Navy Leads The Nation In Attendance In Men’s And Women’s Lacrosse

ANNAPOLIS, Md.—The Navy men’s and women’s lacrosse programs led the nation in attendance during the 2013 season. The Navy men averaged 3,860 fans per game in six dates, while the Navy women averaged 1,345 fans in 15 dates. Syracuse finished second in men’s attendance (3,859), while Northwestern was second in women’s attendance (1,018).

2013 Men’s Lacrosse Top Attendance Figures

1. Navy-3,860

2. Syracuse-3,859

3. Maryland-3,643

4. Cornell-3,114

5. Army-2,929

2013 Women’s Lacrosse Top Attendance Figures\

1. Navy-1,345

2. Northwestern-1,018

3. Maryland-998

4. Virginia-834

5. Loyola-765

Game Preview
• After playing its last three games on the road, the Navy men’s lacrosse team returns home to Annapolis where it will play host to No. 1-ranked Maryland on Friday … the 88th meeting between the Mids and the Terps is slated for a 7:06 pm faceoff at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
• The Midshipmen are coming off a 12-7 loss to 18th-ranked Lehigh last Saturday in Bethlehem, Pa.  After trading goals in the opening minutes, the Mountain Hawks went on a 5-0 run and would not relinquish the lead.  Junior attackman Sam Jones played a role in six of the seven goals for the Mids.
• Friday’s contest marks the first time Navy has been matched up against the No. 1-ranked team in the country since dropping a 9-8 overtime decision to Johns Hopkins on April 23, 2005.  Meanwhile, the Mids’ lone documented win over a top-ranked team was a 9-6 win over Maryland in 2004.
• Meanwhile, Maryland bounced back from its 10-8 loss to ACC rival North Carolina by dealing 17th-ranked Virginia a 9-7 loss in Charlottesville last weekend.  Sophomore attackman Jay Carlson scored three goals and junior goalie Niko Amato made 14 saves to help secure the win for the Terps.
• Friday’s contest will be televised by CBS Sports Network with Dave Ryan (play by play) and Evan Washburn (analyst) calling the action.

Navy vs. Maryland – The Series
• Friday’s contest between Navy and Maryland marks the 68th-consecutive year the two programs have met … it’s the second-longest continuous lacrosse series between Navy and another opponent … only Army has played Navy longer (next week is the 81st-straight year the two have met).
• Maryland leads the series, 53-33-1, however, the Midshipmen have won five of the last nine contests, including two of the last four games played in Annapolis (2004, ‘09).
• Maryland also holds a 28-20-1 series advantage over the Mids in games played in Annapolis.
• Eight of the last 14 games played between the two teams have been decided by one goal, including four of the last eight meetings … meanwhile, five of the last seven games played in Annapolis have been decided by two or fewer goals.
• Navy’s 9-6 win over Maryland in 2004 is the only document win by the Mids over a No. 1-ranked opponent in program history.

Scouting the Terps
• Under the direction of third-year head coach John Tillman, Maryland enters Friday’s contest ranked No. 1 in the nation with a 7-1 record.  The Terps’ lone loss this season was a 10-8 loss to North Carolina in College Park two weeks ago.
• The Terps are ranked among the nation’s top 10 in nine statistical categories, including shot percentage (37.3) where they lead the country.  Maryland not only boasts the third-ranked scoring offense, averaging 13.38 goals per game, it also stands No. 3 in scoring defense, holding its opponents to 7.25 goals per contest.
• Loyola is the only team who has scored double figures against the Terps this season and even a 10-goal performance by the Greyhounds would not be enough in a 12-10 Maryland victory.  No other team has scored more than 8 against the Terps this season.
• Meanwhile, Maryland has scored double figures in 6 of its 8 games.  North Carolina held the Terps to 8 in a 10-8 upset, while Maryland scored 9 in its 2-goal win over Virginia a week ago.
• Six players have scored double-digit goals for Maryland this season, including senior midfielder Kevin Cooper who leads the team in goals (15), assists (13) and points (28).  Sophomore attackman Jay Carlson has also punched in a team-high tying 15 goals.
• Junior Niko Amato has been nearly flawless this season in goal for the Terps where he is ranked fourth nationally with a 7.09 goals-against average and seventh in save percentage (60.0).
• Faceoff specialist Charlie Raffa has been spot-on this spring where he has won 82 of the 143 draws he has taken this spring for a 57.3 percentage.  He is ranked 12th nationally and with a 7.13 ground balls per game average, he is 10th.
• All-American long pole Jesse Bernhardt has registered 12 caused turnovers and 32 ground balls, while defenseman Michael Ehrhardt owns 36 ground balls and nine takeaways.

Program Ties
• Third-year Maryland head coach John Tillman served as an assistant coach at the Naval Academy from 1996-07 and was the offensive coordinator his last six years … Tillman was on staff during the Mids’ memorable Memorial Day ride in 2004 when Navy faced Syracuse in the National Championship Game.
• One of Tillman’s pupils at the Academy, J.L. Reppert (Class of 1999), is in his second season as an assistant coach at his alma mater … Reppert also served as an assistant on Tillman’s coaching staff at Harvard in 2009 … Tillman was also an assistant coach at Navy when current volunteer assistant coach Mickey Jarboe, Class of 2000, enjoyed a stellar career at the Academy as a two-time All-American and Kelly Award winner.
• Maryland grad and Terrapin associate head coach Ryan Moran spent three seasons (2006-08) as an assistant coach for the Midshipmen … Moran also served as the head coach at the Naval Academy Prep School during the 2005 campaign.
• Moran and second-year Navy assistant coach Ryan Wellner are both graduates of Chaminade High School … Wellner was a senior (‘96) when Moran was a freshman (‘99) … Moran’s father, Jack, gave Wellner his first coaching position in 2003 at Chaminade.
• Maryland junior midfielder Mike Chanenchuk’s father, Mike, was a three-time All-American for the Midshipmen from 1977-79 … the elder Chanenchuk was a member of four NCAA semifinalist teams and served as co-captain of the 1979 squad that ironically dropped a 15-10 decision in the NCAA semifinals to the Terps.

