The Navy Midshipmen went all-out for a win in their annual rivalry game with Army on Saturday, and that included dialing up a fake punt that most teams probably do not even have in their playbook.
Navy led 21-13 with just over 11 minutes to go in regulation, and were facing a 4th and 5 from just shy of midfield. The Midshipmen did not want to give the ball back to Army and give them a chance to tie the game, so they called on a fake punt.
This was not just any fake punt, however. It was a fake punt to defensive lineman Landon Robinson, who appeared to be in for punt protection. Robinson got a huge hole and rumbled for 29 yards, easily getting the first down and taking the ball all the way down to Army’s 24-yard line.
Navy ran a fake punt with the NOSE TACKLE pic.twitter.com/nLJxT73kWA
— CJ Fogler 🫡 (@cjzero) December 14, 2024
Robinson did fumble at the very end of the run, but Navy was able to recover, so it was not all for naught.
For reference, Robinson’s official bio lists him at 285 pounds. Most conventional fake punts do not rely on a nose tackle to pick up the first down. We have seen linemen involved in these before, but even that one was a pass play, not a designed run.
The call paid off, as Navy wound up scoring a touchdown to go up 28-13 and effectively end the game. The win is Navy’s first in the series since 2021, and only their third in the last nine meetings.
