When Calvin Cass Jr. fielded a crucial punt late in the fourth quarter of Saturday's contest against Connecticut, he heard a familiar voice inside his head.
"I heard my mom screaming go, go, go!" Cass said afterward.
Cass caught the punt with a defender bearing down on him, made a quick move to elude that would-be tackler, picked up a block and raced 26 yards. That clutch return set up Navy at the Connecticut 17-yard line and led to the game-winning touchdown.
During the post-game press conference, Cass revealed that his mother did not make it to Annapolis on Saturday because she was hospitalized.