EMERALD BOWL Navy completes 10-win year with 34-19 rout of N. Mexico

The last 10-win season for the Middies came in 1905.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Aaron Polanco noticed New Mexico's defense overloading the outside snap after snap, so Navy's quarterback kept the ball and ran all day.
In his final game, Polanco embarrassed the nation's eighth-best rush defense.
He ran for three touchdowns and passed for another, and Navy capped the academy's best season in 99 years with a 34-19 win over New Mexico in the Emerald Bowl on Thursday.
Polanco did just about everything else, too.
"I guess that's the way it worked out for me," he said. "The line played their hearts out."
Polanco scored on runs of 14, 1 and 27 yards and completed a 61-yard touchdown pass to Corey Dryden, the longest of the season by Polanco and the first career score by Dryden. The Midshipmen didn't have a turnover, and their defense was also impressive, despite the rain-soaked field at SBC Park.
Long drive
The unit forced two first-half turnovers that led to TDs and staged a goal-line stand late in the third quarter.
Then Navy kept the ball for the next 14 minutes, 26 seconds, and held New Mexico to only six plays in the fourth quarter.
The Midshipmen (10-2) tied for the most wins in school history, last accomplished when Navy went 10-1-1 in 1905. It was a fitting end for the Mids, some of whom will head off to war in the coming year. Less than two months ago, Navy's players dealt with the death of former teammate JP Blecksmith in a military operation in Fallujah, Iraq.
"With what's going on in the world, there's just a bond. You witnessed that today," said Paul Johnson, Navy's third-year coach, who has turned around a program that went 1-20 in the two years before he arrived.
"This team will go down in the annals as a very special team. I said after the game that I'm so happy for these players. They've seen the bottom of the barrel and now found success. Any time you can see hard work rewarded it makes your job worthwhile."
Polanco gained a Navy bowl record 136 yards on the ground for his fourth 100-yard rushing game and threw for 101 yards.
He even caught a 17-yard pass from Frank Divis to set up his second TD.
New Mexico quarterback Kole McKamey had nearly as big a day after the Lobos (7-5) lost tailback DonTrell Moore to a severe left knee injury late in the first quarter.
McKamey threw for 207 yards and also rushed for 138. But he had two interceptions.
Moore, who has rushed for more than 1,000 yards in each of the past three seasons and came in averaging 108.3 yards per game, was carted off the field after catching a pass and taking a hard hit from cornerback Vaughn Kelley that caused Moore to fumble with 3:52 to go in the first quarter.