Tag: Midshipmen

No. 10 Notre Dame makes easy work of Navy in the rain

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CJ Carr completed 13 of 16 passes for 218 yards and three touchdowns, and No. 10 Notre Dame cruised to a 49-10 win over Navy on a rain-soaked Saturday night in South Bend, Ind.

Jeremiyah Love carried the ball 13 times for 94 yards and two touchdowns for Notre Dame (7-2), which won its seventh game in a row. Jadarian Price and Aneyas Williams rushed for one touchdown apiece.

Braxton Woodson finished with 101 rushing yards and a touchdown for Navy (7-2). Jackson Gutierrez added seven carries for 37 yards.

The Fighting Irish led 21-10 at halftime before outscoring Navy 28-0 in the second half.

Love opened the scoring with 7:31 left in the first quarter. He bounced through the center of the line of scrimmage for a 1-yard touchdown to finish a seven-play, 94-yard drive.

Navy pulled even at 7-all on Woodson’s quarterback keeper early in the second quarter. He scored on a 2-yard run as the Midshipmen competed hard against the Fighting Irish in the early going.

Price put Notre Dame on top for good with 5:57 remaining in the first half. He scored on a 2-yard run to give the Fighting Irish a 14-7 edge.

Carr connected with Jordan Faison for a 5-yard touchdown with 1:42 to go before halftime.

Navy cut the deficit to 21-10 on Nathan Kirkwood’s 33-yard kick with 15 seconds left before the break.

Notre Dame put the score out of reach in the second half.

Love set the tone with a 48-yard rushing touchdown on the opening drive of the third quarter. He spun past a defender and ran into another Navy defender, but he stayed off the ground as he sat on top of a would-be tackler and jumped to his feet before sprinting for the long score.

Carr hit KK Smith for a 34-yard touchdown to increase Notre Dame’s lead to 35-10 on the next drive.

The Fighting Irish continued their dominance as Carr found Ty Washington for a 4-yard touchdown reception along the left side of the end zone midway through the third quarter.

Williams finished the scoring as he broke away for a 54-yard rushing touchdown with 11:27 to go.

–Field Level Media

Dec 14, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; Navy Midshipmen quarterback Blake Horvath (11) scampbles during the first half against the Army Black Knights at Commanders Field. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Blake Horvath (4 total TDs) stars as Navy stops No. 22 Army

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A year after watching from the sidelines as Navy lost in agonizing fashion to Army, Blake Horvath propelled the Midshipmen to a 31-13 victory over the No. 22 Black Knights, on Saturday in Landover, Md.

Horvath had two touchdowns passing and two rushing. The junior quarterback carried 25 times for 204 yards as Navy (9-3) snapped a two-game losing streak in the 125th edition of the storied rivalry.

The Midshipmen also secured the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy, the annual prize awarded to the school with the best record in inter-service academy play.

With President-elect Donald Trump in attendance, Navy led all the way and improved to 63-55-7 in the series.

“We still got a football team in Annapolis,” Navy’s second-year coach Brian Newberry said immediately afterward.

Army (11-2) was coming off a 35-14 romp last week over Tulane in the American Athletic Conference championship game, while Navy had the week off.

The Black Knights entered as the top rushing team in Division I, averaging 314.4 yards per game. But the Midshipmen limited them to 113 yards on 39 carries.

Landon Robinson led the Navy defense with 13 tackles and a forced fumble. The 6-foot, 285-pound Robinson also ran 29 yards on a fake punt, setting up a clinching fourth-quarter touchdown.

Army quarterback Bryson Daily, who entered with 1,480 rushing yards and 29 rushing touchdowns, carried 19 times for a season-low 52 yards. He also threw three interceptions after entering the game with just one.

Horvath, meanwhile, was the game’s dominant player. He earned the starting job for the Midshipmen in the middle of last year before suffering an injury that sidelined him as Army stopped Navy at the 1-yard line on its final possession of a 17-11 loss.

