Navy Football

Navy quarterback Keenan Reynolds will cap off his football career by attending President Barack Obama’s final State of the Union address on Tuesday, according to Navy Athletics.

The senior signal-caller will be a guest of Tennessee Congressman Jim Cooper:

I'm honored to have Keenan Reynolds as my State of the Union guest. https://t.co/bQxK3AobCD

— Jim Cooper (@jimcoopertn) January 11, 2016

Reynolds led the Midshipmen to a program-best 11 wins last season and set NCAA records for total points scored (530), career rushing touchdowns (88) and career rushing yards by a quarterback (4,559). 

Reynolds, a four-year starter, led the Navy senior class to 36 wins, tying the program record set by the 1909 class but exceeding the incumbents with three bowl wins.

He finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting last season, which was the highest among Service Academy players since Roger Staubach claimed the sport’s most prestigious award at Navy in 1963.

Here is an impressive list of the players Reynolds finished ahead of in the Heisman race:

Place	Player	School	Total Vote Points
5th	Keenan Reynolds	Navy	180
6th	Leonard Fournette	LSU	110
7th	Dalvin Cook	FSU	79
8th	Ezekiel Elliott	Ohio State	57
9th	Connor Cook	Michigan State	13
10th	Trevone Boykin	TCU	13

This won’t be Reynolds’ first encounter with Obama, as he and the Midshipmen have met with the president twice after winning the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy.

These prominent meet-and-greets are merely the norm for the star quarterback these days.

Navy quarterback Keenan Reynolds once again etched his name in the record books during Navy's matchup with Pittsburgh in the Military Bowl on Monday.

Reynolds set the FBS record for career rushing yards by a signal-caller with a 48-yard run in the third quarter on Monday, per Navy Athletics.

The run brought him up to 4,518 rushing yards for his career.

Reynolds, a senior, also broke the record for most career FBS rushing and receiving touchdowns combined with his 88th later on in the game, per SportsCenter.

Reynolds reaching more milestones comes as little surprise in a season where he reaffirmed his status as one of the most dynamic offensive weapons in college football. The quarterback led Navy to a 10-2 record and a bowl game, largely operating as a weapon in the run game while leading the team's potent triple-option attack.

He even became Navy's all-time leader in passing touchdowns despite operating such a run-heavy scheme. 

But for Reynolds—who was lightly recruited out of high school as a quarterback—the records aren't what have defined his time at Navy, as he told Chris Low of ESPN.com:

 

Navy is 2-0 both straight up and against the spread in its last two bowls, while Pittsburgh is just 1-3 both SU and ATS over its last four bowls. The Midshipmen seek to send Keenan Reynolds off in style when they battle the Panthers in the Military Bowl.

Military Bowl point spread: The Midshipmen opened as five-point favorites, according to sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark. (Line updates and matchup report)

College football pick, via Odds Shark computer: 36.2-25.6 Midshipmen

Why the Panthers can cover the spread

Pitt started 6-1 in its first season under new head coach Pat Narduzzi; 4-0 in ACC play. The Panthers then suffered a tough loss to North Carolina and followed that up with a loss to Notre Dame. Two more victories followed, but Pitt came up dry in the season finale against Miami, losing 29-24 to finish at 8-4 overall, 6-2 in ACC play.

Of the Panthers' four losses, two came against teams that played in conference championship games, and one of those, at Iowa, came on a 57-yard field goal at the buzzer.

Pitt is 4-2 ATS this season when getting points and won three of those games outright.

Why the Midshipmen can cover the spread

Navy started 4-0 this season, then lost at Notre Dame 41-24. The Midshipmen then won five more in a row, setting up a showdown with Houston for the AAC's West Division title. But Navy ran into a buzz saw and lost to the Cougars 52-31, before beating Army for the 14th straight time in their season finale 21-17, finishing at 10-2 overall, 7-1 in AAC competition.

Led by Heisman-snub quarterback Keenan Reynolds, the Midshipmen rank third in the nation in rushing at 319 yards per game, while the Navy defense has limited 10 of 12 opponents to 21 points or fewer.

On the season, the Midshipmen are 8-4 ATS, 4-1 ATS over their last five games and 4-1 ATS when favored by a touchdown or less.

Smart pick

Playing against the option can be a real pain in the butt, and Reynolds runs it like a wizard. Pitt beat Georgia Tech earlier this year but gave up 376 yards to the Wreck's option rushing attack. The Midshipmen look like the smart money here.

