--- Coming off our first loss of the season to Arizona State, it wasn’t about to get any easier, as we hit the road to take on the Navy Midshipman, with stats resembling a juggernaut early in the season. The Midshipmen entered the game putting up 41.3 points/game (#13 nationally), 565.3 offensive yards/game (#3 nationally), 239.3 rushing yards/game (#18 nationally) and 326.0 passing yards/game (#11 nationally). They were nearly as good on defense, giving up only 312.6 yards/game (#18 nationally), 138.0 rushing yards/game (#24 nationally) and 174.6 passing yards/game (#28 nationally).
Our best offensive stat was rushing, where we ranked #20 with 233.0 rushing yards/game. Passing was a less than mediocre #81 ranking. Defensively, we were best against the run, giving up only 157.6 rushing yards/game (#44 nationally), but ranking a horrible #109 in passing defense. Our only hope would be for our offense to find a groove the entire game, and for the defense to get very lucky multiple times. We’d find out how the pouring rain would affect the game. We won the coin toss and elected to kick.
No return on the opening kickoff got Navy underway from their 25 yard line. It looked like it would potentially be a long day from the get-go, as Sterling Reid dropped back and found Matt Young for a 20 yard gain and a first down at the 45 yard line. We would catch a break as two incomplete passes intended for Will Reynolds and Kedrick McNair left third and long. Reid would connect with Joe Justice on third down, but the pass for a gain of 9 yards would leave Navy just one yard short at our 47 yard line. That was close enough for Navy, as Young took the fourth down handoff and broke up the middle for a 5 yard gain to pick up the first down at our 42. An incomplete pass intended for Young was followed with a three yard pass to Charles Winston to set up third and 7. A 6 yard rush by Reid would again bring up fourth and one, this time from our 33 yard line. Navy would attempt their second fourth down conversion of the game, but the pass from Reid intended for Reynolds was broken up incomplete, forcing the turnover on downs at the 33.
Taking over after the turnover on downs, Will Oliver got us started on offense, taking the handoff up the middle for a 9 yard rush to leave second and one. A 5 yard rush by Oliver would be enough for the early first down at the 47 yard line. Navy was ready for us on the next play, as Oliver could only manage a yard before being brought down by the middle linebacker, leaving second and 9. Throwing downfield to Joe Vaughn, the pass from Brad Stephens was on-target, but a quick move by the cornerback allowed him to get a hand in front of the ball and deflect it out of bounds and incomplete to bring up third and 9. We wouldn’t find any luck on third down either, as the pass intended for Jason Johnson was batted incomplete to bring out the punt team. No return on the 48 yard punt left Navy buried, starting at their three yard line for the next drive.
Young started off the drive with an 8 yard rush, things not looking good already. It was on the second down play that the first mistake of the game was made, as Young took the ball around the right tackle, getting to the 16 yard line, before he was stripped by defensive tackle Luke Payne, who promptly dove on top of and recovered the fumble, giving our offense a first down at the Navy 16 yard line.
Coming out in the run game, Oliver started the drive with a two yard gain. Going back into the air on second down, Stephens was able to loft a ball over the head of the cornerback and into the hands of Vaughn for a 10 yard gain, setting up first and goal at the four yard line. The defense wasn’t about to go without a fight, tackling Oliver for no gain on the first down carry. Taking it again on the ground, Oliver fought his way to a two yard gain, leaving third and goal at the two yard line. Oliver never had a chance on the third down handoff, quickly brought down by the blitzing outside linebacker for a loss of one yard, leaving fourth and goal from the three. The 20 yard field goal by Alphonso Pratt was good, giving us a 3-0 lead with 3:04 left in the first quarter.
A 14 yard kickoff return got Navy back on the field, starting from their 17 yard line. Young opened up the drive with a rush for one yard, before hauling in a pass from Reid for an 8 yard gain to leave third and one. An incomplete pass on third down would bring the drive to an end. A fair catch by Johnson on the 47 yard punt got us back in action at our 26 yard line.
Oliver took the first down handoff, but never had any hope, as he was quickly brought down by the defensive tackle for a two yard loss, leaving us looking at second and 12. A pass to Oliver picked up 6 yards, leaving third and 6. A handoff to Oliver off a fake pass didn’t fool the defense, as Oliver was brought down for only a two yard gain, leaving the punt team coming out on fourth and four. A 7 yard return on the 44 yard punt got Navy lined up at their 31 yard line.