On Navy’s first possession on Saturday, Horvath directed a 65-yard touchdown drive which he capped with a 1-yard scoring dive to put Navy up 7-0.

Early in the second quarter, Navy’s Dashaun Peele had an interception which set up a 21-yard touchdown play as Horvath threw to wide-open Brandon Chatman after a run fake to give the Midshipmen a 14-0 lead.

Army answered with a similar play to cut the deficit in half as Daily faked a quarterback draw, stepped back and threw a 23-yard jump pass to Hayden Reed for a touchdown.

After Army’s Trey Gronotte kicked a 39-yard field goal to cut Navy’s lead to 14-10 in the third quarter, the Midshipmen answered quickly.

Eli Heidenreich caught a pass in the flat, slipped away from a defender and streaked up the sideline, diving into the end zone on a 52-yard play that put the Midshipmen up 21-10.

In the final nine minutes, Navy extinguished Army’s hopes as Luke Pirris and Kenneth McShan had interceptions.

–Field Level Media

Dec 6, 2024; West Point, NY, USA; Army Black Knights quarterback Bryson Daily (13) warms up before the first half against the Tulane Green Wave at Michie Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images

No. 22 Army, Navy ready to battle for Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy

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The 125th meeting between No. 22 Army and Navy will mean a little more for both teams when they collide on Saturday in Landover, Md.

For the first time in seven years, whichever team wins the game will also secure the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy, the annual prize awarded to the school with the best record in inter-service academy play.

The Midshipmen (8-3) took the first step toward securing the hardware on Oct. 5, when they traveled to Air Force and trounced the Falcons 34-7. The Black Knights (11-1) followed suit on Nov. 2, churning out a 20-3 home win over Air Force despite playing without star quarterback Bryson Daily.

Army won the trophy last year and has enjoyed a historically successful campaign this season, their first in the American Athletic Conference.

The Black Knights marched to their first 9-0 start since 1996 and won all eight of their conference games before routing Tulane 35-14 in the AAC title game last Friday in West Point, N.Y.

Army has already matched a program record with its 11 wins and is headed to the Independence Bowl to face Marshall on Dec. 28, but the Black Knights’ season largely hinges on Saturday’s result.

“No matter what kind of a season we’ve had, losing this game makes the season a bit of a disappointment,” Army coach Jeff Monken said.

Monken’s squad has thrived behind Daily, whose 1,480 rushing yards lead the nation’s top ground attack (314.4 yards per game). Daily’s 29 rushing touchdowns are tied with Boise State running back and Heisman Trophy finalist Ashton Jeanty for the most in college football.

The Black Knights have smothered opponents to just 15.0 points per game, the seventh-fewest in the nation. Andon Thomas is the unit’s top tackler (83), while fellow linebacker Kalib Fortner has a team-high 8.5 tackles for loss.

Army will dig in against a new-look Navy offense that has keyed the program’s turnaround after four straight losing seasons.

Like the Black Knights, the Midshipmen still rely on the triple option, but first-year offensive coordinator Drew Cronic has added some extra pop by implementing a more modernized version of the scheme that incorporates more passing plays and spread-out formations.

Navy has thrived under the new system, scoring 32.3 points per game this year after managing just 17.7 last season.

Quarterback Blake Horvath leads the Midshipmen with 895 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground to go along with 1,154 yards and 11 scores through the air. He missed Navy’s last regular-season game against East Carolina with a back injury but said he is good to go for Saturday.

Horvath has never started an Army-Navy game, but the junior signal-caller knows he and his teammates have to treat it like any other contest.

“Don’t press,” he said. “Don’t make this game bigger than it is. It is a big game, but don’t psych yourself out.”

A win for the Midshipmen would snap a two-game losing streak to the Black Knights and bring the Commander-in-Chief’s trophy back to Annapolis, Md., for the first time since 2019.

