Mids rally to upset Knights
Lavatai, Robinson help lead huge comeback
Navy football’s patented triple-option was clicking on all cylinders for the first time all season and the defense was doing an outstanding job of containing an explosive Central Florida attack.
However, for a while it looked as if self-inflicted mistakes — silly penalties and costly turnovers — were going to doom the Midshipmen and keep them winless.
Trailing by 13 points late in the third quarter, Navy desperately needed players on both sides of the ball to step up and make game-changing plays.
That’s exactly what happened as quarterback Tai Lavatai led three fourth-quarter scoring drives and safety Taylor Robinson sparked a defense that forced two key turnovers as Navy rallied to upset UCF, 34-30, on Saturday at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
An announced crowd of 30,871 saw the Midshipmen outscore the Knights 17-0 in the fourth quarter.
Lavatai stepped up and seized the starting quarterback job by directing an offense that rolled up 406 total yards. Slotback Carlinos Acie and fullback Isaac Ruoss sparked a rushing attack that provided 348 yards.
Acie and Ruoss both established careerhighs by running for 85 and 84 yards, respectively. Lavatai contributed a careerbest 57 yards while fullback James Harris II added 52 as struggling Navy (1-3, 1-1 American Athletic Conference) picked up its first win of the season.
The Midshipmen pulled out the win despite committing two fumbles deep in their own territory that led directly to touchdowns by the Knights (2-2, 0-1 AAC). Navy also committed eight penalties with most either spoiling its own offensive drives or extending UCF possessions.
Backup quarterback Mikey Keene did a solid job of filling in for injured starter Dillon Gabriel and led an attack that totaled 326 yards. Keene completed 16 of 26 passes for 178 yards and two touchdowns for UCF, which was a 16-point favorite.
Navy started shooting itself in the foot from the outset as a chop block penalty spoiled the opening possession of the game. A handoff on third-and-long meant the Mids were planning to punt, but slotback Carlinos Acie fumbled at his own 15-yard line.
UCF needed only one play to take the lead as Keene threw a dart to wide receiver Brandon Johnson for a 15-yard scoring strike to give the visitors a 7-0 lead with just 1:36 elapsed.