Shelbee’s Sunday Morning Quarterback #14: America’s Game

Welcome to the fourteenth episode of Shelbee’s Sunday Morning Quarterback!  Turning it over now to my husband, the Sunday Morning Quarterback.

America’s Game

#22 Army Black Knights 17 – Navy Midshipmen 10

Playing for the 119th time since 1890, Army versus Navy has become an iconic symbol of college football. The game in which players will not be heading to the NFL draft to play on Sundays but instead will be donning uniforms to serve their country 365 days a year. The game in which the rivalry, the pure love of the game, and of course, cross service bragging rights are what really matter. The atmosphere at an Army/Navy game is a wonderful sight to behold, it’s a feeling of wanting to crush your opponents’ will on the football field but yet be willing to lay your life down for him on the battlefield half a world away. It was certainly a magical thing to witness in 2010 when I had the opportunity to attend the Army/Navy game in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, that was also a game that was in the middle of Army’s fourteen game losing streak to Navy. I’m so glad that we have now won three in a row because it is just plain tough losing to your rival for fourteen straight games. This most recent win also now gives Army its longest winning streak in the series since five in a row from 1992-1996.

Yesterday’s highlights: Army would receive the opening kickoff and very uncharacteristically would march 82 yards in 5 plays and in less than 3 minutes for a 7-0 lead. Two big plays were crucial in this drive. The first being a 17 yard completion from Kelvin Hopkins Jr. to Glen Coates on 3rd and 6. The second was a 51 yard run by Kell Walker to set up 1st and goal from the 10 yard line. Hopkins would take it in on the next play. The emergence of Hopkins Jr. as quarterback this year has been a major improvement in the Black Knights offense. Army is second in the nation in rush yards per game but he now adds the ability to throw the ball down the field helping the offense become more than one dimensional. Trading punts over the next two series found Navy with the ball again. The Army defense held the Navy ground game in check through three quarters yesterday. On a 3rd and 11, Zach Abey would drop back to pass and overlooking the open receiver in the flat would throw the ball down field into triple coverage where it was intercepted by Jaylon Clinton setting Army up at their 33 yard line. Army would move the ball 51 yards before a dropped pass on 3rd down would bring on the field goal unit. John Abercrombie would push the 33 yard kick wide and the lead remained 7-0. The teams would punt three times before Army would get the ball back with 4:07 remaining in the half. They would only be able to move the ball 34 yards and an incomplete pass on 4th down would give the ball back to Navy who would run the clock out to end the half with Army leading 7-0.

Navy would get the ball to start the 2nd half but would go three and out, punting away to Army. Army would use a 14 play 64 yard drive and take over 8 minutes off the clock before settling for a John Abercrombie 33 yard field goal and a 10-0 lead with 4:30 to go in the 3rd quarter. Navy’s next series would get a 1st down but on a 2nd and 13, Mike Reynolds would make a beautiful one handed interception on an overthrown pass by Zach Abey to give the ball back to the Black Knights. Abey would be pulled from the game after this series. Army would turn the ball over on down the next series on a controversial review on 4th down. On 4th and 2, Hopkins Jr. would scamper around the end for what was initially called a first down on the field. The play would undergo a 7 minute review that determined they would measure for the first down, although the chain team had already moved down the field. The new spot would be short and give the ball back to Navy. With Garrett Lewis now at quarterback, the Navy offense found life and would drive to the Army 16 yard line before Lewis on a keeper would be hit and fumble the ball at the 3 yard line where James Gibson and Army recovered. Army would be unable to get a first down and punted the ball back to Navy with 8:50 to go in the game.

Navy would only need 4 plays to go 48 yards to get on the board, set up by Malcolm Perry’s 43 yard gain on first down. Lewis would take it in from 1 yard out to cut the Army lead to 10-7. Following another Army punt, Navy would take over on their 34 yard line with 4:35 to go. A false start penalty on Peter Nestrowitz would set up a 3rd and 12. Navy would use a wide receiver pass from OJ Davis to quarterback Garrett Lewis and would have made the first down if not by the tremendous hit he received just as the ball got there. Lewis would remain down and have to sit out the next play where Kenneth Brinson would strip sack Abey and recover the fumble for Army. Army would only have to move the ball 22 yards before Hopkins Jr. would put the game out of reach going in from 1 yard out and a 17-7 lead with 1:28 to play. Navy would add a field goal but Army would recover the onsides kick and run out the clock. Army would again win the Commander-in-Chief’s trophy for the second straight year, the first time that Army has ever won the trophy in back to back consecutive games. Congratulations to the Black Knights who will now face Houston in the Armed Forces Bowl with a chance to win 11 games for the first time in school history while Navy will head back to Annapolis with their 3-10 record.

Go Army, Beat Navy! And that’s exactly what they did!

Coming up next on Shelbee’s Sunday Morning Quarterback will be highlights from Bowl Games and The National Championship Playoffs. As college football continues into post season,

We Are…

Keeping it on the edge,

Jeff (and Shelbee)

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