Army Beats Navy 15-0 Behind Tyhier Tyler's 96-Yard Rushing Effort

For the fourth time in five years, the Army Black Knights have defeated the Navy Midshipmen, 15-0, in the annual meeting between the two military programs.

After Navy ended its three-year losing streak to its rival in 2019 with a 31-7 blowout, Army head coach Jeff Monken got his team back on track Saturday to cap off an impressive 8-2 regular season.

The Midshipmen's loss dropped their record to 3-7, marking just their second time having a losing record under head coach Ken Niumatalolo.

Offense was difficult to come by for both teams because of the heavy fog that hovered over the field all day. Tyhier Tyler scored the game's only touchdown in the fourth quarter to help put Army up by 10 points.

The two teams combined for 15 punts, two turnovers on downs, one turnover and a safety.

Notable Game Stats

• Tyhier Tyler, QB (Army): 1-of-1, 28 yards; 26 carries, 96 yards, TD
• Tyrell Robinson, RB (Army): 5 carries, 13 yards
• Xavier Arline, QB (Navy): 0-of-4, 0 yards; 17 carries, 109 yards
• Nelson Smith, RB (Navy): 11 carries, 23 yards

Army's Defense Solidifies Status Among College Football's Best Units

It's a dangerous combination to put a woeful offense against an elite defense, as Navy found out Saturday.

Army's been a successful program for the past five years, but it's rare that fans and analysts will discuss the team outside of its one high-profile nationally televised game of the year.

It's too bad, because the Black Knights boast one of the best defensive units in the country.

That group entered Saturday ranked fourth in the nation with 289.3 yards allowed per game, eighth in scoring defense with 16.3 points allowed per game and 23rd in run defense with 119.0 yards allowed per game.

Opposing teams have been held under 20 points six times in 10 games, including Navy's zero points on Saturday.

Freshman quarterback Xavier Arline was unable to complete a pass against Army on four attempts. Some of Navy's issues were created by difficult weather conditions, but Army has been bruising its opponents all season.

The offense did just enough to get out with a win. Tyler put the game away early in the fourth quarter with a four-yard touchdown run.

Saturday was another indication that Monken and his staff have done a fantastic job of building the program over the past seven years.

Bad Weather Emphasizes Navy's Offensive Struggles

One of the biggest reasons Navy has struggled this season is because the offense can't sustain drives or put points on the board.

The Midshipmen entered Saturday ranked 131st in scoring offense (18.4 points per game). They scored a total of 13 points in their previous two games against Tulsa and Memphis, and scored seven or fewer points four times in their first nine games.

Arline took over the starting quarterback role prior to last week's game against Tulsa. He was unable to provide a spark in that 19-6 loss with 87 yards of total offense.

The weather didn't help matters for Arline or the Navy offense against Army. Foggy conditions made it difficult to see the field for either team, but the Midshipmen seemed especially undone by it. They had five consecutive drives end in a punt to start the game, including four straight three-and-out possessions in the first half.

Navy's best chance to score came at the start of the second half. Arline broke off a 52-yard run to set the offense up with a 1st-and-goal at Army's 2-yard line. The drive ended without any scoring when the Army defense stopped fullback Nelson Smith on 4th-and-goal from the 1.

When Navy has been at its best under Niumatalolo, the offense has always been able to run the ball. They led the nation with 360.5 yards per game on the ground in 2019. That number has fallen to 185.3 yards this season.

Army's defense held the Midshipmen to 108 rushing yards. Their passing offense was nonexistent with only nine yards on nine attempts.

Even on a day when neither offense was able to get much going, Navy's inability to create yards for itself wound up making the difference.

What's Next?

The 2020 season has come to an end for Navy. Army has one more game remaining in the regular season against Air Force on Dec. 19 at 3 p.m. ET.