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Wake Forest overwhelms Navy in second half to sink defenseless Mids, 44-24

Annapolis, MD – Defending ACC champion Wake Forest (5-2, 3-1 ACC) took advantage of three Navy turnovers after knocking starting QB Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada out of the game at the end of the first half to overwhelm Navy in the second half to win, 44-24. The Midshipmen defense tackled terribly as they had in the previous game against Pitt, and without their offensive leader, USNA could no longer go toe-to-toe with the Wake Forest offense that came in ranked 89^th in the nation in total offense. Navy (4-3) made them look much better than that! It was a record day for Wake WR Kenny Moore who set the school mark with 15 snags for 2 TDs and 181 yards. Wake QB Riley Skinner had lots of time to throw completing 22 of 28 passes for 213 yards.  RB Josh Adams ran around and through Navy’s front line for 131 yards.  Additionally, Navy’s kick return team gave the Demon Deacon’s great field position throughout the game.  For CollegeFootballFan.com, even though we’d seen games several times over the years, it was the first time since 2000 that we got to enjoy a night out on the town in Annapolis.  Guest Game Analyst Frank Lorito said that he’d definitely do it again, and on a bright, warm, breezy, sunny weekend, one couldn’t have picked a better time to watch a game at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium and to enjoy the downtown of Annapolis.

     Like the 48-45 win last week over Pitt, the two offenses started off with what looked like another see-saw battle going right to the end, but it was the WFU special teams that gave the Deacs the early edge. WR Kevin Marion returned the opening kickoff all the way to Navy’s seventeen.  Wake struck immediately with a 13-yard scoring pass to Moore, and Sam Swank’s PAT gave WFU a 7-0 lead 59 seconds into the game.  SB Reggie Campbell returned the following kick out to Navy’s forty-three.  The offense drove but couldn’t match Wake’s TD as PK Joey Bullen cut the lead, 7-3, with his 26-yard FG.  Marion returned the next kickoff across midfield again to Navy’s forty-seven.  Navy’s defense stayed consistent as they weakly tried to arm-tackle the Deacs on their initial hits just as they did against Pitt in their previous game.  WFU drove to the one where Frosh RB Josh Adams (27 carries for 131 yards, 1 TD) extended the Deacons’ lead, 14-3.  Zerbin Singleton returned the next Wake kick to start Navy’s offense on the forty-three once again. Kaheaku-Enhada score on a one-yard run to cap the drive and cut Wake’s lead back to four, 14-10 with :46 seconds in the first period indicating that the two offenses would seemingly have their ways with the defenses. Navy’s ensuing kick-off by Bullen, who replaced the original PK, Matt Harmon, went through the end zone.  Navy fans were ecstatic.

     At the start of the second period, Navy’s defense reaped the benefit of two consecutive misplayed passes by Wake.  A 57-yard FG attempt by Swank, with a good breeze at his back on this beautiful October afternoon, fell short, and Navy took over again at its own forty.  Just like the Pitt game, Navy’s triple-option offense looked unstoppable.  SB Shun White took a pitch on an option play throwing out a stiff arm  as he went around the left side from the seven for a Navy TD and a 17-14 lead.  Our predictions for a high-scoring close game to the end still looked inevitable.  The Mids' defense let the Deacs move easily into scoring position once again, and Swank evened the score 17-17 with his 32-yard FG.  Navy’s offensive fortunes took a turn for the worse on its ensuing possession when Kaheaku-Enhada started to option left and reversed field 180 degrees to meet head-on with Wake LB Aaron Curry. The QB bent low to take the solid hit from the hard-running Curry, and it laid him down and out for the rest of the game.  Post-game reports called it a stinger and that  Kaheaku-Enhada would return next week for Navy’s game against Delaware, but for this game, he was done.  JR QB Jarrod Bryant, whom we saw lead a quick drive in Navy’s game against Rutgers early this season came in to replace him, but to make a bad situation worse, Bryant dropped back to pass, pulled his arm back as he was sacked by CB Alphonso Smith who forced a fumble. DE Matt Robinson picked the ball up and ran it in for a seven-yard score to give Wake a 24-17 advantage. Bryant could not get the offense moving on the subsequent series and punted. From their own twenty-four, Wake ran through Navy’s feeble defense once again to get to the Navy nine.  Swank’s 26-yarder went through the uprights as the first half expired to give Wake a 10-point lead, 27-17.