Betting trends

Navy is 1-6-1 ATS in its last eight games against the ACC.

Pittsburgh is 1-3 SU and ATS in its last four bowl games.

Navy is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 bowl games.

The favored team is 6-1 SU and 5-2 ATS in the last seven Military Bowls.

All point spread and lines data courtesy of Odds Shark, all quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Twitter for injury and line movement updates and get the free odds tracker app.

The record-breaking career of Navy senior quarterback Keenan Reynolds can be best explained through the play he's mastered over the last four years—the option.

It's what he ran when he made college football history November 14.

Four yards away from the end zone early in a game against SMU, Reynolds faked a handoff to fullback Chris Swain and plunged over the goal line. That option run gave Reynolds his 78th career rushing touchdown—the most in the history of major college football.

The option is overlooked and underutilized as the basis of an offense in college football. Reynolds knows what that feels like. He didn't have a single star to his name as a high school recruit and could count his scholarship offers on one hand.

The option is also physically and mentally taxing, demanding grinding runs and split-second calls from its quarterback. Reynolds has taken on that football wear and tear in addition to his military training at one of the toughest schools in the world.

"To play quarterback in this offense, you have to enjoy making the reads and taking the contact," Reynolds told Bleacher Report. "You've got to enjoy the 15-play touchdown drive that takes nine minutes off the clock. You've got to be physical. You've got to have that savvy. And you've got to love all of it."

NCAA Records
Navy Records
Career Rushing Touchdowns	83
Career Touchdowns from Scrimmage	83 (tied)
Career Points Scored	500
Single-Season Rushing Touchdowns for a QB	31 in 2013
Career Rushing Yards	4,279
Career Rushing Attempts	932
Career Passing Touchdowns	29 (tied)
Career Wins	30
Career Points Responsible For	674
Career Interception Percentage	.019
Single-Game Rushing Yards	277

That attitude has been key to the creation of college football's most unlikely legend, an under-recruited quarterback from a small academy in Tennessee who now has a place among the all-time greats.

---

At Goodpasture Christian School in Madison, Tennessee, Reynolds quarterbacked his team to the state semifinals as a freshman and to the Class 3A state championship game as a junior. 

Reynolds combined for more than 3,000 all-purpose yards as a senior.

Despite all of his high school accomplishments, Reynolds' 5'11" frame kept many colleges from recruiting him at quarterback. In-state schools Memphis and Vanderbilt reached out to him about the possibility of moving him to receiver, but their interest never materialized in any scholarship offers.

But size didn't stop Ken Niumatalolo and his staff at Navy, located some 700 miles northeast of Goodpasture. They saw a winning quarterback.

"As I watched his tape, I was stunned," Niumatalolo told Bleacher Report. "Why wasn't this kid getting recruited more? ... And [Navy assistant Ashley Ingram] told me, 'Coach, it's his size. That's it.' Well, if that was it, he could definitely play for us."

To Ingram, Reynolds' lead recruiter and Navy's running game coordinator, the on-field success was easy to see. But what won him over was the way the high school quarterback carried himself off the field.

"The first time I talked to him...I knew there was something special about him as a person," Ingram told Bleacher Report. "The look in his eye and the way he addressed people, I could just tell there was something about this kid that was different."

Navy recruited Reynolds heavily over the last two years of his high school career, joining Air Force and two FCS programs—Wofford and UT-Martin—as the only ones to offer him a scholarship to play quarterback.

Reynolds immediately gravitated toward the two military academies. The opportunity to serve his country with his life after football was, in his words, "a huge deal" for his future. On the field, Reynolds' goal was to become a starting quarterback as a true freshman.

But Navy had never had one of those under Niumatalolo.

"There was some concern—and we really laugh about it now—from Keenan's mom and dad about how we had really never had a freshman quarterback start in our offense," Navy offensive coordinator Ivin Jasper told Bleacher Report. "They asked about that, and I think they thought it was some kind of rule we had here. We told them, 'No, it's not a rule. It's just that we've never had a kid who could come in and do it.'

"And I remember his mom telling me, 'Well, my son is going to do it.'"

With mom Jackie and dad Donnie by his side, Reynolds announced his decision to go to Navy over Air Force on national signing day in February 2012—an under-the-radar event for a zero-star quarterback who would later make college football history.

