Navy made a quarterback change after four unsuccessful first-half drives, inserting Tai Lavatai and the senior provided a spark as the Midshipmen put together their best drive of the day. It lasted nine plays, 45 yards until Army stopped Lavatai short on a quarterback run on fourth down at the Army 37-yard line.

Army would make the most of their last possession of the half, using six plays to go 34 yards, setting up a 47-yard field goal by Quinn Maretzki that gave the Cadets a 10-0 lead at halftime.

The teams would continue to trade punts into the third quarter as neither could find a sustained rhythm for their respective offenses. Navy’s offense went three-and-out on their first possession of the second half but on their second Lavatai took a keeper for 25 yards to break their funk and provide a late-third-quarter spark for the Midshipmen with their biggest play of the day. They’d add a 37-yard field goal to cap off the drive and cut the Army lead to 10-3 early in the fourth quarter.

Navy was driving again late in the fourth, crossing into Army territory and looking to tie the game up with a touchdown when the game took a dramatic turn. Army linebacker Kalib Fortner stripped Lavatai of the ball and returned the fumble 44 yards for a Cadet touchdown.

The big play made it 17-3 Army with just under five minutes left, however, Navy would respond, executing a seven-play, 59-yard touchdown-scoring drive but a failed two-point conversion. It was a gutsy drive at a critical time that made it yet another Army-Navy classic that came down to the very end with a one-score game, 17-9.