Navy is 8-3 - woohoo!
Dobbs carries Navy past Delaware, 35-18.
The Associated Press
Saturday, November 14, 2009; 9:35 PM
ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- Ricky Dobbs bulled into the Navy record book, breaking a mark that had stood since 1917.
The Midshipmen quarterback broke the school record for touchdowns in a season, running for five in Navy's 35-18 victory against Delaware on Saturday.
Dobbs leads the nation with 22 touchdowns and needs one more rushing score to tie the record held by Florida's Tim Tebow (2007) and Air Force's Chance Harridge (2002). His final TD broke Bill Ingram's Navy record of 21 set in 1917.
Dobbs missed most of two games with a knee injury before returning to lead Navy to a 23-21 victory at Notre Dame.
"The kid is amazing," Navy coach Ken Niumatolo said. "His injury should have made him done for the year. To come back and play the way he has, I couldn't be more proud of him."
Jon Striefsky kicked a school-record four field goals for Delaware (6-4).
Navy (8-3), which has already accepted a bid to the Texas Bowl, scored 21 points in the fourth quarter, including the final TD with 46 seconds left.
Dobbs, who set up his third score with a career-long 46-yard run, finished with 100 yards on 26 carries. He also completed 4 of 6 passes for 78 yards, setting up two scores through the air.
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Fourteen of Dobbs' touchdowns have been 3 yards or less.
"I feel guilty (about the short TDs) because people on the outside don't know what it takes to get there," Dobbs said. "Team success is the most important record. This record belongs to the offensive line and the fullbacks that block. The plays that get us there are just as important as the scores."
After gaining just 105 yards on 22 first-half plays and trailing 9-7 at the break, Navy had 215 yards in the second half. The Midshipmen ran 51 times for 242 yards for the game.
"We had some opportunities that we didn't take advantage of. We need to get more sevens, not threes," Delaware coach K.C. Keeler said. "We played well enough on both sides of the ball. I thought the offense did a phenomenal job of playing defense."
The Blue Hens held the ball for more than 18 minutes in the first half.
Alexander Teich, subbing for starting fullback Vince Murray, set up Dobbs' fourth score with a 22-yard run and finished with 57 yards on seven carries.
Delaware moved the ball well on offense, outgaining the Mids 370-320 with 22 first downs to their 16, but couldn't do any better than Striefsky's four field goals until a late fourth-quarter touchdown.
Pat Devlin completed 17 of 29 passes for 194 yards, but had no completion longer than 22 yards. The Blue Hens' only score came on Jerry Butler's 1-yard run with 6:29 left.
"When we get down in the red zone, we have to score," Devlin said. "We can't come away with field goals. When you make mistakes like a pass interference that brings you back, that never helps either."
Striefsky converted field goals of 47, 39 and 25 yards in the first half, the last coming on the final play of the half, to give the Hens a 9-7 lead.
"The defense played well in the first half and our offense came back in the second half and got things going," said Niumatolo.
Navy opened the second half with the ball and drove 64 yards to a 1-yard score by Dobbs for a 14-9 lead.
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Delaware followed with a drive inside the Navy 10, but settled for Striefsky's 25-yard field goal. The kick gave Striefsky a school and stadium record, the Hens still trailed 14-12 with 3:33 left in the period.
"Give them all the credit in the world," Keeler said. "We're not upset about that score at the end. It is what it is."
posted by Dave Frost at 6:06 PM
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