Tulsa Falls to Navy 20-17

Friday, October 29

Tulsa, Okla.

6:30 pm

Tulsa

3-5 , 2-2

Navy

2-6 , 2-4

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Navy

Tulsa

Photo by: BRETT ROJO, For the University o

Tulsa Falls to Navy 20-17

10/29/2021 11:18:00 PM | Football

Box Score Photo Gallery

GAME BOOK I POST-GAME NOTES I POST-GAME QUOTES I PHOTO GALLERY I SEASON STATS

TULSA, Okla. –– The Navy Midshipmen scored 17 second-half points to grab a 20-17 victory over Tulsa in front of 16,279 fans Friday night at H.A. Chapman Stadium.

Navy scored on its first three second-half possessions to overcome a 10-3 deficit. After a first half that saw the Hurricane defense limit the Midshipmen to just three points, the Navy option attack came alive after halftime and scored 17 points. On its first two second-half scores, Tulsa totaled 155 yards in 25 plays and taking 13:53 off the clock.

The Mids added a 46-yard field goal with 4:14 remaining in the game for the 10-point lead, as that drive went just 19 yards in 7 plays after the Midshipmen defense held Tulsa on 4^th-and-3 from the Hurricane 48-yard line.

Tulsa made it interesting on the next possession when Davis Brin connected with JC Santana on a 43-yard pass to the one-yard line with 3:14 left on the game clock, and two plays late hit Ezra Naylor II in the end zone for a 2-yard score, capping an 8-play, 65-yard drive.

Tulsa's onside kick attempt failed as Navy took over at the 38-yard line to run out the game clock.

The loss snapped a two-game Tulsa winning streak and put the Hurricane at 3-5 on the season and 2-2 in American Athletic Conference play. Navy picked up its second win of the season.

For the game, Navy out-gained the Hurricane 302 to 294 yards. All of Navy's total yards came on the ground, while Tulsa had 165 passing and 129 rushing yards. Anthony Watkins led Tulsa's ground game with 85 yards, while JC Santana had seven receptions for 109 receiving yards. Yohance Burnett had a career-high 13 tackles to lead the Hurricane defense.

Tulsa began the second half with an Anthony Watkins 97-yard kickoff return to give Tulsa a 10-3 lead, but the Midshipmen went 75 yards in 10 plays as James Harris II ran in from one-yard out to tie the score at 10 after the PAT.

Watkins' return was the longest since Oct. 6, 2021, when Trey Watts had a 95-yard touchdown return against Marshall.

When it looked like Tulsa would be taking a seven-point lead on a pass from Brin to Josh Johnson in the end zone, the pass went through Johnson's arms and into the hands of defender Rayuan Lane.

The Midshipmen took that possession from their own 20-yard line for its second straight touchdown, going 80 yards in 15 plays to take its first lead of the game, 17-10, at the 11:25 mark of the fourth period.

It was a defensive struggle in the first 30 minutes as the two teams combined for 292 yards, but 142 of them came on just two plays. Tulsa's Watkins had a 78-yard run and Navy's Carlinos Acie had 64 yards on a run from scrimmage.

Watkins 78-yard second quarter run took Tulsa to the Navy 7-yard line, but the Hurricane lost a yard on the next three plays and had to settle for a Zack Long 26-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead at the 6:37 mark of the first period.

The Midshipmen took the ensuing kickoff to the Tulsa 26-yard line where the defense held on a 4^th-and 1. But, Tulsa punt it back to the Mids after gaining just 13 yards after a first play false start. Navy started the drive on its own 22-yard line with 1:01 left on the first half clock when Acie raced 64 yards to the Tulsa 12-yard line.

With 0:03 on the clock Navy tied the game 3-3 with a 29-yard Bijan Nichols field goal, capping a 66-yard, 5-play drive.

At the half, Navy had 149 yards on 29 plays and Tulsa totaled 143 yards on 28 plays. The two teams were 1-of-13 on third downs, including Tulsa 1-of-7 and Navy 0-of-6.

Tulsa goes on the road next Saturday for the first of two straight road contests to face the nation's No. 2-ranked Cincinnati Bearcats at Nippert Stadium for a 2:30 p.m. kickoff. The game will be aired on ESPN2.