“It would just bring a whole new level of pride to a style of football that we’ve looked to get back to this season,” Horvath said.

Regardless of Saturday’s result, Navy will finish with its first winning record since going 11-2 in 2019. The Midshipmen will also make their first bowl appearance since that year when they battle Oklahoma in the Armed Forces Bowl on Dec. 27.

–Field Level Media

Oct 19, 2024; Annapolis, Maryland, USA; Navy Midshipmen running back Brandon Chatman (24) warms up before a game against the Charlotte 49ers at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

Alex Tecza helps No. 25 Navy rout Charlotte

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Navy’s Alex Tecza notched three first-quarter touchdowns, Dashaun Peele returned two interceptions for scores and the No. 25-ranked Midshipmen walloped the turnover-prone Charlotte 49ers 51-17 Saturday in American Athletic Conference in Annapolis, Md.

A fullback, Tecza rushed for two scores and added a TD reception as 16-point favorite Navy (6-0, 4-0 AAC) scored 24 points inside the game’s first dozen minutes.

Tecza rushed for 68 yards on eight carries and caught one pass for 46 yards.

Blake Horvath went 7 of 13 for 117 yards and three TDs.

In addition to Peele’s two pick-sixes, linebacker Kyle Jacob produced an interception and fumble recovery as the Midshipmen created five turnovers.

The Midshipmen opened their season with six straight wins for the first time since 1979.

In losing for the first time in three games, Charlotte (3-4, 2-1) struggled as starting quarterback Max Brown completed 7 of 16 passes for 152 yards with two TDs and three interceptions. Backup Trexler Ivey also tossed an interception.

Playing as a ranked team for the first time since 2019, the Midshipmen deployed Tecza to slice through the visiting defense early.

On the game’s first series, Horvath ended a 73-yard drive with a strike of 46 yards to Tecza on a wheel route 1:53 into the matchup.

After Tecza found paydirt for the second time on a 12-yard run, Jacob intercepted Brown deep inside Charlotte territory at the 17-yard line. Tecza then made it 21-0 from 2 yards out.

Following Jacob’s fumble recovery, Nathan Kirkwood connected from 22 yards for a 24-0 lead.

On the 49ers’ fourth possession, they committed a third first-quarter turnover when Rayuan Lane III intercepted Brown in Charlotte territory with 1:42 left.

Navy continued to change the scoreboard, with Cody Howard grabbing an 11-yard pass from Horvath less than two minutes into the second.

Peele padded the lead to 38-0 by stepping in front of Ivey’s pass for a 61-yard pick-six.

Charlotte finally broke the ice when kicker Stephen Rusnak was good from 39 yards with 8:49 left in the half. Brown returned and fired a 20-yard TD pass to O’Mega Blake to bring the halftime score to 38-10.

In the third, Horvath hit Brandon Chatman on a 19-yard TD pass, but Brown answered from 13 yards with a strike to Duane Thomas Jr.

Peele brought another interception back 84 yards, bulling his way in over the goal line for the final 34-point margin.

–Field Level Media

ECU Pirates quarterback Holton Ahlers throws the ball against the Memphis Tigers during their game at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 13, 2021. Jrca4450

Holton Ahlers, East Carolina ready to exact revenge vs. Navy

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Being sidelined while in COVID-19 protocol for last season’s game against Navy was a tough break for East Carolina quarterback Holton Ahlers. Making it harder to stomach was watching his replacement struggle in a 27-23 home loss.

A year later, Ahlers and East Carolina (6-4, 4-2 American Athletic Conference) are ship shape for Navy (2-7, 2-4), Saturday in Annapolis, Md. With last week’s uplifting 30-29 overtime victory at Memphis, the Pirates have won three straight and are bowl eligible for the first time in seven years.

In his third year as head coach, Mike Houston has guided a successful transformation of ECU.

“When I took this job three years ago, I kind of wrote down some goals,” Houston said. “One of the top goals was to get us bowl eligible and I kind of put a date on it. We made it. It was this year.”

