Midshipmen fall to Houston, 37-21

 

Game Summary - Houston travelled to Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium today and came away with a 37-21 win over Navy.  The Midshipmen were coming off two big AAC wins but couldn't contain a powerful Houston offense.  Clayton Tune led the Houston offense completing 24 of his 34 pass attempts for 316 yards and 3 touchdowns.  His leading receiver was Marquez Stevenson who had 9 receptions for 129 yards and 2 scores.  Dalen Morris led Navy with 206 yards passing and 2 touchdowns.  The Navy rushing attack was held to just 166 yards.  Navy's fullbacks (Nelson Smith and Jamale Carothers) were held to just 22 yards in the first half and 64 yards in the game.  Navy is now 3-3 and 2-1 in the AAC and will travel to SMU next Saturday.

Pointless fact - Navy lost today's coin toss and is now 0-6 on the year.  Thankfully their record is better than  that.

Dalen Morris

Great Answer - Navy came into today's game a nearly two touchdown underdog.  The Cougars took an early 3-0 lead on their second drive of the game.  The Midshipmen realized that playing catchup football  against Houston was a recipe for disaster.  On the Mids' ensuing drive, they used all three timeouts for the first half.  On their third TO, Navy was facing a 3rd-and-10 on the Houston 49 yard line.  Offensive Coordinator, Ivin Jasper called a pass play and Dalen Morris connected with Mychal Cooper for a 41-yard completion to the Houston 8.  Two plays later, Morris called his own number and put Navy in the lead with a 6-yard touchdown run.

Pitch and Catch - Navy is well known for it's hard-nosed, time-consuming running game.  With this year's starting quarterback, Dalen Morris, the Mids also have an effective passing game.  With Navy trailing Houston, 9-7, Morris connected with Ryan Mitchell for a career-long, 60-yard TD pass to give Navy the lead in the game.

Lightning in a Bottle - With Navy holding a close 13-9 lead with 2:37 left in the half, Houston's QB, Clayton Tune went to work.  Tune connected with Nathaniel Dell and Kyle porter for completions of 13 and 15 yards respectively.  On the next play, Tune found Marquez Stevenson for a 51-yard TD and a 16-13 lead.

Kicking Game Battle - The kicking game played a huge factor in today's game.  Navy's Bijan Nichols,

Dalton Witherspoon 

who has been a reliable and accurate kicker for the Mids was 0-2 on field goal attempts of 35 and 41 yards.  Nichols also had a PAT blocked in the first half.  On the other sideline, Houston's Dalton Witherspoon was money all afternoon.  Witherspoon connected on all three of his field goal attempts in the game.  He was successful on 33, 45, and a career-high 53 yard field goals and was also 3-3 on PATs.  The Cougars outscored Navy in the kicking game, 12-1.

Playing with a Short Field - Houston was able to turn positive field position into 16 points during today's game.  Four of the first five scoring drives for the Cougars were 39 yards or less.  Houston connected on three field goals and a touchdown.

Midshipmen Upset Temple, 31-29

Navy upset visiting Temple at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium on Saturday in front of the Brigade of Midshipmen.  The Mids came out early establishing the running game and kept the Owls on their heals the entire game.  Nelson Smith led the Midshipmen with 20 carries for 120 yards and two touchdowns.  Navy finished with 251 yards on the ground.  Dalen Morris got his second start of the season leading the Navy offense.  Temple quarterback Anthony Russo played well guiding the Owl's offense in a heartbreaking loss.  The Navy defense stepped up four all four quarters and got the biggest play of the game stopping Temple's two-point conversion attempt and preserving the 31-29 win.  Navy's win was the 100th victory for head coach, Ken Niumatalolo.  Navy travels to East Carolina next Saturday.

Great job! - Leave it to the Naval Academy to do a great job with their first home game of the season with fans.  The Midshipmen were seated throughout the stadium and social distanced.  The cheerleaders were on the hill in the north end zone.  The Cannoneers were in the northeast corner of the stadium with their signature brass cannon.  Planning like this increases the chances for having fans at games.

That looks better - Other than the second half of the Tulane game, the Navy offense has been less than stellar this year.  It didn't help starting three different quarterbacks in their first three games.  Things looked different on their opening drive against Temple.  Navy started the game with a 17-play, 75-yard drive capped off with a one yard TD run by fullback Jamale Carothers.  Every play during the drive was a running play.  The drive took 9:38 off the clock and seemed to light a spark for the Navy offense.

