When Navy coach Paul Johnson informed his offense the night before last weekend’s game against Connecticut the Midshipmen’s run-first offense was likely to open with play-action and slot back Reggie Campbell on a deep route, Campbell didn’t think too much of it. He knew quarterback Brian Hampton would have multiple options.
Hampton knew better.
“Once you get the ball in [Campbell’s] hands, even with two or three defenders in front of him, you can practically expect a touchdown,” said Hampton. “That’s what was going through my mind when it came to that play. I saw that he was open and I just said just make sure you get this ball into his hands and he’ll take care of the rest.”
Hampton’s 77-yard touchdown pass to Campbell set the tone for a 41-17 romp and proved once again that when Campbell gets the ball, big plays happen.
“It’s just the nature of what they were doing on defense,” said Johnson of Campbell’s performance against the Huskies. “It wasn’t a concerted effort, it was just in the flow of the game. We were executing enough in other areas that they couldn’t say, ‘Hey, he’s not going to get the ball.’ Actually in the game against Tulsa we had chances to get him the ball, we just didn’t do it.”
Navy needs to make sure it does. Against the Golden Hurricanes – the Midshipmen’s sole loss this season – Campbell had just 79 all-purpose yards, 46 of those on three kickoff returns.
Listed at 5-foot-6, Campbell joins running back Erick Jackson of UNLV as the second-smallest starter in the country and he’s best known for his NCAA bowl game record-tying five touchdowns against Colorado State last year.
But in every Navy win this season he’s had a play of 30 yards or more. He averages more than 10 yards per rush, nearly 20 yards per reception and 28 yards per kick return.
The junior from Sanford, Fla., also ran for a 68-yard score on the first play of the second half against the Huskies and finished the game with 188 yards of total offense.
Navy (4-1) at Air Force (2-1)
» Where: Falcon Stadium, Colorado Springs, Colo.
» When: Saturday, 2 p.m.
» TV: CSTV
