10/11/2003 - Football
Navy 37, Vanderbilt 27

Craig Candeto ran for two touchdowns, threw for two others and even recovered an onside kick, leading Navy's comeback in a 37-27 victory over Vanderbilt on Saturday.

Navy (4-2) used the nation's best rushing offense to play keepaway against Vanderbilt (1-6), which has lost five straight games.

The Midshipmen trailed 17-14 at halftime but took control in the second half by scoring on each of five possessions. They held the ball for nearly 37 minutes overall by running for 342 of their 502 yards in total offense.

Navy sealed the victory when Vanderbilt couldn't handle a short kickoff while trailing 27-20 with 4:52 left. Nick Getter fumbled after being hit at the Vandy 30, and Shalimar Brazier recovered for the Midshipmen.

Candeto found Jason Tomlinson four plays later for a 16-yard TD toss and a 34-20 lead.

Vanderbilt pulled within 34-27 with a 65-yard drive capped by a 10-yard TD pass from Jay Cutler to Erik Davis. But Candeto ended the Commodores' rally by recovering their onside kick attempt with 1:30 remaining.

Candeto was 9-of-15 for 160 yards passing, and he carried 22 times for 69 yards, including TD runs of 2 and 3 yards. Kyle Eckel had 115 yards on 20 carries.

The Commodores scored 17 straight points for their halftime lead. But they now have lost 10 straight games against Division I-A opponents and have only five victories in their last 32 games against major college teams.

This already is Navy's best season since 1999, when it went 5-7, and the victory keeps the team on track for its first winning record since going 7-4 in 1997.

The Midshipmen upsetting then-No. 25 Air Force 28-25 last week.

And Saturday, they opened the game by scoring on their first two possessions. Navy ran on nine of 10 plays in the first drive, which was capped by Candeto scoring on fourth-and-2. The second drive ended with Candeto hitting Amir Jenkins on a 43-yard TD toss for a 14-0 lead.

Then the Commodores finally settled down on both offense and defense. Tolga Ertugrul got Vandy on the board with a 25-yard field goal at the end of the first quarter.

Kwane Doster, last season's SEC freshman of the year, had a season-high 72 yards rushing for Vanderbilt, but he only had one carry in the second half.