The Navy will take home the Commander in Chief’s Trophy this year after beating the Army, 31-13. The dominant victory saw the unranked Midshipmen defeat the Black Knights, who are ranked 22nd in the CFP poll, for the first time in three seasons.
Navy quarterback Blake Horvath had a strong performance on Saturday, throwing for 107 yards and two touchdowns, while also posting 204 rushing yards and two more touchdowns on the ground. But the Midshipmen’s defense also had a strong performance, forcing three interceptions and limiting Army to six points in the second half.
Navy struck first against the AAC champions, scoring a touchdown on the game’s first drive. The Midshipmen got another one after a big interception by cornerback Dashaun Peele. With the ball in excellent position, Horvath threw a well-placed pass to Brandon Chatman for a 14-0 lead.
Later in the second trimester, Army quarterback Bryson Daily threw a well-placed touchdown own to bring the score to 14-7 at halftime.
The Army settled for two field goals in the second half, but the Navy continued to gain the advantage and take time off the clock. In the third quarter, Horvath and running back Eli Heindenreich scored the 52-yard touchdown after Heidenreich was able to shake off an Army defender and stay in bounds.
On their next drive, the Midshipmen managed another touchdown through a series of strange circumstances. On fourth-and-five, Navy faked a punt and passed the ball to Landon Robinson, a 6-foot, 285-pound nose tackle. After a long gain, Robinson fumbled, but Navy was able to recover it.
WHAT A WILD GAME – Navy calls for a fake punt on big man Landon Robinson!
He picks up the first one, fumbles the ball, but Navy keeps it! pic.twitter.com/2GfXhypE9i
– CBS Sports College Football (@CBSSportsCFB) December 14, 2024
Horvath then led the team down the field and ran the final yard for another touchdown, leading 28-13.
With seven minutes left in the game, the Navy defense came up with another wild interception. In a true team effort, cornerback Andrew Duhart started the play but lost control of the ball and Kenneth McShan stepped in to finish the ball.
A third interception by Daily in the fourth quarter sealed things for Navy.
Army ranks second in the country in rushing yards per game, averaging 314.4 yards per game. But on Saturday, Navy limited him to 113 rushing yards and 178 total yards.
Navy is also a rushing team and racked up 271 yards on the ground, which is 30 yards more than their rushing average this season. But when Horvath threw the ball, he did so with impressive efficiency. Horvath was 4 of 9 passing on Saturday; two of those completions were touchdowns. Navy racked up 378 yards of total offense.
Navy will now face Oklahoma in the Armed Forces Bowl. Meanwhile, Army will play Louisiana Tech in the Independence Bowl after Marshall withdrew from the game due to a lack of players.