The drive got off to a poor start, as Reid’s pass to Brad Turner fell incomplete, bringing up second and long, before Reid kept the ball himself and gained 7 yards on the ground, setting up third and three. Reid would again keep the ball and get the job done on his own, rushing for 5 yards and the first down at the 43 yard line. Young took the handoff on first down, but our defense left him nowhere to go, tackling him for a loss of three yards. Reid was able to make up those lost yards with an 8 yard rush to leave third and 5 just shy of midfield. That would be the final play as the first quarter came to an end, our lead holding at 3-0.
Opening up the second quarter, the drive would end there at the 49 yard line, as the third down pass intended for Turner would again end up incomplete, leaving the punt team coming out on fourth and 5. No return on the 35 yard punt got our offense back on the field at our 16 yard line.
We still could find little to no success on the ground, as Oliver was tackled for a one yard gain. To make matters worse, Oliver suffered a strained pectoral that would keep him sidelined for at least the next couple plays. Going into the air on second down, it would be our turn to make a mistake, as the pass from Stephens intended for Kyle Jones was intercepted as Jacob Morgan snuck down from the safety position and jumped the pass, pulling it down and with nothing but wide open green in front of him, took it 20 yards to the house for the pick six, giving Navy a 7-3 lead with 8:12 left in the second quarter.
A touchback on the kickoff got us back out on offense, starting from our 25 yard line. Eric Silva was able to prove our running game was not quite yet neutered, breaking free around the right tackle for a 16 yard rush and a first down at the 41 yard line. Back on the field after the injury last drive, Oliver took the ball up the middle for an 8 yard gain, followed by a second 8 yard rush to get another first down at the Navy 43. Coming out with play action, Silva was able to get wide open along the right sideline, hauling in the pass for a 19 yard gain and a first down at the Navy 24. Oliver took the ball on the ground on first down, picking up 8 yards, before fighting his way to a gain of 6 to get the first down at the 11 yard line. Coming out throwing on first down, Johnson hauled in the pass for a 5 yard gain, leaving second and 5 from the 6 yard line. Returning to the run game, Oliver was able to rumbled ahead for a four yard gain, leaving third and one from the two yard line. Refusing to back down, Silva took the handoff up the middle, seemingly headed for the end zone until a desperation tackled by the safety spun him around and stopped him inches short of the goal line. It saved the touchdown, but it was still enough to get the first down, leaving first and goal with only inches to go. Despite having a hole into the end zone, Oliver was unable to get the job down, tackled for no gain to bring up second and goal. Silva would get the job done on the next play, shaking off the middle linebacker and running straight on the cheeks of the left guard for the one yard touchdown, giving us a 10-7 lead with 4:29 left in the second quarter.
A 20 yard kickoff return set Navy up at their 19 yard line to start the next drive. Reid got the drive started with an 8 yard pass to Zach Daniel, before Young was tackled for a three yard loss to leave third and five. Reid would get the job done on third down, rushing for a 6 yard gain to move the chains to the 30 yard line. Reid connected with Turner for a 7 yard gain on first down, before Young once again set them back, tackled for a one yard loss this time to leave third and four. Young would recover and keep the drive in motion with a 6 yard rush to pick up the first down at the 42 yard line. A 5 yard rush by Young was followed with a two yard reception, leaving third and three at the 49. This time Navy would get across midfield, as Reid picked up 5 yards on the ground to move the ball to our 46 yard line. A 7 yard rush by Reid got Navy to our 39 yard line, before Young would screw the pooch once again. Young was able to fight forward on second and three for an 8 yard gain, before he again coughed up the ball, the fumble recovered by middle linebacker AnthonyClement to give us back possession at our 31 yard line with 1:49 left on the clock.
