Danny Wild-USA TODAY Sports
For the first time in history, the Army-Navy game goes to overtime to determine a winner
Sixty minutes were not enough to settle things between Army and Navy this year.
The two rivals finally needed overtime to determine who would sing second.
For the first time in history, the annual clash between Army and Navy could not be settled in regulation. The two teams had played to seven ties over the course of their storied rivalry, but since the NCAA instituted overtime in 1996, the teams had not needed overtime to determine a winner.
The 123rd meeting, however, would be different. A field goal from Army kicker Quinn Maretzki with just 1:35 left in the fourth quarter tied the game at ten. Navy could not get anything going on their ensuing possession, and the teams headed to overtime with the game still knotted at ten.
The captains met at midfield for the overtime coin toss, and Navy won the toss, electing to start on defense. That meant Army would run the first overtime play in the history of the storied rivalry.
It would be a big one:
Running back Markel Johnson knifed through the interior of the Navy defense, into the end zone to give Army the lead. Maretzki converted the extra point, to give the Black Knights a seven-point lead.
Navy, however, immediately responded. The Midshipmen finally completed a pass, and it went for six:
Not only was it the first completion of the evening from Navy, it was just the fourth completion from quarterback Xavier Arline all season. He could not have picked a better time for it, as he connects with Maquel Haywood on the wheel route for the score. Navy kicker Bijan Nichols converted the PAT, and the game was knotted at 17.
With both teams opening overtime with touchdowns, Navy began the next overtime session on offense. A critical third-down run from Arline extended their drive, and then a big run from Anton Hall Jr. gave Navy a 1st and goal from the Army 4-yard line.
An Arline keeper on first down picked up two yards, giving the Midshipmen a 2nd and goal from the Black Knights’ 2-yard line. On second down, Arline was stopped for a short loss, setting up a critical 3rd and goal.
Navy burned a timeout to talk about the big play, and Arline limped back to the sideline, battling a lower-body injury. But in this game, injuries are ignored, because all that matters is finding a way to sing second when all is said and done.
On third down, Arline handed off to Hall who plunged toward the end zone. But as he lunged forward, the ball appeared to pop out of his hands, creating a pile of bodies along the goal line. Referees came in and pulled apart the pile, and made the call.
Army ball.
Sophomore linebacker Kalvyn Crummie managed to get a hand on the football, punching it loose from Hall. Big nose tackle Darius Richardson fought through the pile to recover the loose football, delivering the turnover that might just live on in Army lore.
The play was reviewed, and confirmed. Army football, and the Black Knights just needed a field goal to win the 123rd edition of this rivalry.
Two short Army runs set up a 3rd and 8 from the Navy 23-yard line. From that spot, it would be a 40-yard field goal from Maretzki. Quarterback Cade Ballard kept it himself to center the football on a short run, but a flag flew.
Personal fouls on both teams for a scuffle. The play stood, and it was fourth down.
Bring on Maretzki to try and win it from 39-yards out.
Army would sing second:
Maretzki converted, pushing it just inside the right upright. The field goal touched off a massive celebration at Lincoln Financial Field on the Army sideline, and heartbreak on the Navy side of the field.
It was then time for the alma mater from both teams. Navy, as is tradition, sang first. Followed by Army, as the team joined the long grey line to sing as victors in overtime for the first time in the history of the rivalry.
