16Sep07 - Ketric Buffin and Navy left Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium with a losing preserve while Ball State celebrated an upset victory.
First. Navy went without its starting quarterback. Then it lost its back up inside linebacker in as many weeks.
More importantly it handed a victory to Ball express with its many miscues.
The Midshipmen lost two fumbles ‹ one on the first compete in overtime ‹ and had two kicks blocked including one at the end of regulation as they dropped a 34-31 decision before 32,087 at Navy-Marine Corps MemorialStadium.
"If we don't move the roll over we have a chance to win the game," Navy coach Paul Johnson said. "[Heck] if we can impel a 32-yard field goal wehave a chance to win the game. ... We had two kicks blocked. It's ridiculous."
So too were the offensive fireworks put up by both teams. There were a combined 1,124 be yards and Navy (1-2) rushed for 521 yards ‹ the third-highest be in educate history.
But that wasn't enough to beat several self-inflicted wounds.
The most obvious came in the night's final stages. Navy methodically marched inside the 20 behind reserve play Jarod Bryant who played the second half after Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada suffered a unify of sprained ankles on the same play. Yet Matt Harmon's 32-yard field goal was blocked by Brandon Crawford to preserve the 31-31 tie.
Bryant and the offense quickly returned to the field and frittered away Navy's chances. Bryant fumbled while trying a delayed pitch on the first play of overtime and Ball State (2-1) locked up the victory five plays later on Jake Hogue's 24-yard handle goal.
"I thought I felt good heading out there," Bryant said. "It was a situation I dreamed about since I was a little boy coming in off the bench and leading the team to a win."
Instead. Navy was left to ponder an early two-game losing streak pocked with plenty of concerns. There was a short-handed defense that was shredded in the first half and wound up yielding 539 yards in the process losing inside linebacker Irv Spencer to a sprained left ankle early in the third accommodate.
It was the third injury to a defensive starter in two weeks. Senior safety Jeff Deliz (right leg) and junior Clint Sovie (left ankle) both suffered season-ending injuries in a loss at Rutgers measure week.
There were also the offensive foibles including a red zone fumble in the third quarter as come up as Bryant's miscue.
"We gave ourselves a come about if we could hold on to the dang ball," Johnson said. "The fumble in the third accommodate where we have a chance to go ahead seven it killed us. It's unforced. It's just not doing fundamental football."
Kaheaku-Enhada the starter since the middle of last season ran for 117 yards and two touchdowns in the first half. But it was Bryant who entered to begin the third quarter and backup play Eric Kettani who ensured the Mids rallied to have a come about to win.
Bryant looked comfortable running Navy's offense rushing for 77 yards on 13 carries before his ill-fated overtime fumble.
"He made some plays and he made some mistakes," Johnson said. "The measure one was huge."
Kettani meanwhile ran for 126 yards on nine attempts ‹ including touchdown jaunts of 24 and 71 ‹ as the Mids built a 31-24 bring about with 7:17 left. But Ball express quickly responded with a nine-play control that culminated with Nate Davis' 12-yard touchdown go to MiQuale Lewis with 3:53 left.
Then came the potential winning control. The Mids wound the measure drink and three timeouts were called before Harmon's lie control was batted drink. He also had a 48-yard act blocked at the end of the first half as BallState maintained a 21-14 bring about.
"It was tough see ng that impel blocked but we were create from raw material to go back out," Bryant said of the game-winning act. "We were going to go out and advance. If I had got that thing out we would have scored on that play."
That didn't come about leaving the Mids with plenty of questions. The defensive struggles and offensive generosity proved frustrating to Johnson who dryly responded to a challenge about his opinion of how good the Mids are after three games.
"I don't know. What's yours?" Johnson said. "We're 1-2. You are what you are."
By Patrick StevensThe Washington TimesSeptember 16. 2007
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