Dec. 10, 2008
• Navy Football Game Notes
Game 13 > EagleBank Bowl: Navy (8-4) vs. Wake Forest (7-5)
Saturday, Dec. 20 • 11:00 a.m. • Washington, D.C. • RFK Stadium (47,843) • ESPN
Television:
• ESPN: Terry Gannon (play-by-play), David Norrie (analyst), Quint Kessinich (sideline)
Radio / Internet:
• Navy Radio Network
Bob Socci (play-by-play), Omar Nelson (analyst), John Feinstein (analyst), Pete Medhurst (sideline)
• Sirius Radio — Channel TBA
Live Stats:
• Live Stats on NavySports.com
Navy-Wake Forest Game Data
• Meeting for the second time this season, Navy (8-4) and Wake Forest (7-5) will battle one another on Saturday, Dec. 20 in the inaugural EagleBank Bowl.
• The EagleBank Bowl will be televised nationally by ESPN with Terry Gannon (play-by-play), David Norrie (analyst) and Quint Kessenich (sideline) calling the action from historic RFK Stadium (47,843) beginning at 11:00 a.m.
• The Navy Football Radio Network will provide more than six hours of coverage starting at 9:00 a.m. with its pregame show on 1430 WNAV (Annapolis) hosted by Pete Medhurst, Joe Miller and Wiley Baker.
• The Navy Football Pregame Show will get underway at 10:00 a.m. with Bob Socci, Omar Nelson, John Feinstein and Pete Medhurst setting the scene from the nation’s capital, followed by game action beginning at 11:00 a.m. Sirius Satellite Radio will carry the Navy broadcast on a channel to be announced.
The Navy Radio Network includes of the following ...
• WNAV 1430 AM (Annapolis) | WBAL 1090 AM (Baltimore)
• WFED 1050 AM (Washington DC)
• 1500 AM (pregame only), 103.5 FM (game only)
• WTRI 1520 AM (Frederick)
• WXTG 102.1 FM (Va. Beach) | 1490 AM (Hampton Roads)
• Get the insider news by tuning in to the Navy Football Pregame Show with Bob Socci, Omar Nelson, John Feinstein and Pete Medhurst. The pregame show includes feature news on “This Date in Navy History” presented by Navy Federal Credit Union, “The Coaches Corner” presented by General Dynamics, “Keys to the Game” presented by Toyota, “Today in College Football” presented by BAE Systems, as well as interviews with head coach Ken Niumatalolo and select players.
• New to this year’s radio line-up is a 60-minute postgame show on 1430 WNAV. This week’s show will feature Pete Medhurst and Joe Miller live from RFK Stadium recapping the day’s events.
|
|
 |
EagleBank Bowl Ticket Information
• Tickets ($45-$110) for the EagleBank Bowl are still available via the internet at www.navysports.com or by calling 1-800-US4-NAVY.
• Fans are also encouraged to purchase tickets to sponsor a midshipman or enlisted personnel and their families for $35. Donated tickets (100 percent deductible) will be administered through the Naval Academy Athletic Association ticket office.
• “Our goal is to bring the majority of the Brigade of Midshipmen and we want more than 30,000 Navy fans in the stands,” said Gladchuk. “If you can't make it to the game, we ask that you buy tickets for our midshipmen, enlisted personnel and their families which will allow us to create our usual electric Navy atmosphere."
• Anthony Travel (www.AnthonyTravel.com / 800-736-6377) is the official Naval Academy EagleBank Bowl travel agency. Travel packages include hotel accommodations at the Mayflower Hotel (Navy team hotel) or the JW Marriott for $149, tailgate admissions, a souvenir and much more.
Bowl History
• This will be Navy’s 15th bowl appearance, including a school-record sixth straight.
• Prior to Navy’s current six-game run of bowl games, the Mids played in back-to-back bowl games just once in school history (1980-81).
• Navy owns a 6-7-1 bowl game record, dropping the last two bowls by a combined four points.
Recapping Last Year’s Bowl Game
• Utah outscored Navy 21-0 over a seven-minute span at the end of the third quarter and beginning of the fourth quarter to rally for a 35-32 Poinsettia Bowl victory over the Midshipmen at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego. The game was the debut for Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo.
• Navy led 10-7 at the half, but could have led by more if not for missed opportunities. On the Mids’ second drive of the game, Reggie Campbell fumbled on the Utah two-yard line and the ball was recovered by the Utes’ Joe Jiannoni.
• Utah took a 7-0 lead in the second quarter on a five-yard TD run by Darrell Mack.
• The Mids answered Utah’s score with one of their own, driving 70 yards in eight plays. Quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada (Kapolei, Hawai’i) capped the drive with a one-yard touchdown run to tie the score at seven.