Home Field Advantage
• 2013 marks the 52nd season Navy has played at least one game at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
• Navy owns a 44-20 record (68.8) in games played at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium since the start of the 2004 campaign, outscoring its foes, 693-473.
• Since playing its entire home schedule at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium beginning in 2004, Navy has lost back-to-back games at home just 5 times … in 2006, the Mids lost to Georgetown, 9-5, and then suffered a 9-8 setback against Johns Hopkins … in 2008, Navy again lost regular-season decisions to the Hoyas and Blue Jays before the Mids’ season concluded with a 10-4 loss to Hopkins in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament … Navy lost back-to-back home games in 2010 to Loyola, 8-7 OT, and North Carolina, 11-4 … in 2011, Navy dropped a one-goal decision to Colgate, a 10-4 contest to No. 7 Maryland and a 14-9 decision to Army … last season, the Mids dropped a one-goal heart breaker to fourth-ranked North Carolina and followed up with a 14-9 loss to Bucknell in the league opener.
• In its 106-year history, Navy has lost 3 straight home games just 5 times …
1980    #1 Virginia, #2 Johns Hopkins, #9 N. Carolina
1985    Washington College, N. Carolina, Army
2003    #13 Rutgers, Air Force, #4 Georgetown,
#4 Maryland
2008    #4 Georgetown, #7 Johns Hopkins,
#4 Johns Hopkins
2011    Colgate, #7 Maryland, #17 Army
… and four-straight home games just once
2003    #13 Rutgers, Air Force, #4 Georgetown,
#4 Maryland
• The 2003 campaign marks the only season in which Navy has lost 4 straight home games at the stadium.
• Having played at least a game a year at the stadium for 42 consecutive years, Navy stepped away in 2003, allowing for state-of-the-art renovations to take place, including the Field Turf surface and two video boards … Navy has played all of its home games at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium since the beginning of the 2004 campaign.
• Navy had won 20 consecutive home games against Patriot League foes before dropping a 10-9 decision to Colgate in 2009.
• Opponents have scored double digits against the Mids just 15 times in games played on their home field over the last 10 seasons … Navy has held 21 of its 65 opponents to five or fewer goals since 2004 in games played at home (includes 2010 game vs. VMI played at Rip Miller Field).

Navy Announces 2013 Football Schedule

ANNAPOLIS, Md.—The Navy football team, coming off an 8-5 campaign that saw the Mids win the Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy for the eighth time in the last 10 years and appear in a bowl game for the ninth time in the last 10 years, will face a challenging 2013 schedule that includes seven bowl teams from 2012 including a Notre Dame team that played for the BCS National Championship.

The Mids have an attractive five game home schedule in Annapolis that includes games against Service Academy rival Air Force, Pittsburgh, in its first year in the ACC, on Homecoming and Football Championship Subdivision power and local rival Delaware.  The annual Army-Navy Game Presented by USAA, which is the greatest rivalry in all of sports, will be played on Dec. 14 in Philadelphia.

“This will once again be an incredibly challenging schedule for our football team,” said Navy head football coach Ken Niumatalolo.  “With seven teams on our schedule that went to bowl games a year ago and with four teams from BCS conferences on the schedule, our young men will have to work extremely hard this offseason to accomplish all of our goals next year.  I think we have a great home schedule and I hope our fans and the Brigade will be excited about the quality games we are playing at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, as we will need that home field advantage.”

Navy kicks off the 2013 campaign on Sept. 7 when the Mids travel to Bloomington, Ind. to take on the Indiana Hoosiers of the Big 10.  It will be the latest Navy has started a season since 1998 when the Mids opened at Wake Forest on Sept. 10. Meanwhile, it will mark Navy’s first trip to Bloomington since 1986.   Last year, Navy rallied for a thrilling 31-30 victory over Indiana in Annapolis.

The Mids return to Annapolis the following Saturday (Sept. 14) to take on Delaware in the home opener.  This will be the sixth meeting between the two squads since 2003 with Navy holding a slim 3-2 advantage over the Blue Hens.

After an off week, Navy travels to Bowling Green, Ky. to take on the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers and first-year head coach Bobby Petrino.  Western Kentucky was 7-6 last year including a loss to Central Michigan in the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl.  Western Kentucky will be the first of six-straight opponents that participated in a bowl game a year ago.

Air Force comes to Annapolis (Oct. 5) the following week as Navy will look to defend its title as the top Service Academy football team in the first game of the round-robin competition between Navy, Air Force and Army for the Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy.  Navy defeated Air Force last year, 28-21, in overtime.   The last 10 games between these two rivals have been decided by an average of 5.2 points per game with the last two games going to overtime.  Air Force finished last year 6-7 after losing to Rice, 33-14, in the Armed Forces Bowl.

The Mids will hit the road the next two weeks playing at Duke on Oct. 12 and at Toledo on Oct. 19.  Duke is coming off its most wins (six) since 1994 and played Cincinnati in the Belk Bowl, while Toledo finished 9-4 in 2012 and played in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl where it lost to Utah State.

The Mids return home to face a Pittsburgh squad on Homecoming (Oct. 26) that is coming off a six-win season and an appearance in the BBVA Compass Bowl against Ole Miss.  Pitt will be in its first season as a member of the ACC.

The Mids travel to South Bend, Ind. the following week (Nov. 2) to take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.  Notre Dame is coming off a season that saw it go undefeated in the regular season and play Alabama in the BCS National Championship Game.

Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo’s alma mater, Hawai’i, will come to town on Nov. 9 to take on the Midshipmen, while South Alabama will travel to Annapolis the following week (Nov. 16) to play Navy for the first time.

The Mids will travel to San Jose State on Nov. 23. The Spartans are coming off an 11-2 season and a victory over Bowling Green in the Military Bowl Presented by Northrop Grumman, 29-20.  San Jose State has beaten Navy in each of the last two seasons.

The Mids will cap off the 2013 season on Dec. 14 against Army at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field.  The Mids won last year’s game in thrilling fashion, rallying for a 17-13 victory.  It was Navy’s 11th-straight victory over the Black Knights, which is a series record.

