Army Beats Navy in the First OT To Date
Courtesy: Yahoo Money
PHILADELPHIA - After 123 rival American games faced off between Army and Navy, this past Monday marked a new turning point in history for both teams.
After a tight matchup, the game was forced into their first double overtime. After the first overtime did not prove a clear winner, the game was pushed to double overtime where Army managed to come out on top, beating Navy 20-17.
Anton Hall played a great game for the Navy as he allowed a 10-7 lead early on based off of his race for seventy seven yards. In double overtime is where his game fell short and he lost it all for the team.
As he pushed towards the end zone with a tie on the line, he gave up a fumble which was recovered by Army. This mistake pushed Army forward, letting them dodge the possibility of a tie and score a game winning field goal.
Though it was Hall’s mistake that led to Army’s final possession and shot at a win, the loss is not to be recognized as his fault as all plays contributed to the outcome of the game.
Quinn Maretzki capitalized on Hall’s mistake as he kicked the thirty nine yard field goal, topping his thirty seven yard field goal that brought them into overtime by two yards.
Putting this all on Maretzki as his field goal attempt was the telling point of the game, left him with a lot of pressure and high expectations from his team. However, it was also his teammates who helped give him the confidence to make his attempt count.
“Just being able to block everything out, (my teammates) just made that job so easy for me. ”
Though Maretzki kicked the final feild goal to win the game, the Army offense was stagnant up until that point.
Looked at as one of the most important games in sports rivalry, the matchup never had to go to double overtime. The last time a single overtime was instituted for the matchup was in 1996.
This rivalry, though important to the history of NCAA football and of America, is never really about the quality of football. This can be seen as both teams combined for only 53 passing yards. But it is the excitement, enthusiasm, and unity amongst two powerhouses on the American front that allow this game and its annual occurrence to be celebrated nationally.
Though Army took the win, Navy still leads the series matchups against Army with 62 wins compared to the 54 wins from the Army.
The game marked the end of both teams seasons, leaving Army 6-6 and Navy 4-8.
