Air Force beat Navy 14-9 Saturday as Falcons quarterback Liam Szarka rushed for a 1-yard touchdown in the second quarter to give Air Force a lead it never relinquished in a Commander-in-Chief's Trophy game.
Szarka carried the ball 25 times for 81 yards and both of Air Force's touchdowns, proving to be the decisive force in a game that featured two teams grinding through limited offensive production. For Navy, Jackson Gutierrez completed 7 of 15 passes for 140 yards and a touchdown, connecting with Truman Brasfield on a 68-yard scoring reception, while Michael Barrow led the Midshipmen ground game with 44 yards on nine carries.
Navy managed just a field goal from Nolan Bartley and Brasfield's touchdown reception against an Air Force defense that pinned Gutierrez and the option attack well below season-sustaining production. The Falcons, meanwhile, overcame two interceptions by Szarka — one each picked off by Matthew Seliga and Phillip Hamilton — to hold on for the five-point victory. A fumble lost by Vic Listorti further complicated Navy's path to points.
Navy falls in the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy race and will look to regroup when it hosts Tulsa on Saturday, October 10.