DURHAM, N.C. — DURHAM, N.C. -- Last week, Navy warily talked up winless Duke as a deceptively dangerous, talented opponent on the verge of breaking out of its doldrums. And for the first seven minutes yesterday, the Blue Devils started to look the part.
After that, however, Duke went back to being Duke, and the Midshipmen revved up their ground game, shaking off a rare two-game losing streak with authority and becoming bowl-eligible for the fourth straight season by running the Blue Devils out of their own stadium.
Navy@Eastern Michigan Saturday, 1 p.m, Ford Field, Detroit, Comcast SportsNet, 1090 AM, 1430 AM
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A summary of Navy's 38-13 victory over Duke:
What went right -- Only a lost fumble near the end of the first half detracted from an outstanding performance by sophomore quarterback Kaipo-Noa Kaheaku-Enhada. He accounted for 151 yards of offense and two touchdowns.
What went wrong -- One week after Navy lost right tackle Josh Meek for the season to a right knee injury, right guard Antron Harper appeared to aggravate a heel injury on the first play of the second half. Harper left the game and did not return.
Defining moment -- Navy put the game away with one of its signature drives. The Mids opened the second half with a 15-play, 80-yard touchdown march and took a 31-6 lead.
What it means -- Navy is bowl-eligible for the fourth straight season, the longest streak in school history. The Mids, headed to the Meineke Car Care Bowl on Dec. 30, will try to win three straight bowl games for the first time.
Up next -- Navy faces Eastern Michigan at Ford Field in Detroit on Saturday. The Eagles (1-8) dropped a 16-10 decision to Ohio yesterday.
[Gary Lambrecht]