TULSA, Okla. (AP) Bijan Nichols 46-yard field goal with 4:14 remaining ended up being the difference as Navy rallied to beat Tulsa 20-17 on Friday night in front 16,279 fans at H.A. Chapman Stadium.

"This team has been fighting all year and I'm proud of them to come on the road against a team that has been on the rise and win a tough game," said Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo. This outcome doesn't change how I feel about them, I love these guys."

Tai Lavatai scored from the 1-yard line with 11:25 left to give Navy its first lead of the game.

Lavatai rushed for a career-high 64 yards on the ground, giving him 242 rushing yards and five touchdowns in six starts. The Midshipmen gained 302 yards rushing, zero passing.

The 15-play eight-minute drive in Navy's (2-6, 2-4 American Athletic Conference) come-from-behind win foiled a big night by Tulsa's Anthony Watkins, who scored the Golden Hurricanes first kickoff return for a touchdown in nearly a decade and compiled 178 yards in total offense.

The win was Navy's first on the road this season and broke a three-game losing streak.

Watkins scored a 97-yard kickoff return to open the second half as Tulsa (3-5, 2-2) took a 10-3 lead. The last Golden Hurricane with a kickoff return for a TD was Trey Watts, 95-yards against Marshall on Oct. 6, 2012.

Late in the first half, Zack Long kicked a 26-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead as Tulsa salvaged points from a five-play drive that began with a Watkins season-long 78-yard rush to the Navy 7-yard line.  Tulsa had to settle for the field goal after Navy's Michael McMorris came from across the field to run down Watkins at the seven.  The Navy defense stiffened from there forcing the Tulsa field goal.

"MIkey's play was the play of the game, probably the play of the year," said Niumatalolo.

Nichols evened the score with a 29-yard field goal for Navy with three seconds left in the first half.

After the Watkins kickoff return, Navy tied the game on a one-yard touchdown run by James Harris to tie the game at 10.

Davis Brin, who completed 13 of 23 passes for 165 yards, connected with Ezra Naylor II on a 2-yard touchdown pass, pulling Tulsa to within 20-17 with 2:21 to play.

Navy recovered the onside kick and ran out the clock.

"Our kids won't quit, I'm so fortunate to coach at the United States Naval Academy. I'm the luckiest coach in the country.