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Navys fullback dive is about as simple as football gets: quarterback takes the snap, pivots and hands off the ball. </p>
<p>But the Midshipmen have made it a work of art. </p>
<p>On Saturday, in a 31-20 victory over Air Force, fullbacks Eric Kettani and Adam Ballard accounted for half of Navys 56 rushes. They combined for 96 yards, which is only 3.4 yards a carry. But they never lost yardage and rarely did they gain less than 2 yards....
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Cadets at the Air Force Academy made a distinctly nautical contribution to fuel an annual football rivalry Friday. </p>
<p>On a hill in the middle of the campus, cadets grounded a yellow-and blue pleasure boat, stern first. On the hull were emblazoned the cadet wings favorite words: Sink Navy. </p>
<p>Its all part of the usual high jinks that accompany the annual football pairing of the Falcons and the Middies of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. The two teams meet today at Navy....
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All week long, Navy players and coaches emphasized the value of the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy to the academy. Yesterday, their performance backed up the talk.</p>
<p>A solid all-around effort by the Midshipmen propelled them past Air Force 31-20 in front of a record crowd of 37,615 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium....
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Their destiny is now in their hands. Thats the mindset Navy has following its 31-20 over Air Force Saturday. </p>
<p>Now, the Midshipmen (3-2) are in the drivers seat in the chase for the Commander-in-Chiefs Trophy, given annually to the winner of the football competition between Navy, Army and Air Force. </p>
<p>Navy has won 10 straight games over service academy teams and will win the trophy for a fifth straight year with a victory over Army Dec. 1 at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore....
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<p>This is such a cool feature--I would like to see someone at Navy do something similar. Where are the pictures of the Brigade of Midshipmen???</p>
<p>Fourth-quarter surge helps Mids capture 5th straight over rival</p>
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On a picture-perfect day in Annapolis, in front of a record audience at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, the Navy football team took a giant step toward retaining the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy.</p>
<p>Sunny skies, mild temperatures and a sellout crowd of 37,615 set an ideal stage for yesterday's service academy showdown between Air Force and Navy. The host Midshipmen didn't disappoint the partisan fans, using a strong fourth quarter effort to notch their fifth straight victory over the rival Falcons....
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<p>Inexperienced crew turns in best performance</p>
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On the last play of the game, Navy sophomore Ram Vela made his final tackle and laid on the turf at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium for a few extra seconds.
In his exhausted state, he just wanted to soak up the moment.</p>
<p>"I was a little winded at the end," said Vela, who entered this season as a defensive back but started yesterday for the first time at outside linebacker. "The transition was smooth and I didn't change my style at all. Just a lot more running. At the end there, I was done."...
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<p><a href="http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_7040328%5B/url%5D">http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_7040328</a></p>
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It could have been an early defining moment in Troy Calhoun's chances to be a miracle worker in bringing Air Force's football program back to its glory years. </p>
<p>But after Navy spoiled the miracle Saturday, 31-20 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Calhoun made it clear if there are going to be anymore miracles, they would have to happen on another day. </p>
<p>"Not at all," Calhoun answered when asked if the loss to Navy was a defining moment....
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The Air Force Falcons were left saying "if" this and "if" that, but Navy didn't leave any doubt on its way to a 31-20 victory Saturday in front of a Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium record-setting crowd of 37,615. </p>
<p>It was the Midshipmen's fifth consecutive victory over the Falcons and a giant step toward their fifth consecutive Commander-in-Chief's Trophy, which goes to the winner of the Navy-Air Force-Army round robin. </p>
<p>"We did what we had to do to win the game," Navy coach Paul Johnson said. "We received contributions from all facets of our game."...
