BALTIMORE — It was Army that looked more in control for most of its 126th meeting with Navy, but a late-game turnover set the stage for Blake Horvath’s final America’s Game chapter.
The Navy quarterback accounted for 189 yards with a rushing score and a fourth-and-goal touchdown pass to Eli Heidenreich as the No. 22 Midshipmen came from behind to beat the Black Knights, 17-16, in the Army-Navy Game Saturday.
“This year was going from a team that was hoping to win to be a team that expects to win,” said Navy coach Brian Newberry. “I think there’s a lot to that. And I think this team expects to win and believes that they’re going to find a way, believe in each other and trust each other.”
The victory earned Navy (10-2) back-to-back 10-win seasons for the first time in program history as well as the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy for the second-consecutive year, once again doing so with its namesake in attendance.
President Trump took part in pregame ceremonies for the game, the second straight year he’s attended. Trump arrived approximately an hour before kickoff, flying over M&T Bank Stadium in Marine One before taking the field for the national anthem and flipping the coin at midfield to start the game.
“I’m proud as heck of these guys and this group and the season that we’ve had, and now I’m happy so that we’re keeping it in Annapolis,” Newberry said of the trophy. “That’s where it belongs.”
Horvath, a senior, rushed for 107 yards and threw for 82 on 7-of-14 passing. He delivered the game-winning, 8-yard strike to fellow senior Heidenreich — who became Navy’s single-season receiving yards leader in the game — with 6:32 left in the game, erasing a 16-7 Army lead.
“The whole team doesn’t flinch and it’s just our identity,” Horvath said. “I’ve said that a few times tonight to different people, but over the course of a season, we can bounce back as much as we have, and get punched in the face and take your losses and come back. It’s a testament to all of these guys as a whole and the leadership of every single player on this team.”
Horvath got going early, accounting for 56 yards on the opening drive of the game — 45 of those on the ground. His 5-yard cutback touchdown up the middle punctuated the drive, which took more than half the first quarter — 7:44 — yet it was only the second-longest of the season for the Midshipmen.
His Army counterpart, Cale Hellums answered in a nearly identical manner. Hellums racked up 55 yards of his own — 48 of them rushing, including a key fourth and 2 conversion at the Navy 21 — before finishing the drive with a 2-yard touchdown on the first play of the second quarter.
Hellums finished with the exact same 82 passing yards on 5-of-10 passing with an interception while also becoming the first Black Knight to rush for 100 yards or more against Navy in 13 years.
After a Navy punt, Army (6-6) went to its methodic work again. Another fourth and 2 conversion deep in Navy territory got the Black Knights within striking distances, but the Mids defense held, forcing a 20-yard Dawson Jones field goal that gave Army a 10-7 lead with just under 4 minutes before halftime.
Navy was driving in Army territory during the final minute of the half, but Horvath put the ball on the ground in a tuck rule-esque manner. The ruling of a fumble was upheld, and Jones hit his second FG, a 45-yarder, for a 13-7 Army lead as the first half expired.
Army punted on the opening drive of the second half, but would get the ball back three plays later. Horvath was intercepted by Army’s Justin Weaver on a ball intended for but thrown behind Eli Heidenreich. Weaver returned it for a TD, but after review was ruled down at the point of the pick, the Navy 32. Another Jones field goal, this time from a career-long of 48 yards, gave Army a two-possession lead, 16-7.
After a Navy drive that stalled inside the 5 and led to a Nathan Kirkwood field goal, Midshipmen safety Philip Hamilton picked off Hellums at midfield, giving Navy its best starting field position of the day for what became its game-winning drive.
Horvath nearly gave away the go-ahead score via another fumble on second and goal. When fourth-and-goal arrived, Newberry said he had no hesitation in going for six.
“A little bit over six minutes, I think, left in the game at that point. The nature of what they do offensively, despite how well we played in the second half, may not get the ball back, you know, and so, and if you don’t get it right there, at least they’re backed up a little bit,” Newberry said. “And we have three timeouts, you hope you get a stop that way.”
Horvath and the Mids didn’t need the timeouts. Coming out of the fourth down huddle, Heidenreich said there were two options.
“The play that we ran has two seams, and [Horvath] has the option to pick between the seam on each side. And I was like, ’Are you coming to me?’ He gave me the funniest facial expression in the huddle, like, ’Dude, come on.’” Heidenreich said. “I thought that they would drop an outside backer or a linebacker to maybe bracket me a little bit, or something of that nature, but they spun both those guys down.”
The Pittsburgh native was wide open on a post slant in the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown, electrifying the brigade of midshipmen seated just beyond the end zone, with the extra point giving Navy its margin of victory.
“I mean, who wouldn’t like go to him? I mean, talk about an all time Navy legend, right? You’re gonna be talking about Eli Heidenreich for years and years and years, and to cap off this career with that play to win this game,” Horvath said, “I don’t think a player could ask for a cooler career than what he’s done to break all these records and then to win the Army-Navy Game his senior year. It’s amazing.”
As was the case last year, both service academies will finish their season in bowl games: Army in the Fenway Bowl against Connecticut on Dec. 27 and Navy in the Liberty Bowl on Jan. 2 versus Cincinnati.
• George Gerbo can be reached at ggerbo@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.