Army/Navy: A Game That Came Down To The Final Play

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The Army-Navy game lived up to what we all thought it would be. This was the 124th matchup between these two great academies. One of the things about this game is that the cadets of both academies get to be one of the coolest things on the planet, college football fans. They mostly focus on what they will do for their respective branch. There have only been three times the game has yet to be played in the middle of the country. This year, the game was held at Gillette Stadium, home of the New England Patriots—the reason was this was the 200th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party. Most college football fans always watch the game. It has always been a pleasure that on the first Saturday of December, this game takes place and it did not disappoint.

The one aspect that surprised many was that the Black Knights threw the football. Their first touchdown was a passing touchdown. In the last game, Army did not have a single passing yard. The Navy defense was not prepared for an Army passing attack. The first half ended with the Black Knights up 10-0. The Navy offense had nothing going right. The biggest issue was that the Midshipmen quarterback could not get into rhythm. That meant they had to rely on the running game. Every time they tried that, the Black Knight’s defense had an answer. There were many plays where the Midshipmen forgot to make a block and left players vulnerable. That meant they took hard shots that slowed the offense down. On top of that, Navy had two turnovers, including a first-half interception.

The second half was a completely different story. As many fans know, teams will make adjustments. The Midshipmen came out and made a game out of it. Navy outscored Army in the second half 11-7. They had another turnover which hurt them. It was a strip fumble and the Black Knights recovered it and took it to the house. At that time they led 17-9. The Midshipmen were only able to get three field goals. At the end of the game, they drive close to the goal line. The Black Knight’s defense held up and did not allow Navy to score a game-winning touchdown. Many say that Navy scored a touchdown but after the replay, there was no evidence he crossed the goal line. Navy was able to get a safety and pull the score to a final of 17-11. The game was exactly how many thought it would be.

It was an exciting game as it came down to the last play for Navy. We all knew that the game was not going to be high-scoring. Many Army-Navy games are not. After the game, both teams sang their alma mater song. The losing team in the Navy Midshipmen went first then the Army Black Knights in celebration went second. The cadets from West Point stormed the field to celebrate with their fellow cadets in football uniforms. The Black Knights had won this game the last two years.

Next year in 2024. both teams will call the AAC home. The game will still not be a conference game since it is played after all the conference championships. The Army Black Knights won the Commander-in-Chief trophy with the win.

What are your thoughts on the Army/Navy game? Leave a comment below.

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