Navy 41, Indiana 35
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Keenan Reynolds ran for three touchdowns and Navy had 444 yards rushing as the Midshipmen came out strong in their season opener to beat Indiana 41-35 on Saturday in a game packed with offense.
Indiana (1-1) allowed seven scores in nine possessions. Navy missed a field goal late in the first half and also ran out the final 3:53 after recovering Indiana's onside kick. Otherwise, the Midshipmen dominated with their triple-option attack and beat the Hoosiers for a second consecutive season. Reynolds had 32 carries for 127 yards and completed 2 of 4 passes for 71 yards.
Indiana's Nate Sudfeld completed 31 of 42 throws for 363 yards and four touchdowns but never got the ball with a chance to take the lead. The teams combined for 996 yards of total offense.
With 3:53 remaining, Mitch Ewald executed an onside kick that hopped high in the air and was nearly snagged by a leaping Ted Bolser and Nick Stoner almost recovered a loose bounce. The Midshipmen, who themselves struggled defensively, drained the time and celebrated with fans in the south corner of Memorial Stadium.
Navy's Darius Staten carried nine times for 106 yards and Geoffrey Whiteside rushed nine times for 97 yards. The Midshipmen converted three times on fourth down, the last on a keeper by Reynolds on the clinching drive, and rushed 70 times in all.
Indiana coach Kevin Wilson scheduled last week's game against Indiana State for a Thursday in order to have more time to prepare for Navy's unique offense. It didn't help.
Kofi Hughes caught six passes for 102 yards and a touchdown for the Hoosiers. Bolser added 56 yards and two scores on five receptions.
The Midshipmen led 24-14 after a first half highlighted by their relentless rushing attack.
Navy ran the ball 28 times before throwing its first pass, which went for 47 yards.
The Middies posted 326 yards of offense in the half, 255 on the ground, and threw three times compared to 35 runs. In last season's game against Indiana, the Midshipmen posted 353 yards of total offense for the game.
Sudfeld, who took over at quarterback on Indiana's third series, kept the Hoosiers close with touchdown passes of 45 yards to Hughes and six yards to Bolser.
Wilson twice went for it on fourth down. The Hoosiers were stuffed on fourth-and-short from their own 34. Navy turned the short field into a three-yard scoring run by Swain.
Later, Wilson's gamble paid off when Sudfeld converted a fourth-and-four from the Navy 48. That drive, however, ended with an interception in the red zone.
NOTES: A pregame ceremony attended by Secretary of the Navy Ray Maybus dedicated the prow of the USS Indiana, a World War II battleship. The prow, acquired by the school over the summer, sits at the west entrance of Memorial Stadium. The ship earned nine battle stars for its service in the Pacific. ... Navy players wore a heart-shaped sticker on their shoulder pads to recognize coach Ken Niumatalolo's mother, who died Thursday in Hawaii. ... The game was Navy's first in Bloomington since 1986. The Midshipmen entered the day trailing the series 1-2.
