With a staunch defensive effort and quarterback Ricky Dobbs carrying 33 times for 113 yards, throwing a touchdown pass, and running for another, Navy beat Army for the eighth straight time, 17-3, before a sellout crowd of 69,541 at Lincoln Financial Field.

When it was over and Navy had extended its series-record winning streak, senior co-captain, Osei Asante did the honors, directing the Brigade of Midshipmen as they sang the alma mater, “Blue and Gold.”

“It felt good,” said Asante. “I saw Reggie (Campbell) do it two years ago and Eric Kettani did it last year. I wanted to have the chance.”

Giving him the chance was Dobbs, a junior who won the game’s most valuable player award.

“We were in a spot where we were desperate,” said Dobbs. “We knew we had 30 minutes left of our lives to put it all on the line. Everybody dug deep.”

It was a tale of two halves. In the first, Navy was beaten at the line of scrimmage, never penetrated the Army 40, and committed two turnovers and three penalties that negated 104 passing yards. Trailing 3-0, it was the first time since 1993 that Army had shut out Navy in the first half.

But the second half was Navy (9-4) at its ball-control best. On its opening possession, the Mids rolled 68 yards on 12 plays, Dobbs throwing a 25-yard scoring pass to sophomore slot back Marcus Curry, who was wide open in the end zone, for a 7-3 lead.

“In practice it worked that same way,” said Curry. “We knew that whenever we did call that play, I was going to come down the line and just be chillin’ there,” said Curry. “That drive was the game. To cap it off with that big touchdown, it was the exclamation point.”

The next time they got the ball, the Mids drove 55 yards for a 36-yard field goal by Joe Buckley that made it 10-3. It capped a period of domination in which Navy out-gained Army 118-11 and had eight first downs to none for the Black Knights.

“We blocked better, ran better, and took care of the football,” said Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo. “They have a great understanding of what we’re doing. I also think [defensive coordinator] (Buddy) Green and our coaches have a great understanding of what they are trying to do.”

Green directed a defense that, for the third straight time against Army, didn’t give up a touchdown. Army’s lone score came in the first period after sophomore linebacker Steve Erzinger (11 tackles) picked off a Dobbs’ pass in the flat and ran 26 yards to the Navy 12, setting up a 23-yard field goal by Alex Carlton.

Led by sophomore Jabaree Tuani (7 tackles) and senior linebackers Ross Pospisil (7 tackles) and Ram Vela (interception, 2 tackles for loss), the Navy defense limited Army to 187 yards and 10 first downs.

Navy went up 17-3 early in the fourth quarter when Pospisil forced a fumble that senior linebacker Craig Schaefer scooped up and ran 21 yards to the Army 12. Four plays later, Dobbs scored on a 1-yard run. It was his 24th rushing touchdown, an NCAA Division 1-A record for quarterbacks.

“That’s just a blessing,” said Dobbs who accomplished the record despite missing two games with a knee injury. “God put me in the spot to give me recognition and He put guys around me like a great offensive line, wide receivers who block and A backs, too.”

Army had a chance to score late, but when Black Knights quarterback Trent Steelman (7 for 20, 77 yards) threw into triple coverage in the end zone for 6-foot-10 wideout Ali Villanueva (5 catches, 62 yards), Vela intercepted the tipped ball.

In winning, the Texas-bowl bound Mids spoiled the postseason hopes of the Black Knights. Army was hoping to play Temple at RFK Stadium in the EagleBank bowl, Dec. 29. The five wins are the most for Army since 1996.

“In the days and weeks to come, I think we’ll be able to look back on what this particular group of seniors has done for Army football, the path that we’re on, the culture that we’ve achieved, and the vision that we’ve created for ourselves,” said Army coach Rich Ellerson. “All those things are going to carry us to where we want to be.”

But for the eighth straight time, Navy was where it wanted to be.

“Our defense gave us a chance to win,” said Niumatalolo. “It was a great win for our program, for our young men, and for everyone associated with Navy football.”

Notes » Niumatalolo is the first coach to win Commander-in-Chief trophies his first two years … Dobbs went over 1,000 yards in the game, becoming the third Navy quarterback to achieve the mark. The others were Chris McCoy (1996-97), who did it twice, and Craig Candeto (2003) … The last time Army led Navy at halftime was 2001.