Two years ago, when Houston entrusted the quarterback job to Ahlers, there were some low points, especially early in the 4-8 season. The worst came in Annapolis, where Navy throttled ECU 42-10 loss as Ahlers threw for a season-low 138 yards.

Two years later however, Ahlers has progressed. And with a balanced attack that includes AAC rushing leader Keaton Mitchell, who has rolled for 983 yards and a 7.1 average per carry, the Pirates are on the upswing. They can clinch their first winning season since 2014 with a victory over Navy.

A winning season is not in the cards for Navy. After making a bowl game in 11 of his first 13 years in Annapolis, Ken Niumatalolo has gone 5-14 the last two seasons as his magic touch with quarterbacks has faded.

In its run-heavy triple-option offense, highly dependent on the ball-handling, decision-making and speed of its quarterbacks, Navy has struggled with sophomores Tai Lavatai and Xavier Arline. The Mids rank last in the AAC in scoring (16.8 points) and offense (270.7 yards).

A week off following a 34-6 loss at Notre Dame could serve Navy well as it strives for its sixth straight win in the series. To accomplish that, the offense will have to stay mistake-free.

“Our offense is not built to play from behind the sticks,” Arline said. “We’ve got to clean that stuff up. If we can, we’ll be a lot better.”

–Field Level Media

Oct 23, 2021; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Jack Coan (17) looks to hand off to running back Kyren Williams (23) in the third quarter against the USC Trojans at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

Notre Dame-Navy game moved to Dublin for 2023

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The annual rivalry game between Notre Dame and Navy will return to Dublin, Ireland, on Aug. 26, 2023, the programs announced Friday.

The Fighting Irish and Midshipmen were scheduled to play in Dublin in 2020 before the COVID-19 pandemic forced them to scrap the trip and, ultimately, the game. It was the first year the two teams didn’t meet on the gridiron since the rivalry began in 1927.

It will mark the third time Notre Dame and Navy play in Ireland. Aviva Stadium, a rugby and soccer stadium in Dublin, will host the game. It previously hosted in 2012, and prior to that they faced off at Croke Park in 1996.

Notre Dame gave up a scheduled home game in order to reschedule the Dublin showdown. Typically, the Fighting Irish host Navy in South Bend, Ind., in odd-numbered years while the teams play at neutral sites around the country in even-numbered years.

Navy and Notre Dame also announced the extension of their series contract through 2032.

“We’re thrilled to be able to provide another opportunity for our team and fans to experience the culture and hospitality of Ireland,” Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick said in a statement. “This trip overseas continues to strengthen our academic and athletic presence around the globe. Bringing a Notre Dame football home game atmosphere to Ireland has been a goal of ours and we couldn’t be more excited to partner with the Naval Academy to make it happen.”

“The Navy fan-based support and enthusiasm for this game in Ireland is already overwhelming and with the ongoing support of the Prime Minister and the Irish government, it will again be an extraordinary experience,” Navy AD Chet Gladchuk said in a statement. “We look forward to our visit and a competitive contest against Notre Dame in a country that knows no bounds for hospitality.”

–Field Level Media

Cincinnati Bearcats quarterback Desmond Ridder (9) throws for a first down to Cincinnati Bearcats wide receiver Tyler Scott (21) in the first half of the NCAA football game between the Cincinnati Bearcats and the UCF Knights on Saturday, Oct. 15, 2021, at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati. Ucf Knights At Cincinnati Bearcats 141

‘Nothing’s done’: No. 2 Cincinnati, unbeaten so far, faces Navy

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Cincinnati rose to No. 2 in The Associated Press poll, the highest ranking in program history, following its 56-21 victory over UCF last Saturday.

Senior quarterback Desmond Ridder said he asked his coaches after Sunday night’s practice how they felt about that latest achievement.

