Three Wild Sequences That Changed the Course of Army-Navy Game

For the second consecutive year, Navy triumphed over the Army at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore in the 126th installment of their historic rivalry. It was a wild and at times, wacky game, which has been par for the course for the two storied programs in the history of the back-and-forth rivalry. And in this particular contest, there were three sequences that changed the course of the game between the Midshipmen and the Black Knights.

Army intercepts Navy's Blake Horvath for a pick-six, but a replay review overturned the touchdown

Trailing 13–7 with 11:58 remaining in the third quarter, Navy quarterback Blake Horvath, on a third-and-7 from the Navy 14-yard line, was intercepted by Army cornerback Justin Weaver, who returned it 32 yards for a touchdown, giving the Black Knights a 19–7 lead prior to the extra point attempt.

Justin Weaver with the pick for Army!

After review, the touchdown return is brought back.

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— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) December 13, 2025

But a replay review determined that Weaver’s right knee was down as he intercepted the ball, so the interception was upheld but the return was overturned. That gave Army the ball at the Navy 32-yard line, after which they kicked a field goal to extend their lead to 16–7. And it loomed large at the end of the game, as Navy won by a score of 17–16.

Horvath fumbles the ball on the goal line and it was nearly recovered by Army

Navy, after intercepting Army QB Cale Hellums with under 12 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, faced a second-and-goal from the Army 1-yard line. That's when Horvath gave Midshipmen fans a real scare. The senior QB attempted to run the ball up the middle but fumbled it, and for a moment in time, the Army defense had a man near the football and nothing but green grass and a potential touchdown in front of him. But Navy wide receiver Eli Heidenrich managed to miraculously recover the fumble at the Army 8-yard line, saving what could have been a disastrous sequence for the Midshipmen—and a game-changing one for the Black Knights.

"Oh my goodness, the ball is on the ground...

That natural football instinct where nothing else matters. You just go and hop right on it."@NavyFB's Eli Heidenreich breaks down the game-winning sequence vs. Army, including a huge fumble recovery pic.twitter.com/dZG9JC60ie
— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) December 13, 2025

Two plays later, Horvath threw a touchdown pass to Heidenrich to give Navy a lead they would not relinquish—but not before some more dramatics.

Horvath fumbles the ball but catches it in mid-air

Clinging to a one-point lead with 2:15 remaining in the game, Horvath ran on a QB keeper on a third-and-3 but fumbled the ball when it was punched out by Army linebacker Kalib Fortner. But Horvath somehow managed to recover his own fumble and reach forward for an additional two yards, a sequence that left the CBS broadcast referencing divine intervention. Replay later overturned an additional fumble call on the play after Horvath went down. Navy then converted a fourth-and-1 with a two-yard rush from running back Alex Tecza, all but sealing the victory for the Midshipmen.

CHAOS! Replay overturns a fumble and Navy keeps possession.

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— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) December 13, 2025

Bowl games are on the docket for both programs, as Navy next plays Cincinnati in the Liberty Bowl on Jan. 2 and Army takes on UConn in the Fenway Bowl on Dec. 27.