Proctor returns, helps end Mids’ six-game skid ANNAPOLIS — Navy took out its frustrations on Troy and took the first step in what must be an undefeated November to preserve its run of consecutive bowl appearances that started in 2003. The Midshipmen demolished the Trojans 42-14 on Saturday before 33,359 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
The win was the first in more than month for the Mids (3-6), who snapped a six-game losing streak that included four heartbreaking losses by three points or less and two embarrassing defeats in which they fell by a combined 70 points.
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Quarterback Kriss Proctor, whose dislocated left throwing elbow had kept him out of a 56-14 blowout defeat at Notre Dame the weekend before, opened the floodgates with 1-yard touchdown run. That was set up by a double fake that freed him to hit John Howell down the middle for a 42-yard pass to the Troy 11-yard line.
When Navy ran almost exactly the same play again in the second quarter — with Proctor faking only the fullback dive — the result was a 48-yard strike to Gee Gee Greene, the longest touchdown pass of Proctor’s career, and a 14-0 lead. Both scores came courtesy of turnovers.
Troy (2-6), which lost its fourth game in a row, had three plays of 13 yards or more on its opening possession but stalled when quarterback Corey Robinson botched a handoff and fumbled the ball at the Navy 24.
The Mids completed their first scoring possession 2:22 later and needed only 35 seconds for their second touchdown drive after Parrish Gaines knocked the ball loose from Troy running back Shawn Southward at the Navy 35. Collin Sturdivant pounced on the loose ball and later demoralized the Troy offense further by sacking Robinson for a 10-yard loss.
Aaron Santiago, who missed the last six games with a broken left forearm, finished the first half with 80 yards rushing on six carries. He set up Navy’s next three scoring drives with outside runs of 27, 12 and 30 yards, one on each possession. A 5-yard run with 13 seconds remaining in the second quarter gave Proctor his second rushing touchdown and gave Navy 385 first-half yards and a 35-0 halftime lead.
