POINSETTIA BOWL
Navy won it by land, won it for seniors
By Mark Brown
Special to the Star-Bulletin
SAN DIEGO » After Navy's resounding win last week at the first Poinsettia Bowl, players talked about winning this one for the senior class.
After all, contributors like quarterback Lamar Owens, running back Marco Nelson, defensive end Jeremy Chase and offensive tackle Marshall Green closed out their college careers by trashing Colorado State and putting up some big numbers.
The Mids rolled up 611 yards of total offense and rushed for 467 yards on the ground. That effort over land assured Navy of leading the nation in rushing for the second time in the past three seasons.
Certainly, there is sentimental value in the words of teammates who wish to leave a legacy while championing the value of the senior class. Yet the victory over Colorado State was more of a showcase for the future than a celebration of past achievements.
With his five touchdowns Thursday night, sophomore Reggie Campbell tied a record for most scores in one bowl game, but also served notice he could emerge as one of the best all-purpose backs in the country.
Against Colorado State, he gained 118 yards on 16 carries with three touchdowns. He also caught two passes for 89 yards and two scores. His work on special teams, returning four kickoffs for 85 yards, was equally noted.
In planning for next season, Navy coach Paul Johnson will certainly field a young squad, but the offense will likely be anchored by junior Brian Hampton, who is the prime candidate to succeed Owens as the Navy quarterback. Joining Campbell in the backfield is fellow sophomore Adam Ballard, a bruising 240-pound running back.
If Campbell's performance in the Poinsettia Bowl is any indication, he will be used as a running back, receiver and kickoff returner. While he says his preference is to be used as a slotback, his overall value will likely increase over the next two years.
The fact that Campbell, a 5-6 speedster from Sanford, Fla., contributed such a monster game against Colorado State was not by mistake. Johnson places his players in position to bring ultimate value and production.
"What you saw with Reggie is not unusual," Johnson said after the Poinsettia Bowl.
"This just happened to be Reggie's night. It's part of the nature of what we do. (Last Thursday night), you saw what Reggie did, and in the last game, Ballard stepped forward."
Johnson's reference was to Ballard's production in the Army game earlier this month. Against the Black Knights, the sophomore from Lewisville, Texas, picked up 192 yards on 18 carries and two touchdowns. His 62-yard rumble up the middle on the first play of the fourth quarter created a 42-17 Navy lead as the Mids cruised to a 19-point victory.
Johnson may be more than diplomatic when spreading accolades among his players, but Campbell appears to be a key component in this very lethal offense. Johnson likes to spot players in key roles, and given Campbell's speed and strength (he squats 460 pounds), his future value was on display vs. Colorado State.
"No, I'm not surprised what Reggie did," Owens said.
"We knew all along he could make big plays and contribute in a big way."
If Campbell and Ballard are the wave of Navy's offensive future, their numbers from the Poinsettia Bowl complement one another. In addition to his rushing and receiving numbers, Campbell showed his versatility on special teams.
For his part, Ballard contributed 119 rushing yards on 15 carries. He forced the Colorado State interior line and linebackers to respect the run between the tackles. That opened up the outside, and Campbell took full advantage with his speed and ability to turn the corner.
With the win over Colorado State, Navy managed eight wins for the third straight season. That is something accomplished only once before in the school's history, and that was in 1905-08. Over the final three games of 2005, Navy scored 131 points for an average of 43.7 a game. The Mids also finished the season with 3,832 rushing yards, an average of 319.3 per game.
The win over Colorado State was also Navy's second straight bowl win and the third consecutive bowl appearance.