Game 558: Navy blows by Virginia in the Military Bowl, 49-7
Annapolis, Maryland – The Virginia Cavaliers showed up with the dominant fan base at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium among a paid crowd of 35,791, and kick returner Joe Reed throttled the Mids on the opening kickoff for a 98-yard touchdown in Collegefootballfan.com’s Game 558. The Cavs looked like they were going to be a formidable foe for the Mids today as both came in with records of 6-6 overall. However, Reed’s explosive jaunt would be Virginia’s only score of the day. Navy came right back and dominated the Orange and Blue with 452 yards on the ground compared to 175 yards of total offense for UVA to wallop them in the Military Bowl sponsored by Northrop- Grumman, 49-7.
Our pal, Navy Al, a civil war re-enactor, thought he recognized this Cavalier from some of his “battles”, only he was wearing gray. When Al saw him leading the charge at us, I think I heard him murmur from behind , “Fix bayonets.”
No air, just ground
Navy never attempted a pass with either QB Malcolm Perry or Zach Abey. Perry carried 16 times for 114 yards and two TD runs of 22 and 19 yards before suffering a leg injury in the second period. Abey, the starter early in the season, garnered MVP honors with 88 yards on 13 carries and scored five times with runs from the one three times, the five, and the 20.
Zach Abey carries the ball for one of his five TDs.
No O at all
Earlier in the season, we watched Virginia defeat Georgia Tech, another triple option team, 40-36. The Cavs won behind a strong passing performance by QB Kurt Benkert. We saw totally the opposite in game 558. He not only threw poorly, but his receivers dropped catchable balls when he was on target. Benkert finished with 16 completions on 36 attempts for 145 yards and one interception. Navy’s defense held the Cavalier rushing game to only 30 yards. In the secondary, the Mid coaching staff rotated players effectively for better coverage than displayed in the latter part of the 2017 season, something that they will probably focus on for the 2018 season.
Malcolm Perry scores one of his two TDs early in the Military Bowl Navy Victory.
More to look forward to
Collegefootballfan.com plans to attend Navy games again next season with a ticket package to tailgate with good friends again for more good times in Annapolis when the Mids host Lehigh, Temple, Memphis, Tulsa, and Houston before the arch-rivalry against Army in Philly again. Brian Donnelly, Navy Al, and Jay along with other friends tailgated with too much food and drink to consume before this one despite the cold but sunny weather. After this game, we departed for our third bowl game within 48 hours to see Wake Forest clash with Texas A&M at the Belk Bowl in Charlotte, NC.
Cavalier fans showed up in large numbers for the Military Bowl a short drive away from their home state. Most would leave early as the temps got colder and the Navy margin of victory much wider.