Navy Dominates Colorado State in Poinsettia Bowl
Navy 51, Colorado State 30
By Jon Gallo
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, December 23, 2005; 2:15 AM
SAN DIEGO, Dec. 22 -- A day after Navy's Lamar Owens promised hundreds of fans the Midshipmen would win their final game, the senior quarterback got a NCAA bowl-record tying performance by sophomore slot back Reggie Campbell to back his words.
Campbell became one of five players to score five touchdowns in a bowl game as he led his team to a 51-30 win over Colorado State in the inaugural Poinsettia Bowl.
Navy's Reggie Campbell leaves the Colorado State defense behind on his way to a 22-yard touchdown run during the second quarter. (Chris Park - AP)
Navy's Reggie Campbell ties a Bowl-record with five touchdowns and the Midshipmen pound Colorado State, 51-30, in the Poinsettia Bowl.
"It's my last game," Owens said while on stage at the team's pep rally on Wednesday, "so I guarantee a victory."
Campbell, whose five touchdowns were the fourth-most in school history, mesmerized the decidedly pro-Navy crowd of 36,842 at Qualcomm Stadium, as the team's fans were cheering him to get the ball every play as Navy neared the end zone so he could break the record. Campbell's five touchdowns equaled that of Oregon State's Steven Jackson in the 2003 Las Vegas Bowl, San Jose State's Sheldon Canley in the 1990 California Bowl, Oklahoma State's Barry Sanders in the 1988 Holiday Bowl and Michigan's Neil Snow in the 1902 Rose Bowl.
Campbell, who was stopped inside the 10-yard line on two carries midway through the fourth quarter, finished with 317 all-purpose yards -- 120 rushing on 17 carries, 89 receiving on two catches, and 108 yards on four kickoff returns -- as Navy concluded its season 8-4. It was also its 26th victory in the past three years, tying a school record set from 1906-1908.
"I think getting that record would mean a lot for our team because it would show how far we've come," Owens said at a recent practice. "I also think going to San Diego and winning the game would set the tone for this team next year."
Campbell scored on receptions of 55 and 34 yards and on runs of 22, 2 and 21-yards. His five touchdowns were one shy of the school record, which is shared by three players, the last being quarterback Craig Candeto, who accomplished the feat against Army in 2002.
Owens finished with 144 yards passing and added 48 yards rushing on 17 carries. Sophomore fullback Adam Ballard posted 126 yards on 15 carries and senior slot back Marco Nelson rushed for two touchdowns and 81 yards on seven carries a s the Midshipmen amassed 612 yards of total offense.
Navy's victory over Colorado State (6-6) resembled nearly all of the its wins this season, as the smaller Midshipmen used their offensive precision and bend-but-don't-break defense to turn what was expected to be a close game into a rout in front of a national television audience.
"For three or four hours, we know that our football team is going to be in the spotlight so we want to show everyone that we're a good football team," said junior linebacker Rob Caldwell during a recent practice. "We want to show what Navy football is all about.".
Early on, it appeared Colorado State was going to overpower the Midshipmen, as it marched 77 yards on 10 plays to take a 7-0 lead when sophomore running back Kyle Bell plowed in from the 1-yard line.
It took one play from scrimmage for Navy to respond, as Owens dropped back and found Campbell streaking down the middle of the field for 55-yard touchdown pass to tie the game with 10:47 left in the opening quarter.
After Colorado State took a 10-7 lead on a 34-yard field goal by freshman Jason Smith, each team turned the ball over on downs, with Navy taking over on its own 32-yard line after stopping the Rams on fourth-and-eight. Navy continued to unleash its patented triple-option attack, as senior slot back Marco Nelson took a pitch from Owens for a 22-yard touchdown run to cap a seven-play, 68-yard drive. Sophomore kicker Joey Bullen's extra-point was blocked, leaving Navy ahead, 13-10, early in the second quarter.
Navy basically used the same play to score again except this time Owens swept left and pitched to Campbell, who raced 22 yards untouched to extend Navy's lead to 20-10 with 7:19 left in the half.
After the Midshipmen forced Colorado State to punt on its ensuing possession, they delivered the knockout punch after taking over on their own 11-yard line with fewer than four minutes left in the half. Navy reeled off 11 consecutive running plays featuring four different ball carriers, as Campbell capped the drive with his third touchdown of the game, a two-yard scamper to give his team a 27-10 lead at intermission. Campbell's three touchdowns in the first half tied the record for touchdowns in a bowl game by a Midshipman, matching the mark set by quarterback Aaron Polanco, who scored three times against New Mexico in last year's Emerald Bowl victory.
Navy opened the third quarter by doing just what they did throughout the first half -- driving right down the field to push their lead to 34-10. The Midshipmen went 65 yards on nine plays, the last being a 21-yard run by Campbell.
Colorado State pulled to within 34-24 with 3:10 left in the third quarter after senior quarterback Justin Holland threw his second touchdown pass to junior receiver Dustin Osborn, but that's as close as the Rams would get.
Navy responded by going 70 yards in five plays, with Owens finding Campbell wide open-again-down the middle for a 34-yard touchdown pass, making it 41-24. Nelson added his second touchdown of the game on a 22-yard run and Bullen capped the win with a 25-yard field goal midway through the fourth quarter.
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