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<p>Many of Air Force's seniors thought back to last year when the seniors of 2006 were frustrated with not having beaten Navy once. It was their turn to think about it Saturday.</p>
<p>"Navy's obviously on a roll," quarterback Shaun Carney said. "They're very successful with what they do. I don't look back and say, 'I never beat Navy,' I feel like every year is frustrating. I just look at it on a yearly basis. It hurts."</p>
<p>"We just had mental breakdowns on four or five plays and that set the tone," linebacker Drew Fowler said. "The perimeter hurt us. My mentality, I don't think I'll have four straight losses to anyone.</p>
<p>"That's how I feel."</p>
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Navy's Midshipmen played what was their best overall game Saturday when they put together a complete effort, combining offense and defense, to produce a 31-20 victory over rival Air Force.</p>
<p>It was the first game in this year's round-robin series among Navy, Air Force and Army that determines the winner of the Commander in Chief's Trophy. While Air Force has won the trophy the most with 16 titles, Navy has won it the past four years and hopes to make it five straight.</p>
<p>After the game, coach Paul Johnson downplayed the significance of the win but couldn't hide his pleasure on a number of levels....
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Replay</p>
<p>Navy's drive that led to a 24-20 lead with 13:01 to play. The Midshipmen converted two fourth downs, including one at the 2-yard line that saw Eric Kettani make the block that allowed quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada to score what would turn out to be the game-winning touchdown....
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<p>Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada runs for 101 yards and scores twice in the fourth quarter to help the Midshipmen win the 40th meeting of the two academies.</p>
<p>AP</a> Photo Gallery</p>
<p>ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP)-Playing before a record crowd and with Navy's four-year hold on the Commander-in-Chief's trophy on the line, quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada stepped up with two fourth-quarter touchdown runs, leading the Midshipmen to a 31-20 win over Air Force on Saturday.</p>
<p>Thanks to Kaheaku-Enhada's runs of 2 and 78 yards, Navy has a leg up in the quest for the trophy, which goes to the winner of the round-robin competition between Navy, Air Force and Army. The Midshipmen (3-2) have won 10 straight games over their fellow service academies.</p>
<p>"We said this was the first step in reaching the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy," said Kaheaku-Enhada, who ran for 101 yards.</p>
<p>Air Force quarterback Shaun Carney had a record day in defeat, gaining 300 total yards to become the program's all-time leader with 6,780 yards from scrimmage. Carney also threw for a career-best 237 yards.</p>
<p>Trailing 20-17 early in the fourth quarter, Navy drove 73 yards for the go-ahead touchdown. Kaheaku-Enhada hit O.J. Washington for 53 yards to the Air Force 20. Eric Kettani converted a fourth down at the 11, and then Kaheaku-Enhada scored on fourth down from the 2, giving Navy the lead with 13:01 to play.</p>
<p>After an Air Force punt, Kaheaku-Enhada broke loose for 78 yards to put the Midshipmen up 31-20 with 9:18 left.</p>
<p>The runs turned the tide in a game that saw the teams trade the lead through the first three quarters.</p>
<p>"I am excited for our players. They did a tremendous job. They really hustled out there," Navy coach Paul Johnson said. "Playing for the trophy is really important to us; it's one of our goals."</p>
<p>A win over Army on Dec. 1 would give Navy the trophy.</p>
<p>The nation's top rushing team, Navy produced 302 rushing yards - and 381 yards total - with its triple-option attack.</p>
<p>The Falcons outgained the Midshipmen with 474 yards, but were held without a score three times inside Navy's 20-yard line.</p>
<p>Zerb Singleton rushed for 65 yards, including a 12-yard touchdown, and Kettani had 58 yards for Navy. Reggie Campbell scored Navy's first touchdown on a 37-yard run for a 7-3 lead, and Singleton's run put the Midshipmen ahead 14-10 at the half. Washington had career highs with four catches and 79 yards.</p>
<p>"In our offense, you never know who is going to get the ball," Kaheaku-Enhada said. "That's the triple option."</p>
<p>Joey Bullen's 29-yard field goal staked Navy to a 17-13 lead before Chad Hall's 5-yard run put Air Force ahead 20-17 late in the third.</p>
