It was the kind of moment only sports provide, their unique way of thrusting unfettered emotion into the fray, only telling the best story: this time how 4,450 fans seemingly all wearing orange raised their hands toward the heavens at once, cheering and exhaling upon game's final tackle.

It was another moment — moments later — when The Boss, otherwise known as Adm. James Rendon, the Coast Guard Academy superintendent, got to present The Mug to his football coach, Bill George. Adm. Rendon, wearing a high voltage grin, raised The Mug toward the heavens as well, eliciting roars from all the Bears.

What a day on the banks of the Thames. Coast Guard and Norwich, rivals again, played a dandy, not decided until Coast Guard kicker Cole Austin and teammate Adam Barnes finally tackled the rather speedy Connor Bourque, who threatened to take a kickoff to Norwich nirvana. Alas, he did not, making it but 60 yards, thus preserving the Bears' wild 38-35 win.

The Bears — the 3-1 Bears — scored the game-winner with 9 seconds left. It was hard to tell whose fortitude deserved the bigger salute. Offensive coordinator Ray LaForte, who called a running play on fourth down at the three-yard line, or tougher-than-Clorox quarterback Ryan Jones, who plunged to paydirt, sending the aforementioned LaForte tearing down the press box stairs, high-fiving everyone in his airspace and yelling guttural things as football coaches often do.

This is the same LaForte who drank coffee from The Mug — the annual prize going to the Coast Guard/Norwich victor — in a Twitter photo last year. He promised to do so again come Monday, adding that he's so happy right now he may add some Kahlua to it this time.

Norwich and Coast Guard, the "little Army-Navy game" as it's called, began playing in 1929. They stopped after 2005 because of conference realignment and resumed again last year. We can debate just how much Coast Guard football moves the needle locally. But this just in: Rival games against Merchant Marine and now Norwich make it a whole lot more fun.

A few years ago, Coast Guard's schedule was awash in Worcester State and Framingham State. Pause here to yawn. Now?

"A different opponent and maybe it's just Parents' Weekend. Our kids would be up for it, but how much?" George was saying on the field Saturday. "Playing Norwich made everything better. When I got here, the whole Merchant Marine thing was pounded into my head. But having Norwich back really adds something. The rivalry is clearly back."

Coast Guard-Norwich has always been fun. George tells a great story from about 10 years ago.

"We were going to play a baseball game, a real fast pitch baseball game on our field against a bunch of U.S. Congressmen who had a team," George said. "We practiced for a while to get ready. We get to the game and the Congressmen were one short so I went to play for them to give them nine. I get into the dugout and start introducing myself to them.

"All of a sudden, this guy is making a beeline to me. He was secret service. He says, 'hey, you're the son of a (gun) who ended the Norwich game!'"

Turns out he was a Norwich grad who was unaware that Coast Guard-Norwich went on hiatus because the Bears left for a different league. Emotions run deep here, apparently.

Then there's this one from Bob Bono, the associate head basketball coach at Coast Guard and conscience of the place.

"I used to come to Coast Guard as a kid," Bono said. "I saw a Coast Guard-Norwich game here once and after the game, there's this huge brawl on the field. The only way they could stop it was by playing the Star Spangled Banner. Everybody froze. True story."

Bono also remembers the day some Norwich cadets stole Coast Guard's mascot, Objee, a real live bear. The cadets couldn't keep it under control and called Coast Guard to say that they left the bear roaming near I-91 somewhere.

"The only real rivalry game we knew up to last year was Kings Point," senior Jake Behne said. "Not to downplay Norwich, but I didn't know the school existed. I'm from Virginia. It reminded me of Virginia Tech. You've got the corps cadets and student body. Seeing how seriously they take it kind of clicked with us. Like this is a big deal."

They filled their bleachers, too, last year in Vermont, all the cadets in full uniform filling the stands two hours before kickoff. It's the pageantry and rivalry that makes college football so alluring. And you don't need to be in Tuscaloosa, Texas or Tennessee to appreciate it.

The emotions died to echoes by the time both bands played their respective alma maters Saturday. Everyone remained respectful. And when they were done singing along to "Coast Guard Fore'er," the same 4,450 shouted "GO BEARS" at LaForte-level decibels.

They don't get this excited for engineering class at 31 Mohegan Ave. Parkway.

But they sure got that excited for a football game Saturday afternoon.

Against a time-honored rival that adds some flavor to the schedule.

This is the opinion of Day sports columnist Mike DiMauro