"When I took my visit, Navy just felt like home with the coaches and the players and the atmosphere," Reynolds said. "Then you add in the Army-Navy game, getting to play Notre Dame every year...Navy just sounded like more of where I wanted to be."

---

Not long after signing with Navy, Reynolds made a surprising choice that would go a long way in his preparation toward becoming a record-breaking quarterback.

It was spring break of his senior year at Goodpasture, and he was out of school for an entire week. While some of his friends opted to go to the beach in Florida, Reynolds went a completely direction and spent his entire spring break in Maryland at the United States Naval Academy.

The coaching staff was stunned when Reynolds stepped off the shuttle bus in Annapolis.

"I was like, 'Dude, what are you doing here? Go enjoy spring break. Go have a vacation,' " Niumatalolo recalled.

But Reynolds didn't want to relax that week. He wanted to learn everything he could about his new team.

"When you come on your official visit, they show you the greatest parts—all these beautiful buildings and all the awesome things you get to do," Reynolds said. "I just wanted to come in the middle of the year, during spring ball, where there's no glitz or glamour. It's the raw view of what you're going to get."

Reynolds got that raw view he desired. He roomed with a Navy football player that week, followed him to classes and ate in the dining hall with him. When it came time for football, Reynolds was at every practice and team meeting, constantly scribbling on a notepad he brought with him.

The journey to becoming a Navy quarterback was already in full swing.

Shortly after Reynolds returned to Tennessee, he contacted Jasper about getting a Navy playbook—an idea Reynolds said he got from reading up on the career of former Boise State great Kellen Moore.

Navy didn't have a written playbook, so Reynolds found a Georgia Southern one online and dove into it.

Reynolds' attention to detail in studying the triple-option offense in the next few months carried over into other aspects of his early days at the Academy.

As a freshman "plebe," Reynolds asked a surprised swim test instructor what the exact splits needed to be for him to make his time. He lined up his entire fall schedule, including study session times Niumatalolo said freshmen usually skip, all without the help of an adviser.

"That type of thinking got him ahead academically and in the military," Niumatalolo said. "Everything he does is thought out and well-planned. It's so detailed. I'm 50 years old, and I'm not as detailed as that guy."

---

In Reynolds' 2012 freshman season, Navy lost three of its first four games. The Midshipmen had been outscored 96-17 in those contests, and fans were getting restless with starting quarterback Trey Miller.

Reynolds, growing more confident in the offensive scheme, had led Navy on several impressive drives late in losses to Penn State and San Jose State.

During Navy's early-season slump, Reynolds knocked on Jasper's office door to ask him a question. Jasper, who said he was confident in sticking with Miller as his starter, feared the worst.

"I thought he was going to come in and tell me that he wanted to start or that he deserved a shot," Jasper said. "But he sat down and told me, 'Coach, how can I get better at running the option?'... That's when I knew this kid was special. He wasn't worried about getting playing time right then. He was worried about how he could get better for when his time came."

Reynolds' time came a few days after his meeting with Jasper, when 1-3 Navy hit the road to face rival Air Force. Miller injured his ankle early in the fourth quarter, and Air Force went up 21-13 on the ensuing possession.

"So we were getting ready for the next drive, and Trey came to me and said, 'Coach, I'm ready to go back in,' " Jasper said. "But Kenny came on the headset and said, 'You know what? I have this feeling.' "

"Kenny" Niumatalolo's feeling led him to replace the experienced Miller, who had already rushed for more than 100 yards in the game, with the young Reynolds in a crunch-time situation.

To this day, Niumatalolo admits choosing this option didn't make much sense at the time.

"It wasn't anything analytical," Niumatalolo said. "I'm a spiritual person, and I just felt inside that we should go with Keenan. The rest has been history."

Jasper's immediate reaction to the decision was to throw the ball, something the team didn't do much with Miller. But Reynolds, a more polished passer, gave the Midshipmen the freedom to move the ball quicker in a tight situation.

"It's one of those things that you look back on and realize Kenny had the right feeling," Jasper said with a laugh. "He had the right feeling, and I guess the spirit moved me as well to throw the football as soon as Keenan came in. My mindset is run, run, run. But we threw the ball, and he took us right down the field."

Navy would go on to tie the game on a late Reynolds touchdown and a two-point conversion. The Midshipmen later beat the rival Falcons in overtime.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYqBBn24DRo

"I knew that whenever I got into the game, they weren't going to slow things down or change the plays for me," Reynolds said. "I had to keep the train rolling. So I didn't think. I just played and trusted my instincts. Things turned out well for us."

