Navy QB Scores Record Seven Rushing Touchdowns against San José State

It's frequently entertaining to peruse the box scores of late-starting college football games on the West Coast.

Sometimes you can unearth gems like this one:

Navy 58 San Jose St. 52 3OT

The Spartans appeared to be completely indifferent towards the concept of defense in this game, and Navy QB Keenan Reynolds took full advantage of this nihilism.

Reynolds exploited gaping holes in San José State's loose interpretation of a defense to the tune of 36 carries for 240 yards and seven rushing touchdowns.

Yes, seven rushing touchdowns. For a quarterback.

That would be an NCAA record.

Navy does not exactly disguise their intention to run the ball. They currently rank 4th in the FBS in rushing offense at 320 yards per game.

This seems like a lot.

So in the Spartans' defense, Navy apparently does this to other teams as well.

By contrast, the Midshipmen are ranked 122nd in passing offense with a whopping 99 yards per game.

That is downright archaic. 

Navy ran 68 plays against San José State and attempted six passes.

Though, one can argue, if the other team cannot stop the run, there is really no good reason to put the ball in the air.

Meanwhile, Spartans quarterback David Fales went 42-56 for 440 yards and five scores.

What an amusing contrast in styles.

Passing offenses have been in vogue for some time, and the sport continues to evolve in that direction. Still, it's interesting to see a team commit so completely to the ground game, and enjoy success with it. There are certainly more high profile examples of this, most prominently at Auburn, but it is strange to me nonetheless.

However, that sort of system is a natural choice for a military academy. Navy is never going to get the blue-chip football players for obvious reasons, so it must make the most of disciplined execution in what it does. Option offenses are the logical choice.

Again, though, when you face a team such as San Jose State that is so vehemently anti-defense, the offense sort of takes care of itself.

So thanks again Mountain West. You bring us such joy.