Oct. 31, 2007

Navy at Army Game Notes

Navy Midshipmen (5-0, 3-0) at Army Black Knights (2-4, 1-2)

Date: Friday, Nov. 2, 2007
Kickoff: 7:00 p.m.
Stadium: Shea Stadium (2,000)
Surface: AstroTurf
City: West Point, N.Y.
All-Time Series: Navy leads, 34-30-1
Streak: Navy, 7
Last Meeting: Navy 30, Army 17 (Sept. 22, 2007; Saratoga Springs, N.Y.)

Navy Looks to Capture N-Star, CSFL Outright Title at Army on Friday

The Navy sprint football team (5-0, 3-0 CSFL) aims to claim the N-Star and win its 25th outright CSFL Championship in program history this Friday night when it travels up to Shea Stadium in West Point to take on Army (2-4, 1-2 CSFL). The Midshipmen topped the Black Knights in the first meeting between the two teams, 30-17, at the Allegiance Bowl in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. This year's Navy senior class will also look to maintain its perfect record against service academy foe Army, as it has compiled a 7-0 mark.

Navy Defeats Penn, 56-7, in Battle of League's Unbeatens

Navy sprint football quarterback D.J. Green (Jr./Indianapolis, Ind.) threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more as the Midshipmen topped Penn, 56-7, in a contest between the league's top-two teams on Friday evening at Franklin Field.

The Midshipmen maintained their perfect record on the year, as they improved to 5-0 overall and 3-0 in CSFL play. The Quakers suffered their first league loss of the year to fall to 3-2 overall and 2-1 in league action.

With Friday night's victory, the Midshipmen captured at least a share of the CSFL Championship this year, their 32nd league title in the program's 62-year history. Navy will battle Army (2-4, 1-2 CSFL) in the Star Game next Friday night for a chance to claim the league crown outright, while Penn needs to defeat Princeton (0-5, 0-3 CSFL) and a Navy loss to Army in order to share the CSFL title with the Mids.

Despite the rainy conditions, Green engineered an offense that accumulated 553 yards and 26 first downs. Through the air, Green connected on 14-of-27 passes for 178 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. The Navy signal caller also used his legs to collect a career-best 68 yards on the ground via 13 carries with two touchdowns.

Accounting for 370 of its 553 yards on Friday was Navy's rushing attack, which came into the contest averaging a league-best 287.5 yards per game. Richard Engel (Sr./Medford, N.J.) led the Midshipmen with 111 yards on 22 carries and found the endzone in the second quarter. Engel's rushing touchdown upped his career total to 23, matching the program record held by Matt Sobecki (1994-97). Fellow running backs Enrique Harris (Jr./Crawfordville, Fla.), Nate Stewart (So./Fitzgerald, Ga.) and Steve Benson (So./Ellenwood, Ga.) all scored touchdowns and ran for 76, 63 and 53 yards, respectively.

Navy's defense, which came into Friday's game leading the CSFL in total defense (166.8 yards per game) and scoring defense (9.8 points per game), held Penn's offense to 121 yards, only 35 in the second half, and forced four turnovers. The Mids recorded eight tackles in the backfield, three sacks and three pass breakups. The CSFL's leading rusher, Rob Lombardi, was contained for just one yard in 15 carries by the Midshipmen defense.

Last Meeting ... Navy 30, Army 17

Navy sprint football running back Enrique Harris (Jr./Crawfordville, Fla.) ran for 160 yards on 24 carries with a touchdown to earn game MVP honors as the Midshipmen defeated Army, 30-17, in front of 4,000 fans at the Allegiance Bowl at Saratoga Springs High School Field.

The Midshipmen held a 38:31-21:29 advantage in time of possession and out-gained Army, 417-332, with 313 of those yards coming on the ground. In addition to Harris's 160 yards, Richard Engel (Sr./Medford, N.J.) produced 90 yards on 21 carries and Nate Stewart (So./Fitzgerald, Ga.) chimed in with 41 yards on seven rushing attempts.

Navy's defense took advantage of six Army turnovers, four interceptions and two fumble recoveries, in scoring 23 of its 30 points on the afternoon. The Midshipmen also tallied six tackles for a loss of 19 yards and deflected away six passes in the win. Jason Feipel (Sr./Walcott, Iowa) led the defensive backfield with two pickoffs, the first two of his career, for 21 return yards.

In his first-career start, quarterback Jon DeWitt (Jr./Mendham, N.J.) produced a touchdown on the ground and through the air. The Navy signal-caller rushed for 18 yards and completed 6-of-22 passes for 104 yards.

Doubling Up Army

Navy will look to claim its second victory over Army this season on Friday night, as the Midshipmen defeated the Black Knights, 30-17, at the Allegiance Bowl in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., on Sept. 22. Navy has recorded two victories over Army in one season on six occasions (1992, `97, `02, `04, `05 and `06), four of which have taken place over the last-five years.

Navy's Seniors Going For 8-0 Against Army

This year's Navy sprint football senior class will attempt to become the first class in program history to go undefeated against Army over its four years in Annapolis. The Midshipmen have won each of their last-seven meetings against the Black Knights, dating back to the 2004 campaign. The only other class to go undefeated against Army in its career was Navy's senior class of 1962, as it won all three of its meetings against Army between 1959-61 during a time in which freshmen were not allowed to play in varsity competition.

