October 20, 2007. Wake Forest 44 Navy 24. Ouch!
On another bright sunny day in Annapolis with temperatures around 75 degrees before a standing room only crowd at homecoming of 36,992 including special reunions for the classes of 1967, 1987( with David Robinson aboard), and 1992; Navy’s football team made too many mistakes to stay with a very good Wake Forest team. Poor coverage on kick-offs, three lost fumbles, and a porous pass defense doomed the Midshipmen.
On the initial kick-off Wake ran the ball back 80 yards to the Navy 17.Three plays later the Deacons scored to lead 7 - 0 with less than a minute into the game. Navy put together a drive but settled for a 26 yard FG. Wake 7 Navy 3. Wake returned the kick-off to Navy’s 45. Several plays later Wake scored to lead 14 - 3 with 7:32 left in the quarter. The Midshipmen cranked up their ground game and Enhada scored to close 10 - 14 at the end of the quarter.
This time Bullen kicked the ball into the end zone. Navy stopped Wake who missed a 45 yard FG attempt. The Midshipmen, staying on the ground, drove to the seven then Shun White took a pitch out and scored. Navy 17 Wake 14 with 10:24 left. Wake followed with a 32 yard FG to tie the game 17 - 17 with 3:18 remaining. On first down from their own 20 QB Kaheaku-Enhada was hit hard on a helmet - helmet tackle for a lost. He left the game with a “stinger” to the neck and did not return. On QB Bryant’s first play he was sacked, fumbled the ball, and a Wake lineman scooped up the ball at the 7 yard line and scored. Wake 24 Navy 17. After a couple of first downs the Midshipmen had to punt to Wake’s 24. With 1:51 on the clock, the Deacons moved into Navy territory and kicked a 26 yard FG at the buzzer to increase their lead to 27 - 17.
Navy started the second half by driving 80 yards in five plays to score. Wake 27 Navy 24. Bryant gained 43 yards on a keeper. Wake answered with another drive - mixing passes with hard runs - to increase the lead to 34 - 24. After a good drive the Midshipmen fumbled and Wake recovered. Another FG by the Deacons added to the lead. Wake 37 Navy 24. The Midshipmen were held on 4th down. At Navy’s 22 Wake threw a pass that a Navy defender leaped to try for an interception (he had a clear field in front of him.) But just missed the ball and a Wake receiver pulled it in and scored. Wake 44 Navy 24.
Wake scored on eight of it’s first nine possessions. The last three minutes of the first half were devastating to the Midshipmen. Navy did not complete a pass in the first half. Bryant was 4 - 9 and 39 yards in the second half. The Midshipmen, who lead the country with a rushing average of 344 yards, gained 328 yards on the ground against a Wake defense that had only yielded an average of 100 yards rushing per game. The Deacons played very well. The quarterback, who never got sacked, was 22-28-0 for 213 yards. They also had 196 yards on the ground plus two big kick-off returns. Wake’s coach Jim Grobe, who is in his seventh year, spent ten years as an assistant at the Air Force Academy. The Wake Forest players joined the Navy players after the game for the playing of Navy Blue and Gold. Navy and Wake are scheduled to play each other for the next three years.
On Friday night Navy’s Sprint Team beat Princeton on Rip Miller Field 83 - 0. Air Force (6-2) beat Wyoming 20 - 12 and Army (3-5) lost at Georgia Tech 10 - 34.
Next week. Delaware at Navy. The Blue Hens (6-1) had the day off yesterday. They are ranked 13th in Division IIA and are averaging 38 points a game. The 1 pm game is sold out. It will be on CSTV. Delaware fans will be in force on Saturday.
Navy’s Record. (4 - 3)
Aug. 31 Navy 30 @ Temple 19
Sept. 7 @ Rutgers 41 Navy 27
Sept. 15 Ball State 34 @ Navy 31 ot
Sept 22 Navy 46 Duke 43
Sept. 29 Navy 31 Air Force 20
Oct. 10 Navy 48 @ Pittsburgh 45 (2 OT)
Oct. 20 Wake Forest 44 @ Navy 24
Oct. 27 Delaware
Nov. 3 @ Notre Dame 2:30 pm (NBC)
Nov. 10 @ North Texas (CSTV)
Nov. 17 Northern Illinois 3:30 pm
Dec. 1 Army 12 pm (CBS) Baltimore
Delaware Record. (5 - 1)
Aug. 31 Delaware 49 @ William & Mary 31
Sept. 8 Delaware 41 West Chester 14
Sept. 15 Delaware 38 Rhode Island 9
Sept. 22 Delaware 37 Towson 7
Sept. 29 Delaware 42 Monmouth 7
Oct. 6 @ New Hampshire 35 Delaware 30
Oct. 13 Delaware 30 Northeastern 20
Oct. 27 @ Navy
GO NAVY BEAT the BLUE HENS!
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