Navy's bid to step forward to another level of Division I-A football stalled again last night when a stronger, more talented Stanford team controlled much of the second half and earned a 41-38 intersectional victory at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
The result halted an eight-game home winning streak for the luckless Midshipmen, who were stymied in their second attempt this season to upset a member of a major Bowl Championship Series conference.
Stanford scored on four of its first five second-half possessions and Navy (0-2) couldn't keep pace with a high-powered offense fueled by the passing of Trent Edwards and the running of Anthony Kimble and Jason Evans.
A 65-yard drive to the end zone with the second-half kickoff - capped by Kimbles score from the 3 - gave the Cardinal the lead and Navy played catch-up the rest of the night, always tantalizing, but never quite getting there.
Gerren Crotchet traveled 46 yards on a reverse to increase the margin to 35-24 with three minutes remaining in the third period and a 40-yard field goal by Michael Sgroi widened the gap to 14 on the second play of the final period.
Navy responded with a 54-yard touchdown from Lamar Owens to Marco Nelson, who was wide-open on the left side of the field and was merely brushed as he raced to the end zone for his third score of the game. But Sgroi followed with a 47-yard field goal, increasing the lead to 41-31.
With reserve quarterback Brian Hampton running the attack, Navy roared back to within three after stopping the Cardinal on downs at the Stanford 38.
Adam Ballard scored his first career touchdown to cap the march, but a subsequent onside kick was recovered by the Cardinal at the Navy 48, and Stanfords possession ran the clock down to 1:34 remaining.
The Midshipmen couldn't move the ball under Hampton on their last series and Stanford consumed the rest of the time. In its opener, Navy fell to Maryland of the Atlantic Coast Conference, 23-20.
An action-filled first half ended dramatically when Edwards fumbled away the ball at the Navy 1 as the clock expired, preserving a 21-21 tie.
Udeme Udofia intercepted Owens at the Cardinal 38 with 1:20 remaining in the second period and Edwards quickly connected with 6-foot-7 Evan Moore for a 33-yard pickup to the Navy 29. Moore was injured on the play and taken off the field on a stretcher.
