Poinsettia Bowl
2005
Navy 51
Colorado State 30
SAN DIEGO (AP) - Speedy little Reggie Campbell of Navy was evoking
comparisons with Barry Sanders with every shifty run and breathtaking
catch. Finally, when he scored his fifth touchdown, Campbell had claimed
his own little piece of bowl lore on the same field where Sanders ran
wild 17 years earlier.
Campbell tied the NCAA bowl record with five touchdowns Thursday night
and had 290 all-purpose yards, leading the Midshipmen to a 51-30 win
over Colorado State in the Poinsettia Bowl at Qualcomm Stadium (video).
The 5-foot-6 sophomore slotback had touchdown catches of 55 and 34
yards, and scoring runs of 22, 2 and 21 yards. Sanders scored five
touchdowns and ran for 222 yards in the 1988 Holiday Bowl, leading
Oklahoma State to a 62-14 win over Wyoming at what was then Jack Murphy
Stadium. Sanders won the Heisman Trophy that year.
The other players with five TDs in a bowl were Michigan's Neil Snow
against Stanford in the 1902 Rose Bowl and San Jose State's Sheldon
Canley against Central Michigan in the 1990 California Bowl.
Campbell was spectacular practically every time he touched the ball for
Navy (8-4), which was playing in a third straight bowl game for the
first time in academy history. He ran 16 times for 116 yards, caught two
passes for 89 yards and returned four kickoffs for 85 yards. Navy, the
nation's top-ranked rushing team with an average of 305.2 yards, ran for
467 yards and had 611 yards in total offense. The Rams (6-6) had 572
total yards.
Campbell's first TD was a stunner, a 55-yard reception on Navy's first
play from scrimmage. Already hard to stop because of its triple-option
rushing attack, Navy surprised everyone, especially Colorado State's
defense, when Owens faked a handoff and threw deep to Campbell, who had
gotten behind the coverage and scored easily for a 7-7 tie 4:07 into the
game. Campbell already was warmed up, having returned a kickoff 28 yards
after the Rams scored on the opening drive.
Navy totally fooled Colorado State midway through the second quarter,
when Campbell took a pitch and ran 22 yards untouched through a huge
hole in the right side of CSU's defense to put the Middies ahead 20-10.
Just before halftime, Campbell had the most pedestrian of his TDs,
taking a toss and running in from 2 yards out a 27-10 lead.
Campbell capped the first drive of the second half with a razzle-dazzle
21-yard TD run, when he took a pitch and started outside before cutting
inside to put Navy up 34-10.
Colorado State pulled within 10 late in the third quarter after Dustin
Osborn caught touchdown passes of 10 and 20 yards from Justin Holland on
consecutive possessions. Holland was 26-of-33 for 381 yards. But Navy
came right back and Campbell caught a 34-yard scoring pass from Owens
for a 41-24 lead.
Navy was coming off a 42-23 win over Army in which it rushed for 490
yards, including a 54-yard TD run by Campbell.
Navy's other slotback, Marco Nelson, had touchdown runs of 22 and 21
yards. Holland threw three TD passes for CSU, setting the school
single-season record with 23. He hit Johnny Walker on a 22-yarder early
in the fourth quarter. Colorado State's Kyle Bell had 122 yards on 22
carries, including a 1-yard TD run on the game's first possession. Navy
fullback Adam Ballard had 129 yards on 15 carries.
Attendance: 36,842
Scoring Summary
First Quarter
CSU- Bell 1 yd run (Smith kick)
Navy- Campbell 55 yd pass from Owens (Bullen kick)
CSU- FG Smith 34
Second Quarter
Navy- Nelson 22 yd run (extra point blocked)
Navy- Campbell 22 yd run (Bullen kick)
Navy- Campbell 2 yd run (Bullen kick)
Third Quarter
Navy- Campbell 21 yd run (Bullen kick)
CSU- Osborn 10 yd pass from Holland (Smith kick)
CSU- Osborn 20 yd pass from Holland (Smith kick)
Navy- Campbell 34 yd pass from Owens (Bullen kick)
Fourth Quarter
Navy- Nelson 21 yd run (Bullen kick)
CSU- Walker 22 yd pass from Holland (failed 2 pt. rush)
Navy- FG Bullen 25
Individual Statistics
Rushing
CSU- Bell 22-122
Navy- Ballard 15-129, Campbell 16-116, Nelson 7-80
Passing
CSU- Holland 26-33-381
Navy- Owens 5-10-144
Receiving
CSU- Anderson 9-126, Sperry 8-117, Morton 2-77, Walker 2-49
Navy- Campbell 2-89, White 1-29, Tomlinson 1-18
