SportsDirect Inc. staff
Nov 16, 2013
Navy 42, South Alabama 14: Keenan Reynolds threw for one touchdown and ran for another as the host Midshipmen secured a bowl bid for the 10th time in 11 seasons.
Darius Staten rushed for a career-high 127 yards and a touchdown on only seven carries and Navy (6-4) scored the final 32 points en route to winning its 11th straight game on Senior Day and completing a perfect season at home (5-0) for the first time since 2004.
Ross Metheny threw for 160 yards and a pair of first-half touchdown passes to Shavarez Smith for the Jaguars (3-6), who lost their third straight in the first meeting between the schools. Metheny's 22-yard strike to Smith gave South Alabama a 14-10 lead, but Shawn White bulled in from 7 yards out and Nick Sloan kicked a 21-yard field goal with 34 seconds left in the half to give the Midshipmen a 20-14 edge.
Reynolds, who accounted for 227 yards of offense, directed a nine-play, 82-yard scoring drive on the opening possession of the second half, capping it with a 1-yard run for his 19th rushing touchdown of the season and a 27-14 lead.
A big play by the Midshipmen defense helped break the game open, when Cody Peterson stuffed Kendall Houston for a two-yard loss on fourth-and-2 at the 4-yard line. Navy then drove 94 yards in seven plays, with Reynolds hitting a wide-open Matt Aiken for a 45-yard TD pass with 7:49 to play.