What a play - Following a fumble on a pitch from Dalen Morris, Navy faced a 3rd and 14 on the Temple 38 yard line.  Ivin Jasper called the first pass play of the game, a screen to CJ Williams.  Morris put the ball right where Williams needed it and the shifty slotback took it from there, running to the two-yard line.  Three plays later Navy scored and took a 14-3 lead.

Are you serious? - Navy is never shy about attempting fourth down conversions, but this one seemed different.  The Midshipmen were facing a 4th-and-six situation on the Temple 45 with 4:57 remaining in the first half and a 4-point lead.  Coach Ken Niumatalolo took a chance and called a screen pass to Junior wide receiver Mychal Cooper.  Dalen Morris threw a perfect pass and connected for a 12-yard pass for a Navy first down.  Two plays later, fullback Nelson Smith ran untouched through the middle of the line for a 26-yard touchdown giving Navy a 21-10 lead with 3:46 left in the first half.

John Marshall

Bad call - Temple was faced with a 4th-and-one on the Navy 21 yard line with 0:45 left in the half and down 21-10.  A field goal would cut the lead to 8 and the Owls would get the ball to start the second half.  Like Ken Niumatalolo, Temple head coach Rod Carey decided to go for it.  Like Navy, they converted the 4th down with a five yard carry to the Midshipmen 16 yard line.  Unlike Navy, on their next play, Anthony Russo was picked off and came away with no points.

Defensive play of the game - With Temple facing a 1st-and-10 at the Navy 16 and just under 40 seconds left in the half, Sophomore John Marshall picked off an Anthony Russo pass and kept the Owls from putting points on the board before the half.  The interception was the first of Marshall's career.

Fullbacks on fire - The Navy fullbacks got on track quickly and controlled the game for the Navy offense.  Nelson Smith led the rushing attack with 20 carries for 120 yards and two touchdowns.  Jamale Carothers had 15 carries for 53 yards and a touchdown.  On Navy's second drive of the third quarter, the fullbacks carried the ball on 8 of the 9 plays including a 22-yard touchdown run by Smith.

Scrappy - Temple quarterback, Anthony Russo led the Owls offense completing 21 of 30 passes for 206 yards and a TD.  He carried the ball four times for and two touchdowns on the ground.  Russo was the reason the Owls had a chance to tie the game in the fourth quarter.

Great call -  Late in the fourth quarter, Temple had a first down and 10 on the Navy 37 yard line, trailing the Midshipmen by 8.  On the play, Russo threw a backwards pass to Ray Davis who then connected with a wide-open David Martin-Robinson for 35 yards to the Navy 2 yard line.  Three plays later the Owls scored a TD with 1:02 left in the game leading to the play of the game.

Play of the Game - With a two-point lead and just over one minute left in the game, Navy led Temple 31-29.  The Owls had just scored a touchdown and were attempting a two-point conversion to tie the game.  Anthony Russo tried to connect with Ray Davis in the flat when Navy backup linebacker, Terrell Adams broke up the pass and preserved the win for the Midshipmen.

Navy hosts Temple in Front of the Brigade

Navy (1-2, 1-0 AAC) hosts Temple (0-0) this evening at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.  The stadium will not be empty like it was when Navy lost to BYU, 55-3 on September 7.  

Governor Larry Hogan and U.S. Naval Academy Superintendent Vice Admiral Sean Buck announced on Thursday that the Brigade of Midshipmen would be able to attend this evening's game.  Attendance is limited to the Brigade and a small support staff.

“We were pleased to work closely with Naval Academy leaders to allow the Brigade of Midshipmen to safely attend this weekend’s game,” said Governor Hogan. “It gives us a great deal of pride to have the Naval Academy here in the State of Maryland. I want to thank Vice Admiral Buck for putting the health and safety of the Midshipmen first.”

Tonight's game against Navy will be the first one of the season for the Owls.  Temple did not add any nonconference games to replace the four they lost by scheduling adjustments.  The City of Philadelphia had been restricting the Owls to 50 participants (players, coaches, and staff) in a single workout area and had limited their 11-on-11 scrimmage work to 10 to 12 plays per practice session since the start of preseason camp in early August.

