Flowers shines, South Florida beats No. 22 Navy 52-45

 Quinton Flowers ran for 176 yards and two touchdowns to help South Florida get back on track in the American Athletic Conference with a 52-45 victory over No. 22 Navy on Friday night.

Rebounding from a 16-point loss to Temple that cost the Bulls (7-2, 4-1) sole possession of first place in the AAC's East Division, Flowers keyed a balanced attack that amassed 629 yards total offense against an overmatched Navy defense that yielded TDs on USF's first six possessions of the game to fall behind 42-14 at halftime.

"Great win for us," USF coach Willie Taggart said. "I'm really excited the way our guys responded to how we performed last week."

Will Worth ran for four touchdowns for Navy (5-2, 4-1), which leads the AAC West and entered game as the only team without a loss in league play after beating then-No. 6 Houston and Memphis to nudge into the Top 25.

Flowers joined Marlon Mack in topping 100 yards rushing for the third time in four games. The dual-threat quarterback scored on runs of 1 and 63 yards, while also throwing for 219 and two more TDs.

Mack scored on an 85-yard run in the opening quarter and finished with 125 on 11 carries for the 18th 100-yard performance of his career, fifth this season.

"Our guys accepted the challenge. We needed to run the ball well and score early," Taggart said. "You want (Navy) to have to play from behind."

Worth rushed for 129 yards and scored on runs of 4, 1, 1 and 2 yards for Navy, which was forced to throw the ball more than the Midshipmen are accustomed, with Worth going 15 of 27 for 299 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

The senior quarterback from Valrico, Florida - a short drive from the USF campus - set up one of his TDs with a 42-yard completion to Toneo Gulley. The Midshipmen attempted more than eight passes in a game for only the third time this season, finishing with 616 yards total offense, including 317 rushing.

Worth's 9-yard TD pass to Darryl Bonner came on the game's final play.

"We gave them a 28-point lead," Worth said, "and it's tough to come back against a talented team like that."

TAKEAWAY

Navy: The Midshipmen thrive by essentially playing keep-away, using a potent rushing attack to control the ball and keep opposing offenses off the field for long stretches. The strategy worked to perfection a year ago - when Navy ran for 442 yards to beat USF 29-17 in Annapolis - but never got a chance to work this time.

South Florida: Flowers leads the American in TD passes, however the Bulls are at their best when they're able to run the ball consistently. Mack led the AAC is rushing the past two years. And along with Flowers, who is averaging more than 7 yards per carry, USF has the best one-two running punch in the conference.

RUNNING WILD

South Florida rushed for a school record 190 yards in the first quarter and finished with 412. D'Ernest Johnson gained a career-high 108 on 19 attempts, giving the Bulls three 100-yard rushers in a game for the first time in program history.

AIR NAVY

Worth's passing total was a season high. The only other time he threw more than 12 passes in game, he was 17 of 30 for 260 yards and no touchdowns in a 14-point loss at Air Force on Oct. 1.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

Navy remains atop the American West standings, however the lopsided result likely will knock the Midshipmen out of the Top 25. USF was inching toward a spot in the rankings before last week's loss at Temple. The dominating performance on national television states the case that at the very least no team in the AAC is playing better than the Bulls right now.

RARE LEAGUE LOSS

Navy has won 11 of 13 conference games since joining the American last year. The only another loss in league play was a 52-31 defeat at Houston last season.

UP NEXT

Navy steps out of conference, returning to Florida next Saturday to face Notre Dame in Jacksonville.

South Florida has a bye before playing at Memphis on Nov. 12.

Worth accounts for 5 TDs as No. 24 Navy beats Memphis 42-28

 Will Worth and No. 24 Navy played keep-away with Memphis while running the Tigers into the ground.

Worth rushed for a career-high 201 yards and three touchdowns, and the Midshipmen put on a dazzling display of ball control in a 42-28 victory Saturday.

In addition to operating the triple option in near-flawless fashion, Worth completed three of four passes for 85 yards and two scores.

"We take what we can get, and today, the quarterback run game was there," Worth said. "We could manage that and set up a couple of pass plays to be able to score through the air. It's just executing the game plan."

