Goal line fumble helps Army sink Navy in overtime
PHILADELPHIA — Navy running back Anton Hall Jr. collapsed to the ground and buried his face in his hands. West Point cadets spilled from the stands onto the field and joined Army players who ripped off their helmets and ran around in celebration.
Hall’s push toward the end zone in the second overtime — and first OT game in Army-Navy history — resulted in a fumble that Army recovered. The Black Knights went from potentially playing for a tie to simply playing for a winning score.
“Somehow, the ball got loose and we hit that thing when we needed to,” Army coach Jeff Monken said.
Quinn Maretzki kicked the game-winning 39-yard field goal after he had sent the game into overtime with a 37-yarder late in the fourth quarter and led Army past The Midshipmen, 20-17, on Saturday night in the first OT game in the 123 matchups of “America’s Game.”
“It’s obviously a big moment, but I try my best to put that aside,” Maretzki said. “Just being able to block everything out, [my teammates] just made that job so easy for me. So I just had to go out there and not even really think.”
Hall — who earlier raced 77 yards for a touchdown and 10-7 lead — coughed up the ball as he plunged toward the end zone and stood crestfallen as Maretzki prepared to kick the winner. Hall dropped to the ground as the kick sailed through the uprights and he was consoled by teammate Amin Hassan. But the fullback’s fumble forced by Austin Hill and recovered by defensive lineman Nate Smith will forever be etched on the highlight reel of game-changing plays in the series.
“The game is not lost with him. That could happen to anyone that was carrying the ball on that one play,” Navy QB Xavier Arline said. “They made a good play. That’s football. That’s life. The game was not lost within that one play.”
Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo stood hunched on the sideline and could not stomach to watch the final field goal.
“What do you tell them when you get your heart broken,” Niumatalolo said. “We were in the driver’s seat. We were feeling pretty good. Unfortunately, the game slipped out of our hands.”
The offense was stagnant throughout the game until the waning moments of regulation when Maretzki kicked the 37-yarder with 1:53 left to tie the game at 10-all. A thrilling overtime followed. Navy still leads the series against Army 62-54-7. The Black Knights, though, have won five of the last seven meetings.
Army finished 6-6. Navy was 4-8.