CBS has the rights to all of Navy’s home football games and either CBS or CBS Sports Network will televise all five home contests. Navy’s game at Notre Dame will be televised by NBC, while CBS is home for the Army-Navy Game.  Game times and television information for the rest of the road schedule will be announced at a later date.

With six wins in 2013, the Mids will appear in the Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl in Ft. Worth, Texas.  A date has not been set for the bowl game.

2013 Navy Football Schedule

Sept. 7                        at Indiana                                    Bloomington, Ind.

Sept. 14            Delaware                                    Annapolis, Md.

Sept. 28            at Western Kentucky                        Bowling Green, Ky.

Oct. 5                        Air Force                                    Annapolis, Md.

Oct. 12                        at Duke                                    Durham, N.C.

Oct. 19                        at Toledo                                    Toledo, Ohio

Oct. 26            Pittsburgh (Homecoming)            Annapolis, Md.

Nov. 2                        at Notre Dame                        South Bend, Ind.

Nov. 9                        Hawai’i                                    Annapolis, Md.

Nov. 16            South Alabama                        Annapolis, Md.

Nov. 23            at San Jose State                        San Jose, Calif.

Dec. 14            vs. Army                                    Philadelphia, Pa.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. –  Four games against teams who qualified for the 2012 NCAA Championship highlight the 2013 Navy men’s lacrosse schedule released by second-year head coach Rick Sowell on Tuesday.  Additionally, Navy will play host to six home games played at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, including its April 5 contest against NCAA finalist Maryland.

“We are excited about the challenge our 2013 schedule presents,” said Sowell, who guided the Midshipmen to a 6-6 record in his first season and featured wins over nationally-ranked Colgate and Johns Hopkins.  “Parity in Division I lacrosse is at an all-time high and we’ll need to be on top of our game each and every week.”

The Midshipmen kick off their spring season with a pair of scrimmages on the road against two of the most successful programs in recent memory.  Navy will battle Duke, a team who has played in six consecutive NCAA Tournaments and was a semifinalist a year ago, in Durham on Jan. 26.  Meanwhile, the Mids are set to take on Virginia in Charlottesville on Feb. 2 in their final preseason tune-up.  Virginia has earned the second-most NCAA Tournament invitations with 35, including dates to the Dance in each of the last eight years, and has won five National Championships.

For the sixth consecutive year, Navy will play its season opener against VMI when the two teams face off on Feb. 9 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.  Last year attackmen Tucker Hull (Charlotte, N.C.) and Sam Jones (Annapolis, Md.) combined for 17 points, including 11 goals, as the Mids scored a 14-7 victory over the Keydets.

The Midshipmen will play the first of two new opponents on its 2013 schedule with a Friday, Feb. 15 contest against Detroit in Annapolis.  The Titans are in their fifth year as a Div. I program, returning 35 members from a squad that posted a 6-9 record and was the No. 2 seed in the MAAC Tournament last spring.

Just four days later, Navy will make the trek to Fairfield, Conn. to battle the Stags in a midweek meeting at Lessing Field in the inaugural meeting between the two programs.  Fairfield, which was elevated to a varsity program in 1993, won a program-record 12 games in 2012 and twice reached a program-best national ranking of 13th during the year.  For the second consecutive season the Stags upset the second seed to advance to the ECAC Championship Game, where it fell to eventual National Champion Loyola.

The Fairfield contest kicks off three consecutive road games for the Midshipmen.  Following it’s Tuesday matchup against the Stags, Navy rekindles its series with Georgetown on Sunday, Feb. 24.  A scheduling glitch in moving Patriot League foe Lehigh from a week day to a weekend pushed the annual tilt between the Mids and Hoyas off last spring’s schedule.  The two will pick the series in Washington, D.C., meeting for the 23rd time overall and the 23rd time in the last 24 years.

“I’ve always enjoyed adding new teams to the schedule and the addition of teams such as up-and-coming Detroit, as well as Fairfield, who is coming off the program’s most successful season and past rival Georgetown, we will have our hands full leading up to Patriot League play.  This will be a real test and prepare us for league play, a league that by all accounts is the best it has ever been.”

The Midshipmen begin their quest for the program’s sixth Patriot League title when they travel to Lewisburg, Pa. on Saturday, March 2.  Navy will face Bucknell in their league opener for the fifth time overall and the fourth time in the last five years.  While Navy holds a 7-5 advantage, six of the 10 league matchups have been decided by one goal, including five of the last six.

Navy plays its next three games over the course of just eight days with two of the three contests played in Annapolis.  Kicking things off will be a March 9 contest at home against Lafayette, a program Navy owns a 13-1 series record against.  Three days later (March 12), the Mids will briefly step away from Patriot League action to play host toTowson.  Last year the Mids outscored the Tigers 5-1 in the third period to overcome a 2-1 halftime deficit and go on to win by a 10-6 decision.

Navy plays its final game over the eight-day span on the road, traveling to Worcester, Mass. to face Patriot League foe Holy Cross.  The Mids staged a strong second half effort on both ends of the field outscoring the Crusaders 5-1 in the second half and holding them scoreless for the final 26 minutes of the contest en route to a 13-7 win.

Like the Bucknell series, the annual Navy-Colgate matchup has turned into its own rivalry.  Though the Mids have a handle on the series with an 11-4 advantage, the last five games have proven to be nail-biters with each of the last five meetings decided by a goal.  Last year Sam Jones slipped the defense on the crease, scoring the game-winner with 3.4 seconds left and leading the Midshipmen to a 12-11 victory over 12th-ranked Colgate.  The Raiders went on to finish the season with a 14-4 record and played their way into the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

This year’s Navy-Colgate matchup is slated to be played at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Md. on March 23 as part of the 2013 Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic.  The Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic will feature the Mids and Raiders in the opener at 2:00 pm, followed by Virginia vs. Johns Hopkins at 4:30 pm.

“We are thrilled to participate in the 2013 Konica Minolta Face Off Classic,” added Sowell.  “To have the opportunity to play before a national audience at such a premier venue, M&T Bank Stadium, against a strong conference opponent is what every coach asks for.  Colgate had a great season last year and returns a very good team in 2013, if not better than the quarterfinal team of 2012.  If this game is anything like last year’s, then the fans are in for a real treat.”