The last Navy player to reach the 200-yard mark on the ground was Keenan Reynolds in 2014.

Worth carried 31 times and orchestrated an attack that held the ball for nearly 40 minutes. That left high-scoring Memphis little time to counter-punch.

"It was kind of hard because we weren't doing a great job of getting off the field defensively," Tigers coach Mike Norvell said. "Offensively, it's hard to be in rhythm, it's hard to stay in rhythm."

The Midshipmen (5-1, 4-0 American Athletic Conference) gained a season-high 447 yards on the ground, averaging 6 yards per carry.

The victory put Navy in sole possession of first place in the AAC West and served as a suitable encore for its 46-40 upset of defending league champion Houston two weeks ago.

Navy's 14-game home winning streak is its longest at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium since the facility opened in 1959.

Tony Pollard returned a kickoff 100 yards and Riley Ferguson completed 25 of 40 passes for 333 yards and two touchdowns for Memphis (5-2, 2-1). But the Tigers simply couldn't score enough to offset the damage inflicted by Navy's sensational running attack.

"They kind of got after us up front and we had a couple of assignment issues," Norvell said. "But I just thought they did a great job executing."

Worth's second touchdown run put Navy ahead 28-14 early in the third quarter. Memphis responded with a 9-yard TD pass from Furguson to Daniel Hurd.

As the clock wound down in the third quarter, Navy faced a fourth-and-4 at the Memphis 18. Norvell called a timeout, forcing the Midshipmen to deal with the possibility of a field goal try into a stiff wind. Instead, Navy sent its offense on the field and went up 35-21 on a touchdown pass from Worth to Tyler Carmona .

After Memphis again got within a touchdown, a 52-yard completion by Worth led to a 32-yard field goal try byBennett Moehring. The kick clanged off the left upright with 5:40 to go.

But a fumble by Tigers wide receiver Roderick Proctor was recovered by Navy with 3:39 remaining, and Worth clinched it with a 1-yard plunge.

Worth, a 6-foot-1 senior, started the season as a second-string quarterback but was elevated to starting status after Tago Smith injured his right knee in the opener.

"Here's a kid who was a backup, kept his mouth quiet," Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo said. "Now he's doing great things."

TURNOVER EQUALITY

Memphis forced 18 turnovers in its first six games, but the only one it got Saturday was when Worth hit the pylon trying to score a touchdown and lost control of the ball. The result was a touchback for the Tigers, whose lone turnover - Proctor's fumble - was far most costly.

THE TAKEAWAY

Memphis: The Tigers came in as a slight favorite because their offense hadn't scored fewer than 24 points in any game. But the defense wasn't up for the challenge of Navy's running attack, and now Memphis needs help to get to the AAC title game.

Navy: The Midshipmen have proven they don't need Reynolds at quarterback to make the triple option sing. Navy's running game is tricky, shifty and just about unstoppable for teams not accustomed to chasing the quarterback, fullback and slotback all over the field.

UP NEXT

Memphis: The Tigers host Tulsa next Saturday night at the Liberty Bowl.

Navy: The Midshipmen face AAC East Division co-leader South Florida (6-2, 3-1) on the road Friday night.

Stunner! Navy snaps No. 6 Houston's unbeaten streak

Navy stunned No. 6 Houston, romping to a 46-40 victory that seriously damaged the Cougars' playoff hopes.

Will Worth ran for 115 yards and threw for two touchdowns Saturday to help the Midshipmen (4-1, 3-0 American Athletic Conference) pull off the upset. Navy hadn't defeated a Top 10 team since 1984, when it topped No. 2 South Carolina in Annapolis.

When it was over, streams of the Navy Brigade stormed the field to surround the players, most of them jumping for joy.

Navy pulled off the win with a precise triple-option attack that shredded the nation's top-ranked rushing defense. The Midshipmen came in as a 17-point underdog.

Houston's sloppiest performance of the season came in a driving rain. The Cougars (5-1, 2-1) committed three turnovers and gave up more points than in their previous four games combined.

