Navy runs through East Carolina

The Navy Midshipmen and the East Carolina Pirates square off today in a college football schedule game between two teams which each have a single win on the young season. Reynolds directed three straight touchdown drives while the Pirates could not keep pace, missing a field goal and being forced to punt on consecutive possessions.

Quarterback Keenan Reynolds didn’t get caught up in the anticipation and pageantry leading to the Navy football team’s inaugural conference game following 134 years an independent.

“He’s so business-like and gets things done”, Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo said.

ECU (1-2) had just five possessions each half, and the last of those came with just 35 seconds to play.

“We didn’t score enough and we knew going into the game we would have to capitalize on our possessions because they don’t make a lot of mistakes, ” Kemp said. We did work in the fall.

“Kenny’s done a great job of building a program that is strong year-in and year-out”.

Reynolds finished with 142 yards on 24 carries. His five rushing touchdowns is also an American Athletic Conference record. Reynolds obliged by giving the ball to fullbacks Chris Swain, Quentin Ezell and Shawn White, who teamed for 192 yards rushing and four touchdowns. “Coach Smith has been in this game a long time, ” Niumatalolo said. They’re a hard team to stop, and they’re a good team. We didn’t come out and play like we were supposed to.

“It’s a huge game for us. We’ll just see what they are doing and adjust from there”. It all comes down to basic execution. Isaiah Jones caught 10 passes for 130 yards.

Reynolds, already the NCAA all-time leader in rushing TDs by a quarterback, ranks fourth on the career rushing touchdown list behind former Texas running back Ricky Williams (75). “Just really proud of all of our team”. “You’ve got to learn as a football team that all three sides have got to play together at all times and feed off of one another”. The Navy Midshipmen are 8-5 and 6-7 against the spread. “He understands that offense as well as any quarterback I’ve seen”, East Carolina head coach Ruffin McNeill said. “We took care of the ball and didn’t let their offense on the field”. Kemp connected with wide receiver Jimmy Williams on a 2-yard jump ball into the corner of the end zone to tie the score at 7.

Playing their American Athletic Conference opener in front of an announced crowd of 34,717 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, the Midshipmen built a 21-point cushion in the first half behind three short touchdown runs from Reynolds.

ECU answered with Kemp spreading the ball to five different receivers on an 11-play, 75-yard drive. On the next snap, Kemp completed a 17-yard touchdown pass to tight end Bryce Williams, and East Carolina was right back in it.

Navy turned the ball over on downs on its second possession of the third quarter as well, due largely to Reynolds losing the ball while attempting to pass. Reynolds recovered his own fumble, but the 11-yard loss scuttled the drive.

Navy extended the lead to 28-7 on a 13-play, 85-yard drive that ended when Swain scored on a 4-yard TD run. Chris Swain accounted for 28 of those yards on six carries, including the final four yards. Facing fourth-and-1 at the Navy 41-yard line, Navy sacked Kemp to put an end to ECU’s drive. Will Anthony stuffed Kemp on a 4th and 1 and then recovered a fumble on the Pirates’ 17-yard line on a sack by Amos Mason.

The Midshipmen needed four plays – and one ECU penalty – to punch it in with Reynolds scoring from the 1 on the second play of the fourth quarter for his fourth of the day. While Kemp has completed nearly 70 percent of his passes through two games, most have come on short or intermediate routes. Tyler Goble’s first career interception set up Austin Grebe’s 25-yard field goal to round out the scoring.

The contest against the Midshipmen will temporarily halt ECU’s two-game slate against Power Five members as the Pirates will host the Virginia Tech Hokies at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium next week before returning to league play by visiting SMU in Dallas on October, 3.

The game kicks off at 3:30 p.m.in Annapolis on Saturday. “I thought we played well in all phases”.