Navy will travel to Lehigh on March 30 in what will be the fourth game played in Bethlehem between the two programs in the last five years.  Traditionally played in the middle of the week, the two programs made the decision to move the game to a Saturday for the first time since Navy joined the league in 2004.  The Mids own a 28-3 series advantage against the Mountain Hawks who a year ago finished 14-3 and earned an NCAA Tournament berth by way of winning the Patriot League Tournament.

Fans have been treated to some great battles between Maryland and Navy over the last decade and on April 5 the rivalry will continue as the two meet at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.  While the two programs have met 87 times, they have battled in each of the last 67 years which is the second-longest continuous series Navy has with another team (Army, 80-consecutive years).  Eight of the last 14 games between the two have been decided by one goal, while five of the last seven battles in Annapolis have been decided by two or fewer goals.

One of the sport’s longest and most cherished rivalries, the Army-Navy Star Game will be played on Saturday, April 13 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis in what will be the 92nd meeting between the two service academies.  The Mids own a 57-31-3 series advantage, including wins in 14 of the last 19 games.

“Having a chance to experience the intense Army-Navy rivalry on the road last season, I could not be more excited to play this game at Navy Marine Memorial Stadium before the entire Brigade and our passionate Navy lacrosse faithful, said Sowell.”

For the 10th straight year, Navy will close out the regular season by facing Johns Hopkins on April 20.  After losing 36 consecutive games to the Blue Jays from 1975-2009, the Midshipmen have taken two of the last three from Johns Hopkins including an 8-2 route in Annapolis last spring.  Navy, though, has not been able to enjoy a win at Homewood Field since 1969 when the Mids claimed a 9-6 win in Baltimore.

Finally, the four-team Patriot League Tournament is slated to be played April 26-28 at the site of the highest seed.  Since joining the league in 2004, the Midshipmen have played host to four of the eight tournaments and have claimed the title five times.  Navy owns an 11-2 all-time record in the Patriot League Tournament.

“The Patriot League has established itself as one of the toughest conferences in Division I,” said Sowell.  “Each of our Patriot League games will be intense and hard-fought battles.  Our focus will be to take one game at a time with the goal of competing in the NCAA Tournament as Patriot League Champions.”

Navy’s television schedule was unavailable at press time and will be released at a later date.

Setting the Stage
• Navy and Indiana will meet for the third time on the gridiron when they square off Saturday afternoon at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (34,000).  Kickoff is set for 3:34 pm and the presenting sponsors for Saturday’s game are SAIC and Verizon Wireless.
• This will be the first meeting between the two schools since 1986 when Indiana won 52-29 in Bloomington.  Navy is scheduled to open up the 2013 season in Bloomington on Sept. 7.
• Indiana’s trip to Annapolis will mark the first Big Ten team to play at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium since 2002 when Northwestern defeated Navy, 49-40.
• Saturday is Homecoming for Navy.  Navy is 38-24 all-time on Homecoming, but have lost two straight and five of the last six on Homecoming.  Last year, Navy lost to East Carolina, 38-35.  Navy’s last win on Homecoming came in 2009 when the Mids edged Wake Forest, 13-10.
• Saturday’s game will be televised nationally by CBS Sports Network with Grant Boone, former Oakland Raider Pro Bowl tight end Todd Christensen and Sheehan Stanwick-Burch calling the action.

Game Day Festivities
• Pregame festivities will get underway at approximately 1:00 pm with the Navy Football Team Walk.  Originating at the Blue Angel in the southwest corner of the stadium, the team will make its way down the sidewalk and through NavyFest before walking up the drive to the stadium.  Fans are encouraged to line up on both sides of the sidewalk to cheer for the team.
• The March-On of the Brigade of Midshipmen will take place at 3:09 pm.  The march-on will be broadcast live for Navy All-Access subscribers.
• Saturday’s fly-over will be two F-18′s and will take place at 3:31 pm. The pilots are based out of China Lake, Calif.
• Legendary Navy cross country coach Al Cantello will be honored at the second timeout in the first quarter.  Cantello is in his 50th year coaching at the Naval Academy and his 45th as the head men’s cross country coach. Since his arrival, the Midshipmen have been one of the most consistent men’s cross country programs, both regionally and nationally.  In 44 seasons at the helm of the cross country program, Cantello boasts a 241-69-1 career record.  Last season, Cantello led the Mids to their fourth consecutive Patriot League Championship, while garnering conference coach of the year accolades for the fourth straight season.
• Between the first and second quarter, the Naval Academy Athletic Association will honor the Navy women’s basketball team.  Head coach Stefanie Pemper guided the Mids to their second straight Patriot League title and NCAA Tournament appearance in 2012.  Navy defeated Holy Cross in the championship game, 57-48, as sophomore Jade Geif was named the Patriot League Tournament Most Valuable Player for the second consecutive season.  The Mids fought valiantly before falling to Maryland, 59-44, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Scouting Indiana
•    The Hoosiers are 2-4 on the year with victories over Indiana State (24-17) and Massachusetts (45-6) and hard luck losses to Ball State (41-39), Northwestern (44-29), Michigan State (31-27) and Ohio State (52-49).
• Indiana is the only team in the country not to lose a fumble this year and its two turnovers are the fewest in the country.
•    Quarterback Cameron Coffman has been solid in replacing injured starter Tre Roberson, completing 108 of his 172 passes for 1,076 yards with seven touchdowns and one interception.
•    Shane Wynn is Coffman’s favorite target with 31 catches for 294 yards and five touchdowns. Cody Latimer has 27 catches for 431 yards and two touchdowns.
•    Stephen Houston has rushed for 368 yards and six touchdowns on 63 carries, while D’Angelo Roberts has carried the ball 50 times for 183 yards and two touchdowns.
•    On defense, Adam Replogle leads the Hoosiers with 41 tackles, 5.5 tackles for a loss and three sacks, while David Cooper has 39 tackles and four tackles for a loss.
•    Indiana ranks 71st in the country in rushing offense (160.0), 15th in passing offense (313.0), 27th in total offense (473.0) and 32nd in scoring offense (35.5).
• The Hoosiers rank 109th in rush defense (221.2), 77th in pass defense (242.7), 103rd in total defense (463.8) and 92nd in scoring defense (31.8).

