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Army Beats Navy to Win Commander-in-Chief's Trophy After Missed Late Field Goal

Joseph Zucker

Bennett Moehring's last-second 48-yard field-goal attempt sailed wide to the left to give the Army Black Knights a 14-13 win over the Navy Midshipmen on Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.

With the victory, Army claims the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy for the first time since 1996.

In 2016, Ahmad Bradshaw delivered the decisive score to help Army break Navy's 14-game winning streak. The senior quarterback was the difference once again, as he scored on a one-yard touchdown run with 5:10 remaining to help put Army ahead by a point.

Bradshaw finished with 94 rushing yards and a touchdown on 21 carries. He also completed his only pass attempt for 20 yards.

Malcolm Perry did what he could to put Navy in a position to win.

In a little over a year, Perry went from fourth in the Navy depth chart at quarterback and coming out of the stands to play in a game to rushing for 250 yards and a touchdown against the Midshipmen's biggest rival.

He also converted a critical fourth down late in the game, recovering from a fumbled snap to gain 12 yards and keep Navy's comeback attempt alive. CBS Sports provided a replay of the first down:

A series of unforced errors left Moehring with a difficult kick to win the game. Although Navy players worked quickly to clear snow from the patch of grass from where he'd be kicking, his effort had the distance but moved inches wide of the post.

According to Sports Reference, this is only the fourth time in the legendary rivalry a game between Army and Navy was decided by one point. The Black Knights were the winner on each occasion.

Wintry conditions in Philadelphia made for an interesting viewing experience for fans.

Army wore all-white uniforms, which was the perfect camouflage as a steady snowfall coated the field. Yahoo Sports' Dr. Saturday showed how easy it was for the Black Knights to blend in with the field:

For those watching the game at home, CBS provided some relief by superimposing dark yard-markers onto the television broadcast. That made it much easier to track Perry's 68-yard touchdown run that helped give Navy a 10-7 lead with 11:28 in the first half.

CBS Sports shared a replay of the run:

Perry's scamper accounted for over a quarter of the total first-half offense between the two teams. Navy and Army combined to gain 281 yards before halftime. Nearly all of those yards came on the ground as well, as Navy attempted two passes and Army didn't register a single pass attempt.

The Athletic's Chris Vannini marveled at the methodical pace of the game:

Still, many on social media enjoyed the spectacle:

Perry delivered another big play in the third quarter, as his 46-yard run set Navy up in the red zone. The Midshipmen were unable to capitalize on the opportunity and settled for a 24-yard field goal by Moehring to take a 13-7 advantage with 9:16 left until the fourth quarter.

Leaving four points on the board was disastrous for Navy after Bradshaw engineered a 13-play drive that lasted 7:40 and put Army ahead 14-13 with a little over five minutes left in the game. Bradshaw's one-yard touchdown run capped off the 65-yard drive.

Losing back-to-back games to Army by a combined five points will sting for Perry and his teammates. Only a sophomore, Perry will have more opportunities to get the better of the Black Knights in the future.

In the meantime, Army and Navy have bowl games for which to prepare. The Black Knights meet the San Diego State Aztecs in the Armed Forces Bowl on Dec. 23, and the Midshipmen face off with the Virginia Cavaliers in the Military Bowl on Dec. 28.

   

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