<p>Carney completed 18 of 23 passes and ran for 63 years. Hall had career highs with 8 catches for 108 yards, and he scored both Falcon touchdowns - both on the ground.</p>
<p>Jim Ollis had 73 yards rushing, but his fourth-quarter fumble allowed Navy to run some time off the clock and protect its 11-point lead.</p>
<p>The Falcons' Ryan Harrison hit field goals of 28 and 21 yards, but he also missed from 41 and 32. The latter miss was one of three missed opportunities deep in Navy territory. Ollis was dropped for a loss on fourth down at Navy's 4 in the second quarter, and the Falcons later had to punt after three penalties pushed them back from the Navy 15.</p>
<p>"We had some scoring opportunities that were absolutely left on the field," Air Force coach Troy Calhoun said.</p>
<p>"When you get inside the 10 three or four times and come away with three points, it's frustrating. We felt we were in control of the game offensively the whole game. We really felt like we left 24 or 31 points out there."</p>
<p>The best part is that Carney chose Air Force over Navy because he thought Navy's program was a loser compared to Air Force. Good people make bad choices... :)</p>
<p>A record-setting crowd of 37,615 watched as the United States Naval Academy defeated rival Air Force in Annapolis Saturday.</p>
<p>With 6 of the top 13 teams suffering unexpected losses this past week, you won¹t see the Air Force-Navy game featured in the highlight reels on ESPN. Neither team ranks in the Top 25, and neither plays in an elite conference.</p>
<p>Still, there¹s something special about the service academy rivalries.</p>
<p>There¹s the pomp and circumstance for one thing. Before every home game, the Naval Academy¹s entire Brigade of Midshipmen assembles at The Yard in downtown Annapolis and marches to Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. There, they take the field, saluting fans and opponents alike, then file into the stands to cheer on their team.</p>
<p>They had plenty to cheer about on Saturday. Air Force put up the first points with 2:20 left in the first quarter, answering Navy¹s missed field goal with one of their own. After that, the score seesawed back and forth, each team answering the other. Then, trailing 20-17 early in the fourth quarter, Navy gambled on fourth-and-two at the goal line and took the lead for good. Quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada (Betcha can't say that name fast three times!) iced the cake with a 78-yard touchdown run. Final score: Navy 31, Air Force 20.</p>
<p>I waited expectantly for a wild celebration to begin. As the final seconds expired, the gold-domed Navy team gathered at midfield, but the high fives and attaboys lasted just a few minutes. Then the Midshipmen turned to shake hands with the Falcons. Fans applauded, but few left their seats.</p>
<p>Together, the two teams walked to the north end zone where the Air Force Drum and Bugle Corps waited, and, incredibly, the defeated team began to sing. The Navy team and fans stood respectfully silent as AFA students and alumni recited their alma mater. Next, both teams moved to stand in front of the waiting Mids and their band. After a few cheers of jubilation, USNA students and alumni chanted their own alma mater, ending with an enthusiastic "Beat Army!"</p>
<p>I was puzzled. It wasn¹t as if Navy students and fans lacked excitement over the win. After all, it had happened in front of a record crowd. "This is big," a smiling Mid from the Class of 2010 told me. "It's real big. I mean, it's not like beating Army or anything, but this is a big deal."</p>
<p>A quick survey of the stadium put it all into perspective for me. The names of major battles and invasions adorn the concrete walls -- Wake Island, Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, Mekong Delta, and yes, Enduring Freedom. Each and every one of these football players will go on to serve their country. Some of them will fight, and some may die. Winning on the football field today? It's not life and death. It's just a game.</p>
<p>Breaking News: Navy didn't beat Air Force. Air Force Beat Themselves (Colorado Springs Gazette)</p>
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Air Force will play host to UNLV at 7 p.m. Saturday with its season at a crossroads. </p>
<p>Under first-year coach Troy Calhoun, the Falcons shocked the Mountain West Conference and even earned some national attention by blazing to a 3-0 start that included upset victories over conference favorites Utah and TCU. </p>
<p>But Air Force has followed with two straight losses. The Falcons were blown out by BYU 31-6 and lost to rival Navy last weekend for the fifth consecutive season....
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