39), second in points responsible for per game (24.0), sixth in passing TDs (12) and 15th in completion percentage (.688).
• Doughty's favorite target is Jared Dangerfield, who has 20 catches for 230 yards and three touchdowns. He is also 25th in the country in catches per game (6.7). Meanwhile Taywan Taylor has 17 catches for 205 yards and one touchdown. Seven different WKU receivers have scored touchdowns.
• Leon Allen leads a solid Western Kentucky rushing attack with 345 yards and three touchdowns on 81 carries. He ranks 21st in the country in rushing yards per game (115.0).
• The Western Kentucky defense is led by linebacker Nick Holt, who's father is the Hilltoppers' defensive coordinator. Holt has recorded 33 tackles in three games, with 4.5 tackles for a loss, a sack and two pass break-ups. He is 15th in the country in tackles per game (11.0).
• Kicker Garrett Schwettman is fifth in the nation in scoring per game (12.7) and seventh in field goals per game (2.3).

Navy drops Close Contest To Rutgers, 31-24
• (AP) - Rutgers' Justin Goodwin ran for 104 yards on 26 carries, replacing the injured Paul James, as the Scarlet Knights beat Navy, 31-24, on Saturday.
• James left the game with an apparent leg injury with 11:01 left in the second quarter. He had 96 yards on seven carries before being helped off the field. Navy came into the game leading the nation with 403 rushing yards per game, but the Scarlet Knights held it to just 171.
• Navy trailed by 14 points in the fourth quarter but pulled to within a touchdown on a 14-yard pass from Keenan Reynolds to Brendan Dudeck with 5:26 left. The Mids got down to the 6 in the final minute, but could not convert.
• Rutgers quarterback Gary Nova ran for a pair of touchdowns. Desmon Peoples picked up 82 yards on 19 carries as Rutgers amassed 284 total yards on the ground.
• Reynolds was 12 of 22 for 231 yards with a touchdown and ran for two more scores.
• Trailing 24-14 at the half, Reynolds found Jamir Tillman for 53 yards on the second play of the third quarter, setting up a 35-yard field goal by Nick Sloan. However, the Mids could not contain Rutgers, which increased the margin back to 14 on the next drive on a 1-yard run by Nova.
• Navy mounted a comeback but could not overtake the Scarlet Knights.
• Navy got off to a quick start as linebacker Jordan Drake forced a fumble on the first play from scrimmage that was recovered by Quincy Adams on Rutgers' 25. Two plays later, Geoffrey Whiteside scampered 19 yards, setting up a 1-yard touchdown run by Reynolds.
• Rutgers tied the game with 3:45 left in the first quarter on a 38-yard touchdown run by James. On the ensuing possession, a Reynolds fumble eventually led to a 21-yard field goal by Kyle Federico, increasing the Scarlet Knights' lead to 10-7 with 14:53 left in the half.
• Navy has lost five fumbles in four games this season after losing six all of last year.
• The Scarlet Knights increased the margin to 17-7 midway through the second quarter with a 10-play, 80-yard drive, capped by a 1-yard run by Nova. Navy responded on the next possession with a 7-yard touchdown run by Reynolds.
• Rutgers scored again with 27 seconds left on a 91-yard drive that ended with a 3-yard run by Goodwin for a 24-7 lead at the half. It was the longest scoring drive of the season for the Scarlet Knights.

Turnovers Hurting Mids
• Navy has turned the ball over six times in the first four games after turning the ball over just 10 times in 13 contests a year ago.
• Five of Navy's six turnovers have come off fumbles after losing just six fumbles in 13 games last year. The Mids have also lost five of their eight fumbles after losing just six of their 16 fumbles last year.
• The opposition has scored 20 points off the six turnovers, with two of the fumbles being returned for touchdowns. The defense has allowed just six points on the other four turnovers.
• The Navy defense has come up with five turnovers (three interceptions and two fumbles), however the Navy offense has been able to score just 14 points off those five turnovers (TDs against Temple and Texas State).

2-2, We've Been Here Before
• This is the eighth time in the last 12 years Navy has started its season 2-2. The Mids are 6-1 in the fifth game of the season after starting 2-2. The only time the Mids did not win the fifth game was in 2011, which is also the only time Navy has not gone to a bowl game in the last 11 years.
• In 2003, Navy started the year by beating VMI, losing to TCU, beating Eastern Michigan and losing to Rutgers. The Mids beat Air Force in game five and went on to post an 8-5 record, go to a bowl game and win the CIC Trophy.
• In 2005, Navy lost to Maryland, lost to Stanford, beat Duke and beat Air Force to start the year. Navy beat Kent State in game five and went on to post an 8-4 record, win the CIC Trophy and win a bowl game.
• In 2007, Navy beat Temple, lost to Rutgers, lost to Ball State and beat Duke to start the year. Navy beat Air Force in game five and went on to post an 8-5 record, go to a bowl game and win the CIC Trophy.
• In 2008, Navy beat Towson, lost to Ball State, lost to Duke and beat Rutgers to start the year. In game five, Navy upset Wake Forest and went on to compile an 8-5 record, go to a bowl game and win the CIC Trophy.
• In 2009, Navy lost to Ohio State, beat Louisiana Tech, lost to Pitt and beat Western Kentucky to start the year. In game five, Navy beat Air Force and went on to post a 10-4 record, win the CIC Trophy and win a bowl game.
• In 2010, Navy lost to Maryland, beat Georgia Southern, beat Louisiana Tech and lost to Air Force. Navy beat SMU in game five and went on to post a 9-4 record and go to a bowl game.
• In 2011, Navy beat Delaware, beat Western Kentucky, lost to South Carolina and lost in overtime to Air Force. The Mids lost game five to Southern Miss, 63-35, and went on to compile a 5-7 record, Navy's only losing season in the past 11 seasons.

Kentucky Ties
• Navy has six players on its roster from Kentucky.
• Junior safety Lorentez Barbour is from Louisville, junior linebacker Zach Hester is from Lancaster, freshman wide receiver Chad Llewellyn is from Louisville, sophomore outside linebacker Josiah Powell is from Providence, sophomore slot back Dishan Romine is from Louisville and junior wide receiver Thomas Wilson is from Brandenburg.