Saturday, December 10, 2016

Final - Navy 17 - Army 21

6:16 - The Corps of Cadets and their fans are rushing the field.

6:12 - Army gets a first down and should be able to run out the clock and get their first win since 2001 over Navy.

6:11 - Navy calls a timeout with Army facing a 3rd-and-1 at the Army 45.  That was Navy's last timeout and this is the play of the game.

6:09 - Army picks up a first down. 2:45 left in the game.

6:07 - Navy was stuffed on third down and Barta is on to punt with 4:19 left in the game.  Navy has one timeout remaining.

6:05 - Abey was sacked on the first play losing 6 yards.  2nd-and-16 Navy.

6:03 - Navy takes over at their own 34 following a Dishan Romine kickoff return.  Ryan Harris was shaken up on the return.

5:58 - Ahmad Bradshaw carries the ball 9 yards for an Army TD.  The Black Knights regain the lead, 21-17 with 6:00 remaining in the game.  Army's scoring drive was 12-80-6:42.



5:57 - Army converts the fourth down play with a 7 yard run by Davidson to the Navy 11.

5:56 - Army was short and has a 4th and inches at the 18.

5:55 - Army has a first down at the Navy 17.  The play is under review.  There's 7:12 remaining in the game with Navy holding a 3 point lead.

5:48 - Bradshaw completes his first pass of the game, a 29-yarder to Edgar Poe.  Army has the ball at their own 49.

5:43 - Zach Abey runs 41 yards for a Navy TD.  The Mids have the lead for the first time in the game.  The Mids take the lead, 17-14.  Navy's scoring drive was 2-53-0:47.



5:38 - Navy's defense forces a 3-and-out for Army.  Mote's punt traveled 25 yards to the Navy 47.

5:32 - The 3rd quarter ends with Army leading Navy, 14-10.  We have a nail biter with 15 minutes left to play.

5:31 - Navy can't take advantage of Army's turnover and are forced to punt.  Barta kicks the ball 46 yards to the Army 21.

5:26 - Navy comes up with another fumble recovery to regain possession.  Sean Williams came up with the recovery.  He has 2 fumble recoveries and an INT in the game.

5:25 - A fan just ran around the field carrying a sign that I couldn't read.  He got to the end zone and took a knee before the police had to tackle him.

5:23 - Tyler Campbell gets outside and runs for 17 yards to the Army 46. On the next play Walker carries the ball 12 yards to the Navy 42.

5:18 - Bennett Moehring hits a 28-yard field goal cutting Army's lead to 14-10.  Navy's scoring drive was 10-54-5:20.

5:15 - The play was overturned.  Navy takes over at the 11 yard line, 1st-and-10.

5:10 - Dishan Romine can't handle a hard pitch from Zach Abey and Rhyan England appears to keep the ball from going out of bounds and then recovered the ball at the 12 yard line.  The play is being reviewed.

5:07 - Abey completes a 29-yard pass to a wide open Brandon Colon to the Army 38 yard line.

5:06 - Navy starts their second drive of the half with a 5-yard false start penalty.  Navy will need to eliminate the mistakes in the second half.

5:03 - Navy's defense forces Army to punt for the first time in the game.  JD Mote kicks the ball 30 yards to the Navy 35.  The Mids take over down one score with 9:19 remaining in the third quarter.

4:56 - Zach Abey gets in the end zone with a 1-yard run to get Navy on the board.  The Mids cut Army's lead to 14-7.  Navy's scoring drive was 6-32-2:45



4:55 - Navy is driving.  Abey completes a 16-yard pass to Shawn White to the Army 11.  White then carries the ball 7 yards to the Army 4.

4:45 - Ahmad Bradshaw fumbles the football and it's recovered by Navy's Sean Williams at the Army 32 yard line.

4:47 - Navy kicks off to Army to start the second half

Halftime notes - Army has outgained Navy, 182-49.  Army has a time of possession advantage - 22:32 to 7:28.

Army leaders -
Passing - Bradshaw 0-2-0 yards, 1 INT
Rushing - Walker 11-76 yards
Receiving - None

Navy leaders -
Passing - Abey 1-3-12 yards, 2 INT
Rushing - White 1-14 yards
Receiving - Tillman 1-12 yards

4:22 - The first half ends mercifully for Navy with Army leading 14-0.

4:21 - On Navy's ensuing play, Abey was picked off for the second time in the game.  England picked off the over throw by Abey and Army regains the ball at their own 40.

4:19 - Walker carries the ball 15-yards to the Navy 42.  On the next play, Davidson fumbles and its recovered by Amos Mason at the Navy 42.

4:15 - Army continues to pound the ball down the throats of the Midshipmen.  They have moved the ball 29 yards and have gained 2 more first downs moving the ball to their own 43.