After Navy's loss to BYU in the opener, they set a school record with a 24-point comeback in the second half to knock off Tulane at Yulman Stadium.  Last week the Mids fell to service academy rival, Air Force 40-7 in Colorado Springs.

Pittsburgh Pirates Ball Card of the Week - September 6, 2020

Pittsburgh Pirates Card of the Week

Bill Mazeroski - 1960 MacGregor

The 1960 MacGregor set contains 25 cards of an advisory staff of 25 major league players and managers.  The lone Pittsburgh Pirate on the staff was Bill Mazeroski.  MacGregor couldn't have chosen a better player to represent their company in 1960.  

On Thursday, October 13, Mazeroski led off the bottom of the ninth inning of game seven of the 1960 World Series.  The score was tied 9-9 after the Yankees scored 2 runs in the top half of the inning to tie the Buccos at Forbes Field.  With a 1-0 count, Maz hit a Ralph Terry pitch into deep left field for the first and only walk off home run in game 7 of the World Series.

You can see more Pittsburgh Pirate cards at https://www.flickr.com/photos/118530805@N07/sets/.

Pittsburgh Pirates Baseball Card of the Day - August 31, 2020

Pittsburgh Pirates Baseball Card of the Day

Harvey Haddix - 1961 Nu-Card Scoops

Harvey Haddix played for the Pittsburgh Pirates for just five seasons (1959-1963) but he may have one of the best individual performances in team history.  On May 26, 1959, Haddix threw 12 perfect innings against the Milwaukee Braves.  Neither team scored until the bottom of the 13th inning when Joe Adcock hit what appeared to be a three-run home run.  In the excitement, Adcock passed Hank Aaron between second and third base and his hit was ruled a double and the Braves won 1-0. 

The game's box score can be found at Retrosheet.

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Pittsburgh Pirates Baseball Card of the Day - August 30, 2020

Pittsburgh Pirates Baseball Card of the Day

Willie Stargell - 1963 Topps

Willie Stargell made his debut with the Pirates in 1962 and wrapped up his Hall of Fame career in 1982.  Pops finished his tenure with 475 home runs.  He was a 7-time All Star and an MVP in 1979 when the Bucs won their last World Series.

You can see more Pittsburgh Pirate cards at https://www.flickr.com/photos/118530805@N07/sets/.

Pittsburgh Pirates Baseball Card of the Day - August 29, 2020

Pittsburgh Pirates Baseball Card of the Day

Nick Maddox 1911 T205

Nick Maddox was called up to the big leagues and made his first appearance with the Pirates on September 13, 1907.  That day he threw a two-hit, 14 strikeout shut out of the St. Louis Cardinals.  Three days later he beat the Cardinals again, 4-2.  One week after making his major league debut, Maddox threw the first no-hitter for a Pirates pitcher, a 2-1 gem against the Brooklyn Superbas.  You can see the Retrosheet Box Score Here.

You can see more Pittsburgh Pirate cards at https://www.flickr.com/photos/118530805@N07/sets/.

Pittsburgh Pirates Baseball Card of the Day - August 28, 2020

Pittsburgh Pirates Baseball Card of the Day

Francisco Liriano 2016 Topps Now

In 2016, Topps created a set of baseball cards based on major highlights during the 2016 season.  The day after the highlights took place, the cards were available for purchase on the Topps website.  Card #1 in the 2016 Topps Now set was Pirates' pitcher Francisco Liriano.  Following an opening day 10-strikeout and one RBI performance, Topps offered the Francisco Liriano card to collectors.  The print run turned out to be 256 and the value of the Liriano card quickly jumped to triple digits.

You can see more Pittsburgh Pirate cards at https://www.flickr.com/photos/118530805@N07/sets/.

Pittsburgh Pirates Baseball Card of the Day - August 27, 2020

Pittsburgh Pirates Baseball Card of the Day

Curt Roberts 1954 Topps

Curt Roberts was the first African American to suit up for the Pittsburgh Pirates.  Roberts played in 134 games in 1954.  He played in only 37 games in 1955 and 1956 combined.  Although Roberts' career was short-lived, he paved the way for other black players in Pittsburgh, most notably Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente.  Roberts was killed at age 40 when an automobile struck him while he was changing a tire on his car in Oakland, CA.

