Game 601: Navy subdues Tulane Green Wave, 41-38, on field goal as time expires
Annapolis, MD – The Midshipmen of Navy (6-1, 4-1) relinquished a 24-0 second period lead to Tulane who tied the score at 31-all with 1:01 remaining in the game. A drive of 44 yards to the Green Wave 31 resulted in a 48-yard FG by Navy Frosh PK Bijan Nichols to win the game with no time remaining, 41-38. As Guest Game Analyst Paul Fraley surmised, he felt like he had watched three different games in one afternoon. For Collegefootballfan.com, the first game of our next 600 got us off to an explosive start!
Winning the early two-front war
The Mids controlled the line of scrimmage from both sides until a few minutes into the second period. Navy literally raced off to a 21-0 lead in the first period on the legs of FB Jamale Carouthers (14 carries for 154 yards, three TDs; one catch, 31 yards, one TD). Carouthers burst up the middle through the line of scrimmage on dives for 52 yards and from 35 yards out untouched on consecutive drives for the Mids’ first two scores. The subsequent drive finished with Carouthers catching a short pass over the middle from QB Malcolm Perry (two for seven passing, 69 yards, one TD) for a 31-yard score. Tulane’s first three possessions netted only 12 yards on nine plays.
The Green Wave tide turns
Nichols added three more to start the second period with a 31-yard FG to widen the margin for the Mids, 24-0. The Mids looked primed to enjoy a shocking romp over their American Athletic foes from New Orleans. Suddenly, the Green Wave (5-3,2-2) looked like they figured how to take advantage of some Navy defensive weaknesses, like the lack of speed in their secondary. QB Justin McMillan (20 for 29, 290 yards, three TDs, two INTs) finalized a 79-yard drive with a one-yard TD run.
Some very satisfactory smiles showed up along the Tulane sideline. On their next possession, McMillan found WR Darnell Mooney near the left goal line pylon for a 22-yard score. Grins grew wider as our tailgate cohorts “Navy Al” and his friend Wayne who sit in the first row behind the visitors’ bench confirmed they could see the confidence take over on the Green Wave sideline right before them. Green Wave offensive players coming off the field picked up newly found energy to get back into this game that had started out as an onslaught.
Tulane’s defensive team fed off that energy as well. The Navy offense that looked unstoppable on their first four possessions, punted the ball away twice in the second. Taking the second to start from their 13, McMillan’s pass got tipped into the air by his intended receiver, and Navy LB Diego Fagot snatched it away and rumbled 17 yards to give Navy a 31-14 lead before the half. It felt like that should have broken Tulane’s spirit, and Navy would once again take control. The Wave would receive the opening kick off to start the third. Which way would the momentum swing?
Ebb and flow
Big Mo seemed to swing to Tulane until their initial possession came up short of a score when Navy DB Michael Morris intercepted McMillan to take over from the Navy two. The turnover only delayed Tulane’s next score until after USNA’s ensuing punt. The Green Wave drove 46 yards to set up a five-yard TD pass from McMillan to Jaetavian Toles to cut Navy’s lead, 31-21. Tulane’s defense continued to knock Navy off track when PJ Hall picked off Perry’s lob of a pass and returned it to the Mids’ 39. The Green Wave converted the take-away into six points when McMillan sprinted left to complete a TD pass to a diving Ygenio Booker for a two-yard score to trail only by 31-28 early heading into the final period.
Game “three”
Early in the fourth, Tulane forced Navy into a three-and out once again, and then converted it into Merek Glover’s 39-yard FG to even the score. This is when the third game that Paul mentioned began. The TU comeback sparked Navy’s offense back into action. On the next Mid drive, Perry (22 rushes for 142 yards) converted two fourth and ones from his team’s 34 and 45 into first downs on two two-yard dives. On the very next play after the second conversion, he broke tackles in the backfield and picked up 38 yards to the Tulane 15. The ball went back to Carouthers who rumbled on the next play for his fourth score to give the Naval Academy back the lead with 5:35 remaining.
Tulane fought right back starting from its 23. On a third and two at the Midshipmen’s 20, McMillan completed a pass to Mooney (five catches for 112 yards, one TD) at the one-yard line. McMillan took it for the score to get within one. HC Willie Fritz called for the kicking unit to enter the field to tie. The score was locked at 38-38 with 1:01 left.
The ensuing kick went through the end zone to put Navy on their 25. Completing only two of seven passes on the day, HC Ken Niumatatolo decided to rely on Perry’s legs rather than his arm to move the team towards a last-minute score. Perry dropped back to look down field on several plays, but he tucked it and carried the ball for 44 yards on five carries to the Tulane 31. Fritz called a final time-out to “ice” Nichols with :02 left, but it didn’t work. The first-year kicker put it up like a seasoned vet from 48 yards to not only give Navy a hard-fought, exciting win, but to give them their sixth victory to make them bowl eligible after missing that mark a season ago. Serious celebrating took place on the field before the traditional playing of “Navy Blue and Gold!”
Next!
Navy heads north this Friday night to meet UConn (2-6,0-4). We at CFF.com had planned to go, but a family matter came up and we opted to skip this one. Also, we’ve seen too many one-sided games this season and would prefer not to drive three hours, watch a weak team play a strong one, and then beat traffic out late in the evening to stay at a hotel (maybe I am getting old). We will root for Navy from afar to win this one and hope they stand up to Notre Dame two weeks later. On October 23, we will be back in Annapolis again to see them play currently undefeated No. 15 SMU in a game that could have American Athletic West implications.
Tulane hangs in to face Tulsa at home next week. There’s a possibility we may see the Green Wave visit Temple on November 16 if it works out with a second game we want to attend nearby that day.
As for CFF.com, this Saturday we head to Cambridge, Massachusetts to witness a key Ivy League contest between undefeated and FCS No. 14 Dartmouth (6-0, 3-0) play Harvard (4-2,2-1). Harvard returns off a 30-24 loss to No. 12 Princeton who will meet Dartmouth at Yankee Stadium the following week. This game celebrates the 150th anniversary of college football though Princeton played Rutgers in that first-ever college football game. If Dartmouth wins this week and Princeton defeats Cornell this Friday, that celebratory game will be for the Ivy League championship. The Princeton Tigers defeated Dartmouth last season 14-9 to finish 10-0 while the Big Green suffered its only loss in a 9-1 season.
Ranked and Undefeated
Despite attending some one-sided games as previously mentioned, we at collegefootballfan.com have seen some of the best of the best play this season. We have seen six undefeated teams play thus far, and as mentioned have two more coming up on our schedule – Dartmouth and SMU. In addition, at the FBS level among nine undefeated teams, we’ve seen both No. 5 Penn State and No. 13 Minnesota. Of course, that will change in two weeks. Both have bye weeks this weekend before the Nittany Lions head to Minneapolis to play the Golden Gophers. Only three undefeateds remain in the FCS – Princeton, Dartmouth, and North Dakota State. We’ve already seen Princeton beat Butler and NDSU defeat Delaware. If Princeton gets by Dartmouth, we plan to see them again when they host Yale.
At the D2 level, the No. 18 Kutztown Golden Bears (8-0, 7-0) of the PSAC remain undefeated knocking off some top competition already. They face another test this Saturday visiting the West Chester Golden Rams (7-1,6-1) ranked in D2 as No. 22 after suffering their first loss last week to Shepherd. Kutztown already defeated Shepherd (6-2,6-1), 34-27. Some big games are coming up for eight undefeated teams remaining that are on our schedule this season. Maybe we’ll add one or two more if we attend a CFP game later this year.
