Fresh off wins over Army and Oklahoma, Navy tries to build on a breakthrough season

By Canadian Press on August 21, 2025.

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Navy’s last two games of 2024 were breakthroughs in very different ways.

One was a victory over Army — the pinnacle of any season for the Midshipmen and a goal Navy players have pursued for decades.

The other was a win over Oklahoma — not a major rivalry game, but the type of triumph that made it clear coach Brian Newberry’s program doesn’t just measure itself against other military academies.

“We want to be a highly competitive team, we want to be significant, we want to be relevant in the landscape of college football on a consistent basis,” Newberry said this month. “I think we’re getting to that point.”

Navy went 10-3 last year, winning its first six games and spending time in the Top 25 before a loss to Notre Dame ended the undefeated run. The Midshipmen swept Air Force and Army for the first time since 2019 — the latter victory coming at a time when the Black Knights were ranked 19th.

Navy and Army entered that matchup with a combined 19 wins, the most in the 125-game history of the series. So bragging rights were extra special this time around. The win over Oklahoma in the Armed Forces Bowl was another moment of validation.

Navy returns standout quarterback Blake Horvath, whose 95-yard touchdown run was part of a second-half comeback against the Sooners.

Dual threat

Horvath became the third quarterback in team history to rush and pass for more than 1,200 yards in the same season. He’s been named to the watch list for the Walter Camp National Player of the Year award this year, and he’s made Navy more of a passing threat than usual.

“Just be me. Don’t got to stress too much, do too much,” Horvath said. “Just be myself, and it’s good enough.”

Under new offensive coordinator Drew Cronic, the Midshipmen averaged 31.3 points per game and had the No. 1 red zone touchdown percentage in the country at 81.0%.

Now Navy has the added advantage of familiarity.

“Second year in the offensive system,” Newberry said. “Blake’s played for three different offensive coordinators, so it’s nice to have some continuity there.”

Figuring it out

Not only did Navy finally beat both Air Force and Army, but the Midshipmen scored 34 points against the Falcons and 31 against the Black Knights. In the previous four years combined, Navy managed only 26 points against Air Force and 45 against Army.

The Midshipmen’s combined margin of victory of 45 points in Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy games was the highest by any of the three teams since Navy also beat the other two by 45 in 2013.

Dare to dream?

With the Group of Five receiving at least one bid to the College Football Playoff, a team like Navy can at least entertain the possibility if it can win the American Athletic Conference. (Army won the league last season.)

BetMGM has made the Midshipmen an 11-1 shot to reach the CFP.

The schedule

Navy opens against VMI on Aug. 30 and hosts Air Force on Oct. 4. The Midshipmen visit Notre Dame on Nov. 8, and the game against Army is Dec. 13 in Baltimore.

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Noah Trister, The Associated Press

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