Left with less than two minutes, it was straight into the air. The first down pass intended for Vaughn was on-target, but Vaughn never got his hands on the ball, as it sailed by and landed incomplete. Getting off the ball to avoid a sack, P.J. Stephens hauled in the pass for a 13 yard gain, giving us a first down at the 44 yard line with 1:41 left on the clock. The first down pass intended for Vaughn was broken up by the outside linebacker, leaving second and long. A quick pass to P.J. Stephens gave us an 8 yard gain to leave third and two, our first timeout stopping the clock with 1:25 left to play. Silva had the third down pass in his hands, but a hit by the middle linebacker knocked the ball loose, leaving fourth and two. Taking the chance on fourth down, the ball intended for Vaughn was broken up by the cornerback, thanks in part to Vaughn slipping on the wet turf at the snap, turning the ball over on downs at the Navy 48 yard line with 1:19 left on the clock.
Reid opened up the drive for Navy with a 12 yard pass to Justice, setting up a first down at our 40 yard line. We would catch another huge break on the next play, as Young took the handoff, rushing down to our 32 yard line, before committing his third fumble of the day. Cornerback Allen Moore recovered the fumble, returning it two yards to our 34 yard line with exactly one minute remaining.
Throwing deep over the middle to Lucas Gates, the pass was broken up by the safety, leaving second and long. The second down pass to Carl Barnes hit him in the hands, but some contact by the outside linebacker was enough to cause the ball to be dropped, leaving third and long. Oliver would keep us breathing, catching the ball around the 42 yard line, then fighting for an additional four yards, ending with a 12 yard gain and a first down at the 46. Our second timeout stopped the clock with 47 seconds to go. Hauling in the first down pass, P.J. Stephens was able to make the catch for an 11 yard gain and then just barely get out of bounds at the Navy 43 yard line, stopping the clock with 42 seconds remaining. Oliver was able to break open on first down, hauling in the pass for an 11 yard pickup, but he was unable to get out of bounds. Rushing to the line and calling a quick audible, Stephens tried to connect with Barnes, but the pass sailed incomplete, landing off-target in the middle of three different receivers, leaving second and long from the 32 yard line with only 24 seconds left. A pass to Johnson over the middle picked up 14 yards and a first down at the 17 yard line. Rushing to the line of scrimmage, a pass underneath to Barnes only gained 6 yard, Rushing to the line of scrimmage, a pass underneath to Barnes only gained 6 yards, forcing us to burn our final timeout, facing second and four at the 11 yard line with 15 seconds to go. Forced to take a shot at the end zone no matter what, as anything shorter would risk the clock running out, the pass intended for P.J. Stephens was batted at the line of scrimmage, leaving it sailing up in a high rainbow trajectory, nearly very easily intercepted by the safety, but thankfully dropped incomplete, leaving third and four with 11 seconds to go. Gates would give us the desired ending to the drive, as he slanted across the middle, pulling in the perfectly thrown pass between the safety and middle linebacker for the 11 yard touchdown and a 17-7 lead with 7 seconds left before halftime.
A touchback on the following kickoff would bring the first half to an end, our lead now 17-7 as fumbles plagued the Navy offense.
Opening up the second half, a 21 yard kickoff return got us lined up at our 25 yard line to begin the third quarter. Oliver never had a chance on the first down handoff, as the middle linebacker blitzed through and just plowed into Oliver with his shoulder and pushed him down for a one yard loss. Turning to the air, Vaughn was able to get the pass in his hands, before a vicious by the outside linebacker completely laid Vaughn out on this back, the ball knocked loose and incomplete. The third down pass intended again for Vaughn was broken up by the cornerback, and the punt team came out on fourth and 11. A fair catch on the 49 yard punt left Navy starting from their 26 yard line.
It took one play for Navy to respond. Reid dropped back on the first down play, Daniel broke free up the left sideline, and Reid dropped a perfect pass into his arms in stride, Daniel racing our entire defense up the sideline for a 74 yard touchdown, cutting our lead to 17-14 with 7:48 left in the third quarter.
An 18 yard kickoff return got us back in action, this time from our 20 yard line. Starting off on the ground, Oliver was able to find four yards on his first down carry, before a blitz by the middle linebacker resulted in a rush for no gain, leaving third and 6. Taking a shot of our own down the left sideline, Johnson was able to beat the cornerback off the line and then get behind the safety on a streak route. The pass from Stephens was nearly perfect, Johnson jumping up to grab the pass at the Navy 30 yard line, before a flailing arm by the safety was enough to knock the ball loose, it heartbreakingly falling to the ground incomplete, in a single second erasing what would have been a 46 yard pass. Left with fourth and 6, the punt team made yet another appearance. A 7 yard return on the 43 yard punt left Navy with good field position at their 40 yard line.
