Blake Horvath threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score to propel Navy to a 35-13 victory over short-handed Cincinnati in the Liberty Bowl on Friday in rainy Memphis.

Eli Heidenreich contributed 126 yards of offense and had a touchdown catch as the Midshipmen (11-2) won their fourth straight, tying the program record for victories in a season. Alex Tecza added 80 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries as Navy completed its second straight year with double-digit victories for the first time in school history.

“To make history is what we deserve,” Tecza said. “We love the game and love each other. It’s such a close group. I know we’ll be close for years after this, coming back for reunions and everything like that.”

Horvath, Heidenreich and Tecza, all seniors, have played lead roles in the two-season run.

“In an era of transfer portal and NIL and going places because you get more money, it’s about the legacy where you’re at,” said Horvath, who threw for 108 yards, rushed for 53 and was named the game’s MVP. “It’s cool to leave this legacy as a Midshipman and for guys who love the brotherhood, it can’t compare to anything else.”

It also was the eighth straight bowl win for a service academy team. The streak extends to 2021 and includes a victory last year by Navy over Oklahoma.

Friday’s win came over a Cincinnati team (7-6) that was without 18 players who opted out, including Brendan Sorsby, who accounted for 36 touchdowns this season passing and rushing.

The Bearcats finished with five straight losses after winning seven of their first eight and achieving a rank of No. 17.

Samaj Jones, who split quarterback duties with Brady Lichtenberg, rushed for 57 yards and a touchdown.

Lichtenberg completed 10 of 15 passes for 78 yards and threw a scoring pass to Cyrus Allen. It was Allen’s 13th touchdown reception this year, matching a program record.

With the Bearcats missing their top three rushers, Manny Covey was pressed into service and produced 78 yards on 11 carries.

In the wet conditions, Cincinnati struggled to move the ball. The Midshipmen gained more yards, 349-239, and collected more first downs, 22 to 12.

Coleman Cauley led the Navy defense with 10 tackles and a 5-yard interception return for a touchdown. Julien Moutome added three tackles for a loss for the Midshipmen.

After three-and-outs on their first two possessions, the Midshipmen cashed in as a 34-yard burst by Tecza, which set up a 2-yard touchdown carry by Horvath.

The Bearcats answered with a 75-yard, 17-play march, which Jones capped with a 6-yard run on a quarterback draw to tie it 7-7 with 9:47 left in the first half.

Navy took the lead for good when Horvath threw a 30-yard touchdown pass over the top of the Cincinnati defense to Luke Hutchison with 40 seconds left in the half.

The Midshipmen expanded their lead to 21-7 in the third quarter when Horvath threw a 13-yard scoring pass to Heidenreich, who became the school’s all-time leader in receiving yards earlier this year.

–Field Level Media

Opposing a service academy in a bowl game is no cakewalk. Since 2021, Navy, Army and Air Force have combined to reel off seven straight bowl game wins, despite facing power-conference teams in four of the matchups.

Next in line for a service academy challenge is Cincinnati, which takes on Navy in the Liberty Bowl on Friday in Memphis.

The matchup with the Midshipmen (10-2) is particularly daunting considering the Bearcats (7-5) enter on a four-game losing streak and with at least a dozen players having opted out of the bowl game.

The most notable absentee is Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby, who passed for 2,800 yards and accounted 27 touchdowns through the air and nine more on the ground.

Sorsby, who is listed by 247Sports as the top-ranked quarterback in the transfer portal, is weighing his options between the NFL and an additional college season.

The Bearcats will turn to Brady Lichtenberg, who has thrown for 333 yards and three touchdowns over his four seasons in a reserve role. Redshirt freshman Samaj Jones is also expected to see action at quarterback.

Navy enters in ship shape, led by quarterback Blake Horvath, who has passed for 1,472 yards and 10 touchdowns and rushed for 1,147 yards and 15 scores this season.

Horvath is the trigger man in an offense that leads the nation in rushing (289.3 yards per game).

“This is a completely unique offense that we’re facing,” Cincinnati coach Scott Satterfield said. “The quarterback’s incredible, back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing (seasons), and he can throw the football.”

Horvath has propelled the Midshipmen to consecutive 10-win seasons for the first time in program history. Navy also can match the school record for single-season victories, which it accomplished in 2015 and 2019.

“We battled through a lot of adversity this year,” Horvath said on Monday. “In a lot of games we were favored, supposed to win, and we’d get punched in the mouth and bounced back.”

In three of its victories, Navy trailed by as many as nine points, including a 17-16 win over Army on Dec. 13 in Baltimore.

This is the second trip to Memphis in the past five weeks for Navy. On Nov. 27, the Midshipmen trailed late in the third quarter against the Memphis Tigers but rallied for a 28-17 victory.

“We’re thrilled to be back here,” Navy coach Brian Newberry said. “Thrilled to be playing Cincinnati, a team that we’re familiar with, that came from the American to the Big 12.”

Also fueling the Navy offense are Alex Tecza, who has rushed for 822 yards and nine touchdowns, and the school’s all-time leader in receiving yards, Eli Heidenreich, a dual threat who averages 19.1 yards per reception and 6.5 yards per carry.

Meanwhile, Cincinnati will be without its most productive running back, Tawee Walker, who rushed for 709 yards, and its top two defensive players, All-Big-12 linebacker Jake Golday and end Dontay Corleone. Each is a prospective NFL draft selection.

The Bearcats also will be without four of their five starters in the defensive backfield who have left via the transfer portal.

Still intact, however, is the Cincinnati offensive line. All five starters are expected to play on Friday, along with tight end Joe Royer, a potential NFL draftee.

“I’m excited about some of our wideouts and running backs, see what they can do,” Satterfield said. “The offensive line is eager and hungry to go play and have another game together. It’s an exciting time for those guys and particularly for our two quarterbacks.”

–Field Level Media