The Last Time …
Indiana 52, Navy 29    Sept. 20, 1986 | Bloomington, Ind.
• Indiana capitalized on four Navy turnovers and made good use of five big plays on offense to hand the Midshipmen a 52-29 defeat.
• The five key plays for the Hoosiers netted them 222 yards of offense and they added a 59-yard interception return that went for a touchdown.  The Mids fumbled the ball over on their second play from scrimmage in the game, with Indiana halfback Damon Swezy breaking loose for a 59-yard TD run on the next play.
• John Berner’s seven-yard run pulled the Mids even, but Indiana added a field goal late in the first period and then erupted for 28 second-quarter points, 21 of them the result of turnovers.
• Navy bounced back in the third period with 19 points, as tailback Chuck Smith scored from the four and from the one.  But the Hoosiers stemmed the comeback with a touchdown of their own, a 33-yard run by quarterback Dave Kramme.

Navy Vs. The Big 10
• Navy is 26-42-3 (.387) all-time against teams currently in the Big 10 Conference.
• The Mids lost earlier this year to Penn State, 34-7.  Navy last beat a team from the Big 10 in 1979 when Navy beat Illinois, 13-12.
• Navy is scheduled to play at Indiana on Sept. 7, 2013, and will play host to Ohio State on Aug. 30, 2014, at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore.

Navy Quick Hitters
• Opening the year against Notre Dame in Dublin and at Penn State was the toughest opening two games in school history.
• In the last 40 years, Navy has started the year with two opponents from BCS conferences just eight times and only twice (2005 and 1982) did the Mids go on to have a winning record.
• Navy last beat a team from the Big 10 in 1979 when Navy beat Illinois in Champaign, 13-12.
• Navy has been the dominant Service Academy over the last decade going 18-2 against Army (10-0) and Air Force (8-2), winning seven-consecutive Commander-In-Chief’s Trophies from 2003-09 and going to eight straight bowl games from 2003-10.
• Navy will join the BIG EAST for football only starting in 2015.
• The Navy defense has given up just 49 points over the last four games (16 quarters plus one overtime), allowing three points to VMI, 12 to San Jose State, 21 to Air Force and 13 to Central Michigan.  It is the fewest points Navy has allowed over a four-game stretch since 1981 when the Mids surrendered a combined 46 points to Yale (23), Air Force (13), Boston College (10) and William & Mary (0).
• Since 2003, Navy has won 18 games against schools from a BCS conference.  The 18 wins against BCS schools during that time period are the most in the country by a non-BCS school.  Navy’s wins against BCS schools have come against Vanderbilt (`03, `04), Duke (`04, `05, `06, `07), Rutgers (`04, `08), Stanford (`06), Connecticut (`06), Pitt (`07), Notre Dame (`07, `09, `10), Wake Forest (`08, `09, `10) and Missouri (`09).
• Navy’s three losses this season (Notre Dame, Penn State and San Jose State) have come at the hands of opponents that are a combined 14-4 (.778) on the year.  Notre Dame (6-0) is currently ranked fifth in the country, while Penn State (4-2) is receiving votes in the AP Poll (it is ineligible for the USA Today/Coaches Poll).  San Jose State (4-2) was receiving votes before being knocked off by Utah State, 49-27, last week.
• For the seventh year in a row, the Naval Academy finished in the top five in the country for graduating NCAA student-athletes on the FBS level.  Navy graduated 100 percent of its student-athletes in six of the 20 NCAA sports reported.  Overall, 96 percent of Navy’s student-athletes that enrolled from 2000-03 graduated.
• Senior outside linebacker Keegan Wetzel scored a perfect 1600 on his SAT and is believed to be the only current FBS player in the country to accomplish such a feat.  He carries a 3.89 GPA in systems engineering and is an Academic All-America candidate and a National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete-of-the-Year candidate.  Wetzel has also been a force on the field for the Midshipmen, recording 28 tackles, a team-high 5.5 tackles for a loss and a team-high four sacks.  He has also recovered a fumble and broken up a pass.
• Over the last 11 years, Navy has consistently been one of the nation’s top rushing teams, never finishing lower than sixth.  The Mids are currently 14th in the country in rushing (233.3).
• Navy has played 11 true freshmen this year, which is tied for the 15th most in the country.
• Navy has had 15 players make their first career starts this fall, which is tied for the fourth most in the country.
• Keenan Reynolds is the first freshman to start at quarterback for Navy since Jim Kubiak started five games in 1991. Reynolds won his first-career start, 31-13 over Central Michigan.
• Sophomore punter Pablo Beltran is off to a great start in 2012, averaging 45.5 yards per punt (22 punts). He stands 10th in the country in punting, while Navy is 16th in the country in net punting (40.7).
• Freshman Nick Sloan is one of just 16 true freshman kickers starting in the FBS this year.  He is 6-for-6 on field goals and 13-for-13 on extra-points.  He is one of four kickers in the FBS that has yet to miss a kick (field goal or extra point).
• Navy owns a 6-3 record all-time in overtime games, winning six of its last seven.
• Navy is tied for 94th in the country in red zone offense, scoring on just 13 of 18 chances.  Five of the 13 scores have been field goals.  The Mids are 7-7 in the red zone the last two games (4-4 against Air Force and 3-3 against Central Michigan).
• The Mids are ranked 25th in the country in red zone defense, allowing 13 scores on 18 opportunities.  Six of the 13 scores have been field goals.
• Navy owns a 78-43 (.645) record over the last 10 years after posting a 3-30 (.091) mark from 2000-02.  The 78 wins are tied for the 22nd-most wins in the country during that span.
• Senior guard Josh Cabral and slot back Gee Gee Greene have started 31 consecutive games for the Midshipmen, while senior linebacker Matt Warrick has started 20 straight games.
• Navy is 28-4 (.875) under Ken Niumatalolo when scoring first and 7-20 (.259) when the opponent scores first.
• Under Niumatalolo, the Mids are 22-3 (.880) when leading after the first quarter and 13-21 (.382) when trailing or tied after the first stanza.
• The Mids are 18-5 (.783) under Niumatalolo when rushing for 300 yards or more and 17-19 (.472) when the offense is held under 300 yards rushing.
• Navy has turned the ball over 12 times this season (nine lost fumbles and three interceptions) after committing just 15 turnovers in 2011 (nine lost fumbles and six interceptions).  Junior quarterback Trey Miller has been responsible for 10 of Navy’s 12 turnovers (seven fumbles and three interceptions) with five of those turnovers coming inside the opponent’s 30-yard line.
• The Navy offense has lost nine fumbles this year after losing just nine fumbles in 12 games a year ago.  The Mids are tied for the sixth most lost fumbles in the country.
• Indiana is the only team in the country not to lose a fumble this year and its two total turnovers are the fewest in the country.
• Navy ranks 99th in the country in third down offense, converting just 25 of 52 tries (.347).  The Mids are 11-17 (.647) on fourth down, which ranks 31st in the country.
• The Navy defense ranks 100th in third down defense, giving up 34 conversions in 73 attempts (.466).  The Mids held Central Michigan to 2-10 (.200) third down conversions last week.
• Opponents, however, are just 2-for-8 (.250) when going for it on fourth down against the Navy defense, which ranks as the 15th best fourth down defense in the country.
• Navy owns a 16-7 (.696) record in games played at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium under Niumatalolo and is 19-17 (.528) away from home.
• Niumatalolo holds Navy coaching records for most wins in the first two seasons (18), three seasons (27) and four seasons (32) of a career.  His 35 wins in five seasons is tied with Wayne Hardin for second-most.