The drive started off promisingly enough for our defense, as two straight incomplete passes left third and long. Third time would not be a charm for our defense, as Reid connected with Daniel for a 22 yard gain, good for a first down at our 38 yard line. A short two yard pass to Young was followed up by a two yard rush by Young, leaving third and 6. Reid would keep the ball moving with a 6 yard rush to the 28 yard line. This time around third time would be a charm, as an incomplete pass and a dropped ball by Daniel left third and long, before Reid was sacked for a loss of 7 yards to leave fourth and 17 from our 35 yard line. Navy didn’t bother to attempt the 52 yard field goal, instead punting it into the end zone for a touchback, giving us back possession at our 20 yard line.
Proving the football gods are just mocking us and toying with us, a first down rush by Oliver that was easily a 9 yard gain, was promptly called back for holding, leaving us instead with first and 20 from the 10 yard line. Going into the air on the next play, Vaughn was able to get his hands on the pass, but a Navy defense stepping up the intensity of their hits with each play and drive knocked the ball loose and incomplete. The second down play would be our biggest of the game. Going left on an out route, Gates was able to get behind the cornerback along the left sideline, while Vaughn was slipping, sliding and falling with every single cut he made nearby. Stephens was able to damn near buzzcut the top of the cornerback’s helmet, sinking the pass right over his head and into the hands of Gates. Vaughn was able to recover from his latest slip and slide in time to block the safety and push him off-balance, allowing Gates to slip past him up the left sideline and put enough distance between them that a diving tackle attempt by the safety around the 40 yard line came up well short. With the safety now off his heels, Gates was able to race up the field, slowing being cut off by the other safety, forcing Gates to try and juke the safety around the Navy 30 yard line. While the juke didn’t quite work, it did allow Gates to slow enough that the safety’s momentum carried him past the tackle, Gates spinning through and off the tackle attempt. The safety though did enough to save the touchdown, as Gates was finally caught from behind by both cornerbacks, tackled at the Navy 25 yard line for a 65 yard gain, on a play that should have ended in only a 15 yard pickup. Looking to build off the momentum of that play, the first down pass intended for Vaughn along the right has would see the momentum swing 100% the other direction, as Morgan intercepted Stephens for the second time today. To make matters worse, despite having multiple players nearby, Morgan somehow wormed his way through four different tackle attempts, then outraced Stephens, one of the linemen, Oliver and Gates down the left sideline for an 89 yard pick six, a new NCAA record, giving Navy a 21-17 lead with 3:41 left in the third quarter.
A touchback on the following kickoff left us starting at our 25 yard line, all momentum long since shot and drowned. Oliver took the ball on first down, rushing for a four yard gain, followed by an option play that saw a blitzing defense bring Stephens down for a loss of three yards, leaving third and 9. Vaughn would manage to keep us breathing, hauling in the third down pass for a 13 yard gain, giving us a first down at the 39. Continuing to try our luck through the air, P.J. Stephens was able to haul in a pass over the middle for a gain of 20 yards and a first down at the Navy 41. Stephens tried to connect with Johnson on first down, but was hit as he went to throw on the very slow developing play, resulting in an incomplete pass. A quick pass to Robert Harper picked up two yards, leaving third and 8 at the 39. Taking off scrambling on the third down play, Stephens was able to catch the defense sleeping, taking off around the right tackle and picking up 9 yards on the carry to get the first down at the Navy 30 yard line. Silva took the ball on the first down carry, picking up 7 yards on the run, followed by a huge 16 yard rush to set up first and goal at the 7 yard line. Keeping it going on the ground, J.D. Faulk ran for a three yard gain, leaving second and goal from the four. The rush by Jones would get two yards on the play, leaving third and goal at the two yard line, where the third quarter to come to an end, Navy leading 21-17.
Opening up the fourth quarter facing third and goal at the two yard line, we weren’t about to shy away from the run game, Silva getting all the way up to the goal line, but unable to cover the final inches, tackled for a two yard gain to leave fourth and goal just outside the goal line. Things would get more difficult as Silva suffered a mild concussion on the play, leaving him knocked out for the rest of the game. Going for it on fourth down, with Oliver still on the sidelines taking a breather, Jones would complete the play, rushing it in for the one yard touchdown to recapture the lead, 24-21 with 8:25 left in the game.
