Army-Navy Game: Fumble Return Gives Midshipmen 24-7 Halftime Lead

This next bit is a mite depressing: Ricky Dobbs is sacked on the first play of the Midshipmen's next drive. Army commits a 15-yard penalty to give the Mid first down. Ricky Dobbs rushes left and fumbles the ball away. Army recovers. It's the fifth lost ball of the game.

The Black Knights, for a short time, appear to be taking good advantage of their fortune. TRENT STEELMAN attempts another pass, which is news in itself. His run left for a 14-yard gain fares better. Patrick Mealy gets into the action, and he, Steelman, and Jared Hassin chew almost six minutes off the clock running from their own 48 to Navy's 2-yard line.

It's all going quite well until Steelman gets the ball punched out of his arms, and senior Mids defender Wyatt Middleton scoops up his second loose ball recovery of the game and runs in the other direction with it with great speed. The official word is a 98-yard fumble return. TRENT STEELMAN can do nothing but watch (and, on Army's last-gasp drive of the quarter, run for 20 yards on his lonesome and get sacked).

At the end of the first half, the Midshipmen lead the Black Knights, 24-7.