Reynolds Leads Mids To 31-13 Victory Over Central Michigan
• Freshman quarterback Keenan Reynolds threw for 134 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 59 more yards to lead Navy to a 31-13 victory over Central Michigan.
• Reynolds, who was the first freshman to start at quarterback at Navy since Jim Kubiak in 1991, is the first Navy quarterback to throw three touchdowns since Chris McCoy against Colgate in 1991.
• Navy won the coin toss and elected to receive with Reynolds promptly driving the Mids 74 yards on eight plays.  On the first play of the game he hit senior slot back Bo Snelson down the middle for 26 yards and on the final play of the drive he hit senior wide receiver Brandon Turner with a 23-yard touchdown strike to put the Mids up 7-0.
• After a Central Michigan field goal, Reynolds led Navy on a 66-yard drive, this time hitting senior slot back Gee Gee Greene with a 19-yard touchdown pass to make the score 14-3.
• Central Michigan cut Navy’s lead to 17-13 thanks to a touchdown right before the end of the half, followed by a field goal on the first drive of the third quarter.  Navy, however, answered with an 11-play, 61-yard drive that ate up 5:29 on the clock as senior fullback Prentice Christian scored his first career touchdown from two yards out to push the Mids’ lead to 24-13.
• After the Navy defense held the CMU offense to a three-and-out, Reynolds hit Greene with a 41-yard touchdown pass on the first play to make the score 31-13.
• Sophomore fullback Noah Copeland led the Mids in rushing with 70 yards on 15 carries, while Christian tacked on 64 yards on 13 carries.
• The Navy defense was sensational all night, playing perhaps its best game of the year against the high-powered Chippewa attack.
• Navy held Central Michigan to 221 yards of total offense, including just 70 on the ground.  CMU managed just 12 first downs against the Mids.
• Sophomore corner Parrish Gaines led Navy with seven tackles and a tackle for a loss, while senior safety Tra’ves Bushrecorded six tackles.  Senior outside linebacker Keegan Wetzel was in on five tackles, two tackles for a loss, a sack and a pass break-up, while senior defensive end Wes Henderson recorded four tackles, two tackles for a loss, a sack and a pass break-up.

Looking For Three-Straight Wins
• Navy will be looking to win its third consecutive game for the first time since the end of the 2010 season when the Midshipmen won four in a row to end the regular season (76-35 over East Carolina, 38-37 over Central Michigan, 35-19 over Arkansas State and 31-17 over Army) .

Keeping The Opponents Off The Scoreboard
• The Navy defense has given up just 49 points over the last four games (16 quarters plus one overtime), allowing three points to VMI, 12 to San Jose State, 21 to Air Force and 13 to Central Michigan.
• It is the fewest points Navy has allowed over a four-game stretch since 1981 when the Mids surrendered a combined 46 points to Yale (23), Air Force (13), Boston College (10) and William & Mary (0).

Setting the Stage
• Navy and VMI will meet for the ninth time on the gridiron when they square off at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (34,000) in Annapolis, Md. on Saturday.  Kickoff is set for 3:30 pm and the game is presented by USAA.
• Navy leads the all-time series, 8-0, over the Keydets in a series that dates back to 1898.  The last meeting came in 2003 when the Mids won, 37-10, in Annapolis.
• The game will be televised nationally by CBS Sports Network with Grant Boone, Todd Christensen and Sheehan Stanwick Burch calling the action.

Game Day Festivities
• Pregame festivites will get underway at approximately 1:00 pm with the Navy Football Team Walk.  Originating at the Blue Angel in the southwest corner of the stadium, the team will make its way down the sidewalk and through NavyFest before walking up the drive to the stadium.  Fans are encouraged to line up on both sides of the sidewalk to cheer for the team.
• The March-On of the Brigade of Midshipmen will take place at 3:09 pm.  The march-on will be broadcast live for free on Navy All-Access.
• Saturday’s fly-over will take place at 3:31:10 pm and will consist of  two FA-18 Hornets from Oceana, Va.  The pilots will be Lt. Tony Kopp (`07) and Lt. Adam Kyle (`07).
• Between the first and second quarter, the Naval Academy will be recognized for winning the 2012 Patriot League President’s Cup.  Head coaches or representatives from the following Patriot League championship teams will be recognized:  men’s cross country, women’s cross country, men’s swimming & diving, women’s swimming & diving, women’s basketball, women’s lacrosse, men’s tennis, women’s tennis, golf and women’s outdoor track & field.
• The Naval Academy Drum and Bugle Corps will perform at halftime.
• Following the game, both teams’ alma maters will be played.