4:10 - Navy is forced to punt again, this time booming a 47-yard punt that was fair caught at the Army 14.  Navy's plays per drive so far have been 5, 1, 3, and 3.  Navy has one first down in today's game compared to Army's 11.

4:07 - Army leads the time of possession battle so far - 17:41 to 5:07.  Army has totally dominated the game so far.

4:01 - Davidson gets his second 1 yard TD on the afternoon.  Army leads Navy, 14-0 with 7:12 remaining in the second quarter.  Army's scoring drive was 11-46-6:15.  Army has 132 total yards compared to Navy's 43.  All of the yards have been on the ground so far.



4:00 - Army converts at 4th-and-2 at the Navy 15 yard line.  Davidson runs for 3 to the Navy 12.  Kell Walker carries the ball 11 yards to the Navy 1 on the next drive.

3:52 - Verne Lundquist was just shown on the big screen to a big applause.  He's calling his final football game this afternoon on CBS.

3:50 - Alex Barta in to punt for Navy.  The Mids have 2 turnovers and a punt on their first three possessions.  Barta's punt foes out of bounds at the Navy 46 yard line after a 15-yard punt.

3:44 - At the end of the first quarter, Army leads Navy 7-0.  The key to this game so far is turnovers as Navy has turned the ball over two times, 1 fumble ad 1 INT.  Army has thrown 1 INT.

3:41 - Army's Ahmad Bradshaw is picked off on his first pass attempt by Navy's Sean Williams.  The Mids take over on their own 22 yard line.

3:35 - On Navy's first play of their second possession, Zach Abey is picked off on a pass attempt to Jamir Tillman.  Xavier Moss intercepted the errant pass and was tackled at the Army 32.  Navy has a turnover on each of their possessions in the game.

3:28 - Andy Davidson rambles for one yard to the end zone and Army leads Navy, 7-0.  Army's scoring drive was 14-plays, 66 yards, and 7:39.  They did not throw a pass on the drive.  The scoring drive was the 9th straight game that Navy gave up an opening-drive TD.



3:27 - Army picks up their 4th first down on the drive.  The Black Knights have the ball 1st-and-10 at the Navy 17.

3:21 - Donald Trump has arrived and was shown on the big screen.



3:16 - Shawn White fumbles after an 11-yard carry and it's recovered by Army's Ryan England at the Army 34.  Turnovers may be the deciding factor in today's game.  This was White's first fumble in 75 carries this year.

3:13 - Army kicks off and Jahmaal Daniel returned the ball to the Navy 32.

Navy's four captains are Will Worth, Toneo Gulley, Daniel Gonzales, and Tago Smith.  None of them will play in today's game.  Army won the coin toss and elected to defer to the second half.  Navy will get the ball first.

The West Point and Naval Academy joint Glee Clubs just sang the National Anthem.  It seems to mean just a little bit more at an event like this.

Both teams have taken the field for their pregame warmups.  During warmups, a Midshipmen fell from the stands and landed in the tunnel area.  He was taken to a local hospital and there is no word on his condition.  The Navy Leap Frog and Army Golden Knight parachute teams just landed in the stadium.

Navy - The Midshipmen come into this year's contest with a 9-3 record and are playing for their second straight 10-win season which would be the first back-to-back 10-win seasons in program history.

The Mids have had to shuffle their depth chart quite a bit this week following last week's loss to Temple in the AAC Championship game.  Starting quarterback, Will Worth and senior co-captain, Toneo Gulley both went down with injuries on the same play and are finished for the season.  With Gulleys injury last week, that means both of Navy's captains are out for today's game.  Daniel Gonzales was also injured earlier this season.

Navy's offense will be lead by sophomore QB, Zach Abey.  To the best of everyone's knowledge, Abey will be the first Navy QB to make his first start against Army.  Abey will be leading the number three rushing offense into the team's biggest game of the year.  Fullback, Chris High will be the team's leading active rusher in today's game.  High has 483 yards on he ground with 5 TDs.  Fellow fullback, Shawn White is not far behind with 421 yards and 7 TDs.  WR Jamir Tillman will try to assist Abey in making his transition to starter a successful one.  Tillman is one of the better receivers in team history and leads the team this year with 35 receptions, 582 yards, and 2 TDs.

Navy's defense is giving up 30.4 points per game and is the 118th ranked red zone defense.  They have dealt with numerous injuries forcing them to employ a bend-but-don't-break defense which has been moderately successful, but somewhat nerve-wracking at points this season.  The Mids are led by Micah Thomas with 90 total tackles

Army - The Black Knights come into today's game with a 6-5 record and will be playing in the Heart of Dallas Bowl on December 27, their first bowl appearance since 2010.

