NEW ORLEANS -- After all he had done earlier last night, Navy linebacker Fernando Harris could be forgiven for giving Tulane one last chance.
After picking up a Green Wave fumble at midfield in the final minute, Harris chose to try for a touchdown. He fumbled the ball back when tackled at the Tulane 10 with 35 seconds left, but that's where the game ended, with Navy a 17-15 winner in a near-empty Superdome.
Harris was responsible for the two-point difference, pressuring Tulane quarterback Tracey Watts into an incompletion on a conversion attempt after Tulane (1-8) had narrowed Navy's lead to two points with 10:15 left on a 1-yard run by Jerald Sowell.
Harris had another recovery, in the second quarter, to set up an 18-yard touchdown pass from Jim Kubiak to Jim Scornavacchi that gave Navy (2-7) a 14-0 halftime lead.
"What could anybody say critical of Fernando?" said Navy coach George Chaump. "He fought his tail off, like everybody else on this team.
"But this was one screwy game. I saw things tonight I've never seen before."
The victory was the Midshipmen's first this season over a Division I-A team and their first on the road in 17 tries dating to a 1990 victory at Toledo.
Navy's only other victory this year was over Division I-AA Lafayette.
Last night, in a game during which each team lost the ball on turnovers five times, the critical momentum switch resulted from a turnover that was called back.
On third-and-one from the Tulane 46 early in the second quarter, the Mids' Monty Williams fumbled and the Green Wave recovered.
But Tulane was offside, not only letting Navy retain possession, but also giving the Mids a first down.
Navy drove the remaining 41 yards in nine plays, the key play a middle screen from Kubiak to Mike Jefferson that carried 16 yards to the 1. Williams scored on the next play.
Harris recovered Sowell's fumble at the Tulane 38 with 1:56 left in the half to set up the Mids' second touchdown.
L Kubiak hit Kevin Hickman for 7 yards and Damon Dixon for 12.
After a 1-yard gain by Smith, Kubiak connected with Scornavacchi in the end zone for the final 18. Earlier, the Mids did little right.
Kubiak threw interceptions on the first two possessions, and the third ended with a fumble by Williams at his 37.
Navy 0 14 0 3 -- 17
Tulane 0 0 9 6 -- 15
NEXT FOR NAVY
Who: Rice
When: Nov. 19, at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium
Record: 4-4
9- Yesterday: Beat Southern Methodist, 17-10