Navy finished with 306 yards rushing, many of them on pitches from Worth as he sprinted laterally along the line. Houston was allowing only 42 yards on the ground per game.

Though the game was a sellout, thousands of fans failed to show because of the weather. Those who took their seats realized an upset was possible after first half ended tied at 20.

Navy scored three touchdowns in the third quarter - two of them on passes by Worth, the other on Josiah Powell's 34-yard interceptions return - to take a 41-27 lead.

That proved to be a deficit too much to handle for the Cougars, especially because their defense simply couldn't find a solution for Navy's multi-faceted attack.

Houston had won 19 of its last 20 games, including a 52-31 blowout of Navy last year. But on this day, the Cougars couldn't get into the end zone often enough despite compiling a whopping 484 yards in offense.

Houston quarterback Greg Ward Jr. went 32 for 50 for 359 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for 94 yards and a score, but the Cougars never led after going up 20-17 in the second quarter.

His two interceptions were also a factor. Navy scored 17 points following Houston giveaways and did not commit a turnover.

THE TAKEAWAY

Houston: The aura of greatness surrounding the Cougars fades a bit. The Cougars are now in second place in the AAC and won't get a chance for redemption until facing Louisville at home on Nov. 17.

Navy: This game should serve as a tremendous boost of confidence for the Midshipmen, who had their spirit shaken last week in a 28-14 loss to Air Force.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

The Cougars should tumble out of the Top 10 in the AP Top 25 poll , which comes out Monday instead of Sunday this week.

UP NEXT

Houston: The Cougars continue play in the AAC West Division, hosting Tulane next Saturday.

Navy: The Midshipmen are on the road against East Carolina, now 2-4 after losing 38-22 to South Florida.

McVey, Steelhammer lead Air Force to 28-14 win over Navy

Tailback Tim McVeyscored twice, including a 62-yard TD catch, and safetyWeston Steelhammer intercepted two passes as Air Force beat Navy 28-14 on Saturday to take a big step toward claiming the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy.

Jalen Robinette had five catches for 163 yards for Air Force (4-0), which extended its home winning streak to 15 straight. His 75-yard TD catch late in the third quarter broke open the game.

The Midshipmen (3-1) averted a shutout on a 6-yard TD run by Shawn White with 8:33 remaining. The option-oriented team finished with more yards passing (260) than rushing (57). For that matter, so did Air force (257 yards passing, 173 on the ground).

Steelhammer sat out the first half after being disqualified for a targeting call in the third quarter last weekend at Utah State. He watched the opening half from the locker room, but soon made his presence felt by picking off a Will Worth pass with Navy driving in the third quarter. He had another late in the game.

The first half was ruled by defense with the only score a field goal. A surprise, too, given that Air Force and Navy came in averaging a combined 906 yards per game.

Air Force began to pull away in the third quarter when McVey scored on a 1-yard plunge. Robinette soon followed with his TD catch from Nate Romine, who finished 8 of 14 for 257 yards and two scores.

THE TAKEAWAY

NAVY: The Midshipmen had a 19-game win streak against unranked opponents snapped. Just couldn't get their vaunted rushing attack on track.

AIR FORCE: Off to a 4-0 start for the first time since 2003. The Falcons relied on a defense that recorded six sacks, eight tackles for loss and forced a fumble.

UP NEXT

NAVY: Host a Houston squad led by Heisman Trophy hopeful Greg Ward Jr., who accounted for five touchdowns in a 42-14 win over Connecticut on Thursday.

AIR FORCE: Travel to Wyoming next Saturday. Two years ago, the Falcons lost 17-13 to the Cowboys in Laramie.

Worth's late TD run helps Navy beat Tulane 21-14

Will Worth is getting a pretty good handle on this late-game heroics stuff.

A week after Navy's quarterback scored the winning touchdown on a late, 1-yard run against Connecticut in his first start, he did the same thing in a 21-14 American Athletic Conference victory against Tulane on Saturday night.

The winner against Connecticut came with 3:08 left in a 28-24 victory and the winner against Tulane came with 2:57 left, capping a performance in which he had 111 yards rushing on 26 carries.

