Air Force Academy
Navy
Falcons Clipped By Navy, 28-25
10/4/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 4, 2003
By DAVID GINSBURG
AP Sports Writer
LANDOVER, Md. - Kyle Eckel ran for a career-high 176 yards and a touchdown, and Craig Candeto accounted for two scores as Navy shocked previously unbeaten Air Force 28-25 Saturday.
Navy (3-2) had lost six straight to the Falcons (5-1), including a 48-7 rout last year. But the Midshipmen never trailed after scoring two touchdowns in a 48-second span of the second quarter to go up 14-3.
The victory put Navy in excellent position to win the Commander-In-Chief's Trophy, awarded to the team with the best record in games between the three major service academies. Navy can collect the trophy for the first time since 1981 by beating Army on Dec. 6.
Air Force has captured the award every year since 1996, winning 12 straight games against its two biggest rivals before Saturday.
Navy went up 21-10 by moving 82 yards in 14 plays on the opening possession of the second half. The Midshipmen converted three third-down plays before Tony Lane caught a 10-yard touchdown pass - Candeto's first completion of the day.
But Candeto rushed for 65 yards, and the 28 points were the most by Navy against Air Force since 1993.
Air Force got to 21-18 when Brett Walker recovered a fumble by Falcons quarterback Chance Harridge in the end zone with 14:09 remaining and Joe Schieffer ran in the two-point conversion.
Navy answered with a 13-play, 71-yard drive in which Eckel gained 55 yards on eight carries. The junior fullback scored from the 4 on a fourth-and-1 giving Navy a 10-point cushion with 7:35 left.
Eckel carried 33 times, also a career high.
Harridge scored from the 1 with 20 seconds remaining to get the Falcons to 28-25, but Navy recovered the onsides kick.
The game, which featured the top two rushing teams in the nation (Navy was No. 1), attracted 30,623 to FedEx Field.
Air Force took the opening kickoff and moved 55 yards in 13 plays before being stopped on downs at the Navy 20. After forcing a punt the Falcons again held the ball for 13 plays, this time getting a 26-yard field goal by Joey Ashcroft.
The Midshipmen scored twice in rapid-fire fashion to go up by 11.
First, Navy put together a 15-play march that featured 14 runs - nine by Eckel and five by Candeto, who bulled into the end zone from the 2.
After the kickoff, Shalimar Brazier picked off a Harridge overthrow and returned it 28 yards to the Air Force 4, setting up a 3-yard TD run by Michael Brimage.
The Falcons responded with a 1-yard, fourth-down touchdown run by Harridge, and Ashcroft missed a 37-yard field goal in the final minute of the half.
