Navy again handles Army
The Midshipmen won their 10th straight against the Cadets, but this time it was close.
LANDOVER, Md. - When it comes to beating Army, Navy is a perfect 10.
A new venue for Army-Navy produced a familiar result Saturday as the Midshipmen rushed for 296 yards and capitalized on three Army turnovers in a 27-21 win over the Black Knights at FedEx Field.
With President Obama presiding over the first Army-Navy game to be played in the vicinity of the nation's capital, the Mids (5-7) got a pair of touchdown runs from quarterback Kriss Proctor and one from fullback Alexander Teich to win their 10th straight in the rivalry. (The game returns next year to Philadelphia, its traditional site.)
At least this one was close. Navy had won the other nine by at least a dozen points. The Mids needed a pair of fourth-quarter field goals from Jon Teague and a fourth-down stop in their own territory before those in the blue uniforms could start chanting "Ten more years!"
Proctor ran 32 times for 97 yards, and Teich - winner of the Campbell Trophy as the nation's top scholar-athlete - carried 18 times for 93 yards for Navy, which completed only one pass in the tussle between run-heavy, triple-option teams.
Raymond Maples and Malcolm Brown ran for 82 yards apiece for Army (3-9), which finished with four straight losses. The Black Knights rushed for 298 yards and completed only four passes.
Obama, accompanied by Vice President Biden, worked the Navy sidelines before the game, shaking hands and even getting a hug from the Navy mascot - a ram wearing a Santa hat. The president performed a lefthanded coin toss at midfield - Army won and elected to receive - then adhered to presidential tradition by spending a half on each side of the field. He switched from Navy to Army with an escorted walk on the 50-yard line from sideline to sideline in a formal halftime ceremony.
As always, the pageantry was breathtaking, starting with the Army Corps of Cadets' march onto the field three hours before kickoff. Then the Navy's Brigade of Midshipmen took their turn.
Both sides taunted each other in good spirits - "Why so quiet?" was the Navy chant after the Mids took a 14-0 lead - and beach balls and even an inflatable snake were batted around the lower deck while scoreboard videos poked fun at one academy or the other.
But there were also stirring moments of tribute for the 80,789 inside the Washington Redskins' stadium, and both sides swayed and sang loudly when Lee Greenwood performed "God Bless the U.S.A." at halftime.
Both teams stuck to their triple-option attacks and rarely bothered trying to put the ball in the air. Navy didn't throw a pass in the first half, although Proctor was sacked twice.
Teich opened the second half with his first kickoff return of the season, plowing 47 yards to give Navy the ball in Army territory. Proctor gave the Mids a 21-14 lead five plays later with a 2-yard run.
Army responded again, tying the game with the Black Knights' fifth touchdown pass of the season. Steelman found Brown wide open for a 25-yard strike. But Army wouldn't score again.