CBS SportsLine wire reports
Oct. 3, 1998
ANNAPOLIS, Maryland -- Linebacker Antwan Lake recovered his own forced fumble in the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown 48 seconds into the fourth quarter and No. 17 West Virginia took advantage of a failed fake punt on the ensuing possession to hold off Navy, 45-24.
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With the game tied 24-24, Navy began the fourth quarter with a first down on its own 1-yard line. But on the third play, Lake came around right tackle, knocked the ball loose from quarterback Steve Holley and pounced on it for the score.
"I never felt the guy coming," said Holley. "I should have felt it. The A-back was open and I did not get the ball to him."
THE MIDSHIPMEN, TRAILING for the first time in the game, tried a fake inside their own 30 just moments later but came up a foot short. After West Virginia converted on a third-and-long, Amos Zereoue broke free for a seven-yard touchdown.
Alvin Swoope's six-yard scoring run with 2:42 remaining provided the final margin.
Marc Bulger completed 24-of-36 passes for a career-high 354 yards for West Virginia (3-1), which improved to just 2-5 against Navy. The Mountaineers' only other victory over the Midshipmen was a 7-0 triumph on October 6, 1917 -- Navy's only defeat that season.
Irv Dingle carried 18 times for 103 yards and one score for the Midshipmen (1-3), who have not beaten a ranked opponent since topping No. 2 South Carolina, 38-21, in 1984.
"They execute that (option) offense as well as anyone in America," said West Virginia coach Don Nehlen. "As the game progressed, we got better at stopping it. The secondary has to be disciplined, they have to watch the release of the slotbacks."
NAVY,
MORE THAN A TWO-TOUCHDOWN UNDERDOG, used Tom Vanderhorst's
41-yard field goal and a five-yard touchdown run by Holley to take a 10-0 lead
after one quarter. Holley connected on 11-of-18 passes for 146 yards and ran for two
scores.
West Virginia's Khori Ivy goes up over Navy defender
Mike Wiedl Saturday to make a 43-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter.
(AP)
"I was impressed with the way we fought," said Navy coach Charlie Weatherbie. "We played hard. We just shot ourselves in the foot. If you turn the ball over three times, you do not have a good chance to win, no matter who you are playing."
The Mountaineers got on the scoreboard on the first play of the second quarter when Jay Taylor connected on a 43-yard field goal.
Dingle's eight-yard touchdown run gave Navy a 17-3 lead with 9:06 to play in the first half. But West Virginia fought back to tie the game as Bulger hit tight end Anthony Becht for an eight-yard score and then found a streaking Khori Ivy on a 43-yard touchdown strike.
"They run that offense to a T," said Mountaineers safety David Lightcap. "They execute it very well. The important thing is to read the keys, which was obvious in some of their big plays."
THE TEAMS TRADED TOUCHDOWNS EARLY in the third quarter, with Navy taking a 24-17 lead 1:27 into the period on Holley's seven-yard run. But Zereoue answered with a seven-yard score of his own 2:40 later.
Zereoue racked up 95 yards on 23 carries.
"I love coming to Annapolis," Nehlen said. "These kids personify what's great about education in America. They're special people and they play as hard as the devil."