• After the Navy defense forced Utah to go three-and-out on its next possession, the Mids took the ball over at their own 47. With 2:39 left in the half, they methodically drove 31 yards in 11 plays with Bullen capping the drive with a 39-yard field goal to give Navy a 10-7 halftime lead.
• Navy made it 17-7 on the first drive of the third quarter, moving 69 yards on four plays. Fullback Eric Kettani (Kirtland, Ohio) busted through the Utah secondary and rumbled 43 yards for a touchdown to give Navy a 17-7 lead.
• Navy had a chance to put the game away as the defense rose to the challenge and forced Utah to punt after just four plays. All-American punter Louie Sakoda pinned Navy back at its own eight-yard line. The Mids were unable to pick up a first down as Kaheaku-Enhada was held to two yards on a third-and-five run and Utah got the ball back on its own 41 after a punt by Greg Veteto.
• The Utes quickly moved down the field as wide receiver Jereme Brooks scored from 23 yards out off a reverse to cut Navy’s lead to 17-14.
• Utah took the lead on its next drive, moving the ball 84 yards on just five plays. Four of the plays were passes, the last a 40-yard touchdown strike from Johnson to Derrek Richards to make the score 21-17.
• Utah forced a third-consecutive punt on Navy’s next drive and the Utes took advantage by scoring a third-straight touchdown. Johnson’s 19-yard quarterback draw gave Utah a 28-17 lead with 12:47 left in the contest.
• Kaheaku-Enhada led Navy on a nine-play, 81-yard drive that was capped off by a 10-yard touchdown pass to White that made the score 28-25.
• The Utes took the ensuing kickoff and drove down the field where on third-and-goal Johnson hit Brooks with a swing pass and Navy’s Ketric Buffin (Rowlett, Texas) knocked the ball out of Brooks’ hands. The fumble clearly hit the pylon, which should have given the ball to Navy at the 20-yard line. The officials missed the ball hitting the pylon and inexplicably the replay official did not overturn the call. After the game, the Mid-American Conference officials and replay official apologized to Navy for the error. The Mids held Utah on fourth down as Rashawn King (Raleigh, N.C.) and a host of other Mids stopped Mack on the one-yard line on fourth down.
• After picking up eight yards on the first three plays, the Mids went for it on fourth-and-two from their own nine. Utah’s Joe Dale made a great play to stop Kaheaku-Enhada a yard short of the first down. The Utah offense scored on a Mack one-yard run and the Utes appeared to have an insurmountable 35-25 lead with 1:27 left.
• Kaheaku-Enhada hit Zerbin Singleton with a 58-yard TD pass that made the score 35-32 with 57 seconds left.
• Bullen pulled off a perfectly-executed onside kick that initially Utah’s Dale had his hands on, but Singleton ripped it out of his hands giving the ball to Navy at its own 42 with 57 seconds left. Kaheaku-Enhada’s pass was intercepted by Dale after Campbell slipped coming out of his route.
Navy at RFK
• Navy owns a 2-1 record in games played at RFK Stadiium, although the Mids have not played there since 1975. Navy defeated Pitt, 12-0, in 1965 and Air Force, 17-0, in 1975. The Mids lost to Air Force at RFK, 26-3, in 1970.
Rare Rematch
• Familiar foes Navy and Wake Forest will meet for the second time this season when the two battle one another at the inaugural EagleBank Bowl. The Mids knocked off No. 15 Wake Forest, 21-17, on Sept. 27 in Winston-Salem.
• The Mids knocked off No. 15 Wake Forest, 21-17, on Sept. 27 in Winston-Salem, N.C.
It’s the first time Navy has played an opponent twice in the same season since 1907 when Navy swept St. John’s College, 26-0 and 12-0.
• It will be the fifth time in school history that Navy has played the same team twice and the first time it has played an opponent twice other than St. John’s College. The Mids also played their crosstown rivals twice in 1888 (St. John¹s won 6-4 and 22-6), 1887 (Navy won 4-0 and 24-0) and in 1886 (Navy won 12-0 and lost 4-0).
The Last Time ...
Navy 24, (16/15) Wake Forest 17 Sept. 27, 2008 | Winston-Salem, N.C.
• Navy’s defense forced six Wake Forest turnovers (4 INT, 2 Fumbles), while fullback Eric Kettani (Kirtland, Ohio) rushed for a career-high 175 yards to lead Navy to a 24-17 upset over the 16th-ranked Demon Deacons. The win was Navy’s first over a team ranked in both polls since defeating Virginia, 20-17, in 1985.
• Linebacker Ross Pospisil set the tone early by picking off Riley Skinner on the third play of the game. The Mids converted it into seven points as QB Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada scored from four yards.