Scouting VMI
•    The Keydets are 1-2 on the year, losing to Delaware State (17-10) and Richmond (47-6) and defeating Chowan (24-17).
• David Turner leads VMI in rushing with 113 yards and two touchdowns on 31 carries.
•    Quarterback Eric Kordenbrock has completed 64 of his 107 pass attempts (59.8 pct.) for 646 yards with two touchdowns and five interceptions.  His favorite target is James Rogers, who has 11 catches for 111 yards.
•    Linebacker Ty Garvin has recorded 24 tackles, two tackles for a loss and a sack.
•    Punt returner James Fruchan is 18th in the FCS in punt returns, averaging 11.4 yards per return.

The Last Time … 
Navy 37, VMI 10    Aug. 3, 2003 | Annapolis, Md.
•     Fullback Kyle Eckel rushed for a career-high 129 yards and two touchdowns, while quarterback Craig Candeto added two touchdowns as Navy routed VMI, 37-10, in front of 30,129 fans at newly-refurbished Jack Stephens Field at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.  The win for Navy was its first at home since Nov. 13, 1999, when the Mids defeated Tulane.
• Navy jumped out to a 28-0 halftime lead thanks to an efficient offense and a stout defense.  After going three and out on its first series, the offense scored on four straight possessions.
• Tony Lane got the Mids on the board when he scored from 18 yards out on a fourth-and-three play with 7:05 left in the first.
• The Mids scored three times in the second quarter as Eckel scored on touchdown runs of three and two yards and Candeto scored from three yards out.
• The defense played one of its best halves in recent memory, holding VMI to 109 yards of total offense, including 25 yards on the ground.
• After a sloppy third quarter and a 58-minute delay due to lightning, the Mids put the game away early in the fourth quarter as Candeto scored on a two-yard touchdown run and Geoff Blumenfeld made a 42-yard field goal.
• Junior slot back Eric Roberts added 52 yards rushing on four carries, while Lane had 50 yards rushing on three carries.
• Candeto completed seven of his 16 pass attempts for 161 yards.  Freshman Jason Tomlinson and junior Amir Jenkins had three catches apiece.
• Jeff Vanak led the Navy defense with seven tackles, 2.5 tackles for a loss and a key forced fumble in the third quarter that was recovered by Josh Smith.  Smith led the Mids with 11 tackles.

Navy Versus The Big South
•    Navy is 8-0 (1.000) all-time against teams currently in the Big South.  VMI is the only school Navy has played from the conference.
• Other schools that make up the Big South include Charleston Southern, Coastal Carolina, Gardner-Webb, Liberty, Presbyterian and Stony Brook (who plays Army next week and nearly knocked off Syracuse last week).

Old Dominion State
•    Navy has just five players hailing from the state of Virginia.
• Junior wide receiver Matt Aiken (Roanoke), sophomore kicker Colin Amerau (Alexandria), freshman kicker Austin Grebe (Stafford), freshman wide receiver Marc Meier (Chesapeake) and freshman corner Edward Robinson(Chesapeake).
•    Aiken is a starter that has missed the first two games with a knee injury. He is questionable for Saturday’s game against the Keydets.
• Amerau has handled Navy’s kickoffs this fall.

Navy Nuggets
•    Navy is 0-2 for the first time since 2005 when the Mids started 0-2 with losses to Maryland and Stanford.  That Navy team went on to finish 8-4, win the Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy and defeat Colorado State, 51-30, in the Poinsettia Bowl.  The Mids have not started 0-3 since 2001 when Navy finished 0-10.
•    Playing Notre Dame in Dublin and Penn State at State College has been arguably the toughest first two games in school history.
• In the last 40 years, Navy has started the year with two FBS opponents just eight times and only twice (2005 and 1982) did Navy go on to have a winning record.
• Navy lost to Maryland in Baltimore and at home against Stanford to start the 2005 season and finished 8-4; lost to Virginia and at Boston College in 1992 and finished 1-10; beat Virginia and lost at Indiana in 1986 and finished 3-8; won at North Carolina and lost to Virginia in 1984 and finished 4-6-1; lost at Virginia and to Mississippi State at home to start the year in 1983 and finished 3-8; beat Virginia and lost to Arkansas in Little Rock in 1982 and finished 6-5; beat Virginia and won at Penn State in 1974 and finished 4-7.
•    Navy has been outscored 84-17 to start the season.  It’s the Mids’ largest combined two-game deficit (-67 points) since 2001 when Navy opened the season with a 45-26 loss to Temple and then lost to Georgia Tech, 70-7 (82 combined points).
•    The Mids have been shut out in the first quarter in seven of the last 10 games dating back to last year and have not scored a touchdown in the first quarter in nine of the last 11 games.
•    Navy owns a 15-6 (.714) record in games played at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium under Ken Niumataloloand is 17-17 (.500) away from home.
•    Navy has already turned the ball over eight times this year after committing just 15 turnovers in 2011.  The Mids have lost six fumbles in the first two games after losing just nine fumbles all of last year.
•    The Mids have not scored a touchdown in the first half in consecutive games for the first time since 2001 (Temple and Georgia Tech).
•    Navy led the country in fewest penalties last year with just 28. However, it has already committed nine penalties this year, including seven against Penn State.
• In Navy’s last five wins it has outscored the opposition, 105-31, in the first half, including 43-0 in the first quarter.  In Navy’s 32 wins under Niumatalolo, the Mids have outscored the opposition 506-308 in the first half, including 255-105 in the first quarter
• In the Mids’ last nine losses, Navy has been outscored, 199-69, in the first half, including 86-10 in the first quarter.  In Navy’s 23 losses under Niumatalolo, the Mids have been outscored 444-218 in the first half, including 202-71  in the first quarter.
• Under Niumatalolo, the Mids are 21-3 (.875) when leading after the first quarter and 11-20 (.355) when trailing or tied after the first stanza.
• Navy has been held below 300 yards rushing in eight of its last 14 games and is just 1-7 (.125) in those games (Army is the lone win).
• The Mids are 17-5 (.773) under Niumatalolo when rushing for 300 yards or more and 15-18 (.455) when the offense is held under 300 yards rushing.
• Navy is 27-4 (.870) under Niumatalolo when scoring first and 5-19 (.208) when the opponent scores first. Navy has lost the last nine games (over the last three years) when the opposition scores first.  Navy’s last win after an opponent scores first was on Oct. 16, 2010, when Navy fell behind SMU, 14-0, before rallying for a 28-21 victory.
• An opposing running back has rushed for over 100 yards in a game against Navy in nine of the last 14 contests.  In the previous 40 games, Navy surrendered only nine 100-yard rushing games to opposing running backs.
• This is the latest home opener for the Mids since 1995 when Navy played host to Wake Forest on Sept. 23.
• Navy is 4-0 under head coach Ken Niumatalolo in home openers with victories over Towson, Louisiana Tech, Georgia Southern and Delaware.

