Abey helps Mids put halt to 7-game skid

Quarterback’s two TDs lead Midshipmen on senior day

Oh how sweet it is! Navy’s football team tasted victory for the first time in two months and it could not have come at a more opportune moment.

It was senior day at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, the perfect occasion for ending a season-spoiling seven-game losing streak.

Quarterback Zach Abey led the way as Navy sent its 34 seniors out as winner by defeating Tulsa, 37-29, before an announced crowd of 31,517 in Annapolis. Abey brought back memories of early last season by rushing for 128 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries.

Abey did an outstanding job of directing the triple-option as Navy rolled up 389 rushing yards in improving its record to 3-8 overall, 2-5 in the American Athletic Conference. The Midshipmen once again had superb balance among all three elements of the option in posting their first win since Sept. 15.

Slotacks Malcolm Perry and Tre Walker combined for 143 rushing yards while fullbacks Nelson Smith and Anthony Gargiulo teamed to gain 106 yards on the ground for the Midshipmen.

Unfortunately for Navy, its struggling defense did all it could to keep Tulsa in the game. The Midshipmen got gashed for 370 total yards and gave up two touchdowns in the fourth quarter when one stop would have put the game away.

Quarterback Seth Boomer completed 19 of 28 passes for 206 yards while tailback Corey Taylor II rushed for three touchdowns for Tulsa (2-9, 1-6). Taylor’s third touchdown got the Golden Hurricane within eight points with 4:46 remaining in the game, but Abey and the offense were able to pick up two first downs and salt away the rest of the time.

Navy scored touchdowns on four straight possessions in taking a 27-16 halftime lead. Abey rushed for 112 yards and two touchdowns while Smith scored twice in the first half.

Things did not start well for the Midshipmen, who took a delay of game on the very first play from scrimmage and wound up going three-and-out as a result. A penalty for interfering with the punt returner gave the Golden Hurricane great field position for their opening possession and they took advantage, driving 51 yards on 14 running plays to take an early 7-0 lead.

Navy answered with an 11-play, 69-yard touchdown drive that conclude with Smith bursting through a big hole up the middle. Smith’s 10-yard scoring scamper was set up by a 14-yard run by Abey.

Tulsa went three-and-out on its next two possessions and that gave Navy a chance to gain some separation. Slotack CJ Williams made an incredible 15-yard catch along the sideline to jump-start the Midshipmen’s second scoring drive.

Abey correctly read a blitz and handed the ball off to the fullback and Smith raced up the middle untouched for his second touchdown off a 26-yard run. Kicker Bennett Moehring had his extra point attempt blocked by cornerback Reggie Robinson, who wound up tacking a lateral and racing 98 yards the other way to score two points for Tulsa.

Tulsa was forced to punt out of its own end zone on the ensuing possession and returner Jake Springer made a great play on a short boot to give Navy the ball on the 31-yard line of the visitors. Six plays later, Abey barreled over the goal line from 2 yards out to increase the lead to 20-7.

A targeting penalty against Navy’s Austin Talbert-Loving on the kickoff return gave Tulsa good starting field position for the second time in the game. The Golden Hurricane took advantage again with wide receiver Keylon Stokes scoring on a 19-yard run off a jet sweep.

Navy responded to the second Tulsa touchdown the same way it did following the first. Abey had three double-digit runs as the Midshipmen marched 70 yards in 12 plays to make it a two-score game again. Abey had runs of 15, 13 and 12 yards before plunging into the end zone from 2 yards out.

Tulsa opened the second half with an impressive drive that looked like it would produce a touchdown that cut the deficit back to single digits. However, the Navy defense came up with a huge stop on its own goal-line.

Nose guard Jackson Pittman stripped tailback Corey Taylor and end Marcus Edwards recovered the fumble at the 3-yard line.

Tulsa had an opportunity to get the ball back with good field position as Navy faced third-and-10 from its own 3-yard line. However, Abey read the defense correctly and pitched the ball to Perry, who raced 52 yards into enemy territory. Tre Walker followed with a 35-yard gain off another pitch and that set up a 21-yard field goal by Moehring that puts the Mids ahead by two touchdowns.