"The offense had confidence that we could move the ball and we just had to finish the drive," Worth said. "It was great to see that the o-line was pushing, everyone just really gave everything they had for that last drive and it showed."

Worth, a senior thrust into the starting lineup when Tago Smith suffered a torn right ACL in the season opener against Fordham, had eight carries for 58 yards on the winning 10-play, 72-yard drive. He threw a two-point conversion pass to Toneo Gulley for a 21-14 lead.

"It was a back-alley fight," Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo said. "They punch us, we punch them, they punch us, we punch them... "Fortunately, at the end, we found a way to win that game."

Tulane's Andrew DiRocco missed wide left on a 45-yard field goal attempt with 7:39 left in the game, setting up Navy's winning drive.

"It's disappointing, but that's how Navy wins games, just how they did it," Green Wave first-year coach Willie Fritz said. "They grind it out. They've got a winning culture there, and that's what we want to have."

After a scoreless first quarter, Navy (3-0, 2-0 American) drove 94 yards on 15 plays and took a 7-0 lead on Chris High's 6-yard touchdown run. The 15 plays were the most by the Midshipmen on a possession this season.

Tulane (1-2, 0-1) responded with an 8-play (all runs), 75-yard drive capped by a 2-yard touchdown from Josh Rounds. He had five carries for 52 yards on the drive.

Shawn White had 4-yard touchdown run, but Bennett Moehring missed the extra point and Navy led 13-7.

The Green Wave responded with a 76-yard drive that ended with 36-yard touchdown run by Dontrell Hilliard with 19 seconds left in the third quarter.

BACKFIELD DEPTH

Worth and Gulley were the headliners, but the depth of Navy's rushing attack was significant. Gulley had 80 yards rushing, but High (51 yards) and White (6 yards) scored the touchdowns that set the stage for Worth's heroics.

DODGING BULLETS

The Midshipmen nearly did themselves in with two fumbles, but the Green Wave failed to capitalize. Tre Walker's fumbled ended the first drive of the second half at the Tulane 30 and Worth's fumble stopped another drive at the Tulane 34 early in the fourth quarter. Tulane, which did not commit a turnover, punted after the first recovery and missed a field goal after the second.

THE TAKEAWAY

Navy: The Midshipmen strengthened their position in the AAC with a road win as Worth continued to show growth. He not only ran for more than 100 yards and scored the winning touchdown, but he showed poise throughout the winning drive.

Tulane: The Green Wave narrowly lost what would have been an uplifting win in Fritz's first AAC game. FreshmanJohnathan Brantley had his moments in his first start, but he'll need to show more consistency as a passer going forward. He completed 3 of 12 for 21 yards.

UP NEXT

Navy: The Midshipmen have an open date next week before visiting Air Force on Oct. 1 in their first game in this season's Commander-In-Chief Trophy series. Air Force leads the series 28-20, but Navy won last season's meeting 33-11.

Tulane: The Green Wave conclude a three-game home-stand when they host Louisiana-Lafayette next Saturday. Tulane leads the series 21-6, but the Ragin' Cajuns prevailed in the last meeting, 24-21, in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl in 2013 in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.

Worth scores winning TD as Navy beats Connecticut 28-24

Navy had already blown a 21-point lead, and now the Midshipmen were in desperate need of a late stop to stave off another Connecticut comeback.

Aided by a questionable bit of clock management by the Huskies, Navy pulled out a 28-24 victory Saturday.

Will Worth scored two touchdowns in his debut as Navy's starting quarterback, the last on a 1-yard run with 3:08 remaining following a 26-yard punt return to the UConn 17.

That made it 28-24, but Connecticut wasn't done.

The Huskies moved 79 yards to the Navy 1 and took their final timeout with 17 seconds left, even though the game clock had stopped on an out-of-bounds play.

Ron Johnson was subsequently stuffed on a rush attempt, and time expired before Connecticut could run another play.

"That goal line stand symbolizes who we are," Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo said. "Things looked bleak. I didn't see the play. I was closing my eyes praying and I have no idea what happened. Shows you what kind of coach I am. I just looked up and our guys were cheering."

