ARMY 14, NAVY 13
PHILADELPHIA -- The Navy football team had plenty to wash away with this year's Army-Navy game: the sting of last year's loss to Army that ended a 14-year win streak, the bruising slide they've been on since Oct. 14, during which they've notched just one victory.
Instead, place-kicker Bennett Moehring missed a 48-yard field goal as time expired to give Army a 14-13 victory and possession of the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy for the first time since 1996.
It was the Black Knights' first victory in 11 Army-Navy games at Lincoln Financial Field.
Navy quarterback Malcolm Perry was left doubled over with the agony of the loss, his head lolling back in disbelief as he walked off the field supported by another teammate. His performance as starting quarterback had been stunning: The sophomore rushed for 250 yards on 30 carries, including a 68-yard touchdown, and averaged 8.3 yards per attempt.
Perry, a Clarksville, Tenn., native who wore the unit patch of the USS Tennessee on his jersey in his second 200-plus yard rushing game this season, carried the Midshipmen all afternoon.
He pieced together a final drive to get Navy to Army's 23-yard line with less than a minute remaining, but consecutive false-start penalties bumped the Midshipmen (6-6) back to Army's 31 and took 10 seconds off the clock, leaving them just 22 seconds on third down.
The Black Knights (9-3) stuffed Perry at the line of scrimmage, and Moehring was left with the game in his hands. A field goal from 48 yards would have tied the longest field goal of his career. The kick was long enough, but was wide left.
Instead, it was a 1-yard score from Army quarterback Ahmad Bradshaw with 5:10 remaining that decided the game.
Bradshaw rushed for 21 times for 94 yards and a touchdown -- the eventual game-winner -- on a somewhat haphazard game for the Black Knights. Navy outgained Army 296-241 and averaged 6.2 yards per play to Army's 4.8.
Army started strong, making an 11-play, 68-yard drive through chunky snow and slush, spurred by a 33-yard run from Kell Walker, look easy, then forcing Navy to settle for a 28-yard field goal on its first series.
But the Black Knights were forced to punt on back-to-back drives after that, as Perry did as he was supposed to and exploded for a 68-yard touchdown early in the second quarter.
In the eyes of Navy Coach Ken Niumatalolo, Perry's value Saturday couldn't be overstated. The speedster, who had run for two touchdowns of 90 yards or more entering the Army-Navy game, was a surefire X-factor in a game usually played at a grinding pace -- especially in the snow.
"In his one start, he rushed for 282 yards," Niumatalolo said earlier in the week. "That's his first collegiate start. He's as dynamic as a ball carrier as we've ever had. The big plays are important, because they're hard to come by in these games because you've got two defenses that know each other."
Sports on 12/10/2017