Greg Ward Jr. fumbles, throws pick-six in second half vs. Navy

Locked into a conference struggle in Annapolis that was tied at halftime, Greg Ward Jr. has handed the Midshipmen a two-touchdown lead after two turnovers.

On a rainy day in Annapolis, the sixth-ranked Houston Cougars have been locked in an American Athletic Conference struggle against Navy. A Midshipmen field goal right before halftime knotted the score at 20-20, with Houston slated to get the ball first in the second half.

Then Greg Ward Jr., who entered the game looking like a Heisman hopeful, had a nightmare opening to the third quarter. On the opening drive, his feet kept the drive alive as he threw incompletions on his first three passes. Then, a minute into the second half, Ward scrambled around in the pocket under pressure. As he moved forward amidst the closing defenders, the wet ball slipped from his fingers. Navy recovered, and a few plays later made it 27-20 on this touchdown pass from Will Worth to Darryl Bonner:

The Cougars hoped to rebound quickly on the following drive. They got positive yardage on the first two plays, but facing third-and-4 at their own 27 Ward made yet another mistake. Stepping back to throw, he instead found Navy’s Josiah Powell. The defender didn’t even bother letting his offense come onto the field:

Houston continues to have trouble against the Midshipmen midway through the third quarter. After starting 15-of-21 for 206 yards and two touchdowns and a pick in the first half, Ward has gone just 5-of-9 for 41 yards and an interception. Houston is still driving, but down 34-20 as they try to fend off Navy’s upset bid.