NORTHFIELD, Vt. - The Norwich University football team generated 371 yards of offense and twice forced turnovers on Saturday afternoon, but the United States Coast Guard Academy capitalized on several decisive swings to claim a 44-14 New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) victory in the 80th Little Army-Navy Game on Sabine Field at Haynes Family Stadium.
Playing before a Parents & Family Weekend crowd of 2,013, the Cadets threw for 291 yards and held possession for more than 31 minutes, but the Bears produced four passing touchdowns, three field goals, and a 46-yard interception return for a score to retain The Mug.
Saturday marked the 80th meeting in a rivalry dating back to 1929. The Mug, an antique pewter measuring cup introduced as the series' traveling trophy in 1931, has become a fixture of the nearly century-old rivalry between the two institutions.
Coast Guard struck first midway through the opening quarter, completing a 52-yard touchdown pass to finish an eight-play, 78-yard drive and take a 7-0 lead.
The Bears added a 26-yard field goal later in the period, but Norwich answered with its first major scoring threat of the afternoon.
Starting at its own 38, Landon Beecher (Holliston, Mass.) connected with Jahmir Dixon (Philadelphia, Pa.) for 45 yards down to the Coast Guard 15. Will Patenaude (Goffstown, N.H.) added four yards on the ground as the Cadets reached the eight before a 25-yard field-goal attempt sailed wide in the opening seconds of the second quarter.
Coast Guard responded by traveling 80 yards for another touchdown, extending its advantage to 17-0 with 11:33 remaining in the half.
Norwich's defense provided an opportunity to shift momentum midway through the quarter.
With the Bears at the Norwich 36, Iva Hayes (Miami, Fla.) intercepted a pass at the Cadet two-yard line and returned it 14 yards, ending a Coast Guard scoring threat. The Norwich defense forced another turnover on downs on the Bears' following possession, giving the offense the football at its own 35 with 1:59 remaining before halftime.
The Cadets needed just 44 seconds to capitalize.
Beecher opened the possession by finding Dixon for 30 yards into Coast Guard territory. Two plays later, facing third-and-10 from the Bears' 35, Beecher connected with Connor McFarland (Manchester, N.H.) down the right side for a 35-yard touchdown.
Allen Cohen (Portland, Conn.) added the extra point, drawing Norwich within 17-7 with 1:15 remaining in the half.
Coast Guard, however, answered before the break.
Beginning at its own 30, the Bears covered 70 yards in just 1:02, finishing the drive with a 21-yard touchdown reception with 13 seconds remaining to carry a 24-7 advantage into halftime.
The Norwich defense produced another takeaway on Coast Guard's opening possession of the third quarter.
Corey Stone (Piscataway, N.J.) intercepted a pass at the Norwich 15 and returned it 17 yards, giving the Cadets possession at their own 32. Coast Guard's special teams swung momentum back moments later, however, blocking a Norwich punt and taking over deep in Cadet territory.
The Norwich defense limited the damage after Nick Markovitch (Bridgewater, N.J.)Â forced a fumble for an eight-yard loss on the ensuing Coast Guard possession. Although the Bears recovered, they eventually settled for a 42-yard field goal to extend the margin to 27-7.
The game's most damaging sequence followed on Norwich's next possession.
Beecher completed passes to Jack Berthiaume (Plainville, Mass.), Dixon, and Declan Lay (Brunswick, Maine) to move the Cadets toward midfield, but Coast Guard intercepted Beecher at the Norwich 46 and returned the ball for a touchdown, stretching the Bears' advantage to 34-7 with 6:39 remaining in the third.
Norwich responded with one of its strongest possessions of the afternoon. Patenaude opened the ensuing drive by bursting through for 20 yards, and a pair of Coast Guard pass-interference penalties helped the Cadets move deeper into Bears territory. Beecher found McFarland for six yards before connecting with Patenaude for gains of six and eight.
Facing third-and-goal from the 10, Beecher went back to Patenaude, who hauled in the pass and crossed the goal line for Norwich's second touchdown of the afternoon. Zack Zegarra (Ridgewood, N.J.) converted the extra point to complete the 10-play, 77-yard drive and make it 34-14 with 2:40 left in the third quarter.
The Cadets threatened again on their next possession, putting together their longest drive of the game.
Beginning at its own 10 late in the third quarter, Norwich moved 86 yards across 12 plays. Patenaude contributed runs of six and three yards, while Beecher completed passes to Patenaude, Iverson Brandon (Bartow, Fla.), and Dixon as the Cadets pushed inside the Coast Guard 10.
Norwich eventually reached the Bears' four-yard line, but Coast Guard stopped the Cadets on fourth down to preserve its 20-point cushion.
The Bears then mounted a 73-yard possession of their own and converted a 40-yard field goal with 6:35 remaining to make it 37-14. Coast Guard added one final touchdown in the closing minutes following another short-field opportunity to account for the 44-14 final.
Beecher completed 21 of 48 attempts for 291 yards and two touchdowns, marking his third game this season with at least 290 passing yards.
Dixon delivered another productive afternoon on the outside, hauling in six passes for a game-high 127 yards. His day included receptions of 45 and 30 yards, giving the junior his second 100-yard receiving performance of the campaign.
Patenaude impacted the game both on the ground and through the air, rushing 17 times for a team-high 75 yards while adding six receptions for 52 yards and a touchdown. His 127 yards from scrimmage matched Dixon for the team lead in all-purpose offensive production.
McFarland finished with four receptions for 48 yards, highlighted by his 35-yard second-quarter touchdown. Brandon added a 26-yard reception, while Tommy McDonagh (Braintree, Mass.), Lay, Berthiaume, and Cameron Sousa (Saugerties, N.Y.) also recorded catches.
Defensively, Jack Daley (Weymouth, Mass.) and Stone shared the team lead with nine tackles apiece. Stone added a tackle for loss and his third interception of the season, while Tank Jemison (Ardmore, Pa.) finished with eight tackles.
Michael Macaione (Gilmanton Iron Works, N.H.) recorded four tackles and a tackle for loss, while Markovitch added four stops, a tackle for loss, and the forced fumble. Harry Ells (Centerville, Mass.) contributed three tackles and another stop behind the line of scrimmage, while Hayes paired his interception with three tackles.
Norwich finished with 371 yards of total offense, including a 291-273 advantage through the air. The Cadets also recorded 23 first downs and held the football for 31:13, but Coast Guard finished with a 434-371 advantage in total offense and scored 14 points off Norwich turnovers. The Bears converted nine of 15 third downs and finished a perfect 4-for-4 on red-zone opportunities.
Saturday's contest represented the 80th chapter of the Little Army-Navy Game and continued a rivalry that began with Norwich's 7-0 victory at Sabine Field on Oct. 5, 1929. The programs began competing for The Mug two years later in 1931.
The game also served as one of the centerpiece events of Norwich's annual Parents & Family Weekend, with halftime featuring the University's Legacy Pinning Ceremony and ROTC Affirmation of Oath Ceremony.
Norwich will now head back on the road for consecutive NEWMAC contests, beginning on Saturday, Oct. 31, when the Cadets travel to Salve Regina University for a 12:00 p.m. kickoff in Newport, R.I.
The Cadets will remain away from Northfield on Saturday, Nov. 7, for a trip to Springfield College before returning to Sabine Field at Haynes Family Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 14, to close the 2026 regular season against MIT on Senior Day.