A 20 yard kickoff return set Navy up at their 24 yard line, looking to respond. Reid got the drive started with a 9 yard pass to Young, before keeping the ball himself on a two yard rush, enough to get the first down at the 35 yard line. Young took the ball on first down, picking up two yards on the ground, before a dropped ball by Daniel left Navy facing third and 8. Reid would keep the Midshipmen moving with an 8 yard completion to Turner, moving the chains to the 45 yard line. After an incomplete pass intended for McNair, Reid found Younger over the middle for an 18 yard gain and a first down at our 37 yard line. Another pass, this time to Turner for a 12 yard gain kept the momentum going with another first down at our 25. Our defense won a minor victory on first down, tackling Young for a loss of one yard, but the offense won the battle as Reid found Turner up the right sideline for a 17 yard gain, setting up first and goal at our 9 yard line. An incomplete pass was followed up with a two yard loss by Young, and Navy suddenly found themselves facing third and goal from the 11. Navy would manage to close the gap, but it wouldn’t be enough, as the 8 yard pass from Reid to Turner left fourth and goal at our three yard line. Opting to kick the field goal this time, D.J. Craft nailed the kick through the uprights, tying the game up at 24-24 with 5:38 left to play.
A touchback on the kickoff left us starting from our 25 yard line. Oliver took the first down handoff, managing only one yard on the carry. A quick pass to Oliver picked up 7 yards, leaving third and two from the 33 yard line. Putting our faith in the run game, Jones would take the ball on third down, fighting through a hole and breaking free into the secondary for a 19 yard rush and a first down at the Navy 48. Keeping it going on the ground, Jones fought his way forward for a 10 yard gain, leaving second and inches. Despite being met in the backfield by the defensive tackle, Jones was able to fall forward for a one yard gain, getting the first down at the 37 yard line. Faulk came in to take over for Jones, picking up three yards on the first down carry, followed by a pitch to the left to Jones that failed miserably, resulting in a 5 yard loss and leaving third and 12 from the 39 yard line. Going into the air on third down, Vaughn kept us alive, hauling in a pass from Stephens for a 15 yard gain and a first down at the Navy 24 yard line with exactly two minutes left in the game. Going back to the ground game, Jones took the handoff for a 12 yard rush and a first down at the 12 yard line, the clock continuing to run. The first down carry by Jones gained four yards, leaving second and 6 from the 8, the clock dipping under one minute to play. A rush by Faulk picked up four yards to leave third and two at the four yard line, followed by a gain of no yards by Jones to leave fourth and two, a timeout leaving 5 seconds on the clock. Lining up for the game-winning field goal, the 20 yard kick by Pratt sailed wide right and no good, giving Navy the ball at their 20 yard line with three seconds remaining.
Navy handed the ball off to Young for a one yard rush, running out the clock and sending us into overtime tied 24-24.
Taking over to start the overtime session, things could not have gone much worse for Navy, as three straight incomplete passes left them looking for any points. Craft would give them the lead despite no yards gained, kicking the 42 yard attempt through the upright to give Navy a 27-24 lead.
Lining up at our 25 yard line, Oliver took the ball on first down for a gain of 5 yards, followed by a one yard pickup to leave third and four. The third down pass intended for Jones was right on target, but Jones slipped and fell on the wet turf as he went to make a cut, causing the ball to go sailing over his head and incomplete. It would only get worse, as the 36 yard field goal attempt by Pratt ended up clanking off the right upright no good, handing Navy the 27-24 overtime victory in a gift-wrapped box.
With the loss, we fall to 2-2, 1-1 Big East. With the win, Navy improves to 4-0, 2-0 Big East. Up next, it's back home as our nightmare scenario comes true, we entertain #11 Oklahoma as we enter the game on a two-game losing streak. The Sooners enter the game 1-1 on the year, opening with a 26-21 win over then-#1 USC, before losing the next week 30-22 to Ohio. Oklahoma had a bye week this week, giving them a full two weeks to stew on that loss ahead of our game.
