No. 25 Navy 75, Southern Methodist 31
Worth just keeps producing
QB rushes for 3 TDs, throws for 1; Mids to host Temple in AAC championship game
Worth rushed for 107 yards and passed for 104 yards while accounting for four touchdowns as Navy routed Southern Methodist, 75-31, on senior day at Gerald J. Ford Stadium. It was the most points scored by the Midshipmen since a 76-35 win against East Carolina in 2010.
Slotback Toneo Gulley ran for two touchdowns while outside linebacker Justin Norton returned an interception 26 yards for a score as the Mids improved to 9-2 overall, 7-1 in the American Athletic Conference.
“Just super proud of the way our team is fighting right now. I think we're improving as a team. I like where we are at this point in the season,” Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo said.
It was a seesaw affair for most of the first half, with Navy needing a late touchdown to take a 28-24 lead into the break. The Mids then outscored the Mustangs 28-0 in the third quarter to take control.
“I'm really proud of the way we kept fighting. At the beginning, we were going back and forth. Our guys stayed the course and were able to continue to score and get some breathing room,” Niumatalolo said.
As a result, Navy will host Temple in the AAC championship game Saturday at noon. That wasn't determined until the Owls (9-3, 7-1) beat East Carolina, 37-10, on Saturday night.
“All of our focus has been on being in this championship game,” Niumatalolo said. “We've been preparing the whole year for that, and fortunately things are working out.
Said Worth: “We're fired up. This is exactly where we wanted to be. For the entire offseason, this is what we worked for.”
Worth became the first player in Navy history to surpass 100 yards rushing and passing in three straight games. The 6-foot-1, 205-pound senior tied a school record with his seventh straight 100-yard rushing effort. The Florida native has scored a rushing touchdown in 11 straight games, three short of the program mark held by Keenan Reynolds.
“Will has been phenomenal the whole year. He's run the ball well, thrown the ball well — just playing really solid,” Niumatalolo said. “I'm running out of things to say about the kid. It's just week after week after week. He just continues to rise up to the challenge and perform well.”
Worth again orchestrated the triple-option offense to perfection as Navy gained 600 total yards. The Mids are averaging 52.6 points and 537.3 total yards over their past six conference games.
“Everything is rolling right now. We just have to keep it rolling for another few weeks,” said Worth, who completed five of seven passes.
Worth ran for three touchdowns and threw for one for Navy, which surpassed 60 points on consecutive games for the first time since 1917. The Mids were coming off a 66-31 destruction of East Carolina.
Quarterback Ben Hicks completed 31 of 44 passes for 331 yards and two touchdowns for Southern Methodist (5-7, 3-5), which failed in its bid to become bowl-eligible. Wide receiver Xavier Castille had eight catches for 86 yards and a score for the Mustangs.
Backup quarterback Zach Abey (Archbishop Spalding) came off the bench late in the third quarter and rushed for 103 yards. Abey set up a touchdown with a 55-yard run then scored on a 46-yard run as Navy poured it on during the fourth quarter after clearing the bench. The Mids scored 11 touchdowns, tying an AAC record set by Memphis earlier this season.
Navy's defense started the game the way it always does, by allowing a long touchdown drive. Hicks completed six of seven passes and Southern Methodist converted three times on third down in going 75 yards in 11 plays. Hicks found Sutton running open down the seam for a 19-yard scoring strike.
The Mids have given up a touchdown on the opponent's opening possession in seven straight games.
The Mustangs attempted a sky kickoff and it went out of bounds, giving the Mids the ball at their 49-yard line.
Navy needed just three plays to tie the score, with Worth finding a massive hole up the middle and racing untouched into the end zone for a 29-yard touchdown.
Southern Methodist failed to convert on fourth down at the Navy 44-yard line, and that gave the visitors great field position again. Worth found Dishan Romine open on a wheel route for a 21-yard gain to get the drive started and wound up scoring again on a quarterback keeper, this time from 5 yards out.
The Mustangs had to settle for a 26-yard field goal on their third possession, and that enabled the Mids to increase the lead.
Wide receiver Brandon Colon made a difficult catch along the sideline for a 35-yard gain, setting up a 4-yard scoring run by Gulley.
Gulley took a pitchout to the left side and could have walked into the end zone as there was no defender there. The touchdown made the score 21-10 at the 9:31 mark of the second quarter.
Just when it seemed the Mids might pull away, the Mustangs responded with back-to-back touchdowns for a 24-21 lead.
Navy got the ball with just over three minutes remaining and marched 73 yards in 12 plays to retake the lead going into halftime. Slotback Darryl Bonner made a terrific catch on a wheel route and the 27-yard gain brought the Mids into Southern Methodist territory.
Slotback Calvin Cass Jr. kept the drive alive by picking up 9 yards on third-and-4, then caught a 13-yard pass from Worth to set up first-and-goal from the 8. Worth then lofted a pass over the head of a defender and into the arms of wide receiver Jamir Tillman, who was wide open in the end zone.
Navy took total control of the game by outscoring Southern Methodist 28-0 in the third quarter. The Mids got the ball to start the second half and a 46-yard kickoff return by Bonner provided terrific field position.