EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – This time, Navy had its way with Army.
The Midshipmen were good, aggressive, lucky and – most of all – angry with the idea that the Black Knights had turned the tables in the one of college football’s biggest rivalries.
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.
The win more than made the season for Navy (4-8), which faced 11 bowl-bound teams, most in the nation. It also gave the Midshipmen only their second win in the past six games against their biggest rival, and they were not averse to boasting about it. Army was on a four-game winning streak this season coming into Saturday.
“We’ve faced a lot of adversity this year, and guys keep consistently coming back and battling and not giving up,” senior linebacker Diego Fagot said. “Regardless of the score, we’re going to keep playing as hard as we can. We pride ourselves on that. I mean, I can’t say enough about how they think they’re the last of the hard. But it’s just not the case. They’re our little brothers.”