(Updated: 9:30 p.m.)

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — Holding a public practice in Annapolis for the first time in the 17-year history of the franchise, the Ravens moved training camp to Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in front of an announced 20,335 on Sunday afternoon.

Wide receiver Torrey Smith returned to practice after sitting out Saturday’s workout with the mildly-sprained ankle he suffered in the preseason opener Thursday night. Also returning to the practice field were wide receivers Patrick Williams (leg) and Logan Payne (hip).

Smith was very limited in returning to practice, participating in early individual drills and then appearing to sit out the team portions of practice. However, the second-year wideout downplayed the significance of the ankle injury.

“I felt alright,” Smith said. “Any time I’m walking, I’m not hurt, so you all aren’t going to get that out of me. It’s a little nick. It’s football. You have to deal with it; you have to learn to play with it. I’m fine.”

The Ravens were still missing 11 players from the 90-man preseason roster Sunday, but they saw no new absences in a sign that they’re slowly but surely getting healthier with the second preseason game approaching.

Tight ends Ed Dickson (shoulder) and Dennis Pitta (hand), offensive lineman Jah Reid (calf), wide receivers David Reed (knee) and Tandon Doss (hamstring), cornerbacks Chykie Brown (hamstring) and Asa Jackson (hamstring), defensive lineman Ryan McBean (ankle), and linebackers Josh Bynes (back), Darryl Blackstock (groin), and Terrell Suggs (Achilles tendon) were not working in the Ravens’ final open practice of the summer.

Center Matt Birk, defensive end Arthur Jones, linebacker Dannell Ellerbe, cornerback Jimmy Smith, and running back Bernard Pierce were all practicing again after returning to action on Saturday.

Smith has been limited the last two days as he continues to work his way back to full strength after being sidelined with a back injury for a week.

“Back’s feeling better,” Smith said. “It’s something that’s happened before. I wasn’t surprised or anything. It just takes some time to die down.”

After dealing with a hamstring injury and welcoming the birth of a child over the last two weeks, Pierce is trying to play catch-up in the backup running back competition with Anthony Allen. The rookie from Temple has been limited over the last two days of practice.

The Ravens wanted to show extra caution with Pierce’s hamstring to insure that it’s completely healed.

“We went really slow with him, plus his fiancée had the baby,” Harbaugh said. “They are doing well, and they had a couple of rough spots with it, so blessings to them. Everything turned out well. That gave him a little bit more time to get the hamstring healthy, really. It worked out timing-wise, and he seems like he’s fine.”

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ANNAPOLIS, Md.—The Navy football team conducted its first full scrimmage of fall camp on Saturday afternoon in front of approximately 3,000 fans at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.

“It’s fortunate we still have three weeks to go before our first game, because we still have a ways to go,” said Navy head football coach Ken Niumatalolo.  “We got a lot of good work in, over 100 snaps, and we were able to evaluate a lot of players. We were substituting in a bunch of people today and that hurts your chemistry at times but today was a big evaluation day for us.

Junior quarterback Trey Miller completed 13 of his 19 pass attempts for 123 yards and one touchdown, while rushing for 32 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries to lead the offense.  His touchdown pass was a 26-yard strike to senior slot back John Howell down the middle of the field.

Freshman quarterback Keenan Reynolds completed four of his nine pass attempts for 40 yards, while sophomore quarterback John Hendrick was 1-6 for eight yards.  Reynolds rushed for just four yards on six carries, while Hendrick had 10 rushing yards on six carries.

“The quarterbacks still have a lot of work to do,” said Niumatalolo.  “Today was good for them to get used to game management.

Senior fullback Prentice Christian had 113 yards rushing on 10 carries, including a 52-yard touchdown run, while sophomore fullback Noah Copeland rushed for 68 yards on seven carries, including a 52-yard touchdown run.  Senior slot back Gee Gee Greene scored on a 10-yard run on his only carry of the day.

All told, the offense ran 107 plays (73 rushes, 34 passes) for 560 yards (389 rushing, 171 passing) and scored five touchdowns on the day (4 rushing and 1 passing).

Senior linebackers John Michael Nurthen (seven tackles, tackle for a loss and a sack) and Matt Warrick (seven tackles) led the defense, while sophomore defensive end Paul Quessenberry had six tackles, a tackle for a loss and a sack.

Senior linebacker Brye French, junior outside linebacker DJ Sargenti, junior linebacker Cody Peterson and junior nose guard Barry Dabney all had five tackles apiece, with Dabney also recording a tackle for a loss.

The Mids will conduct their final two-a-day practice on Monday at 8:00 AM and 4:00 and will then practice Tuesday-Thursday at 4:00 PM at the Naval Academy.  The team will hold a second scrimmage on Friday at 2:00 PM, but this one will be closed to the general public.

ANNAPOLIS, Md.—The Navy-Penn State football game on Saturday, Sept. 15 in State College, Pa. will be televised nationally by ABC/ESPN2 starting at 3:30 p.m.  It is the first time that Navy has appeared on ABC since the 1996 Aloha Bowl victory over California.  A portion of the country will get another game on ABC and in that case the game will be carried on ESPN2.

It was also announced today that the Nov. 10 game at Troy will kick at 2:30 p.m. (CT), 3:30 p.m. in Annapolis, and the game will be broadcast by ESPN3.