ASSOCIATED PRESS Army players chased Navy's Kyle Eckel as he carried the ball 23 yards for a touchdown yesterday.

Navy keeps cruising
with win over Army

PHILADELPHIA » Power, speed and execution.

For the second time in as many games, the Navy offense hit this trifecta and overpowered its opponent in a rather non-compromising style. Two weeks ago, it was Rutgers that fell by 33 points, and yesterday, the Mids took care of emotional rival Army 42-13 before 67,882 at Lincoln Financial Field.

Scoring four touchdowns in the second quarter, Navy put this one out of reach by halftime and continues to demonstrate the ability to strike at any place on the field and at any time.

Numbers, again, tell the story.

Navy amassed 405 yards of total offense, including 305 on the ground. For the most part, Army had problems stopping Kyle Eckel. The senior from nearby Haverford, Pa., gained a career-best 179 yards on 26 carries and scored his 25th career touchdown. That moved him ahead of Joe Bellino into fourth place in school history for most career scores.

"It's a question of getting focused and continuing to be focused," said Eckel. "We know we can put up some big numbers, but it starts with everyone ready to play."

Late in the first quarter, Army faced fourth-and-3 from the Navy 33-yard line. That's when linebacker Bobby McClarin and defensive back Josh Smith, a pair of productive seniors, stepped forward to halt Carlton Jones, Army's top rusher, for no gain on that critical play.

Navy senior quarterback Aaron Polanco then guided Navy on a six-play, 67-yard drive, ending when Polanco scored on a 6-yard run. Eckel ended the Mids' next possession successfully when he bolted in off the left side for 23 yards and a score. That created a two-touchdown lead early in the second quarter, but Army responded.

With three first downs following the kickoff, the Black Knights drove inside the Navy 35 and faced a fourth-and-13 from the Mids' 33-yard line. From there, Army quarterback Zac Dahman was forced out of the pocket and tried to dump the ball off to Jones.

Smith, a Navy defensive back, jumped to block the pass, but came down with the ball in his hands. He then managed to outdistance Army tacklers on his way to a 67-yard interception return for a touchdown.

Johnson believed the return was the turning point in the game, and from there, Navy pushed ahead with confidence.

"We were in what we call a cover two defense, but that broke when (Dahman) began to scramble," Smith pointed out. "When I saw him running around, I rushed forward and into the play. I just jumped up to block it, but the ball fell into my arms. I just took off, looked up at the video board and saw (Jones) closing in. I knew he was fast, but I put it in overdrive."

Late in the first half, Polanco hit wide receiver Mick Yokitis on a 12-yard touchdown strike that created a 28-point Navy margin. For all practical purposes, that closed the books on this 105th meeting of the academies.

"It all starts with the offensive line," Polanco said afterward. "Without those guys doing their job, Kyle doesn't get any kind of yardage, I can't execute our triple option, and things become very difficult. They did a great job there in the second quarter and we picked it up from there."

The victory marked the third consecutive Navy victory in this series and evened the overall competition at 49-49 and seven ties. In Johnson's three years as the Mids' head coach, Navy outscored the Black Knights 134-31.

For Army, the result was not easy to accept, and even more difficult to understand.

"We anticipated doing much better," said offensive tackle Joel Glover, the anchor of the Army line. "We had our chances, especially early in the game, and didn't capitalize. We always think we can get a lead in any game, and against Navy, and considering the rivalry, this hurts even more."

While the Army squad now returns to West Point to begin life anew, Navy prepares for one more game, the Emerald Bowl Dec. 30 against New Mexico, and one last opportunity for this unique group of 39 seniors, and their teammates, to excel.

"As a coach, I challenged each player, and they have responded," said Johnson. "They showed, the past three years, they are at the top of academy football. That's an accomplishment each can be proud."