Navy picked up an improbable upset win over No. 20 Central Florida Saturday, 17-14. The Midshipmen won the game despite not completing a single pass.
Navy quarterback Xavier Arline attempted one pass the entire game. Navy rushed for 248 yards on 63 attempts, dominating the football with the 39:36 time of possession. The Midshipmen also capitalized on two turnovers by the Knights.
Navy took a 14-6 lead into halftime behind a one-yard touchdown by Arline in the first quarter and an eight-yard TD run by Vincent Terrell Jr. late in the second quarter.
UCF answered quickly on its first possession in the second half, marching 75 yards in five plays. Mikey Keene connected with Javon Baker for a 28-yard touchdown pass. The Knights tied the game at 14-14 with a two-point conversion.
Momentum appeared on the Knights’ side after forcing Navy to a three-and-out. However, Keene got sacked and fumbled the football. Navy took over at the UCF 38-yard line. Navy got the go-ahead field goal with 8:22 remaining in the third quarter.
From there, the Midshipmen’s defense took over the game, forcing UCF’s offense to three straight points. Then UCF’s last-ditch drive stalled when Navy cornerback Mbiti William broke up a fourth-and-four pass with just under seven minutes remaining.
Navy’s offense controlled possession for the final 6:54. That included a QB sneak by Arline to convert a 4th-and-1 from midfield.
Navy improves to 4-7 overall and finishes its American Athletic Conference schedule with a 4-4 record. The Midshipmen will next play against Army on Dec. 10 in Philadelphia.
Meanwhile, UCF (8-3, 5-2) lost the chance to host the AAC Championship Game. But the Knights still control their own destiny for a bid in the conference championship despite falling to third place in the standings.
If UCF beats rival South Florida next week, they’ll face the winner of the Tulane-Cincinnati game. The Knights hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over both Tulane and Cincinnati.
