BALTIMORE — Blake Horvath threw an 8-yard touchdown pass to Eli Heidenreich with 6:32 remaining — on fourth-and-goal — and No. 22 Navy rallied to beat Army 17-16 on Saturday.
Horvath turned the ball over twice, and his fumble near the goal line nearly spoiled Navy’s key drive. On second down from the 1, the ball came loose when the Midshipmen (10-2) attempted a tush push, but Heidenreich fell on the ball at the 8.
After an incompletion, Navy, which was trailing 16-10, went for it on fourth down, and Horvath found his top receiving threat over the middle in the end zone.
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Army then had to punt, and on third-and-3 from the Army 43, the ball popped loose on a run by Horvath, but he caught it out of the air and reached for the first down. It came loose again and Army recovered, but after a review, Horvath was ruled down before the second fumble — a yard short of the first down.
Alex Tecza then ran for the first down that enabled Navy to kneel out the clock. In what was at times a chippy game, with some post-play shoving, there was a bit of a ruckus near midfield after the final kneel-down before things eventually calmed down for the traditional singing of the alma maters.
With President Donald Trump in attendance, Navy got its second straight victory over Army (6-6), and the Midshipmen won the Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy for a second straight season. The Black Knights have not beaten a Navy team that was ranked by the AP since 1955.
Eli Heidenreich’s 8-yard touchdown catch on fourth-and-goal lifted Navy to its second straight win over Army. Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images
The teams traded touchdown drives to start the game, each lasting 13 plays, 75 yards and over seven minutes. Horvath scored on a 5-yard run, and Army quarterback Cale Hellums answered with a 2-yarder. Army’s first drive didn’t end until five seconds into the second quarter.
Then, it was a while before anyone reached the end zone again. With Army up 10-7 late in the second quarter, the ball slipped out of Horvath’s hand while he was looking to pass. Army recovered the fumble at its 45 with 20 seconds to play and moved into range for a 45-yard field goal by Dawson Jones.
Horvath threw an interception in the third, giving Army the ball at the Navy 30, but the Black Knights had to settle for Dawson’s career-long 48-yard field goal.
Navy’s Wing-T offense has been explosive this season. The Midshipmen entered the day with an FBS-high 10 plays of at least 60 yards. Army mostly kept them contained, but Horvath slipped free for a 37-yard run that set up a third-quarter field goal that made it 16-10.
After Hellums’ underthrown pass was intercepted by Phillip Hamilton, giving Navy the ball at the 50 with 11:19 to play, Tecza’s 24-yard run made it first-and-goal from the 5.
Trump tossed the coin before the game at midfield, then returned at halftime to walk from the Navy sideline to the Army one.
Up next for Navy is a Jan. 2 game against Cincinnati in the Liberty Bowl. Army faces UConn in the Fenway Bowl on Dec. 27.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
