Hats Off to Navy Football (1977)

Navy charged into the 1977 football season with its expectations High following its late season turnaround in 1976 16 starters returned for this the fifth season for George Welch as the Navy coach his tenure has found a midshipman again sporting a competitive role in Collegiate football [Music] Navy's first fo in 1977 was the pesky Citadel Bulldogs who led two nothing at halftime in the third period Navy's veteran quarterback Bob linski hit senior tight end Richard seen for a 28 yd [Music] touchdown Navy added a second touchdown early in the fourth quarter and then Senior running back Jo gatuso finalized the midc scoring with this 11 yd pitch up Navy had prevailed 21-2 [Music] Navy was after its fifth straight win when it met Connecticut the following week this early touchdown pass to split end Phil makoni was called back but the midshipman still raced to a 17 nothing lead when halim arrived part of that Advantage came when Linsky teamed with Speedy freshman tailback Steve Kahan who dodg twisted and Jed his way 48 yards for a [Music] touchdown early in the fourth quarter Callahan was to again Electrify the crowd at Navy Marine Corps Memorial Stadium with a 77 yd dash for the midshipman's fifth touchdown of the afternoon and a 387 Prim [Music] now Navy was to test number one ranked Michigan and its renowned Coach Bo shamb Beckler the Wolverines were to post a 14 nothing halftime lead by virtue of a pair of touchdown runs by Haren [Music] huckleby but the second half belonged to the feisty midshipman from Annapolis who came into this game 20 point underdogs the Navy defense Galpin Stevens Myers Redick L to hold Michigan to Aus 11 y in the third [Music] quarter and the Navy offense began to assert itself two spurred on by fullback Larry kinsky and quarterback lashinski the mids drove to the Michigan nine where a fourth down pass to John Kowski found the Navy Wing back stopped just short of the end zone [Music] Navy charged again on his next possession and linski lost of this 34 yd scoring pass to split end Sandy Jones wide open in the end zone the Wolverines eventually held on for a 14-7 victory but they could not hold on to their number one [Music] ranking the mid Shipman carried a 2-2 record Into The Season's fifth game against the Falcons of Air Force this was the 10th meeting between the this virging service Academy rivalry the fountain broke in front early in the second quarter when Dave zebar tossed a 6-y touchdown pass to and Paul [Music] Williams Navy struck back immediately marching 88 ydd with a powerful kinsky bursting five yards the middle to tie the score at 77 it was to remain that way as each team parried the other throughout the second half until 324 left in the game taking over on its own 43 the mids darted up field on the legs of the sturdy cuso including this dash for 29 [Music] Ys finally it was fourth and four from the Falcon 8 the anxiety was Ming as well called on his place kicker Bob T the Domin Jun responded with a 25 yd kick that splits the [Music] uprights T was the league Navy in scoring a 1977 and already a scored more points than any kicker in Academy football history Navy had eak out a 107 victory the mids then were stopped 3417 by Gator champ Pittsburgh but a quiet determination descended on the Navy Team when William and Murray arrived for the homecoming game at Annapolis the mids were ready to play that afternoon the game also spawned one of the greatest individual performances ever by a Navy player Joe guso A Team co- captain and Son of another former na0 playing great Jo guso senior rushed for 250 yards 29 carries threw a pass for a touchdown and had a total output for the day of 329 Ys that showing earned him honors as Sports Illustrated offensive player of the [Music] week altoe the midshipman offense peed out 546 yd that afternoon ah the joy of winning is exemplified by offensive tackle Kevin Ryan's Bean linski following one of Navy's six touchdowns in a 427 victory for its final home game of 1977 against Georgia Tech the mid shipment were to have Naval Academy alumnus President Jimmy Carter and his wife Roslin as their guests the commander-in chief who followed the presidential tradition of absolving all members of the Brigade of midshipman from extra Duty assignments was escorted to the Navy side at Halftime by the academy superintendent rear Admiral Gard [Music] mcken President Carter was to view a stirring game that afternoon between the mids and Tech the school he attended before coming to the Naval Academy as a student with runs like these by the ever dependable too Navy was to parley a 22 yd field goal and two short touchdown joints one here by John Kowski into a 1713 halftime [Music] Advantage with navy