PHILADELPHIA — Navy quarterback Keenan Reynolds wasn't in the discussion for the Heisman Trophy handed out a few hours after his performance in the snow Saturday against Army, but he did earn himself another spot in the NCAA record book.
The sophomore from Antioch, Tenn. ran for 136 yards and three touchdowns — giving him as NCAA record with 29 rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in a single season — as Navy rolled 34-7 in its 12th consecutive win against Army.
Running back Joe Bellino won the Heisman for Navy in 1960. Quarterback Roger Staubach won his Heisman in 1963. Navy Coach Ken Niumatalolo was asked if Reynolds' season at least merited a trip to New York for the Heisman presentation.
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"I think he deserves to be there. … He's as good a quarterback (as) I've been around,'' Niumatalolo said. " … Not to take anything away from the guys that are there because of all those guys that are there are very deserving. But I think Keenan had a heck of a year, too."
With 176 points this season, Reynolds also set an all-time Navy season scoring record. He broke the previous mark of 174 set by running back Bill Ingram in 1917.
Reynolds will lead an 8-4 Navy into a Dec. 30 matchup against Middle Tennessee State in the Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth. That's not the kind of team résumé that grabs Heisman votes.
Just as he did to tacklers on an Army team that finished 3-9, the 5-11, 185-pound Reynolds sidestepped a question about whether he merited Heisman consideration this year or might make a run at it in his Navy career.
"You know, that's not for me to judge," said Reynolds, who set an earlier NCAA record for a quarterback when he ran for seven touchdowns in a triple overtime victory against San Jose State on Nov. 22.
"The only thing I can do is come out there and do my best, do my job and let the rest take of care of itself."
The previous record for touchdown runs by a quarterback in a season of 27 was set by Navy's Ricky Dobbs and matched by Kansas State's Collin Klein in 2011.
"Coming into this game, I wasn't too concerned about the record," Reynolds said. " If I broke it, I broke. If not, oh well. My main concern was trying to get the W. If that involved me getting zero touchdowns and everybody else running and having a field day, then I was cool with that."
Reynolds completed just two of seven passes for 10 yards in Navy's triple-option attack. But he led the running game.
Reynolds came in with 26 rushing touchdowns. He tied the record with a 47-yarder late in the second quarter that helped Navy to a 17-0 halftime lead.
Reynolds broke the record with an 11-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter on a drive on which he carried on the final six plays for 31 yards. After the score, he caught a two-point conversion pass from wide receiver Brendan Dudeck to give Navy 28-7 lead. That play might have been viewed as rubbing it in, but it did give Navy a 21-point lead (meaning Army needed three touchdowns to tie).
Reynolds' last touchdown, a 1-yard sneak, came with 46 seconds left. That's the touchdown that gave him the Navy single-season scoring record.
Niumatalolo was recruited to play quarterback at the University of Hawaii by Army Coach Rich Ellerson, then a Hawaii assistant. They are friends. Niumataolo was asked if he considered having Reynolds take a knee before his final touchdown.
"I've got to think about our team," Niumatalolo said. "I've got a kid that's busted his butt this year. He's had a great season, with an opportunity to break the record. … That thought (taking a knee) did come across my mind … I have great respect for Coach Ellerson and everybody on that side. But then my thoughts went to I've got a kid that has a chance to break a record. … Those are hard to come by."
The snow flurries that began before kickoff grew heavier in the first half and covered the field. The temperature was 26 degrees at kickoff.
Niumataolo wore a big, insulated jacket on the sideline — and the Hawaiian lei he has worn during his last four wins vs. Army. The lei was again made by 82-year-old Betty Ihara of Hawaii, who attended Saturday's game with her daughter and son-in-law.
"The only thing that reminded me of Hawaii is this lei," Niumatalolo said. "But that definitely wasn't Hawaii weather out there."
Reynolds wasn't hampered by the snow.
"I never played in the snow before. I'm from the South, so we don't get too much snow during the fall," Reynolds said. "It was fun. It was kind of storybook Army-Navy, cold, snowing, grind-it-out type of game. Couldn't have asked for too much better."
Not for Army. Navy's 12-game winning streak is the longest by far in the series. Neither side had previously won more than five in a row.
Navy clinched the Commander-in-Chief's trophy for the second year in a row by sweeping its season series with Army and Air Force.
Army fell to 0-5 against Navy under Ellerson, now 20-41 in five seasons at Army. Ellerson's status moving forward is uncertain. A year ago, Navy held on for a 17-13 win against Army, which lose a fumble deep in Navy territory with just over a minute left. No suspense this time.
Navy had no turnovers. Army lost two fumbles and an interception. Sophomore A.J. Schurr made his first start at quarterback for Army but was replaced by regular Angel Santiago after losing a first-quarter fumble. Santiago led a touchdown drive but lost a fumble and threw an interception. Santiago hit five of 10 passes for 50 yards.
"We turned the ball over against a good football team. We gave up big plays on defense, and we took some big hits in the penalty game," Ellerson said. "Against a good football team, don't be surprised the score gets upside down."
Army had three personal fouls. Navy, which came in leading the FBS in fewest penalties (2.82 per game) was penalized once for 10 yards. Army had four penalties for 50 yards.
"I love that (Army) football team," Ellerson said. "This is a great team and a great senior class. You can't imagine the feeling they have for one another and what they've put into that. I (wanted) desperately for them to have a better feeling today. That's what is killing me."
Said Niumatalolo: "It's hard. This is hard deal. I've got a lot of good friends on that side. … But this is a tough deal. Coaching is a bottom line profession. … But I do feel for those guys and their players because they've got great kids over there. They go through what our kids go through."
114TH ARMY-NAVY GAME
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