“They kind of stopped me and were like, ‘Hey, nothing changed. The job’s not finished. Nothing’s done,’” Ridder said. “I was like, ‘OK. As long as you guys are there, we can be there, too.’ “

So this Saturday’s visit to Annapolis, Md., is little more than the next business trip for Cincinnati (6-0, 2-0) as the Bearcats prepare to face Navy (1-5, 1-3) in an American Athletic Conference game.

“There’s no one who’s out here jumping around in their boots that we’re No. 2 or that’ll go out on the weekend wearing a No. 2 chain or something,” Ridder added with a grin.

The long-term goal is still unspoken this early in the season: The Bearcats are shooting to become the first Group of Five team to earn a College Football Playoff berth, and they’ll likely need to stay perfect to make it.

Last season’s 8-0 regular-season record and then a win in the AAC title game weren’t enough for the Bearcats to crack the field of four, but their 2021 resume so far looks stronger thanks to a 24-13 road win over then-No. 9 Notre Dame on Oct. 2.

The last time Cincinnati visited Navy was in 2017, Luke Fickell’s first year coaching the program. The Midshipmen ran for 569 yards that day and won 42-32.

“That’s something you never forget,” Fickell said. “The triple option stuff’s always gonna be unique. I think every year, you’ve got to have some wrinkles and you’ve got to be sound in what you’re doing. But I think it’s always, as soon as you think you’ve got something a little bit figured out, it can get really ugly really quick.”

The Bearcats learned from their mistakes and overwhelmed Navy 42-0 in 2018. The teams haven’t met since.

Defense has become Cincinnati’s calling card as the program has established a national profile. The Bearcats rank third in the nation in scoring defense (13.7 ppg), 14th in total defense (296.7 ypg) and 12th in passing defense (172.2 ypg).

Offensively, Ridder has completed 64.3 percent of his passes, with 13 touchdowns and just two interceptions, but running back Jerome Ford is becoming the team’s star. He scored four touchdowns against UCF in the first half alone, including one for 79 yards, and has run for 338 yards in Cincinnati’s past two games.
That’s a lot for the Midshipmen to prep for after its latest loss last Thursday. The defense gave up four touchdowns on Memphis’ first five drives in a 35-17 defeat.

Navy made the most of its first possession against Memphis, piecing together a methodical, 21-play touchdown drive that lasted 11:50. The Midshipmen scored only 10 points the rest of the day.

“We’ve been having a lot of drives in the teens,” Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo said. “We had some of those drives (Week 1 against) Marshall, but we didn’t capitalize, we didn’t finish. We just got to continue to finish. But sometimes when you have those long, sustained drives, which are great, but also it forces you to execute every time, too.”

–Field Level Media

SMU quarterback Tanner Mordecai (8) lets go of a pass during Saturday's game against ACU at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas on Sept. 4, 2021. Mordecai threw an SMU-record seven touchdowns as the Mustangs won 56-9. Hof 7364 2

No. 24 SMU visits Navy, hopes to remain unbeaten

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Among 17 unbeaten teams in FBS this season lurks No. 24 SMU, which quietly made its season debut in the Associated Press poll this week.

After going 33 years without cracking the Top 25, the Mustangs (5-0, 1-0 AAC) have earned a ranking in three consecutive seasons under coach Sonny Dykes.

SMU’s next test comes Saturday in Annapolis, Md., against Navy (1-3, 1-1), which is coming off an upset victory for its first win of the year.

“It’s just hard to win. There’s a lot of parity,” Dykes said after the Mustangs’ 41-17 win over South Florida, per the Dallas Morning News. “Everybody plays hard and everybody is well-coached. It’s just a smaller margin for error now than there ever has been in college football.”

SMU has scored at least 35 points in each of its five victories, thanks largely to quarterback Tanner Mordecai. The junior has thrown for 24 touchdowns, tops in the country, and leads the conference with 1,569 passing yards.

