Navy sails away with most wins in a century

SAN FRANCISCO – Aaron Polanco ran for three touchdowns and passed for another, and Navy capped the academy’s best season in 99 years with a 34-19 win over New Mexico in the Emerald Bowl on Thursday.

Polanco scored on runs of 14, 1 and 27 yards and completed a 61-yard TD pass to Corey Dryden, the longest of the season by Polanco and the first career score by Dryden. The Midshipmen’s defense was impressive, too, despite the rain-soaked field at SBC Park.

Navy forced two first-half turnovers that led to TDs and staged a goal-line stand late in the third quarter. Then Navy kept the ball for the next 14 minutes, 26 seconds, and held New Mexico to seven plays in the fourth quarter.

The Midshipmen (10-2) tied for the most wins in school history, last accomplished when they went 10-1-1 in 1905. It was a fitting end for the Mids, some of whom will head off to war in the coming year. Two months ago, Navy’s players dealt with the death of former teammate JP Blecksmith in a military operation in Fallujah, Iraq.

Polanco finished the season with 16 rushing TDs, the tops by a quarterback this year. Temple’s Walter Washington ran for 15.

Polanco gained a Navy bowl-record 136 yards on the ground for his fourth 100-yard rushing game and threw for 101 yards. He even caught a 17-yard pass from Frank Divis to set up his second TD – and his two receptions led the team.

New Mexico quarterback Kole McKamey had nearly as big a day after the Lobos (7-5) lost star tailback DonTrell Moore to a left knee injury late in the first quarter.

McKamey threw for 207 yards and also rushed for 138, the first Lobos player to accomplish the feat since Graham Leigh in 1997. But McKamey threw two interceptions.

Moore, who has rushed for more than 1,000 yards in each of the past three seasons and came in averaging 108.3 yards per game, was carted off the field after catching a shovel pass and taking a hard hit from cornerback Vaughn Kelley that caused Moore to fumble with 3:52 left in the first quarter.

Linebacker Lane Jackson pounced on the ball for his first fumble recovery this year, and Polanco scored five plays later. Jackson also made an interception as time expired in the first half.

Navy built a 21-7 lead seconds into the second quarter on Polanco’s 61-yard TD pass to Dryden.

The Lobos couldn’t stop Navy’s impressive triple-option offense. The Midshipmen snapped New Mexico’s five-game winning streak and kept the Lobos from their first bowl victory in 43 years.