ANNAPOLIS, Md. “Maybe the best thing is that we don’t play another option team this year,” Walker said.

Walker’s relief was well-founded. Although the Wildcats’ defensive performance against the option on Saturday was an improvement over their 52-3 blowout at Air Force last month, NU (2-2) gave up 678 yards in total offense to the Midshipmen’s option attack, including 300 yards passing to a team that had thrown the ball just 18 times prior to Saturday.

“We gave up too many explosive plays,” Walker said. “Seventy-eight out of 90 plays we played respectably. Twelve snaps put 380 yards up.”

Linebacker Doug Szymul had a career-high 26 tackles, and, according to Walker, safety Dominique Price looked “how a safety should look (against the option),” showing his speed and forcing and recovering a fumble that resulted in NU’s first touchdown of the game.

But the Cats were carried by their offense. With redshirt freshman quarterback Brett Basanez completing 20 of 26 passes for 260 yards and five NU players carrying the ball for 285 yards, the offense found a rhythm and speed reminiscent of 2000.

Basanez completed passes to nine different receivers In a radical departure from its two turnover-filled contests, NU did not give the ball away once while Navy (1-2) fumbled five times. The Cats recovered four of them, twice scoring on subsequent drives.

“You have to hold onto the ball,” Navy head coach Paul Johnson said. “We were hitting them and they didn’t turn it over. If we didn’t turn it over today, I don’t know if they win.”

The Cats fell behind early in the first quarter when Navy running back Eric Roberts ran 54 yards for the score on the Midshipmen’s first possession of the game.

NU tied things up two drives later after Price’s fumble recovery on Navy’s 31. Running back Jason Wright carried the ball twice “The offensive line did an excellent job and there were a lot more holes and a lot more running room,” Wright said. “We finally found our tempo, something we’ve been searching for in our first four games.”

Wright rushed 47 yards to open the Cats’ third drive, which culminated in a five yard pass from Basanez to wide receiver Ronnie Foster for the score.

With Navy close to the endzone at the beginning of the second quarter, Szymul forced Navy quarterback Craig Candeto to fumble, and tackle Barry Cofield recovered the ball at the NU three-yard line. The Cats failed to score on the subsequent drive, and Navy tied the game at 14 with just over six minutes to go in the second quarter.

The scoring went back and forth until halftime, with Herron rushing nine yards for a touchdown at the four-minute mark, Candeto running a yard to tie the game at 21 with 3:20 remaining and Herron closing out the half with a one-yard run to put the Cats ahead 28-21 heading into the locker room.

NU continued to struggle with the option, and Navy’s offense possessed the ball for 21:44 of the second half.

Despite keeping possession for more than six minutes on their 13-play first drive of the second half, Navy failed to score. The Cats responded quickly, scoring on a balanced, 73-yard drive. Wright ran for 31 yards on the possession Navy returned Brian Huffman’s 54-yard kickoff 55 yards, and 19 seconds later the Midshipmen’s Eric Roberts, virtually unguarded, scored on a 34-yard pass from Candeto. The Cats kept the next possession for more than two minutes as the Cats received a holding penalty and Basanez fell short in his attempt to scramble for a first down. Navy responded with a 65-yard drive that ended with its first field goal of the season.

The third quarter ended with NU ahead 35-31 after Basanez threw an incomplete pass to Schweighardt on third and one of the Cats’ final possession of the quarter. The team’s decision to throw in the short-yardage situation showed confidence in Basanez, who said it had as much to do with future games as that particular down.

“We’re trying to stay away from being charted,” Basanez said. “It was supposed to be a short throw, but they gave us that shot, and we took it. I just missed (Schweighardt).”

With the game going back and forth in the fourth quarter, Price forced and recovered a fumble on a crucial Navy possession with 5:27 remaining.

“The way the game was going, you didn’t want to miss a chance (to score),” Johnson said. “We fumbled at the end and lost our turn.”

NU scored on the turnover and essentially put the game out of reach when safety Jarvis Adams intercepted a Candeto pass in the endzone with under two minutes to play. After gaining six yards on that possession, the Cats took a safety with less than a minute remaining, and Navy did not score on the final possession of the game.

“It’s good to be 2-2,” Walker said. “It wasn’t necessarily pretty, but I’m not going to apologize for victory. I think they came out at us pretty well, and we found a way to win.”

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Body 2 ———————————————————————–

Cats allow 678 total yards in win; defense recovers four fumbles

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Mark odell/for the daily northwestern

Running back Noah Herron stiff arms Navy defensive tackle Josh Brindel. The sophomore, who had 95 yards on 16 carries, was part of an NU rushing attack that gained 285 yards on the ground.

NU 49

Navy 40

Scoring

First Quarter