The Navy Midshipmen are preparing to play their final game of what has been a very successful season for the team. Currently ranked No.21 in the league, the team fell short of a conference title, but dominated for most of the year. The team will take on the Pittsburgh Panthers in the Military Bowl which not only ends Navy's season, but also the career of quarterback Keenan Reynolds who was a star in 2015.
Reynolds has had a senior season for record book. The quarterback finished fifth in Heisman trophy voting after setting a Division I record for rushing touchdowns and a school record for passing touchdowns with 85 and 30 scores respectfully. The quarterback can still set one more record in this matchup as he needs just 81 yards rushing to pass Denard Robinson for the most rushing yards by a quarterback. That has been the story for Reynolds who has been a thrilling dual-threat quarterback for Navy over the past four years.
Reynolds was key in the matchup against Army that was closer than many people thought it would be. He ran the ball 21 times for 136 yards and a touchdown. However, it was his arm that made all the difference as Reynolds got the 50-yard touchdown pass off to Jamir Tillman that secured the win. The quarterback became the only quarterback to beat Army all four years. Now he has a chance to end his successful NCAA career with a bowl game win over the Panthers.
The Panthers finished the year 8-4 which was a surprise to many when they lost James Conner for the season. The running back suffered a torn ligament in his knee in the season opener while also getting diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma earlier this month. That caused the Panthers to start 6-1 before losing three of five. They did finish the season with a win over Miami. Qadree Ollison started at running back and managed 1,084 yards to finish fourth in the ACC. He has paired well with Tyler Boyd who led the conference with 85 catches for 873 yards and six touchdowns thanks to the arm of Nate Peterman.
This will certainly be an interesting matchup. Navy has one of the best rushing attacks in the league while the Panthers have one of the better run defenses. This game could come down to the arms of the quarterback which Reynolds might be the favorite in his final game.