You can see more Pittsburgh Pirate cards at https://www.flickr.com/photos/118530805@N07/sets/.

Pittsburgh Pirates Baseball Card of the Day - August 26, 2020

Pittsburgh Pirates Baseball Card of the Day

Dave Parker 1974 Topps

Dave Parker made his major league debut for the Buccos in 1973.  The Cobra played for the Pirates through the 1983 season.  During his career, Parker won the MVP award (1978), won two batting titles (1977 and 1978), won three Gold Glove Awards (1977 through 1979), and was named an All-Star seven times. 

You can see more Pittsburgh Pirate cards at https://www.flickr.com/photos/118530805@N07/sets/.

Pittsburgh Pirates Baseball Card of the Day - August 25, 2020

Pittsburgh Pirates Baseball Card of the Day

Barney Dreyfuss 1910 Tip Top Bread

 

Barney Dreyfuss became part owner of the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1900 and maintained that position until he died in 1932.  Dreyfuss led the Pirates to three World Series and won two of them - 1909 and 1925.  He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2008.  The 1910 Tip Top Bread 25-card set was dedicated to the Pittsburgh Pirates 1909 World Series team.

You can see more Pittsburgh Pirate cards at https://www.flickr.com/photos/118530805@N07/sets/.

Pittsburgh Pirates Baseball Card of the Day - August 24, 2020

Pittsburgh Pirates Baseball Card of the Day

Barry Bonds 1986 Fleer Update

Barry Bonds made his major league debut with the Pirates in 1986.  He was added to the Fleer Update set that year.  The Bonds rookie card is the most valuable card in this 132 card update.  

You can see more Pittsburgh Pirate cards at https://www.flickr.com/photos/118530805@N07/sets/.

Pittsburgh Pirates Baseball Card of the Day - August 23, 2020

 

Pittsburgh Pirates Baseball Card of the Day

Roberto Clemente 1955 Topps

Roberto Clemente made his major league debut with the Pittsburgh Pirates on April 17, 1955.  He picked up his first big league hit, a single, during his first at bat facing Brooklyn Dodger pitcher, Johnny Podres.  Seventeen years later, Clemente would get the final hit of his career, hit number 3,000 at the age of 38.  Eighty-nine days later, Clemente was killed in a plane crash delivering aid to earthquake victims in Nicaragua.  On March 20, 1973, the Baseball Writers Association held a special election and Clemente was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame.  Clemente's 1955 Topps card is his rookie card and is one of the most sought after card of any Pittsburgh Pirate. 

You can see more Pittsburgh Pirate cards at https://www.flickr.com/photos/118530805@N07/sets/.

Pittsburgh Pirates Baseball Card of the Day - August 22, 2020

 

Pittsburgh Pirates Baseball Card of the Day

Honus Wagner 1909-11 T206 Tobacco Card

In what is arguably the most famous baseball card of all time, the T206 of Pittsburgh Pirate Hall of Famer Honus Wagner is our first official "Card of the Day".  The T206 cards were distributed between 1909-1911 and were found in tobacco products.  The backs of these cards contained adds of 16 different brands of cigarettes.  Cards in this set measure 1-7/16" x 2-5/8".  

You can see more Pittsburgh Pirate cards at https://www.flickr.com/photos/118530805@N07/sets/.

PIAA Gives Fall Sports the Green Light

 PIAA Gives Fall Sports the Green Light

The Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association has given schools the green light to proceed with fall sports against the recommendation of Governor Tom Wolf.  The PIAA Board of Directors voted 25-5 on Friday afternoon to proceed with fall sports as scheduled.

The governor’s office released a statement Friday that said, “While the administration expressed broad concern with the PIAA’s plans, including its request for liability protections, we’ve made it clear to them since July that this decision should be made by the PIAA in concert with local school districts. The governor has a deep appreciation for the importance of athletics and the role sports play in the lives of student-athletes. The governor’s recommendation is grounded in public health evidence and a common-sense reaction to league after league canceling or postponing their fall seasons, outbreaks across the country, growing evidence of higher transmission in children, protecting higher-risk adults and the fundamentally important need to get kids back into learning in classrooms.”