• After forcing Wake to punt on its next possession, Kaheaku-Enhada drove the Mids down the field on a 13-play, 74-yard drive capped off by his three-yard touchdown run to stretch the Mids’ lead to 14-0 .
• Navy nose guard Ryan Griffith stripped Wake Forest’s Marshall Williams on its next possession nine yards downfield and was recovered by Billy Yarborough. On Wake’s next possession, safety Wyatt Middleton picked off Skinner, giving the ball back to the Mids at the Wake Forest 27-yard line thanks to a 22-yard return by Middleton.
• On the ensuing drive, Kaheaku-Enhada pulled up with a hamstring injury on a draw one yard short of the first down on third-and-five from the Wake 27-yard line. Matt Harmon came on to drill a 35-yard field goal to give the Mids a 17-0 lead.
• Navy’s 17-0 lead held at the half thanks to two more Wake Forest turnovers. Defensive end Jabaree Tuani forced a fumble that was recovered by Ram Vela and then on Wake’s final possession corner Ketric Buffin picked off Skinner.
• John Angelo fumbled the ball on the opening kickoff and Wake Forest recovered the ball at the Navy 16-yard line. The Demon Deacons moved the ball down to the one-yard line where it took four plays to score.
• Wake Forest got the ball at the Navy 41-yard line and moved it down to the Navy one-yard line where they had first-and-goal. The Navy defense held strong, forcing Wake Forest to kick a field goal.
• Wake Forest was driving for the tying score, but safety Emmett Merchant stepped in front of a Skinner pass. On Navy’s first offensive play, Kettani burst through the middle of the Wake Forest defense and rumbled 57 yards down to the Wake Forest six-yard line. Two plays later, Bryant scored from four yards out to make the score 24-10.
• The Deacs scored with 1:14 left on an eight-yard pass from Skinner to clip Navy’s lead to 24-17, but Navy’s Corey Johnson (Sr. / Anderson, Ind.) recovered the on-side kick to seal the victory for the Mids.
Scouting Wake Forest
• The Demon Deacons finished the regular season with a 7-5 record, captureing wins over Baylor (41-13), Mississippi (30-28), Florida State (12-3), Clemson (12-7), Duke (33-30, OT), Virginia (28-17) and Vanderbilt (23-10).
• In addition to Navy, the Deacs dropped decisions against Maryland (26-0), Miami (Fla.) (16-10), NC State (21-17) and Boston College (24-21).
• Wake Forest is ranked 100th nationally in rushing offense (111.6 yards per game), 84th in passing offense (188.7 ypg), 103rd in total offense (300.3 ypg) and 97th in scoring offense (20.3 points per game).
• Defensively, the Deacs are 21st in rushing defense (116.1 ypg), 28th in passing defense (184.3 ypg), 19th in total defense (300.3 ypg) and 17th in scoring defense (18.3 ppg).
• Cornerback Alphonso Smith, who was recently named to the American Football Coaches Association All-America Team, is tied for fifth in the country for interceptions per game (0.5 per contest).
• Five Wake Forest players garnered All-ACC accolades. Linebacker Aaron Curry and Smith were each first team selections, while wide receiver D.J. Boldin earned first-team honors on offense. Quarterback Riley Skinner and defensive tackle Boo Robinson were each honorable mention selections.
Navy Vs. The ACC
• The Midshipmen own a 104-86-5 (.546) all-time record against current members of the Atlantic Coast Conference.
• It was a split decision for the Mids in their two games against ACC teams this year, dropping a 41-31 decision to Duke before picking up a 24-17 win at Wake Forest two weeks later.
• Navy has faced an ACC team in 19 of the last 20 years, including each of the last five seasons.
Six-Straight Winning Seasons
• Navy clinched its sixth-consecutive winning season with a 16-0 victory over Northern Illinois on Nov. 25.
• The six-straight winning seasons are the most by Navy since the Mids enjoyed 10-straight winning seasons from 1952-61.
• With a victory over Wake Forest in the EagleBank Bowl, the Mids would finish the 2008 season with a 9-4 record marking just the 12th time in school history and the third time in the last five years that Navy has recorded nine or more wins.
Niumatalolo Makes History
• With an 8-4 record, Ken Niumatalolo is just the third coach since World War II to lead Navy to a winning record in his first year at the helm. He joins Wayne Hardin (5-4-1 in 1959) and Gary Tranquill (6-5 in 1982) on the exclusive list.
• Niumatalolo’s eight wins are tied for the fourth most by a first-year coach in school history. With a win over Wake Forest in the EagleBank Bowl, he would tie the school record with nine wins set by Joe Reeves (1907), Frank Berrien (1908) and Bill Ingram (1926).
