EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) Quarterback Tai Lavatai ran for two touchdowns and Navy's defense limited Army to 57-second-half yards and a season-low 232 overall in a 17-13 victory Saturday in a game played at the Meadowlands to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

"I just love my team," said Navy head football coach Ken Niumatalolo. "I told our captains and our seniors that I have been coaching 31 years, 24 years at the Naval Academy, which prides itself on being the premier leadership institution in the world. And I don't know if I have seen a better display of leadership than I saw from our seniors this year. Things didn't go well. We had a lot of close losses to tough teams. A lot of people saying things. But they kept our team together. I was just impressed with every week they came to battle. Every week they kept leading. I just told them I know they are going to make great officers, but more important they are going to make great husbands and fathers. That has always been my mantra: when things get tough, don't run out on your family, keep fighting for your family. When things get tough at work, keep leading there with your sailors and marines. I'm just very happy for them. That (Army) was a really good team. Coach (Jeff) Monken is a good coach with a good program. Just proud of our guys. We played a tough schedule this year. We played four top-25 teams. If things could have worked out and Notre Dame got in, we would have played two of the final four teams. But nobody talks about that; they just see the record. We played tough teams, so I knew we would be ready for today. We have been in the furnace; we have played tough teams. I'm just really proud of our seniors."

Navy (4-8) played a complete game, outgaining Army (8-4) on the ground and overall, controlling the clock and converting three big plays, two on fourth-down, that led to all its points.

The Navy defense made the big play at the end, stopping Army quarterback Christian Anderson a yard short at the Navy 46 on fourth down with 91 seconds left.

Bijan Nichols added a 43-yard field goal for Navy, which played against a schedule that featured 11 bowl-bound teams. Navy ends the season with a rivalry win, while Army will face Missouri in the Armed Forces Bowl.

Anderson scored on a 56-yard run on Army's fourth play from scrimmage and Cole Talley added field goals of 31 and 32 yards, all in the first half. The Black Knights generated little after that in seeing their four-game winning streak snapped and losing to Navy for only the second time in six games.

Army led 13-7 at the half with each team scoring touchdowns on the opening possessions.

Anderson opened the scoring with a 56-yard run on the fourth play from scrimmage. Lavatai capped an 11-play, 83-yard response by the Midshipmen, scoring on an 8-yard run on which fullback James Harris helped carry him the final 3 yards.

Navy took over in the second half, taking the kickoff and going 74 yards in 10 plays with Lavatai scoring from 2-yards out. The drive featured a 26-yard run by Chance Warren on fourth-and-4that got the ball to the 2.

"I was trying to pass it to Tai," said Warren. I guess he is a little too slow and couldn't get open there.  I knew that when I got the ball, I had to make the best of it just with how the game was going to be with so few plays on offense. Shout out to Tai. He threw a big block if you watch the replay. Coop blocking down field always does a good job to extend the play a little bit longer. I'm thankful for the coaches trusting me with the ball on fourth and four like that to make a play regardless of the opportunity. I'm really grateful."

The late field goal by Nichols was set up by a fake punt on fourth-and-1 from the Navy 34. Linebacker and leading tackler Diego Fagot took a direct snap, avoided a tackle and gained 4 yards. It was his first career carry.

"They showed six people on the right and two to the left and we checked to an overload," said Fagot. "I was supposed to block the closest guy to the snapper so I was looking that direction. When I checked it I guess the snapper didn't hear me. We had a fake in the game plan already, so I think he assumed that is what we checked to. He snapped it to me and at that point it turned into a reaction play, I really don't know how else to describe it."

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