Army West Point owns the second-ranked rushing attack in the country averaging 328.7 yards per game.  Fullback Andy Davidson leads the Knight's running game with 818 yards and 9 touchdowns.  Starting quarterback, Ahmad Bradshaw is the second leading rusher in Army's triple-option offense with 644 yards and 6 touchdowns. Darnell Woolfolk adds 450 yards and 7 TDs.

Bradshaw can also be effective through the air, although he's attempted only 84 passes in 10 games.  He didn't play against Notre Dame.  He's completed nearly 43 percent of his passes for 615 yards with 4 TDs.  Bradshaw has attempted more than 8 passes in just two games, and in both of those games the Black Knights have lost the game.  He attempted 21 passes in 35-18 loss to North Texas and 15 passes in a 31-12 loss to Air Force.  Bradshaw is backed up by Chris Carter who is 9 for 23 for 176 yards and 2 TDs.

Senior, Edgar Poe is the leading receiving threat for Army with 14 catches for 292 yards and 3 TDs in 8 games.  Poe had 5 catches for 121 yards and a TD last year against Navy.

Army boasts the 5 ranked defense in FBS allowing just 288 yards per game.  They have the 6th ranked passing defense and the 14th ranked scoring defense allowing just 19.1 points per game.  The defense is led by linebacker Andrew King.  He's tied for the team lead in total tackles with 88 and has added 5 sacks and 2 fumble recoveries.


Army and Navy meet for the 117th time this afternoon at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, MD.  The pageantry that comes with the Army-Navy game makes the day even more exciting.  The ESPN College Game Day crew broadcasted their show live from Inner Harbor in front of a huge crowd of biased supporters.  The highlight of the broadcast is always when Lee Corso makes his selection of the day's biggest game.  He announces his choice by adorning the head gear of the mascot of the team that he thinks will win the game.



Not surprisingly, Corso who is a former coach at the Naval Academy selected the Navy Goat headgear to the loud applause of many Midshipmen that were in attendance.

Prior to today's game the Brigade of Midshipmen from Navy and the Corps of Cadets from Army will march on to the field in what is a must see activity before this game.  It's considered so important that the march on will be broadcast live on CBS Sports Network.

The Golden Knights and Leap Frogs will parachute into the stadium approximately 30 minutes before kickoff.

The impressive fly-over will take place just before kickoff.

Dignitaries from the Army and Navy will be present to cheer on their respective teams and it's reported that President-elect, Donald Trump will be in attendance at today's game as well.

Saturday, December 03, 2016

Final - Temple 34, Navy 10 in AAC Championship Game

Pregame Preview -

Navy hosts the Temple Owls in the American Athletic Conference Championship game this afternoon at Navy-Marine Corp Memorial Stadium with kickoff set for Noon.

Navy (9-2), the West Division champions, is looking for their first conference championship in 136 years. They face Temple (9-3), the champions from the East Division for the second year consecutive year, in this afternoon's championship game in Annapolis.  The Mids played as an Independent for their first 134 years and have played in the AAC for the past two.

Will Worth
The Midshipmen are lead by senior quarterback, Will Worth.  Worth stepped in for injured Tago Smith in the first game of the season and has not looked back since.  The dual threat quarterback leads the team in rushing with 1181 yards and 25 touchdowns.  He also has 1363 passing yards with 8 TDs with just 3 INTs.  Worth's 25 rushing TDs are the most in the FBS this season and are the fourth most in FBS history for a single season for a quarterback.

Temple is led by running backs Jahad Thomas and Raquel Armstead who have ombined for 25 TDs on the ground.  They are also able to move the ball through the air with QB Phillip Walker throwin for 2700 yards and 18 TDs.

The ESPN College Game Day crew gave Navy some love this morning.




First Quarter -

Navy won the toss and deferred to the second half.  Navy kicked off into the end zone and Temple starts ther first drive at their own 25 yard line.  The Owls drove the ball to the Navy 28 yard line.  After two incomplete passes Temple faced a 4th-and-7.  Following a Navy timeout the Owls completed a 13 yard first down conversion to the Navy 15.  Jahad Thomas carried the ball on the next play and scored the opening TD of the game giving Temple a 7-0 lead with 9:43 remaining in the first quarter.



Navy took the Temple squib kickoff at their own 31.  Navy kept the ball on the ground and Toneo Gulley converted a 3rd-and-3 with a 15 yard run to the Temple 47.  Facing a 4th-and-7 on the Temple 44, the Owls held on the 4th down play and will take over at their own 41 with 6:18 remaining in the first quarter.

Temple moved the ball down the field primarily on the ground.  Adonis Jennings picked up 16 yards on a reverse play to the Navy 23 yard line.  Two plays later, Phillip Walked found Ventell Bryant on a 22-yard TD pass to give Temple a two score lead over Navy with 3:01 remaining in the first quarter.



