Midshipmen take control of AAC, with win over Tulsa
Story By Deborah Leung Pointed Magazine Staff
Photo’s By Benjamin Rogers, Jr Pointed Magazine Staff
Navy quarterback Will Worth ran for 122 yards and scored three touchdowns and the Midshipmen took control of the American Athletic Conference’s West Division with a 42-40 victory over Tulsa on Saturday.
Navy (7-2, 5-1) is now in the driver’s seat to earn a spot, and possibly host, the AAC championship game on Dec. 3. The Midshipmen have won 15 consecutive games at home the second-longest home streak in the nation behind Clemson, which has won 20 straight.
Worth, who also threw for a score, has a touchdown in all nine games this season, tying Chris McCoy (1995-97) for the second-longest streak in school history. It was also Worth’s fifth-straight game with 100 or more rushing yards.
Tulsa quarterback Dane Evans became the school’s all-time passing leader after going 16 of 27 for 369 yards with four touchdowns. Evans also had a 1-yard touchdown run that pulled the Golden Hurricane to within 38-37 with 10:34 left in the game.
Justin Hobbs caught five passes for 123 yards, while Josh Atkinson had five receptions for 102 yards with a touchdown for Tulsa (7-3, 4-2).
Midshipmen senior Dishan Romine ran for 97 yards on six carries and got his first career touchdown with a 41-yard scamper that provided a 14-10 lead. Romine also had a 48-yard return on the opening kick-off that set up Navy’s first touchdown.
THE TAKEAWAY
TULSA: The loss to Navy likely ends the Golden Hurricane’s AAC title hopes, but Tulsa became bowl-eligible Oct. 29 with a win at Memphis.
NAVY: The Midshipmen have a contractual agreement to play in the 2016 Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl as an Independent before joining the AAC. However, Navy could still earn a spot in the Group of Five New Year’s Six Bowl that pre-empt that earlier agreement.
UP NEXT
TULSA: The Golden Hurricane play Saturday at Central Florida, which came away with a 45-30 victory last season.
NAVY: The Midshipmen travel to East Carolina on Saturday to make up a game postponed Oct. 13 because of Hurricane Matthew.
