Navy's defense good enough to sink NIU

ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- Giving up 24 points and 355 yards doesn't usually qualify as a solid defensive performance.

By Navy standards, it was a gem.

"Today was all about the defense," said Ross Pospisil, who was credited with 20 tackles Saturday in Navy's 35-24 win over Northern Illinois.

Zerbin Singleton scored 3 touchdowns and backup quarterback Jarod Bryant ran for 139 yards and a score, but the key was a Navy defense that was yielding an average of 41.1 points per game.

It was the third straight win for the Midshipmen (7-4), who have already accepted a bid from the Poinsettia Bowl.

Coming off a 74-62 win over North Texas, Navy wasn't quite as effective offensively against a Northern Illinois team that yielded 70 points to Toledo on Oct. 27. It didn't matter, because the defense was far better than usual.

Justin Anderson carried 39 times for 140 yards and a touchdown for Northern Illinois (2-9). Ryan Morris went 21-for-35 for 206 yards and threw 2 touchdown passes to Matt Simon.

"I was really proud of Ryan Morris," coach Joe Novak said. "He gave us a chance."

Navy went 80 yards on 14 plays to open the second half, using a 1-yard touchdown run by Bryant to take a 28-14 lead.

The Huskies responded with a 24-yard touchdown pass from Morris to Simon. Then, after stopping the Midshipmen on downs, Northern Illinois closed to 28-24 when Chris Nendick kicked a 42-yard field goal with 11:53 remaining.

But Singleton scored on a 12-yard run with 7:51 to go for an 11-point cushion.

Despite allowing 5 touchdowns and 419 yards, Novak had no complaints about the performance of his defense.

"I got nervous sitting in the locker room before the game, reading the program and seeing all those points they scored. They've got some unbelievable stats," Novak said of the Midshipmen. "Paul does a great job with that offense."

The final minute of the first half featured two straight calls overturned by replay, the second providing Northern Illinois a touchdown that shaved Navy's lead to 21-14.

After a replay reversed a touchdown by Anderson on a third-and-goal screen pass, he was stuffed at the line on fourth down from the 1. But a replay determined he got into the end zone.

It was a fitting end to a wild half in which the teams combined for 417 yards and 5 touchdowns.