• Niumatalolo is also the first head coach in program history to lead the Mids to a bowl game in their first year.
Niumatalolo Wins CIC Trophy In First Year
• Ken Niumatalolo is just the second service academy coach to win the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy in his first year, joining George Welsh, who, in 1973, led the Midshipmen to wins over Air Force (42-6) and Army (51-0).
King, Horne Selected to Leadership Positions Within Brigade
• Senior cornerback Rashawn King (Raleigh, N.C.) and senior linebacker Alex Horne (Lexington, N.C.) have been selected for leadership positions within the Brigade of Midshipmen for the second semester.
• King, who has recorded 39 tackles and picked off a team-high tying three passes on the year, has been selected Chief of Staff for the Brigade of Midshipmen.
• The Brigade Chief of Staff is the third highest-ranking Midshipman in the chain-of-command and reports to the Brigade Commander.
• Horne, who is a reserve linebacker, will serve as the First Battalion Commander.
Tough Schedule
• Navy has played seven games this year against teams that are headed to a bowl, posting a 4-3 mark.
•The Mids’ four losses this year have come at the hands of teams with a combined record of 31-18 (.633).
• Navy has losses against No. 18 Pitt (9-3), No. 23 Ball State (12-1) and Notre Dame (6-6), who are all bowl eligible. Meanwhile, the Mids also dropped a 41-31 decision to Duke (4-8).
• Navy owns victories over four teams that are playing in bowl games — Wake Forest (7-5), who it will face in the EagleBank Bowl, as well as Air Force (8-4), Rutgers (7-5) and Northern Illinois (6-6).
Mids Looking for Fourth-Straight Rushing Title
• In the last six years, the Mids have consistently been one of the top rushing teams in the country, never finishing lower than third.
• In 2003, the Mids led the nation in rushing, averaging a then school-record 323.2 yards per game.
• In 2005, Navy led the country in rushing for the second time in three years, averaging 318.7 yards per game.
• Navy finished the 2006 campaign averaging a nation’s-best and then school-record 327 yards per game.
• The Mids rushed for a school-record 348.8 yards per game in 2007, becoming the first team in NCAA history to lead the nation in rushing three-consecutive years.
• The 348.8 yards per game are the most yards rushing by a FBS team since Nebraska averaged 349.3 yards per game in 2000.
• Heading into the EagleBank Bowl, Navy is the nation’s leading rushing team, averaging 298.3 yards. The Mids are 83 yards ahead of second-place Nevada, 242 yards ahead of Georgia Tech, 296 yards ahead of Oregon and 403 yards ahead of Air Force.
White and Kettani Become Navy’s First 2,000-Yard Tandem
• For the first time in school history, Navy has produced two 2,000-yard rushers out of the same backfield.
• Not only did senior slot back Shun White (Sr. / Memphis, Tenn.) score Navy’s first touchdown of the game against SMU, his 23-yard TD run also pushed him over the 2,000-yard mark.
• Finishing the game with 49 yards, he became just the eighth player in school history to reach 2,000 yards on the ground.
• With his 125-yard performance in Navy’s 34-0 shutout over Army, senior fullback Eric Kettani (Kirtland, Ohio) became the ninth player in school history to rush for over 2,000 yards in his career.
• White jumped from eighth to sixth following his13-carry, 148-yard performance against Army that gained him the Philadelphia Sports Writers Association MVP Award.
• With 2,240 yards, he will likely end his career sixth on the rushing leader board as he trails fifth-ranked Cleveland Cooper by 342 yards.
• Kettani, who has amassed 2,041 yards, needs just 84 yards to pass former teammate Adam Ballard for ninth on the Mids’ all-time rushing list.
First Slot Back to 1,000 Yards
• Behind his 11-yard gain at 11:07 in the third quarter of the Army game, senior Shun White (Memphis, Tenn.) became the first slot back in program history to rush for 1,000 yards in a single season.
• Additionally, he is the first Navy player to run for 1,000 yards since fullback Kyle Eckel in 2004 (1,147 yards).
• White, who has 1,021 yards on the season, is just 26 yards from passing Cleveland Cooper for 10th on Navy¹s single-season rushing list and needs just 92 yards to pass Craig Candeto for ninth on the list. White is 128 yards away from bypassing Kyle Eckel for eighth on the list.
• Senior fullback Eric Kettani (Kirtland, Ohio) is just 68 yards short of 1,000 yards.
• If Kettani reaches that mark, it will be the first time in school history that Navy has produced two 1,000-yard rushers in the same season.
The Nation’s Most Improved Scoring ”D”
• The Navy defense has improved its scoring defense by 15 points per game this year, the best improvement in the country.
• The Mids gave up 36.4 points per game in 2007 and are giving up 21.4 points per game in 2008.
