CALDWELL, N.J. – The Navy sprint football team (3-0) posted a 26-13 victory on the road against Caldwell (2-1) at Bonnel Field in Caldwell, N.J. The Midshipmen used a blocked PAT, a scoop and score, and a pair of 20-plus yard touchdown runs to remain undefeated on the year.
"Tonight was an extremely physical game and big plays made the difference," head coach
Major Alfonso Meidus, USMC said after the game. "We knew coming in that Caldwell was going to be a really tough opponent, but we stuck to our game plan, believed in our players, and came out with the win. I am very proud of the way our team fought tonight."
Navy used a handful of big plays to post the victory. Offensive team captain
Alex Totta (Kansas City, Kan.) scored a pair of touchdowns on runs of 21 and 74 yards.
Paul Kuehler (Roanoke, Va.) blocked an extra point try by Caldwell and
Nadir Emlemdi (Cincinnati, Ohio) returned it for a two-point conversion. In addition,
Devyn Martin (Las Vegas, Nev.) sacked the Cougars' quarterback, forcing a fumble.
Angelo Labbe (Los Angeles, Calif.) picked up the loose ball and returned it 63 yards for a touchdown.
Jack Costigan (Middletown, N.J.) led the defense with 10 total tackles, while
Major Kent (Dallas, Texas) and
Trent Parker (Washington, D.C.) finished with nine and eight, respectively. Parker returned a fumble for nine yards, while Labbe's 63-yard return was a crucial play for the Mids.
Totta had an incredible night running the ball. The senior tallied 283 yards on 28 carries (10.1 yards per carry) with a pair of touchdowns. The senior finished eight yards shy of the Navy school record for rushing yards in a game. In addition, he ended with a 21-yard score and a 74-yard jaunt into the end zone.
Quarterback
Brandon Atwood (Gentry, Ark.) finished the game 13-for-25 for 101 yards with an interception. He added 34 yards on the ground.
Andrew Margiotta (Vienna, Va.) led the receiving corps with a team-high four receptions for a team-best 42 yards. Totta added a pair of receptions for 20 yards, while Margiotta churned out 33 yards on the ground on three carries.
Mychal Golden (Jonesboro, Ark.) finished the game with six points, going 3-for-3 in point after attempts and adding a 36-yard field goal.
In the first quarter Navy was the first to strike. The Midshipmen used a five-play 56-yard scoring drive to take a 7-0 lead. Totta accounted for all 56 yards with five rushes, including a 19-yard rush and a 21-yard touchdown run.
Caldwell responded with an eight-play drive that covered 80 yards for touchdown. On the ensuing point after attempt, Kuehler blocked the kick and Emlemdi picked up the loose ball, returning it for a two-point conversion for the Midshipmen, pushing the lead to 9-6.
The Midshipmen turned the ball over to start the second half and the Cougars proceeded to mount a drive. On second and eight from the Navy 26-yardline, Martin sacked the quarterback, forcing a fumble. Labbe picked up the loose football at the 37 and scampered 63-yards into the end zone for the score. Golden's kick was good putting Navy in front 16-6.
The Mids added a TD later in the quarter as Totta found a hole and darted 74 yards for his second score of the half.
With 18 seconds remaining in the first half, Golden pushed the advantage to 20 with a 36-yard field goal to give Navy a 26-6 lead at the half.
The score remained 26-6 until the fourth quarter. Caldwell recovered a Navy fumble and returned it 55 yards to the Mids' 10 yardline. Two plays later, the Cougars found the end zone on a 10-yard pass play. The PAT was good, closing the gap to 26-13 with 5:16 to play.
The score remained 26-13 with the defense holding Cougars for no gain on fourth and one to turn the ball over on downs and secure the victory.
Navy returns to action on Friday, Oct. 7 as the Midshipmen host Cornell at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Live stats will be available throughout the game.
