Keenan Reynolds broke the NCAA record for career rushing touchdowns, upping his total to 81 with four scores as No. 22 Navy beat SMU 55-14 Saturday to remain undefeated in the American Athletic Conference.
Reynolds shattered the mark held by Montee Ball, who ran for 77 TDs with Wisconsin from 2009-12. Ball holds the record for total touchdowns with 83.
Reynolds scored on runs of 4, 43 and 8 yards on Navy's first three series and added a 32-yard touchdown with 14:19 left to make it 41-14.
The senior quarterback rushed for 137 yards and threw a 72-yard touchdown pass to help Navy (8-1, 6-0) earn its fourth straight win. Playing as a ranked team for the first time since 2004, the Midshipmen -- 20th in the CFP ranking -- are off to their best start since 1963.
Navy's defense played a part, putting the clamps on an offense that was averaging 30 points a game. The Mustangs (1-9, 0-6) have lost eight straight.
In a sentimental move, SMU coach Chad Morris started third-string quarterback Garrett Krstich, whose late father was co-captain of the 1969 Navy team. After Krstich completed a pass for no gain on the game's first play from scrimmage, Morris called a timeout to allow the senior to savor the moment.
SMU quarterback Matt Davis ran for a touchdown and threw for a score, but the junior never had a chance of keeping pace with Navy's prolific triple-option attack.
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With Reynolds at the controls, the Midshipmen rolled up 403 yards rushing in reaching a season high in points.
After failing to get into the end zone last week against Memphis, Reynolds got the record-breaker on Navy's opening drive with a run up the middle. Before being embraced by his teammates, Reynolds bent down to one knee, lowered his head and pointed skyward.
Reynolds ran for two more scores to make it 21-0, and then lofted a pass to a wide-open Jamir Tillman that gave Navy four touchdowns in four possessions.
Twice earlier, Reynolds missed two open receivers downfield against a defense stacked against the run. The misfires did nothing to take the luster off his unforgettable performance.
Davis scored on a 1-yard run late in the half, but Navy went up 34-7 when Demond Brown scored on 32-yard run to close out a 78-yard drive.
Any chance SMU had of a comeback disappeared early in the fourth quarter when Reynolds broke free on the left side of the line and coasted into the end zone.
