Army won its first Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy since 1996 on Saturday when Navy missed a field-goal attempt on the game’s final play.
PHILADELPHIA — Bennett Moehring narrowly missed a 48-yard field-goal attempt in the swirling snow on the final play and Army held off Navy, 14-13, Saturday to win its first Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy since 1996.
Army (9-3) earned its second straight win over Navy (6-6) after 14 consecutive losses in the series.
Ahmad Bradshaw pushed over the goal line on a quarterback sneak with 5 minutes 10 seconds remaining, and Blake Wilson kicked the extra point to put Army ahead.
Quarterback Malcolm Perry, who ran for 250 yards and a 68-yard score in the second quarter, then led Navy to the Army 31 with three seconds left.
Navy elected to try a field goal, and after about 10 players used their feet to clear the steady snow during a timeout, Moehring’s kick was long enough but drifted left.
Army cut its deficit in the series to 60-51-7 in a matchup of bowl-bound teams. The Black Knights claimed the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy thanks to an earlier victory over Air Force.
In a game that included only three passes — Army completed its lone toss — the Black Knights produced a 13-play, 65-yard to take a late lead. John Trainor tiptoed the sideline for 8 yards one play before Bradshaw’s 12th touchdown of the season.
Navy took advantage of the ensuing kickoff going out of bounds and moved down the field. Perry dropped a shotgun snap on fourth down at the Army 37, but picked up the ball and ran for a first down. But Navy committed two false start penalties, making the final field-goal attempt more difficult.
Snow started falling in the late morning on the 29-degree day, leaving a coating on the field. Workers used blowers to uncover the lines and hash marks during timeouts as a light snow fell throughout.
The teams, both of whom run the triple-option, combined to complete only 58 passes all season. The snow made both coaches want to throw it even less.
The first pass of the game came with under nine minutes left in the second quarter. Army completed its only pass, a 20-yard wobbler from Bradshaw to Calen Holt, midway through the third quarter.
The weather made one of sports’ biggest rivalries an even more physical contest. Army’s all-white uniforms — a nod to the 10th Mountain Division of World War II — served as almost camouflage in the snow.
Perry was the star through three quarters. Getting the start at quarterback ahead of Zach Abey, his long touchdown run in the second quarter was his third rushing touchdown of more than 65 yards this season.
Perry’s shifty 46-yard run to the Navy 11 early in the third quarter put him over 1,000 yards for the season and led to Moehring’s second field goal, from 24 yards, to make it 13-7.
