ANNAPOLIS, Md. — This game did not feature pretty offensive football. Costly flags and turnovers shut down many drives for both Navy and East Carolina.
However, the Midshipmen put points on the board late in the first quarter with a quick touchdown, and their defense stayed resilient throughout the second half as Navy (5-5) shut out ECU (2-9), 10-0, on Senior Day at Navy-Marine Corps Stadium on Nov. 18.
“We’ve won four of our last six, and they haven’t all been pretty, but we found a way to get a W,” Navy head coach Brian Newberry said.
The first half alone saw five turnovers (two by Navy and three by ECU), a missed field goal by both teams and only one touchdown. It remained a one-possession game heading into the fourth quarter, but the Pirates were overmatched by the Mids’ strong defensive showing.
Navy’s defense dominated throughout the game, as ECU turned over the ball four times and posted just 189 total yards. The Mids also finished with three sacks and only allowed the Pirates to convert 2 of 13 third-down attempts.
Navy now leads the nation in shutout wins with three.
“Our kids are itching to play, they’re hungry, they’re on edge, they’ve got a chip on their shoulder and they’ve played that way, particularly on the defensive side,” Newberry said.
ECU opened up the game with the ball on offense. On the fifth play of the drive, Pirates quarterback Alex Flinn threw a deep pass intended for wide receiver Jsi Hatfield, but Navy junior cornerback Dashaun Peele came away with an interception. This was Peele’s fourth interception in the last five games.
The Mids got on the board during its third possession. Senior quarterback Xavier Arline ran to the right for a 39-yard keeper to the Pirates’ 19-yard line. On the very next play, sophomore fullback Alex Tecza ran for a 19-yard touchdown, his fifth rushing touchdown of the season. This touchdown drive marked Navy’s seventh touchdown drive of less than a minute — the fifth most in the country at the time.
However, Arline fumbled twice in the second quarter. ECU took over at Navy’s 48-yard line after the first fumble, and when Flinn rushed through the middle for a 16-yard gain, the Pirates appeared primed to capitalize on the turnover. However, the Pirates then faced a fourth-and-10, leading to an unsuccessful 49-yard field goal.
After the miss, Navy moved the ball and eventually found itself facing a second-and-3 from ECU’s 37-yard line. A strip-sack by linebacker Teylor Jackson led to a recovery by the Pirates in Mids territory — another costly turnover.
“You feel like you’re in a pretty good flow right there. We’re moving the football. We’re moving the chains. We’re getting first downs and then we turn it over. … That takes the wind out of your sails right there,” Newberry said of the miscues.
The Pirates, though, once again could not capitalize. Mids senior defensive tackle Clay Cromwell strip-sacked Flinn, leading to junior defensive end Justin Reed’s third fumble recovery of the season.
“Coach issued a challenge to us this week. He said, ‘You’re only as good as your last game,’ so we had to make an emphasis this week to make sure that we can even improve our game,” Reed said. “I felt that this week we came out with a different sense of direction to attack the run game and be physical [with] the pass rush.”
On the final play of the third quarter, Arline found sophomore slotback Eli Heidenreich for a 49-yard pass down to ECU’s 27-yard line. Navy had to settle for a 42-yard field goal try, and Pirates defensive back Shavon Revel blocked the kick. ECU still had ample time to score a touchdown and tie the game, but the Mids had other plans.
The Pirates faced a fourth-and-4 on their own 31-yard line and decided to punt with a little more than 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter. Punter Luke Larsen fumbled the ball and Navy sophomore free safety Adam Walker II recovered at ECU’s 18-yard line. The Mids finally capitalized on a turnover, putting three more points on the board with a 27-yard field goal by sophomore Nathan Kirkwood for a two-possession lead.
Arline finished 10 of 11 for 102 passing yards and carried the ball 18 times for 68 yards. Airline’s completion percentage (90.9) is now a single-game Navy football record (minimum 10 attempts).
“I thought he was solid. I thought after the two turnovers he didn’t flinch,” Newberry said of Arline. “He responded the right way [and] he’s been a great leader.”
Tecza finished the game carrying the ball 24 times for 94 rushing yards along with 9 receiving yards on two receptions.
With this win, Navy stands at five victories, its most since 2019. The Mids are one win away from bowl eligibility but will need to beat SMU on Nov. 25 because bowl announcements will be made before their final regular-season game — against Army on Dec. 9.
“Everything’s right in front of us right now and just got to go forward,” senior wide receiver Jayden Umbarger said. “Treat it like 1-0 every week.”
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