     Navy’s Drum & Bugle Corps, champions of a recent military academy D&B competition performed at the half finishing with their traditional “Anchors Aweigh” and “The Marine Corps Hymn”.  USNA honored members of its 2006-7 Varsity Wrestling team who finished 18^th in the nation for their best finish since 1990.  Navy Wives who run support services for families of sailors while they are away on duty were introduced and honored by the crowd.  Crews from a few ships moored in Chesapeake Bay for the weekend were also welcomed among the Homecoming crowd of 36,992, second largest at Navy-Marine Corps Stadium.  Before the game, four AV-8 Harriers from the “Hawks” of Marine Attack Training Squadron 203 flew over the stadium.  Among the four pilots who graduated from USNA was Brad Wimsatt, 2000 Navy football captain and brother of current OLB Matt Wimsatt.  We saw Brad’s team lose to Toledo 35-10 that year, the last time we spent any time in Annapolis.  Navy finished that season 1-10 with their lone win over 1-10 Army. Matt, a senior, has enjoyed a much better football career at Navy to say the least.

     Bryant (16 carries for 56 yards) seemed ready to take control to begin Q3 as he set up a TD with his 43-yard run to the twelve on Navy’s next possession.  White (7 rushes for 63 yards, 2 TDs) broke a tackle on the next play for a 12-yard TD run which seemed to get Navy right back into the game, 27-24.  After a short, high kickoff into the wind that was fair caught, Wake methodically drove 60 yards through Navy’s porous defense.  RB Micah Andrews scored on a run from the two to lift Wake Forest back to a 34-24 lead.  An unusual thing happened on Navy’s next drive which seemed destined for the end zone once again.  FB Eric Kettani (14 carries for 75 yards) fumbled the ball and the Demon Deacons had possession again at their own 20.  Navy’s defense bent again but didn’t completely break, but Swank took advantage of a good breeze from the north once again with a 52-yard FG.  Wake now led 37-24, but GGA Frank Lorito agreed that one Navy TD could keep the Mids in the game by cutting the lead to six with plenty of time remaining in the third.  However, Navy gave the ball away again as Bryant mishandled the snap.  The Deacs took over at Navy’s 39 before the third quarter ended. 

      On the opening play of the final stanza, a Navy DB mis-timed what looked like an an INT that could have been returned all the way, and instead, Moore hauled it in and ran the ball into the end zone for a 23-yard touchdown.  The Deacons were in command over Navy, 44-24.  A roughing the kicker call against Wake kept Navy’s next drive alive, but Navy misfired at the WFU 15 on a fourth and goal to give the ball up.  Wake punted for the first time in the game from the twenty-two.  Navy started at the Wake thirty-six, but a sack on fourth and fourteen provided the ball to the Deacs one more time.  The Wake offense had no problem moving the ball one final time against a hapless Navy defense who was missing two defensive returnees from last year in this game – LB Clint Sovie and DB Ketric Buffin – who are injured.  But, give WFU Head Coach Jim Grobe a lot of credit.  As easily as his team could have scored again, he had them take a knee to kill the clock on their last plays knowing that the Deacons had already proven who was the better team on this day.  It was a class move by a good coach who is turning things around at what was once the doormat of ACC football.

     Wake takes the 44-24 win and heads into four consecutive weeks of ACC competition before finishing with improving Vanderbilt.  Navy hosts a dangerous 6-1 and 14^th-ranked Championship Subdivision Delaware next weekend. It’s interesting to note that Delaware had an off week this past Saturday. As a matter of fact, UD is one of four of the five remaining teams left on Navy’s schedule who has an off week before playing the Mids.  Everyone must figure they need extra time to prep for their unique offense.  Wake had extra time as well since they beat Florida State on the Thursday after the night Navy beat Pitt.  Temple and Pitt had extra time as well, and Navy beat both of them. For Navy, they hope to have Kaheaku-Enhada back right away.  He was thrown into the offense after SR QB Brian Hampton was lost for the season against Rutgers in 2006.  As for CollegeFootballFan.com, if you can believe this, this is the BIG ONE!!!  Idaho at Nevada in Reno!!! Say what?  If you’ve been paying attention, this gets us to OUR GOAL!  Seeing these two teams completes our mission to see every 1A (now Bowl Subdivision) play at least once.  WE’RE FINALLY HERE!!!  But as you can imagine, that’s not going to stop us from continuing to see any more games.  Watch out and stay tuned!