Final Score
27,
24 - Overtime
Stat(s) of the Game:
Tulsa Offense - A bad day for Stephens, ending 18-36 for 247 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions, both interceptions getting returned for a touchdown. Rushing, out of five rushers today, Oliver led the way with 67 yards on 22 carries. Jones had 42 yards and one touchdown on 8 carries, Silva had 41 yards and one touchdown on 7 carries. Receiving, eight receivers caught a ball today, Gates leading the way with 76 yards and one touchdown on two receptions. Six receivers ended with double digit receiving yards.
Tulsa Defense – While Navy had some drives deep into our territory, for the most part it was a good day. Three forced and recovered fumbles, only let Navy score a single touchdown on offense. Those pick-sixes just killed us.
Tulsa Kicking – Besides the interceptions that were both returned for a touchdown, Pratt killed us as well, ending the day 1-3 in field goals, good from 18 yards out, but missing the game-winner from 20 yards out with 5 seconds left, and then missing the game-tying field goal from 36 yards out in overtime. Pratt did go 3-3 on PATs, but it's nothing more than a very minor concession.
Scoring Summary
Team |
1st Quarter |
2nd Quarter |
3rd Quarter |
4th Quarter |
Overtime |
Final Score |
|
3 |
14 |
0 |
7 |
0 |
24 |
|
0 |
7 |
14 |
3 |
3 |
27 |
Time |
Team |
Result |
Play |
Score |
First Quarter |
3:06 |
|
Field Goal |
A. Pratt, 18 yard field goal |
3-0 |
|
Second Quarter |
8:12 |
|
Touchdown |
J. Morgan, returned interception 20 yards (D. Craft kick) |
7-3 |
4:29 |
|
Touchdown |
E. Silva, 1 yard run (A. Pratt kick) |
10-7 |
0:07 |
|
Touchdown |
L. Gates, 11 yard pass from B. Stephens (A. Pratt kick) |
17-7 |
|
Third Quarter |
7:48 |
|
Touchdown |
Z. Daniel, 74 yard pass from S. Reid (D. Craft kick) |
17-14 |
3:41 |
|
Touchdown |
J. Morgan, returned interception 89 yards (D. Craft kick) |
21-17 |
|
Fourth Quarter |
8:25 |
|
Touchdown |
K. Jones, 1 yard run (A. Pratt kick) |
24-21 |
5:38 |
|
Field Goal |
D. Craft, 20 yard field goal |
TIED 24-24 |
First Overtime |
--- |
|
Field Goal |
D. Craft, 42 yard field goal |
27-24 |
Game Stats
Tulsa |
Stat |
Navy |
24 |
Score |
27 |
21 |
First Downs |
14 |
413 |
Total Offense |
333 |
42 - 166 - 2 |
Rushes - Yards - TD |
24 - 86 - 0 |
18 - 36 - 1 |
Comp - Att - TD |
18 - 35 - 1 |
247 |
Passing Yards |
247 |
0 |
Times Sacked |
1 |
7 - 15 (46%) |
3rd Down Conversion |
7 - 14 (50%) |
1 - 2 (50%) |
4th Down Conversion |
1 - 2 (50%) |
0 - 0 (0%) |
2-Point Conv |
0 - 0 (0%) |
7 - 3 - 1 (57%) |
Red Zone - TD - FG |
2 - 0 - 1 (50%) |
2 |
Turnovers |
3 |
0 |
Fumbles Lost |
3 |
2 |
Intercepted |
0 |
0 |
Punt Return Yards |
14 |
39 |
Kick Return Yards |
54 |
452 |
Total Yards |
401 |
4 – 46.8 |
Punts - Average |
3 - 39.7 |
1 - 10 |
Penalties |
1 - 10 |
22:52 |
Time of Possession |
13:08 |
Tulsa Contract Goals Update
Fail Impact |
Goal |
Progress |
Pass Impact |
|
21+ points per game in each season |
33 |
|
|
Win 10 games in one season |
2 |
|
|
3300+ passing yards each season |
|
|
|
65% pass completions over the entire contract |
59% |
|
|
Win 6 games in one season |
|
|
|
15+ rushing TD in each season |
10 |
|
|
3200+ total offensive yards each season |
1716 |
|
|
3400+ total offensive yards each season |
1716 |
|
Job Security Status
35%
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