ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Running the triple option is no easy chore, especially for a sophomore quarterback making his first college start.
The task becomes even more complicated playing in a driving rainstorm with a water-logged football.
Navy's Kriss Proctor answered the challenge Saturday, deftly running for 89 yards and a touchdown in a soggy 13-10 win over Wake Forest.
Subbing for injured Ricky Dobbs (left knee), Proctor carried 23 times and didn't pass once. Coming in, his lone experience over two seasons was playing the mop-up role in a 63-14 win over Rice two weeks earlier.
The rain, which was torrential at times, made the football as slippery as a bar of soap.
"I told the A-backs to be aware of the crazy pitches," Proctor said. "I had one fumble on the goal line, but it's tough running the option in rainy conditions."
Proctor ran 40 yards for a touchdown to make it 13-3 with 11:23 left in the third quarter. Navy (6-2) then held on downs, and the Midshipmen moved to the Wake Forest 2 before Proctor lost a fumble after being hit by linebacker Matt Woodlief.
But the water-logged Demon Deacons (4-4) couldn't capitalize.
"The conditions made it really, really tough to move the football. Not only to throw it, but catch it," Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe said.
