Quarterback Zach Abey directed a touchdown drive in the final two minutes as Navy posted a wild 48-45 victory over service academy rival Air Force before a sellout crowd in Annapolis on Saturday.

Abey (Archbishop Spalding) tossed a 16-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Tyler Carmona with 15 seconds remaining as the Midshipmen narrowly avoided an embarrassing collapse. Carmona’s catch in the end zone thrilled an announced record crowd of 38,792 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, which just moments earlier had gone eerily silent after the Falcons completed an improbable comeback.

“I’m so proud of our players — proud of their resolve, proud of their grit, proud of their perserverance, proud that our guys keep fighting until the end,” Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo said. “Just really proud of our players that they were able to find a way to get a win.”

Quarterback Arion Worthman completed a 51-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Marcus Bennett to give Air Force its first lead, 45-41 with 1:53 to go.

Things seemed bleak for Navy as it faced fourth-and-3 from its own 32-yard line with time running out. However, Abey rolled out and found wide receiver Brandon Colon open along the right sideline for a 25-yard completion that kept the final drive alive.

Moments later, fullback Chris High gained 10 yards on third down to bring the ball to the Air Force 16-yard line. Abey spiked the ball to stop the clock with 25 seconds to go. He then threw two incompletions before connecting with Carmona for the go-ahead score.

It was the highest-scoring game in series history as the Falcons and Midshipmen combined for 93 points and 1,178 total yards.

Abey continued his impressive season by rushing for 214 yards and two touchdowns to lead Navy in the first leg of the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy race. Abey broke loose for a 75-yard touchdown run and also completed a 40-yard touchdown pass as the Midshipmen overcame a dismal performance by their defense.

Slotback Malcom Perry amassed 172 yards from scrimmage as Navy took a big step toward reclaiming the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy for the 11th time since 2003. Perry totaled 127 yards rushing, 45 yards receiving and two touchdowns for the Midshipmen, who are off to a 5-0 start for the first time since 2004.

High also found plenty of running room behind the zone blocking schemes employed by the Mids, running for 72 yards on 10 carries. Abey was solid in terms of decision-making as Navy rolled up 557 total yards, 471 of which came on the ground.

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