Navy 56, East Carolina 28
GREENVILLE, N.C. -- Keenan Reynolds ran for three touchdowns and threw for two more as Navy racked up a season-high 512 rushing yards in a rainy 56-28 win over East Carolina on Saturday at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium.
Gee Gee Greene carried 14 times for a career-high 131 yards in the Midshipmen's fourth straight win after a 1-3 start to the season.
Navy (5-3) scored three touchdowns in the third quarter while holding the Pirates (5-4) scoreless to seize control. The Midshipmen went on to score 35 second-half points to make it a laugher.
Reynolds, a freshman, scored on 2- and 1-yard runs and threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Casey Bolena during the decisive third-quarter stretch, which saw a 21-point swing in less than 8 minutes and left the Pirates facing a 42-14 deficit.
Shane Carden completed 19 of 29 passes for 194 yards and a touchdown for ECU, which was seeking bowl eligibility for the first time in two years. But the Pirates committed two turnovers, had seven penalties for 78 yards and converted just 4 of 9 third downs.
The game was reminiscent of the 2010 contest between the teams, when Navy piled up a stadium-record 521 rushing yards in a 76-35 win in Greenville. ECU bounced back with a 38-35 victory in last season's game in Annapolis, Md., but the Midshipmen dominated again Saturday.
Navy finished with 563 total yards to the Pirates' 338, scoring on eight of 11 possessions.
The game was played in a steady drizzle brought on by the westernmost reaches of Hurricane Sandy.
Leading 21-14, the Midshipmen opened the second half with a 75-yard scoring drive that ended with Reynolds' 2-yard touchdown run.
ECU's Lance Ray fumbled the ensuing kickoff and Navy's Geoffrey Whiteside recovered on the Pirates' 29-yard line. Four plays later, Reynolds hit Bolena with a 15-yard touchdown pass to extend the advantage to 35-14 with 8:09 remaining in the third quarter.
After an ECU punt, Reynolds capped a nine-play, 71-yard drive with a 1-yard sneak to place momentum squarely on Navy's side.
The Midshipmen led 56-21 after Ryan Williams-Jenkins' 33-yard touchdown run with 12:36 left in the game.
Vintavious Cooper rushed 18 times for 121 yards and a touchdown for the Pirates, whose two-game winning streak was snapped.
NOTES: The game marked the end of a scheduled four-game series that began in 2006. ... ECU is 22-43 in non-conference games since joining Conference USA in 1997. ... Both teams entered the game among the top six in the nation in fewest penalties per game. Navy was flagged three times for 40 yards Saturday.
