Southern Miss outscores Navy 63-35
ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Senior quarterback Austin Davis passed for 283 yards and three touchdowns, and Southern Miss beat Navy 63-35 on Saturday for its fourth straight victory.
Jeremy Hester rushed for 118 yards and a score and Tracy Lampley ran for two touchdowns for the Golden Eagles (5-1), who have tallied at least 30 points a game during their winning streak. Davis completed 21 of 23 passes and added 75 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries.
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Navy (2-3) lost a third consecutive game for the first time in four seasons under coach Ken Niumatalolo, surrendering a season high in points.
The Midshipmen played without fullback Alexander Teich, their leading rusher, who was held out of the game by Niumatalolo for disciplinary reasons.
Navy's Delvin Diggs ran for two touchdowns, and quarterback Kriss Proctor added 123 rushing yards.
It was the most points allowed by Navy since a 65-19 home loss to N.C. State on Sept. 7, 2002. The Midshipmen amassed 416 rushing yards, but paid for squandering early scoring opportunities.
Navy drove to the Golden Eagles' 7-yard line on the game's opening drive, but Southern Mississippi's Khyri Thornton blocked Jon Teague's 29-yard field goal try and Marquese Wheaton scooped up the loose ball, returning it 79 yards for a touchdown.
The Midshipmen moved to the Southern Mississippi 1 on the ensuing drive, but failed on three tries to punch the ball across for a score. Tim Green stuffed Proctor's fourth-down keeper attempt.
The Southern Miss offense didn't touch the ball until 3:59 remained in the opening quarter, and Davis directed a 99-yard scoring drive capped by Hester's 3-yard scamper up the middle for a 14-0 lead.
Lampley's 4-yard scoring run put the Golden Eagles up 21-0 with 11:18 remaining in the first half.
Davis found Ryan Hanks uncovered in the end zone for a 5-yard scoring pass and a 28-8 lead 7:32 before halftime.
Navy responded with a six-play, 70-yard drive culminating in John Howell's 1-yard right-side run. But Southern Miss took a 35-7 lead on a 5-yard touchdown pass from Davis to Ryan Balentine.
Davis finished the first half 13 for 14 for 191 yards.
Proctor needed only 57 seconds to move Navy 74 yards early in the second half, leading Brandon Turner over the middle for a 43-yard touchdown pass to trim the deficit to 35-14.
But Davis threw his third scoring pass of the afternoon, a 10-yard strike to Kelvin Bolden in the back of the end zone, for a 42-14 Southern Miss lead.
Diggs scored on a 1-yard run, but Southern Miss used a trick play-an 18-yard pass from Quentin Pierce to Colin Jarbo to increase its lead to 49-21. Proctor then threw a 27-yard TD to Gee Gee Green with 40 seconds left in the third quarter.
Lampley's second touchdown run made it 56-28 early in the final quarter. Diggs then scored from 7 yards out for Navy.
Davis' 1-yard run with 5:18 left concluded the scoring.