Pitt
Navy
Panthers Maul Midshipmen, 42-21
10/18/2008 12:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 18, 2008
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ANNAPOLIS (AP) - LeSean McCoy rushed for three touchdowns and had 156 yards to help No. 23 Pittsburgh rout Navy 42-21 before a record Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium crowd of 37,970.
It was the fifth win in a row for the Panthers, who have started the season at 5-1 for the fifth time since 2000. Navy (4-3) had entered the contest with a three-game winning streak, but couldn't contain the Panthers offense. Pitt rolled up 501 yards.
McCoy, a sophomore, has now collected 10 100-yard rushing games in his short career. In the last three games he has 447 yards rushing and five touchdowns. He has scored three touchdowns in a game four times.
Pitt quarterback Bill Stull completed 15 of 23 passes for 255 yards and had a long TD pass, but was intercepted twice. Navy's Rashawn King returned one of those pickoffs 91 yards to set up a second quarter touchdown run by Jarod Bryant.
LaRod Stevens-Howling had touchdown runs of 6 and 9 yards.
The Panthers defense also controlled the Mids. Navy had been averaging 312 yards on the ground, but was held to 194 by Pitt.
Bryant led Navy with 81 yards and Shun White added 70, including a 40-yard TD run.
Stephens-Howling gave Pitt a 7-0 lead before White's run tied it.
Pitt took command scoring twice in 88 seconds. McCoy had a two-yard run and then on the next series, Bryant was sacked and fumbled the ball at his own 17. Stephens-Howling scored from the 9 to put the Panthers up 21-7 with 2:58 left in the quarter.
Pitt seemed headed for another score to open the second quarter before King stepped in front of Stull's pass and returned it 91 yards to the Pitt 8, setting up Bryant's score.
McCoy touchdown runs of 11 and 58 yards extended Pitt's lead to 35-14 at the half.
A 60-yard pass from Stull to Jonathan Baldwin extended the lead to 42-14 just 59 seconds into the final period and a 4-yard run by Navy third-string quarterback Ricky Dobbs capped the day's scoring with 20 seconds to play.