Mordecai is in his first season at SMU after transferring from Oklahoma, where he had backed up the likes of Kyler Murray, Jalen Hurts and Spencer Rattler.

“He’s done an unbelievable job,” Dykes said of Mordecai. “I think that’s the thing I’ve been most impressed with is just how well he’s handled being the guy. I think he enjoys it. He’s really good at it.”

SMU is 22-6 since the start of the 2019 season. Given how the conference standings are shaking out, the Mustangs could end up being the final ranked opponent that No. 5 Cincinnati must overcome in its quest to be the first Group of Five team to make the College Football Playoff. The two teams will meet Nov. 20.

Navy was a home underdog by up to 16 1/2 points going into last week’s game against UCF, but the Midshipmen scored 17 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to pull off a 34-30 upset.

Eight players combined to gain 348 rushing yards for Navy, with new starting quarterback Tai Lavatai running for 57 yards and two touchdowns.

Navy went with Lavatai over former starter Xavier Arline against UCF. Lavatai had returned to full health after missing the start of the season with a lower-body injury.

“The way he ran is kind of how we expected,” coach Ken Niumatalolo said of Lavatai. “We’ve seen that, the third-and-shorts, the fourth-and-shorts where he’s able to get the first down. Those are huge for us just to keep the sticks moving. … It fits into kind of our power running option game, to keep the sticks moving.”

Famous for its triple-option offense, the Midshipmen had 76 total rushing attempts against Central Florida and just four pass attempts.

Navy leads the all-time series 13-9, but SMU has won two of the past three meetings. The Mustangs dropped 51 points on Navy in last year’s victory in Dallas.

–Field Level Media

Nov 28, 2020; Annapolis, Maryland, USA; A general view of the Navy Midshipmen logo on a water tower near the stadium is seen before the game between the Navy Midshipmen and the Memphis Tigers at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Taetsch-USA TODAY Sports

Navy offers reprieve to one coach, another out over lack of vax

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The United States Naval Academy football program has endured a wild couple of days of coaching drama following a 23-3 loss to Air Force on Saturday.

Navy fired longtime offensive coordinator Ivin Jasper, reinstated him in a reduced role, and had another assistant coach — Billy Ray Stutzmann — allege that he was let go for refusing to take the COVID-19 vaccine.

Over the weekend it was revealed that Navy athletic director Chet Gladchuk had fired Jasper after the poor performance against the Falcons on Saturday. Jasper, who had been the team’s offensive coordinator since 2008, was also the team’s quarterback coach, a position he had held since 2002.

Head coach Ken Niumatalolo met with Gladchuk and reversed that decision on Monday, saying Jasper would be retained in a reduced role as quarterbacks coach only, the role he held from 2002-07. Niumatalolo plans to call the plays himself.

“Losing him was not the right answer,” Niumatalolo said in his Monday news conference. “We’re better with him. He’s the best option coach around.”

Gladchuk mirrored that sentiment, calling Jasper an “outstanding quarterbacks coach.”

Navy has struggled on offense this season, continuing a trend from 2020 in which the team averaged just 275 yards a game, among the worst in the FBS. This year, the team has averaged just 233, also near the bottom of the national rankings.

The loss to Air Force represented a low point for Navy’s offense, as the Midshipmen amassed just 68 total yards, their lowest total since 1966.

Those struggles have followed a stellar season in 2019, when Navy ranked 12th in the country in points per game and went 11-2 behind quarterback Malcolm Perry.

“This is a frickin’ ruthless profession,” Niumatalolo said.

That was on display on social media again Monday as another Navy assistant, Stutzmann, revealed he was let go for not adhering to the Academy’s COVID-19 protocols, which now mandate vaccination.

“After applying for a religious exemption and attempting to further negotiate alternative working arrangements, I was ultimately relieved of my duties here at Navy,” he said in his statement.

Stutzmann was in his third season as an offensive assistant. Niumatalolo said Stutzmann left the staff for “personal reasons.”

–Field Level Media