After Johnson was thrust into his own backfield, the Midshipmen had no intention of letting him return to the line of scrimmage.

"We practice that," linebacker Daniel Gonzales said. "You just lay on the guy until the ref pulls you off."

Huskies coach Bob Diaco was at a loss to explain what transpired on the Connecticut sideline during the game's final seconds. He talked about the uncertainty of where the ball was placed, whether a pass was a better call than a run, and then the timeout call because the play clock was about to expire.

"We called two plays but they did not let everyone get up off the ground," Diaco said. "I am not complaining or making excuses. I take full accountability."

The Midshipmen (2-0, 1-0 American Athletic Conference) scored on their first two possessions and went up 21-0 on a 2-yard fumble return by Alohi Gilman in the second quarter.

Connecticut (1-1, 0-1) recovered to the take the lead before Worth scored the game's final touchdown.

Worth, a 6-foot-1 senior, started in place of Tago Smith, who tore his right ACL in the season opener against Fordham.

In addition to capably directing the triple option, Worth ran for 44 yards, completed his first four passes and finished 6-for-8 for 130 yards.

"I felt pretty good with everything," Worth said. "There were a couple (plays) I definitely would like to have back. For the most part, I felt good to get out there and see it all live."

Bryant Shirreffs completed 23 of 26 passes for the Huskies, who were coming off a 24-21 win over Maine and looking to go 2-0 for just the second time since 2008.

"They are really, really hurt," Diaco said. "We had enough errors collectively as a staff and as a team to not win."

After Navy jumped to a 21-0 lead, the Huskies battled back. Shirreffs threw a 34-yard touchdown pass to Noel Thomas with 1:10 left in the first half, Johnson scored on a 3-yard run and Jamar Summers rambled 86 yards with a fumble by fullback Chris High.

Bobby Puyol kicked a 38-yard field goal with 9:08 remaining to give the Huskies their first lead at 24-21.

Thomas finished with 11 catches for 116 yards.

THE TAKEAWAY

UConn: The Huskies showed their mettle in rallying from a 21-0 deficit, which bodes well for a team looking to take the next step after going 6-7 in 2015 following a 2-10 disaster in 2014.

Navy: Worth performed capably in his first start, and will likely improve with experience. Showing poise and confidence, Worth blunted the notion that Navy's triple option would sputter with a newcomer at the helm.

UP NEXT

UConn: The Huskies host Virginia next Saturday. The series is tied 1-1, with UConn prevailing 45-10 in 2008 in the last meeting between the teams.

Navy: The Midshipmen take to the road for the first time, visiting Tulane on Saturday night before a bye week.

Smooth Sailing! Navy plucks QB from seats, helps top Fordham

 Malcolm Perry marched into the stadium wearing his Navy dress whites. Plucked from the stands at halftime, he wound up in a much different uniform.

From question mark to quarterback, Perry quickly became the buzz of college football.

Navy found an unlikely replacement after starter Tago Smith was injured Saturday, with Perry running seven times for 30 yards in a 52-16 win over Fordham.

"It wasn't planned for me to even dress today," Perry said. "I came here with the rest of the brigade. I was just watching the game and Tago went down."

"The coaches got me out of the stands and got me dressed. It felt good," he said.

Listed down on the depth chart, Perry had been sick most of the week. The freshman was OK to play in the junior varsity game Friday.

But with Smith and backup Will Worth all set, Perry was held out. That let him enter the stadium with the traditional "Brigade of the Midshipmen."

Perry was sitting with his classmates when Smith went down with a knee injury in the second quarter.

Perry made his debut with 38 seconds left in the third quarter. He later put together a 90-yard drive in the fourth quarter that led to a field goal. He didn't throw a pass.

"I thought he did really well for a guy that wasn't supposed to suit up," coach Ken Niumatalolo said. "He was in the brigade, so went and got him."

"He had been sick all week, too, and didn't take any reps. So, we tried to keep things really simple for him," he said. "It's not the scenario you want. But we had to do what we had to do."

Smith served for three years as a backup to record-setting quarterback Keenan Reynolds before getting this chance to start.

