Nov. 28, 1964 - Quarterback Carl Stichweh marshaled five years of Army frustration into a last quarter drive which produced a 20-yard field goal by Barry Nickerson and an 11-8 football upset over Navy today.
An estimated crowd of 102,000, including Robert F. Kennedy (pictured), Luci Baines Johnson, and top brass on all sides, watched the game played under overcast skies which developed a definite tinge of Army gray.
The favored Middies, getting new life from a roughing the kicker penalty against John Carber, got to the Army 28 near the finish, but a mauling Cadet defensive rush shoved quarterback Roger Staubach back to his own 47.
Stichweh, outdueling the more celebrated Staubach in a battle of senior field generals, was mindful of 1963, when the clock left him and his mates two yards shy of a stunning reversal.
Army saw an 8-0 lead erased on the second period efforts of Staubach and Pat Donnelly plus a two-point conversion pass to Phil Norton with 25 seconds left before halftime.
But when Navy’s Tom Williams was far short and wide of a 49-yard field goal try moments before the end of the third quarter, Stichweh took firm command of the game.
Starting from his 20, Stichweh called on his talents for a key 17-yard fake pass and left end sweep to his 48.
On the next play, Stichweh personally ushered the ball to the three where, on fourth down, Nickerson had his moment of retribution. His field goal kick was high and true, more than making up for the fact that he was wide on an earlier conversion try.
Said Barry afterward: “Line coach [Bill] Rowe told me at the start of the second half, ‘Barry, you’re going to kick a field goal and win the game.’ He noticed how down I was after missing the conversion after the first touchdown.
“I knew we were going to win somehow. Every boy on this team knew we were going to win. I’m thrilled my field goal made the difference. I knew it was good the second my foot hit the ball. You can tell without eyes looking up if it’s good.”
Army head coach Paul Dietzel was so excited he found words to describe his joy hard to come by, but he managed to blurt: “What a win! No one can say we didn’t need that one bad. This is the game we have to live with all winter. As my old basketball coach used to say: ‘This is the bread-and-butter game.’”
As the corps of cadets swarmed from the stands to celebrate their long-sought victory, a lonely figure in a Navy football uniform stood on the field.
“It’s unbelievable,” said Roger Staubach, who a year ago won the Heisman trophy. “I just can’t believe it. After the gun went off, I felt I was all alone. It was a lonely feeling as I saw the cadets run on the field.
“Army was a better team by far this year, and I was tackled several times behind the line of scrimmage today. They came from all angles.”
When advised that Navy coach Wayne Hardin had listed him ahead of any former Navy greats, Roger said: “That’s quite a tribute for a coach to give to a quarterback of a losing team in the Army-Navy game. Hardin is tremendous.”
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