still barely ahead 20 to 16 and 243 remaining Tech raced from its own 20 to the Navy 10 and six plays the Navy defense met the challenge and Charlie th sacked Gary Hardy for a 6yd loss on the next play the last of the game defensive back Glenn Flanigan snared an interception on the Oney line the biggest play of his Navy career the midz Ned a hard earned win that found guso breaking five school [Music] records even the president left [Music] satisfi when it comes to no one surpasses the quiet mannered guso he picked fought and strapped his way to a school record 1292 Y in 1977 and all together set four Navy season and two single game records along the way another Catalyst of the Navy offense in 77 was linski a junior whose passing arm provided the mids with a constant threat he was to throw for 159 yard during the year the second greatest single season total ever by a Navy quarterback this clutch performer already ranks fifth in career passing at the Academy when it came to making exciting plays Navy fans in 1977 looked no further than spunky Phil makoni the junior wide receiver who also handled Punt and kickoff [Music] returns plays like this dazzling 67 y against Syracuse enable the 510 feaster to finish third in the country in punt returns he already owns three Navy career marks on kick [Music] returns luki also LED Navy and pass receptions with catches like these that gained 596 yards and scored four touchdowns he'll be one of Navy's co- captains in [Music] 1978 Navy also had a national statistical leader on its Defense number 28 John Sturgis who earned third Team all America recognition a walk- on Sturges has been a regular for Four Seasons and set Navy records for the most interceptions in her career 13 and most interceptions in a season eight he also was ranked third in the nation in interceptions for [Music] 1977 football seasons at the Naval Academy are divided into two distinct portions the first 10 games and then the big one at the end this was the 78th meeting between AR Navy in college football's most heralded rivalry cold and wind swirl through Philadelphia's John F Kennedy Stadium as navy Coach George Welsh sought his fifth straight victory over the cadet going into the army game we thought that uh we had made excellent preparations as good as we had had in in previous years we tried to convince our football team that this was the best army team that we had seen guso with his 38 yd run early in the first period was to provide Navy with the [Music] but it was the cadets behind quarterback Leman Hall and running back Jim meran who were to turn two pass interceptions into a 10 nothing Army [Music] lead Navy forb [Music] we had a tough time getting un tracked offensively Kowski had to make a great catch in the end zone to get us on the board an 80 yd Drive enabled Army to hold a 177 halftime [Music] lead but Navy's intensity swelled in the second half safety Mike gin returned to punt 26 y to the cadet 29 now it was up to the offense it too shows [Music] character John kosi on a wing back pitch right end for 18 y to the four three plays later cuso shot into the end zone and navy Trail [Music] 174 the score stood that way in favor of the cadetes until the mids took over their 36 with just 404 remaining their last chance and we finally got the ball with a few minutes to go at the end of the game why we decided we had to do everything we possibly could to at that stage so we went for a couple of fourth made a couple of key fourth down plays which kept our drives going I felt pretty good at that stage we were playing with some emotion at that point we had momentum when we got that first down on their 17 why it looked to me like we had enough going force that we could put it in the end zone and win the game at the end it came down to the one play and they were able to make it we weren't on fourth down and two on their on their nine where we decided to go with the u a running pass option which put a a lot of burden on Jo guso but we felt like he was certainly one of our best football players and we wanted to go with him at the end as everybody knows pass was thrown over mak's head was incomplete and that was enough to give Army the win Army had held its first win over Navy in 5 years that was disappointment in the Navy Camp not only over the 56 record of 1977 but also over the loss to the cadets at the same time A Renewed determination was aroused new expectations fostered George Welch will welcome back in 19 78 many of the key performers in an Ever threatening Navy offense including quarterback Bob linski and split end Phil mccoi the rich Heritage of winning football at the Naval Academy is Within Reach once again but for now it's hats off the Navy football for 1977 [Music]