Things turned out well for Reynolds himself after the comeback upset win over Air Force. He became the starter for the rest of the 2012 season and became Navy's first freshman starting quarterback since 1991.

"I saw his mom in the tunnel after the Air Force game," Ingram said. "She looked at me and said, 'I told you so.' We hear that from every mom, but her son went out and actually did it. Then I talked to his high school coach that Monday, and his first response to me was, 'Well, what took you so long?' "

Over the next few seasons, Reynolds became a maestro of the triple option and began his sprint toward the all-time touchdown record. He rushed for a quarterback record-shattering 31 scores as a sophomore in 2013 and 23 more in 2014.

"The reason I like to play quarterback is because you get to orchestrate the offense," Reynolds said. "You make everything go. You're the centerpiece. If the quarterback isn't playing well, the offense isn't playing well. I embrace that role."

In that role, Reynolds has rushed for at least 100 yards 20 times. Twenty-two of his games have included multiple rushing touchdowns.

And while throwing the ball is far from the first thing that sticks out about his game, Reynolds has a career ratio of 29 passing touchdowns to eight interceptions.

"He just wants to be a great quarterback all-around," Ingram said. "He loves making checks and loves to adjust with the defense. ... He can take us right down the field on all of his own play calls. He can diagnose what the defense is doing and check the play perfectly."

---

Reynolds' knack for perfect checks at the line of scrimmage was essential in the ending to one of the biggest games of his career, one week after he tied former Wisconsin running back Montee Ball's all-time rushing touchdown record.

The Midshipmen were playing in Reynolds' home state of Tennessee against then-undefeated and No. 13 Memphis—one of the teams that decided not to offer him a scholarship several years earlier. 

After Memphis fumbled the ball late in the fourth quarter, Reynolds put together a long drive with a 38-20 lead. He later faced a 2nd-and-goal situation from the 1-yard line—just three feet away from college football history.

"We had four plays to get it," Jasper said. "We said we were going to run the ball four straight times, and they were going to be ready to stop him. But we were going to get this record right there."

The play call was for Reynolds to run a quarterback sneak. But when he got to the line of scrimmage, he saw Memphis had 10 defenders in the box.

Reynolds looked to the backfield and barked out another signal. After taking the snap, he delivered a perfect pitch to running back Demond Brown, who easily strode into the end zone for the final score of the upset.

https://t.co/vyeHwoiAsR

— Justin Ferguson (@JFergusonAU) December 4, 2015

Just like he did with the spring break trip years earlier, Reynolds made his coaches' jaws drop.

"Here he was, on the verge of a storybook ending in his home state, getting the all-time touchdown record against the No. 13 team in the country—with a lot of family members and friends watching—and he shows that it's not about him," Niumatalolo said. "It's not about the record. It’s about getting the W. That is Keenan Reynolds."

Just like he did with the football against Memphis, Reynolds is always quick to hand off and pitch the praise to his teammates in interviews and postgame press conferences.

"The type of names that are the top of that [career touchdown] list are some of the greatest to ever play football on any level, and to be up there with them is just awesome and a real blessing," Reynolds said. "But it's totally a reflection of the guys around me and the execution we've been able to have as an offense over the last few years. It's not about me."

Name	School (Years Played)	Rushing Touchdowns
1. Keenan Reynolds	Navy (2012-present)	83
2. Montee Ball	Wisconsin (2009-2012)	77
3. Travis Prentice	Miami-Ohio (1996-1999)	73
4. Ricky Williams	Texas (1995-1998)	72
5. Ron Dayne	Wisconsin (1996-1999)	71
6. Kenneth Dixon	Louisiana Tech (2012-present)	70
7. Anthony Thompson	Indiana (1986-1989)	67
8. Cedric Benson	Texas (2001-2004)	64
T-9. Eric Crouch	Nebraska (1998-2001)	59
T-9. Tony Dorsett	Pittsburgh (1973-1976)	59
T-9. Colin Kaepernick	Nevada (2007-2010)	59

The name Keenan Reynolds has been synonymous with Navy football for the last few years—Jasper joked that Reynolds' nickname at the Academy is "The Godfather"—but the quarterback doesn't carry himself like the typical Big Man on Campus.

