Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Navy
Wildcats Win Shootout Over Navy, 49-40
9/21/2002 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept 21, 2002
ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Thanks to a turnover-forcing defense, Northwestern notched its second consecutive victory, and its first road win in nearly a year with a wild 49-40 victory over Navy at Navy-Marine Corps Stadium.
Jason Wright ran for 186 yards and three touchdowns, and Brett Basanez threw for 260 yards and a score as the Wildcats escaped in a game that featured 1,223 yards of total offense.
The Midshipmen amassed 678 yards in offense, but they could not overcome five turnovers. The last of Navy's four lost fumbles came deep in Northwestern territory with the Wildcats up 42-38.
Northwestern (2-2) then drove for the clinching touchdown, a 17-yard run by Noah Herron with 3:26 remaining.
"It's pretty tough to win a football game when you turn the ball over five times," Navy coach Paul Johnson said. "We're not talented enough to do that. If we don't turn it over today, I don't know if they win."
Herron had 95 yards rushing and three touchdowns for the Wildcats, who surrendered a 14-point lead in the second half before coming back -- thanks heavily to Navy miscues.
"It wasn't a work of art, that's for sure," Northwestern Coach Randy Walker said. "Maybe the best thing is that we don't play an option team again."
Earlier this season, Air Force used the option attack to blitz the Wildcats 52-3. Navy's 678 yards was just 35 fewer than the team-record 713 that Northwestern allowed against Iowa in 1983.
Craig Candeto passed for 212 yards and a touchdown, and ran for 138 yards and three scores. But the Midshipmen (1-2) lost their 11th straight home game.
"It's really disappointing," Candeto said. "We made too many mistakes, turned the ball over too many times. We had some opportunities, but we let it slip away."
Wright, despite missing most of the second quarter with leg cramps, carried 21 times and easily surpassed his previous career high in yards rushing. He ran for 105 yards in the first quarter alone.
"We're trying to grow as an offense," Walker said. "It's good that Baz has found a rhythm, and obviously we have some good running backs."
So does Navy. Eric Roberts ran for 71 yards, caught three passes for 137 yards and scored two touchdowns, but it all went for naught.
The Wildcats scored two touchdowns off Navy turnovers to go ahead 28-21 at halftime, then went up by 14 on an 18-yard run by Wright.
Navy then went on a 17-point run to take a 38-35 lead with 10:42 left on a 1-yard run by Candeto.
But the Wildcats came right back, taking the lead for good with a 59-yard drive that ended on a 3-yard run by Wright.
Some of this story provided by the Associated Press
