West Virginia Too Much For Navy

Marc Bulger threw for 354 yards and two touchdowns Saturday to lead 16th-ranked West Virginia to a 45-24 victory over Navy.

Antwan Lake recovered Navy quarterback Steve Holley's fumble in the end zone early in the fourth quarter to give West Virginia its first lead of the game, and the Mountaineers dominated the final period.

Amos Zereoue rushed for 95 yards on 23 carries for the Mountaineers (3-1). He scored on two 7-yard runs in the second half.

It was Navy's 22nd consecutive loss to a ranked team. Navy's last victory against a ranked opponent was over No. 20 Virginia on Sept. 28, 1985.

Navy (1-3) stunned the Mountaineers by recovering a game-opening onside kick and marching to the West Virginia 12. After a penalty and a botched option, the Midshipmen settled for a 41-yard field goal by Tom Vanderhorst.

After West Virginia missed a field goal, Navy moved 80 yards and Holley scored on a 5-yard run.

Holley, who had a 31-yard completion to Jason Wolf on the first touchdown drive, hooked up with Wolf for 61 yards in the second quarter, setting up Irv Dingle's 8-yard scoring run that gave Navy a 17-3 lead.

Bulger rallied the Mountaineers through the air, completing 7 of 10 on the next two possessions, including touchdown passes of 8 yards to Anthony Becht and 43 yards to Khori Ivy.

Dingle's 46-yard burst on the opening series of the second half set up a 7-yard run by Holley that put Navy back in front.

But after Lake's go-ahead touchdown, Navy twice turned the ball over on downs in its own territory, setting up short drives that resulted in Mountaineers touchdowns from Zereoue and Alvin Swoope.

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