Navy has lost 17 straight games when trailing by 14 or more points so the offense must find a way to get points on the board.  Will Worth converted a 3rd-and-6 by finding Dishan Romine on a 34 yard pass play to the Temple 25 yard line.  On the next play, Darryl Bonner was tackled for a 3-yard loss and fumbled the ball.  Temple recovered and will take over on their own 35 with 0:51 remaining in the first quarter.

Second Quarter -

Temple continues to move the ball efficiently down the field.  The Owls scored their third touchdown on their third possession when Walker hit Keith Kirkwood in stride for a 56-yard TD pass.  Temple leads Navy 21-0 early in the second quarter which is quickly turning into a route.



Navy is unable to move the ball and is forced to punt the ball back to Temple.  Toneo Gulley is helped off the field with an apparent ankle injury.  This injury is compounded due to the fact that Darryl Bonner is on the sideline without his helmet and shoulder pads.  It also appears that Will Worth may be limping somewhat as well.  This could be a long afternoon for Navy.

During Temple's possession, co-captain Gulley was helped into the locker room and it appears Will Worth is also heading into the locker room.  The Navy defense came up big and forced the Owls to punt for the first time in the game.  Navy takes over at their own 25 yard line.

Backup QB Zach Abey comes on to the field with the Navy offense. No word yet on the condition of Will Worth. Temple's Avery Williams was charged with a targeting call and has been disqualified. Abey completes his first career pass attempt to Calvin Cass for 22-yards sown to the Temple 23 yard line. Will Worth and Toneo Gulley are both back on the sideline - on crutches.

Navy takes a timeout facing a 4th-and-4 on the Temple 6 yard line. Bennett Moehring kicks a 23-yard FG to get Navy on the bard. The Mids trail Temple, 21-3 with 5:12 remaining in the first half.

Temple was able to move the ball into Navy territory with a big 25-yard run by Ryquell Armstead and a 16-yard completion by Jahad Thomas. The Navy defense held Temple on a 3rd-and-19 to a 5-yard completion. Temple called a timeout and decided to attempt a 50yard FG which went wide left.

Navy takes over at their own 33 with 0:59 remaining in the half. Temple picked off a Zach Abey pass and has the ball near midfield.

The Navy defense was able force Temple into another FG situation which Temple was able convert this time from 48 yards.

The first half ended with Temple leading the Mids, 24-3. Navy will get the ball to open the second half.

Halftime notes -

Navy was held to just 70 yards rushing in the first half. Will Worth, Darryl Bonner and Toneo Gulley are all out for the remainder of the game due to injuries.

Temple's Phillip Walker has 153 yards passing and 2 TDs. Keith Kirkwood has 7 receiving yards and a TD to lead the Owls. Armstead has 45 rushing yards on 5 carries. Thomas has 40 yards and a TD.

Third Quarter -

Navy started the second half with a 29 yard pass from Abey to Jamir Tillman to the Temple 46. Navy was unable to move the chains again failing on their second fourth down conversion attempt in Temple territory today.

The Navy defense stood strong and forced Temple to punt on a 3-and-out on the Owls' first drive of the second half.

Navy was unable to move the ball out of their own territory and punted the ball back to Temple. So far in the second half, neither team has been able to sustain a drive well enough to put points on the board.

The Navy defense forces their second 3-and-out of the second half.

Zach Abey makes a great play and moves the ball into Temple territory with a 47-yard run.



Six plays later, Abey scores Navy's first TD in the game cutting Temple's lead to 24-10 with 2:18 remaining in the third quarter.



Temple will now try to take away Navy's momentum on their next drive. Temple got their first 1st down of the half and Navy countered that play with their first sack of the game by Amos Mason. Armstead gained 19 yards on the next play to set up a 3rd-and-1 going into the fourth quarter.

Fourth Quarter -

Temple finishes their drive with a 42-yard FG by Aaron Boumerhi to give Temple a 27-10 lead. Temple has nearly a five minute time of possession advantage in today's game so far.

On Navy's next drive they were able to convert their first fourth down play of the game with a 2-yard carry by Tre Walker to keep their drive alive. With 6:22 left in the game and down three scores, Navy takes a timeout on a huge third down play. Navy will need to score touchdowns now and will be in four down territory for the rest of game.

Navy was unable to convert on a 4th-and-14 play and Temple takes over with 6:08 remaining in the game.

Navy forced a Temple punt, but time is running out on a Navy miracle comeback.

Navy started their drive with a 17-yard pass from Abey to Brandon Colon. On their next play, Hanson Reddick picked off Abey of Navy's third turnover in the game.

Two plays later, Armstead scores another Temple TD with a 30-yard TD run with 3:04 left in the game. Temple leads Navy, 34-10.



Temple wins the game 34-10 and wins their first AAC championship in their second attempt.

Navy will play Army next week in Baltimore and will play in the Armed Forces Bowl on December 23.