"The thing that all of us respect about him the most is that he sets such a great example," fullback Chris Swain, a fellow senior starter, told Bleacher Report. "He's the hardest worker on the team. He's always spending the most time in the film room and the weight room."

Swain said he and Reynolds have developed a tight bond over the years, spending countless, tiring hours working hard in the Navy backfield and in their military training at the Academy.

"This is a tough school, and we've been through a lot together," Swain said. "We spend a lot of time with one another, and we know what each other goes through. ... And what stands out about Keenan is how selfless he is."

Reynolds' personality and relationship with his teammates have made him a perfect leader in the eyes of Niumatalolo.

"If you’re a leader here, you're a leader. Period," Niumatalolo said. "This school is a school of leaders. The United States Naval Academy recruits the best and the brightest from all around the country. So if you can come here and be a leader, that's pretty impressive.

"So right after we got that big win over Memphis, I was ready to tell our guys, 'We can't look in the rearview mirror. We have to move on to SMU.' And as I walked in, I found out Keenan had done it already in the weight room with our other team captain, Bernie Sarra. And I was like, 'Holy smokes, if the AD saw this, he'd cut my pay.' "

The speech worked. Navy blew out SMU 55-14, and Reynolds broke the all-time career rushing touchdown record in the first quarter.

---

On Saturday, Reynolds will play the penultimate game of his legendary college career.

He'll have a chance to go a perfect 4-0 against Army and win his third Commander-in-Chief's Trophy. Later this month, he'll play at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium one final time in the Military Bowl.

If the Midshipmen beat both Army and Pittsburgh, Reynolds will have quarterbacked Navy to the first 11-win season in its 136-year history. A Military Bowl win would make him the first Midshipmen quarterback to ever win three consecutive postseason games. 

"To win in this offense, you've got to have a special quarterback who is going to be durable and come ready to play every week," Jasper said. "He's got to know he's going to get hit a lot, but he just doesn't worry about that. I think that's the biggest thing for him. He just wants to be a great player."

As a proven winner who has scored more rushing touchdowns than any other player in college football history, the next logical step in Reynolds' journey seems like it would be a shot at the NFL.

It's rare for a Navy player to go pro, but it's not impossible. Reynolds could join former teammate Joe Cardona, a long snapper who became the first Navy player to be drafted since 1993 when the New England Patriots took him in the fifth round earlier this year.

The Patriots made special arrangements with the Navy in order for Cardona to perform his military duties while also playing professional football. Another team could do the same with Reynolds.

He might not be able to play quarterback in the NFL, but a franchise could use his record-breaking rushing talents in a different role.

But when asked about his future plans, Reynolds never once mentions the NFL. The player who built a career off reading and running all the options is laser-focused on just one right now.

"I find out what I'm going to be doing in the Navy soon," Reynolds said. "I'm just weighing it all out and seeing what happens. Everything is going to handle itself."

Reynolds will be able to apply leadership skills and meticulous attention to detail that have made him a record-breaking football player to his upcoming naval career in information warfare.

Got my first choice, Information Warfare!

— Keenan Reynolds (@kreynolds_19) November 19, 2015

The quarterback who was considered too small to play major college football will soon close this chapter in his life and transition to an important role as a different kind of hero.

However, Reynolds doesn't want to be remembered for having the most rushing touchdowns of any player in college football history.

He wants to be known for all the victories he earned alongside his teammates. For him, sealing the winningest season in Navy history would be the perfect way to go out.

"I want to leave a legacy of a selfless leader who won football games," Reynolds said. "Ultimately, you're not measured by all the records and how many touchdowns you scored. All that's great. But if you don't win games, you won't get remembered."

But there's no chance the college football world will forget Keenan Reynolds. 

He's given it no other option.

All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Statistics are courtesy of cfbstats.com. Recruiting information courtesy of 247Sports.com.

Justin Ferguson is a college football writer at Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @JFergusonBR.

Navy owns the recent rivalry with Army, winning the last 13 meetings in a row, but the Black Knights are 3-1 against the spread over the last four meetings, keeping things close as underdogs. Army tries to finally put an end to that losing streak when it battles the Midshipmen Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.

Point spread: The Midshipmen opened as 23-point favorites, according to sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark. (Line updates and matchup report)

College football pick, via Odds Shark computer: 37.4-20.8 Midshipmen

Why the Army Black Knights can cover the spread

Army is just 2-9 on the season, with four losses in a row, but it's had some chances. Six of the Black Knights' losses have come by one score or less and four of them by a total of 13 points. Last week, Army, using third-string quarterback Chris Carter, lost at home to Rutgers 31-21, coming up one score short of covering as a three-point home dog.

