Wake downs Navy

WASHINGTON – Riley Skinner found a perfect way to open the bowl season and redeem himself for a flawed September performance against Navy.

Skinner went 11 for 11 and threw the go-ahead touchdown pass to Ben Wooster with 7:52 left, leading Wake Forest to a 29-19 comeback victory over the Midshipmen in the inaugural EagleBank Bowl on Saturday.

It was a rematch of a Sept. 27 game at Wake Forest, when Navy took advantage of five turnovers by Skinner – four interceptions and a fumble – to pull off a 24-17 upset.

The Midshipmen scored the first 17 points in the first meeting, and this time a 50-yard fumble return by Rashawn King helped Navy bolt to a 13-0 lead.

But Skinner didn’t flinch. He directed Wake Forest (8-5) to a touchdown in the final minute of the first half and opened the third quarter with a 73-yard drive that ended with a 5-yard run by Josh Adams for a 14-13 lead.

Navy (8-5) went back in front when Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada scored on a 2-yard run with 12:30 to go, but Skinner went 4 for 4 for 69 yards in an 80-yard drive that ended with his 8-yard pass to Wooster.

Kevin Harris rushed for 136 yards in his first start for Wake Forest since 2006, and Adams scored two touchdowns.

The first bowl game held at 48-year-old RFK Stadium drew a crowd of 28,777, many of them Navy fans who made the short drive from nearby Annapolis, Md.