Smith flawlessly ran Navy's triple-option offense flawlessly until he was hurt on a 22-yard run with 14:17 left in the half.

In just over one quarter, Smith ran for 97 yards on 10 carries with a pair of touchdowns.

Smith's status was uncertain following the game. Niumatalolo was overcome with emotion when talking about the injury.

"He's just a great kid," he said. "He really symbolizes who we are, hasn't said (anything) for three years and came to work every day," he said.

"He didn't complain, didn't get bitter. What he did in the first half, didn't surprise me. We knew the guy was a good football player. We just feel bad for a kid who has waited his turn," he said.

Worth, a senior, took over and effective, scoring on a 7-yard run that gave the Midshipmen a 28-10 lead. He also threw a 57-yard touchdown pass to Toneo Gulley.

Junior fullback Chris High ran for 176 yards on 10 carries with two touchdowns, including a 70-yard scamper, in his first career start for Navy. It was the most rushing yards by a Navy fullback since 2010.

Kevin Anderson completed 26 of 45 passes for 302 yards with a touchdown for the Rams.

Chase Edmonds, the 2015 Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year, finished with 70 yards on 18 carries for Fordham, ranked No. 20 in the NCAA FCS Coaches poll.

"All three phases of the game - offense, special teams and defense - we did not execute at a high enough level," coach Andrew Breiner said.

THE TAKEAWAY

FORDHAM: The Rams fell short of their third win in four years over an NCAA FBS opponent. Still, they showed some burst on offense with Edmonds in the backfield and Anderson behind center. This type of game should help test them for conference play and a potential run in the FCS playoffs.

NAVY: The Midshipmen didn't miss a beat with Smith, but his status is now uncertain. Worth was a solid replacement, but Perry and sophomore Zach Abey could also get more opportunities.

HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE

Navy has not lost at home since Sept. 27, 2014, against Western Kentucky. The Midshipmen have an 11-game home winning streak, their longest since 1953-64 when Navy won 21 straight.

UP NEXT

FORDHAM: The Rams open at home next Saturday against Elizabeth City State in a non-conference matchup.

NAVY: The Midshipmen host Connecticut in their American Athletic Conference opener next Saturday.

Navy Midshipmen Season Preview

STORYLINES 

Navy joins the American Athletic Conference this season after playing as an independent for the previous 134 seasons. Navy went 8-5 last season, marking the 11th time in 12 years that the Midshipmen finished with at least eight wins. Navy has made 10 bowl appearances in the last 11 years. Navy led the nation in fewest penalties per game in 2014 (2.54). It was the fourth time in the last six years that Navy was the nation’s leastpenalized team. 

OFFENSE

 QB Keenan Reynolds enters his senior year with 64 career rushing touchdowns, which is tied for fourth in NCAA history. The NCAA record is 77 (Monte Ball, Wisconsin). Reynolds rushed for 1,191 yards and 23 touchdowns last season. Navy ranked second nationally in rushing offense in 2014, averaging 325.4 yards per game. The Midshipmen return four starters from last year on offense —two from the offensive line. OG EK Binns and OT Joey Gaston are seniors who have significant starting experience. Navy uses a number of players at slotback and fullback. FB Chris Swain rushed for 693 yards and four TDs a year ago. 

DEFENSE 

The Midshipmen return six defensive starters from last season, with particular depth on the line and in the secondary. NG Bernard Sarra finished last season with 38 tackles and three blocked kicks, tied for the most in the nation. Sarra has started 22 games in his first three seasons. DE Will Anthoy led the team with 11 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. LB Daniel Gonzales finished last season with 86 tackles and a team-high three interceptions. CB Quincy Adams was third on the team in tackles (75), while CB Brendon Clements was fifth (58). 

SPECIAL TEAMS 

K Austin Grebe took over as the regular kicker midway through last season was went 6-for-6 on field goal attempts and 33-for-33 on PATs. Grebe hit the game-winning field goal with 1:27 left to give the Midshipmen the win against San Diego State in last year’s Poinsettia Bowl. The Midshipmen will go with a new punter in 2014. P Gavin Jernigan is the favorite to handle the chores as a senior.