ANNAPOLIS, Md. » Clinging to a seven-point lead in the closing minutes against a winless opponent Saturday night, the Navy football team turned to the one player who routinely has rescued the Midshipmen from the most precarious of circumstances.
This time, quarterback Keenan Reynolds’ virtuoso performance included a career-high 226 rushing yards and four touchdowns, the last two coming a little more than seven minutes apart late in the fourth quarter, to spark a 42-28 victory over Hawaii at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
The sophomore scored on a 21-yard run with 1 minute, 36 seconds to play for the game’s final points, and Navy was able to exhale for good when, on the ensuing kickoff, UH’s Kwamane Bowens fumbled the ball and George Jamison dove on it for the Midshipmen.
Midway through the fourth quarter, Reynolds electrified the announced crowd of 33,327 with a season-long 67-yard touchdown run that gave Navy a 35-21 lead. That dash around the right side yielded the 17th rushing touchdown this season for Reynolds, whose total of 18 is one behind Colorado State running back Kapri Bibbs for most in the country.
"I mean, he just inspires everybody," Navy junior fullback Quinton Singleton said of Reynolds. "He takes command of the huddle. He’ll get you in the right place. He’s a great play-caller. He does his job well."
Reynolds amassed the third-highest single-game rushing total by a quarterback in school history and became the seventh QB at Navy to rush for at least 200 yards. In adding a passing touchdown in the first quarter, Reynolds became the first Navy player to account for five touchdowns since quarterback Ricky Dobbs rushed for that many in 2009.
Reynolds improved to 11-6 as a starter since taking over six games into last season. One of his losses this season came at Western Kentucky on Sept. 28, when he suffered a concussion late in the first half and was unable to finish the game.
The following week, Reynolds rushed for 126 yards and three touchdowns on 26 carries to lead a 28-10 victory over Air Force. It was against the Falcons last year when Reynolds secured the starting job by coming off the bench in the fourth quarter to direct a 28-21 comeback win in overtime.
"He runs the option as good as anyone we’ve had," Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo said after beating his alma mater.
On Saturday, Reynolds rushed for 179 yards after halftime. About the only mistake he made, according to Niumatalolo, was turning inside on a run on fourth-and-goal from the 1 rather than trying to get to the edge.
The result yielded no gain, and Hawaii remained within two touchdowns, 28-14, with 22 seconds left in the third quarter. UH then embarked on a 99-yard touchdown drive before Reynolds reeled off the second-longest touchdown run of his career.
"The whole game I felt like I was just one block away or one missed tackle away from breaking loose and going all the way," Reynolds said. "I just tried to keep reminding myself to stay patient because it was going to come eventually. That was the play, and it happened. The line blocked it phenomenally, gave me a lane and set me up to score."