Extra Points: Unbelievable!  Nowhere in the thick, heavy, 240-page Navy Football Gameday Program do we find WFU Head Coach Jim Grobe mentioned once! He and his staff are not even included on the team roster!

 Things probably would have been better for USNA if Roger Staubach had been there.  As reported in the past, he not only attended the 48-45 Pitt game we attended, but he was also in Stillwater, OK when we saw OSU beat Texas Tech, 49-45. Had he been here, the offensive chemistry probably would have been much better for Navy!  CFF and Roger combine for great offensive battles!

 We saw Navy LB Clint Sovie on crutches along the sideline.  He hobbled out of the game at Rutgers and never returned.

 Parking at the Riva Road park-ride is a good, Navy deal. It’s free, easy, and the drivers know the short cuts to beat the game day traffic.  If you get the right driver, he plays some pretty good Blues music on the way over.

 Wake is 3-0 in the annals of CFF history.  We’ve seen road wins at Richmond, Army, and now Navy.  With an improving program, we may want to go see them play at Winston-Salem one of these years.

 In addition to the Alma mater, “Navy Blue and Gold”, sung traditionally after the game by the Brigade, for the first time when we were there, the Navy choir sang “Eternal Father”, the Navy Hymn, before the game.  In another show of class, the Wake Forest team stood alongside the Navy players after the game while the Brigade sang the alma mater.

 We toured the class monuments in the Stadium right after the game.  You need a few hours to take in all the history on those walls.  It’s a great place to see a game.  We also noted that aside from the BYOB (bring your own blanket) seats on the hill and the Midshipman cheering section, all the seats in NAVY-MC have backs. That’s great!

 We enjoyed dinner actually sitting outdoors Saturday evening at the Middleton Tavern in downtown Annapolis.  Great Rockfish – state fish of  Maryland!  No idea until the next day that the delicious fish’s preservation is one of President Bush’s primary agendas.  He wants to make it a game fish and ban all commercial harvesting. He happened to be in nearby St’ Michael’s, MD on a beautiful Saturday afternoon in late October fishing along the Chesapeake.

 Only disappointment with downtown Annapolis this trip was that the city pier was closed due to some construction going on.  Not only is there sometimes entertainment by local there, but you get a great view of all the sail boats and yachts in the harbor. Lunch on Sunday was at Phillips Seafood House near the end of the pier.  The terrace windows were wide open to take advantage of the weather.

 Stopped by an old favorite stomping ground, Fran O’Brien’s, Saturday night, where we’ve never eaten, but it brought back memories.  Couldn’t get a table there so we walked up to the Ram’s Head (Fordham Brewery?) on West Street where we got a table to watch college football and the ALCS.

 On Sunday, we took a self-tour of the Yard as the museum at Preble Hall didn’t open until 11 am.  We watched sail boats prepping for a race out along the sea wall and could see silhouettes of two Navy ships at anchor out in the Chesapeake. The museum is full of historical artifacts, pictures, and displays of US Naval history.  As you walk through, it takes you through a chronological history of the Navy from its early formation to the Space program and wars in the Middle East.  Several displays depict heroic feats of USNA grads who lost lives in action.  Included may be the grads uniform or some other personal item.  It makes the sacrifices these guys make very real.  The museum is worth a trip in itself.

 Since we’ll have “seen ‘em all” at the end of this season, we’ll have flexibility in picking games and venues we "want" to attend in coming years.  We hope to go back to Annapolis again next season.   We’ll think about Pitt or SMU in October again next year, but another wild thought is having the Big Tailgate Party early on August 30 when Navy meets Towson before the kids go back to school.  We’ll see.  Wake and Air Force play at Annapolis in 2009.