The Black Knights trailed the Scarlet Knights 14-0 early and pulled to 31-21 after three quarters, but they could get no closer. Army had a chance to at least push the spread with a late touchdown but threw an interception in the end zone.

On the day, the Black Knights outgained Rutgers 401-359, converted nine of 13 third downs into first downs and won time of possession by almost nine minutes. Usually, numbers like that lead to covers.

Two weeks ago, Army lost to Tulane on a field goal on the final play of the game. Three weeks ago, the Black Knights trailed Air Force by just a touchdown into the fourth quarter before fading, and just before that, they lost to Rice on a touchdown in the last half-minute. Realistically, Army is only a few plays away from being 5-6 and perhaps even playing for a bowl.

Why the Navy Midshipmen can cover the spread

Navy started this season 4-0, lost at Notre Dame and won five more in a row. Last week, with a spot in the AAC Championship Game on the line, it lost at Houston 52-31. The Midshipmen tied that game at 14-14 midway through the second quarter but couldn't get their running game going and faded from there.

On the day, Navy racked up 459 yards of offense, as record-setting quarterback Keenan Reynolds threw for a career-high 312 yards on just 13 completions. Unfortunately, the Midshipmen defense couldn't get the Cougars offense off the field. Still, that was just the third time this season Navy failed to cover a spread.

Smart pick

Navy has Reynolds, while Army is down to its third-string quarterback, a freshman. So while the Black Knights might be a sentimental choice here, the smart money sails with the Midshipmen.

Betting trends

Army is 0-13 straight up in its last 13 games against Navy.

The total has gone under in five of Army's last seven games.

The total has gone under in 10 of Navy's last 11 games in December.

All point spread and lines data courtesy of Odds Shark, and all quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Twitter for injury and line movement updates and get the free odds tracker app.

College football fans can universally agree that Navy Midshipmen quarterback Keenan Reynolds should earn an invite to the Heisman Trophy ceremony if it means his arriving in a helicopter in New York City.

The ceremony is scheduled for Dec. 12 at 8 p.m. ET, which could present a logistical headache for Reynolds, with Navy playing the Army Knights at 3 p.m. ET that same day. According to CBS Sports' Jon Solomon, Reynolds and the Midshipmen athletic department already have a plan in place to handle the situation:

Two helicopters would take a party of nine people, including Reynolds and his family, for about a 30-minute flight to New York, where a landing pad is 1.3 miles from the site of the ceremony. A car would be waiting to quickly take him to the ESPN show. ... "If we get him out of there by 7 o'clock and the game is over by 6:20 or 6:30, he should land in time," Navy athletic director Chet Gladchuk said. "How dramatic would it be if he walks in even when the show is under way? He comes walking down with his Navy blues on. 'Excuse me, fellas. Sorry I'm late,' and he sits down."

It's too bad Reynolds' theatrics would come too late to impact the Heisman voting. Of course, earning a trip to the ceremony will be difficult for the Midshipmen quarterback.

Reynolds has thrown for 964 yards and six touchdowns this year in addition to his 1,093 yards and 19 touchdowns on the ground. Earlier in the year, the senior overtook Montee Ball as the NCAA's career leader in rushing touchdowns, per the CBS Sports Network:

With this 4-yard scamper, Navy took an early lead and Keenan Reynolds took the NCAA record. https://t.co/C7fcjaIHsA

— CBS Sports Network (@CBSSportsNet) November 14, 2015

Despite his impressive numbers, few expect Reynolds to make the trip to New York City. Neither Sports Illustrated nor ESPN.com listed him on its Heisman watch list, and he failed to crack the top five on CBS Sports' consensus Heisman list.

Even if he doesn't get a chance to win the Heisman, beating Army wouldn't be a terrible way for Reynolds to end his college career.

While his team lost an opportunity to play in the American Athletic Conference's title game, Navy quarterback Keenan Reynolds made some history during Friday's 52-31 loss to Houston. 

With a four-yard rushing touchdown with 6:46 left in the game, he tied former Wisconsin running back Montee Ball for most career touchdowns in FBS history with 83, per SportsCenter. 