Navy Reaches 300 All-Time Wins

The Navy sprint football program recorded its 300th victory in program history on Sunday, Oct. 7, when it defeated Cornell, 35-14, in Pride Bowl XXIX. The 62-year old program owns an all-time mark of 302-62-9, good for an .822 winning percentage.

Road Warriors

The Midshipmen played their only home game of the 2007 season against Princeton on Oct. 19, recording an 83-0 victory. The one home contest ranks as the fewest home games played in a season by the Mids in the program's 62-year history.

Meanwhile, Navy will travel more than 2,300 miles on the road and spend in excess of 40 hours on a bus going to and from its five games away from Annapolis this year.

Leading the CSFL in Offense AND Defense

The Midshipmen have produced a total team effort in 2007, leading the CSFL in total offense and total defense. Navy's offense tops the league with 50.2 points per game, 491.2 yards per contest and 304.0 rushing yards per game. On the defensive side of the ball, the Midshipmen lead the league with 9.2 points allowed per game, 157.6 yards allowed per outing and 36.6 rushing yards per contest.

In CSFL games only, Navy's paces the league with 58.0 points per game, 524.3 yards per contest and 341.0 rushing yards per outing. Defensively, the Mids lead the CSFL with 7.0 points allowed per outing, 140.0 yards allowed per contest and 51.0 rushing yards per game.

Engel Ties Career Rushing Touchdowns Record

Navy senior running back Richard Engel (Medford, N.J.) recorded his 23rd career rushing touchdown in a win at Penn on Oct. 26, to tie the career program record with Matt Sobecki (1994-97). He has scored at least one touchdown in seven of his last-eight games, three of which were multi-touchdown performances.

Reifenberg Connecting on Kicks

Navy kicker David Reifenberg (So./Ft. Wayne, Ind.) has etched his name in the single-game record book at Navy this season for extra points and field goals made. Reifenberg went 11-for-11 in extra-point attempts during Navy's 83-0 win over Princeton on Oct. 19. Against Army in the Allegiance Bowl, he tied the school record with three field goals made in a 30-17 victory.

Reifenberg's name has also began to appear in the single-season lists in both categories. His 32 converted extra points rank second, while his seven field goals are fourth in program history.

Navy's 1-2 Rushing Tandem ... Engel and Harris

Navy's league-leading rushing attack has been keyed by the efforts of its top-two running backs, Richard Engel (Sr./Medford, N.J.) and Enrique Harris (Jr./Crawfordville, Fla.). The Midshipmen rushing duo have combined for 745 yards and eight touchdowns on 122 carries this year (6.1 ypc). Engel, last year's league rushing leader, is second in the CSFL with his 383 yards on the ground, while Harris owns 362 yards this season to rank right behind his teammate for third in the league.

You'll Have Nothing and Like It

Navy's defense has been downright dominating against opposing offenses this season, with two efforts ranking among the best defensive performances in school history. The Midshipmen held Frostburg State JV to a program record -34 yards rushing and 36 yards of total offense, the second-best mark in school history. Against Princeton on Oct. 19, the Midshipmen contained the Tigers to 17 rushing yards, sixth-best in program history, and 60 yards of total offense, the fifth-best mark in school history.

Domination on Both Sides of the Ball

While the Navy defense has controlled the opposition on offense, the Midshipmen offense has rolled, recording three of the school's four-largest yardage differentials in school history this year. The Mids opened the year by out-gaining Frostburg State JV by 430 yards, 466-36, in a 47-8 win on Sept. 9. Against Princeton on Oct. 19, the Midshipmen produced a 490-yard difference in offense, 550-60, in cruising to an 83-0 victory. Last week at Penn, Navy out-gained its hosts by 432 yards, 553-121, in a convincing 56-7 win.

Stifling Defense

In their last 60 games, the Midshipmen defense has held the opposition to 20 or fewer points on 47 occasions, coming away victorious in 46 of those contests. Prior to a 16-10 setback in overtime last season at Cornell, the last time Navy lost a game in which its defense yielded less than 21 points came on Oct. 23, 1998, dropping a 17-14 decision to Penn.

Thirty a Game Leaves Opponents at Bay

The Midshipmen have come away victorious in 43-straight games in which they score over 30 points. Navy has surpassed the 30-point mark in four of its five games this season and in 43 of its last-84 games.

Team Scoring Streak

Navy has put points on the scoreboard in each of its last 117 games, scoring in double figures in 106 of those contests. The Midshipmen have not been shut out in a game since dropping a 12-0 decision at Princeton on Oct. 21, 1989.

Game Decided by 14+ Points, Advantage Navy

Navy has won each of the last-31 games decided by 14 or more points, dating back to its 42-10 victory over Cornell on Oct. 14, 2001, in the Pride Bowl only 42 games ago.

Five Years, Five Different Starting Quarterbacks

For the fifth-consecutive year, Navy has relied on a different starting quarterback. Despite the annual turnover at the position, the Midshipmen have gone 29-2 over that span, good for a .935 winning percentage. Of the previous four starting quarterbacks, three have earned all-league honors and one (Brian Nagle, 2004) was named the league MVP.