Army’s 17-16 loss to Navy is one that is going to sting for a while. It’s an outcome that Army seniors may never get over. For Army’s underclassmen, the countdown clock begins for another chance at redemption against their rival.
Army coach Jeff Monken paused for about 10 seconds before he started his postgame press conference.
”It’s a little difficult to put into words, the pain of that loss,” Monken said.
Standing a few feet from Army singing its alma mater first and how much effort and energy the players expended, that pain was felt.
Army has walked that fine line of victory and defeat all season. Saturday was the greatest example of the latter in the Black Knights’ fifth loss by one score or less.
The Black Knights pride themselves on a “Fourth Quarter Warrior” mentality but Army (6-6) has now let its last three losses (Tulane, Tulsa previously) slip away in the final 15 minutes.
For a good part of three and half quarters, Army, a 6.5-point underdog, outplayed No. 22 Navy.
Army’s defense might have turned in its best game of the season. Limiting Navy to 17 points, tying its lowest total with quarterback Blake Horvath under center in 2025, should have been to win.
Navy coach Brian Newberry continues to have the number of Army’s offense. The Black Knights failed to score more than one offensive touchdown for the eighth straight time in the rivalry, coinciding with Newberry’s arrival in Annapolis in 2018.
Monken said that he stressed to offensive coordinator Cody Worley prior to the game that Army couldn’t settle for field goals. Kicking field goals on Army’s second possession, which was stopped on third down on Navy’s 3, and after Justin Weaver’s Pick Six was correctly overturned kept Navy hanging around in the fourth quarter.
When Navy needed to make a play in crunch time, it did. Army didn’t.
How did two Horvath fumbles in critical moments end up back in Navy’s hands?
What if Army fell on the football instead of trying to scoop and score when Horvath lost the ball on Army’s 1? Horvath delivered a perfect touchdown pass to Eli Heidenreich on 4th-and-goal from the 8 two plays later.
Why was Army throwing the football with a six-point lead and less than seven minutes left? The same scenario unfolded as the Tulsa loss when quarterback Cale Hellums threw into double coverage and Navy’s Phillip Hamilton had a game-changing interception. Run the ball, take some time off the clock, punt if needed.
Can’t say enough about Hellums’ toughness. Army’s junior grinded his way to another 100-yard rushing game, endured unlimited hits and gave absolutely everything he had.
Army rushers not name Hellums combined for 20 yards. Hellums needed/needs help. Maybe, Army needs option reboot in offseason. The pitch play has been absent for most of this season. Twice, on first and third down after Weaver’s interception, the pitch seemed like the right read. Army kept the ball both times, didn’t pick up a first down and booted a field goal.
Moving slot back Samari Howard to line up at B-back was the wrinkle that Army added with two weeks of preparation. It wasn’t enough. Howard ran hard but could only manage 12 yards on six carries.
Senior slotback Noah Short only rushed twice for four yards. Short was targeted five times, catching three passes for 51 yards. But, Army needed to find a way for Short to have near the impact that Navy’s Eli Heidenreich (72 receiving yards, TD, 28 rushing yards).
Navy ran 66 plays to Army’s 44 or one-third more.
If Army won the game, defensive end Jack Bousum would have been my MVP. Bousum, who went to high school in Annapolis, turned in a breakout performance and looked like an NFL-caliber talent. Bousum’s sack, in which he blew up a Navy slotback in his path of Horvath, was a next-level play.
Lost track of how many big hits senior linebacker Kalib Fortner laid out. Fortner, who forced a fumble recovered by Bousum, was playing like it was his last football game. The senior captain has been invited to the Hula Bowl next month.
Slowly but surely Army has incorporated tight ends into the passing game this season. Thought Army had a chance to use the tight end more against Navy’s secondary but Parker Poloskey only had one ball thrown his way, an incompletion.
Sophomore kicker Dawson Jones’ three field goals give him 15 for season, the most by an Army player since Alex Carleton’s 15 in 2010. Carlton booted 18 field goals in 2009.
Norm Remick
December 17, 2025 at 3:11 PM
Army is easy to defend. Defenders all year have played like they know what the play is going to be.