Singleton Helps Mids Win Third Straight

Navy 35, Northern Illinois 24

Navy slotback Zerbin Singleton could tell things might go his way against Northern Illinois yesterday when his cousins arrived from a vacation in Mexico just a couple minutes before he was to take the field with them for Senior Day.

[an error occurred while processing this directive]

Formalities complete, Singleton rushed for 101 yards and three touchdowns in a 35-24 victory before 34,517 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. The Midshipmen (7-4) ensured their fifth straight winning season; it is the first time the program has accomplished that since 1978-82.

"I'm proud we clinched a winning season," Coach Paul Johnson said. "This senior group will have left here without knowing anything else."

Singleton has seven touchdowns in Navy's current three-game winning streak, and he gave an all-around performance yesterday. In one stretch midway through the fourth quarter, Singleton scored the game's final points on a 12-yard run, then made the tackle on the ensuing kickoff, then led the cheers for the defense on the sideline before a crucial third-down play.

"I wish I had Zerb on my fantasy [football] team," quarterback Jarod Bryant said.

Navy defensive coordinator Buddy Green spent the week leading up to playing the Huskies (2-9) simplifying his unit's schemes. After all, Navy had given up at least 40 points in five straight games.

Yesterday, Navy forced a season-high four punts, senior safety Greg Thrasher had his first interception since 2005 and sophomore linebacker Ross Pospisil had 20 tackles, the eighth-most in division I-A this season.

"Coach Green told us to just finish up strong," Thrasher said. "If we finish strong, no one will remember the [previous] three games."

Yesterday marked the first meeting between the teams, but there was history among the coaches. Northern Illinois defensive coordinator Denny Doornbos spent 14 seasons at Army, including 10 as defensive coordinator. His oldest son was born at West Point and his name, Blaik, almost certainly is an homage to legendary Army coach Red Blaik.

Doornbos was defensive coordinator when Johnson was Navy's offensive coordinator in 1995 and 1996 (Army won both times). In those games, Doornbos used a version of the 4-3 and 4-4 defenses, with a middle safety who overplayed the outside.

He used the same schemes yesterday; junior safety Melvin Rice (nine tackles) focused on the outside. Yet Navy had an answer. On a 26-yard touchdown run by Singleton late in the first quarter, Rice was slowed by a slotback going in motion before the snap, then was upended on a perfect block by senior tackle Paul Bridgers downfield.

A touchdown drive that ended with the Midshipmen taking a 21-7 lead late in the first half also was helped by disguising its intentions to Rice. A 37-yard completion from Bryant to Singleton came after a slotback went in motion to draw Rice away from the middle of the field; it left Singleton open in the middle. On the touchdown, a 15-yard carry by junior Shun White, junior fullback Eric Kettani blocked Rice to spring White.

Singleton scored the final points on a 12-yard run on a counter-option in which Rice went too far toward the wrong side of the field. The score was crucial, given that the Huskies trailed 28-24 at the time.

"The guys up front played really well today," Bryant said. "Give all of the credit to the offensive line, plus Adam Ballard and Eric Kettani. They were pounding the fullbacks all game."

Northern Illinois sophomore Justin Anderson, who entered with 1,096 yards rushing, touched the ball on 25 of the team's 39 plays in the first half. He finished with 39 carries for 140 yards and a touchdown; he also caught a team-high seven passes for 36 yards. In all, he touched the ball or was the intended receiver on 47 of his team's 79 plays.

By the end, with the Midshipmen holding on to a 35-24 lead, Bryant was called on to gain a first down and run out the clock. He did so while holding on to the ball with both hands. In a 34-31 overtime loss to Ball State on Sept. 15, Bryant lost a fumble on the first possession of overtime. He started yesterday after starting quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada was ruled out because of a knee injury, though he likely will play against Army (3-8) on Dec. 1.

"He got the start and got the win, so when that happens it's a good day," Johnson said of Bryant.