Reynolds had a career day in the loss, passing for 312 yards and another touchdown. It was the first time in his career that he had a game of 250 passing yards or more. 

Playing in a run-heavy offense, Reynolds recorded 84 yards on the ground Friday, the third straight season in which he's eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing mark. He is also one rushing touchdown away from a third consecutive season of 20 or more scores. In his sophomore season in 2013, Reynolds led the nation with 31 rushing touchdowns. 

While he's garnered some talk about being in the running for the Heisman Trophy, it sounds like he isn't sure if he'll be pursuing football after college, as he told Jay Mohr on Fox Sports Radio:

Regardless of what happens after his college playing career, though, Reynolds has been one of the most explosive players in college football over the past three years.

He helped put Navy back on the national map, leading the team to a No. 15 ranking before the loss to Houston. A win against Army on December 12 would ensure Navy's first 10-win season since 2009, and just its third since 1905. 

Stats courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com

Navy senior quarterback Keenan Reynolds has moved into the history books after scoring his 77th career rushing touchdown Saturday against South Florida. 

According to ESPN.com's Adam Rittenberg, Reynolds tied the FBS mark set by former Wisconsin running back Montee Ball in 2012. 

Per the American Athletic Conference's official Twitter, this is what Reynolds' record-tying score looked like:

Here it is, Keenan Reynolds' 77th rushing TD. 1:30 left in this one. Watch on @cbssportsnet@NavyAthleticshttps://t.co/kGEkWqL3FB

— American Football (@American_FB) October 31, 2015

As impressive as Reynolds' mark is, the touchdown came at a critical moment on a 4th-and-goal with Navy up by five points and less than two minutes to play. It sealed the victory for Navy, moving the Midshipmen's record to 6-1 and making them bowl eligible for the fourth consecutive season. 

Under head coach Ken Niumatalolo, Navy has become one of the nation's premier rushing programs. Reynolds is a vital part of that success, running for over 1,100 yards and 54 rushing touchdowns the past two seasons. He finished Saturday's game with 116 rushing yards and two touchdowns. 

Reynolds isn't asked to do much in the passing game, finishing with 16 yards in the air against South Florida, so being able to create plays with his legs is essential to the team's success.

Now, the fourth-year star is able to take a moment in the spotlight and can celebrate breaking Ball's record as soon as next week in a huge AAC showdown against 16th-ranked Memphis.

Part of what makes college football unique and memorable from its professional counterpart is the pageantry and tradition that surrounds it, and that will be on full display when Army takes on Navy in the 115th matchup of their rivalry.

College Football Playoff debates and NFL draft projections take a backseat to the one game on the schedule in Week 16, which makes this matchup all the more special.

No two teams deserve the spotlight more than the Midshipmen and Black Knights.

2014 Army-Navy Game

Date: Saturday, Dec. 13

Time: 3 p.m. ET

Where: M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore

TV: CBS

 

Preview/Prediction

Navy has controlled the rivalry lately with 12 consecutive wins—the longest streak in the game’s history—which has given it a 58-49-7 lead in the series.

Anytime these two teams take the field, it is appointment viewing, and Tim Murray of ESPN 980 believes this is the best rivalry in all of sports:

The best rivalry in sports will take the field next Saturday in Baltimore... Army-Navy. Mids QB Keenan Reynolds is up next on @ESPNRadio980.

— Tim Murray (@1TimMurray) December 6, 2014

Navy may be going to a bowl game later this year, but its top goal every season is to beat the Black Knights. Safety George Jamison suggested as much to Michael Page of PressBoxOnline.com:

It's a huge game. Every year, it's our goal to win. It's something we strive for. They're a great team this year, and we're going to do our best to accomplish our goal with a win. We've got to prepare, because we know they are preparing for us, and we'll find out [Dec. 13] who prepared the best.

This won’t be the first time Navy will be in the national spotlight this season. It led Notre Dame 31-28 late in the second half before ultimately falling and put a major scare into Ohio State as well in the season opener.

Baylor and TCU probably wish the Midshipmen had pulled that game out.

The Midshipmen have won four of their last five, with the only loss in that stretch coming to the Fighting Irish.

Army also impressed earlier this season against a notable team when it upset Connecticut, 35-21.

The player to watch Saturday will be Navy quarterback Keenan Reynolds, who has 15 touchdowns in his team’s last five contests. Reynolds ran for three touchdowns in Navy’s 34-7 win over Army a season ago and has 1,082 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns on the ground this year.

