Defense dominates as Navy beats Army

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Quarterback Tai Lavatai ran for two touchdowns, and Navy’s defense limited Army to 57-second-half yards and a season-low 232 overall in a 17-13 victory Saturday in a game played at the Meadowlands to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Navy (4-8) played a complete game, outgaining Army (8-4) on the ground and overall, controlling the clock and converting three big plays, two on fourth-down, that led to all its points.

The Navy defense made the big play at the end, stopping Army quarterback Christian Anderson a yard short at the Navy 46 on fourth down with 91 seconds left.

Bijan Nichols added a 43-yard field goal for Navy, which struggled against a schedule that featured 11 bowl-bound teams. Navy ends the season with a rivalry win, while Army will face Missouri in the Armed Forces Bowl.

Anderson scored on a 56-yard run on Army’s fourth play from scrimmage and Cole Talley added field goals of 31 and 32 yards, all in the first half. The Black Knights generated little after that in seeing their four-game winning streak snapped and losing to Navy for only the second time in six games.

Army led 13-7 at the half with each team scoring touchdowns on the opening possessions.

Anderson opened the scoring with a 56-yard run on the fourth play from scrimmage. Lavatai capped an 11-play, 83-yard response by the Midshipmen, scoring on an 8-yard run on which fullback James Harris helped carry him the final 3 yards.

Navy took over in the second half, taking the kickoff and going 74 yards in 10 plays with Lavatai scoring from 2-yards out. The drive featured a 26-yard run by Chance Warren on fourth-and-4that got the ball to the 2.

The late field goal by Nichols was set up by a fake punt on fourth-and-1 from the Navy 34. Linebacker and leading tackler Diego Fagot took a direct snap, avoided a tackle and gained 4 yards. It was his first career carry.