Navy Athletics pointed out that he has scored more rushing touchdowns than any other quarterback, while Sal Interdonato of the Times Herald-Record passed along a quote from Army coach Jeff Monken recognizing Reynolds’ greatness:

Hey @ESPNCFB in case you missed it Keenan Reynolds set the record today for rushing TD's by a QB with 61 pass @croucheric and @Kaepernick7

— Navy Athletics (@NavyAthletics) November 29, 2014

Coach Monken on Navy QB Keenan Reynolds: "He might be the best quarterback in the country for his team & his offense." #ArmyNavyGame

— Sal Interdonato (@salinterdonato) December 9, 2014

Reynolds is the main reason the Midshipmen are second in the nation in rushing yards per game and 33rd in scoring offense, but don’t overlook running back Noah Copeland. He has made defenses pay for focusing too much on Reynolds with 859 rushing yards.

The combination of Reynolds and Copeland will be a problem for Army’s defense, which is the weak point of its team.

The Black Knights are 109th in the country in scoring defense, have allowed more than 20 points in every single game and more than 30 points seven times.

However, Army is sixth in the nation in rushing yards per game on the other side of the ball and will rely largely on quarterback Angel Santiago, although Monken has used A.J. Schurr for stretches this year as well.

Santiago has 793 rushing yards, 488 passing yards and 11 total touchdowns, but it is senior running back Larry Dixon whom the Midshipmen need to be most concerned about.

Dixon has 1,012 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on the ground this year and is coming off a game-changing performance against Fordham during which he ran for 158 yards and three touchdowns.

Still, Navy’s defense is better than Army's in the scoring department and ranks 89th in the country in points allowed per game. That statistic is also slightly skewed because games against Ohio State, Notre Dame and Rutgers made up 25 percent of the schedule.

Ultimately, Navy and Army run similar offenses and try to win games in a similar style by controlling the ball and playing ahead of the chains.

While Santiago and Dixon have been impressive this season, Navy does everything a bit more crisply than the Black Knights, which is part of the reason it has controlled this rivalry lately.

The Midshipmen have the best player in this game in Reynolds and the better overall defense. Look for them to get an early lead and force Army out of its comfort zone, which will result in yet another Navy victory.

Prediction: Navy 31, Army 14

 

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Under Armour is rolling out custom uniforms for the Navy Midshipmen in time for Saturday’s Army-Navy game, and, as you might expect, the gear is as American as Duke Nukem fist-fighting a crepe iron.

Tagged with the words "Don't Tread On Me," the gear features red stripes over navy and white. Under Armour also made significant use of the First Navy Jack rattlesnake, which will be featured in a non-coiled, flying-out-of-the-fake-peanut-jar form. 

In short, these uniforms are quite to very fresh, depending on your taste for hammer-down patriotism. 

Navy's "Don't Tread On Me" @UAFootball unis for #ArmyNavy. Player names will be on the back. http://t.co/MLeJpSY1GC pic.twitter.com/aW1VrzeRYB

— Navy Athletics (@NavyAthletics) December 9, 2014

The @UAFootball cleats to go with @NAVYequipment new unis #uniswag pic.twitter.com/VLHyRGYZPe

— UNISWAG (@UNISWAG) December 9, 2014

"Boom" best unis of the year thanks to @UnderArmour. #beatArmy pic.twitter.com/NlS5EaXtoO

— Mike Judge (@CoachMikeJudge) December 9, 2014

This game stands alone. @NavyAthletics #ProtectThisHouse pic.twitter.com/MYghFsZkf9

— Under Armour FTBL (@UAFootball) December 8, 2014

The @UAFootball "Don't Tread On Me" uniform that Navy football will wear for #ArmyNavy. http://t.co/MLeJpSY1GC pic.twitter.com/mFGqiuTjlf

— Navy Athletics (@NavyAthletics) December 8, 2014

The main logo will feature a redesigned Navy "N-star" with an intertwining rattlesnake, because the snake is terrifying and cannot be featured enough.

Navy's helmet for the Army game is USA USA USA pic.twitter.com/kjvQknv3Gz

— Paul Myerberg (@PaulMyerberg) December 9, 2014

Army and Navy will kick off at 3 p.m. ET on Saturday at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland. The game will mark the 115th meeting between the two programs. Navy leads the series 58-49 (with seven ties).

  

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