Tag: Navy Midshipmen

Blake Horvath takes over as Navy sneaks by Army

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Blake Horvath completed an 8-yard touchdown pass to Eli Heidenreich in the fourth quarter as Navy rallied to a 17-16 victory over Army in the 126th edition of the storied rivalry Saturday in Baltimore, Md.

Horvath’s clutch pass over the middle came on fourth-and-goal with 6:32 left to complete a comeback from nine points down in the second half.

“What a game,” Navy coach Brian Newberry said. “Hats off to Army. They’re a tough group. They’re resilient. They played their tails off. It wasn’t pretty. It didn’t look good at times, but our guys found a way, and they’ve done that all year.”

Newberry continued: “I’m super proud of our players, just the resilience, the guts, the fight; couldn’t be more proud. Glad these are the guys on both sides that are going to lead and serve and be warfighters if necessary.”

It was the second straight year that Horvath was the protagonist as the Midshipmen handed the Black Knights a bitter defeat.

Horvath rushed 34 times for 107 yards and a touchdown and completed 7 of 14 passes for 82 yards for Navy (10-2).

“He’s an absolute warrior,” Newberry said. “Didn’t play his best game today. The kid doesn’t flinch, plays the next play. He did that and found a way to win the game for us.”

Cale Hellums carried 25 times for 100 yards and a touchdown for Army (6-6). Hellums also completed 5 of 10 passes for 82 yards but suffered a costly interception in the fourth quarter, which set up the winning score.

Six plays after Phillip Hamilton’s interception gave the Midshipmen possession at the Navy 49, Alex Tecza bolted 24 yards to move the Midshipmen to the Black Knights 5.

Four plays later, Horvath fired in the end zone to Heidenreich, who is the school’s all-time leader in receiving yardage. Heidenreich finished the game with 72 yards on six receptions.

After a three-and-out possession for Army, Navy took possession and made a pair of first downs to wrap up the win and improve to 64-55-7 in the series.

On the game’s opening possession, Horvath accounted for 65 yards of the 75-yard scoring march. Horvath’s 5-yard touchdown carry put the Midshipmen up 7-0.

On Army’s first possession, Hellums directed a 75-yard drive that he capped with a 2-yard touchdown run to tie it up early in the second quarter.

Dawson Jones gave the Black Knights the lead with a 20-yard field goal with 3:45 left in the half.

With just 20 seconds left in the period, Army’s Jack Bousum, who grew up minutes from the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., recovered a Horvath fumble to set up a 45-yard field goal by Jones, which made it 13-7.

The score was 16-10 at the end of the third quarter after the teams traded field goals, including a career-long 48-yard boot by Jones, which was set up by an interception by Justin Weaver.

“The only bad thing about this game is that somebody has to sing (their school anthem) first,” Newberry said.

In last year’s 31-13 Navy win, Horvath rushed for 204 yards and accounted for four touchdowns on the ground and through the air.

–Field Level Media

Braxton Woodson’s two TDs in relief puts Navy past No. 24 South Florida

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Backup quarterback Braxton Woodson ran for 103 yards and two fourth-quarter touchdowns, Alex Tecza added 126 rushing yards with two TDs and Navy upset No. 24 South Florida 41-38 on Saturday in Annapolis, Md.

The Midshipmen (8-2, 6-1 American) tightened their grip on the conference lead, drawing closer to a berth in the championship game despite starting quarterback Blake Horvath leaving a second-half shootout with an apparent right leg issue.

Slotback Eli Heidenreich finished with five catches for 146 yards and broke Navy’s career receiving yards record.

Byrum Brown powered South Florida (7-3, 4-2) with 327 yards and two touchdowns through the air plus 136 rushing yards and two more scores.

Both of Brown’s rushing touchdowns came after halftime, the latter a QB draw that turned into a 60-yard sprint. That cut South Florida’s deficit to 27-24 with 13:59 to go following a two-point conversion pass to Mudia Reuben.

Horvath had briefly left in the third quarter after trainers stretched his leg out. Woodson replaced him for good in the fourth; he completed a 32-yard throw to Heidenreich before rambling in from 20 yards to make it 34-24 with 9:29 left.

Just 3:15 later, the Bulls executed a double pass, and running back Nykahi Davenport hooked up with Jeremiah Koger (nine catches, 112 yards) for a 29-yard touchdown. But Nico Gramatica’s point-after attempt hit the left upright, leaving it a four-point game.

Woodson kept it on a zone read and raced down the right sideline for a 64-yard touchdown to make it 41-30 with 3:59 to play.

South Florida responded as Reuben caught a short pass and made multiple tacklers miss on a 41-yard scamper to the end zone. Again, the Bulls converted a two-point attempt to claw within three at the 1:55 mark.

But the Midshipmen recovered their onside kick attempt and bled out the clock. Horvath returned for the final possession.

Tecza broke free for a 76-yard TD run to put the Midshipmen on the board on their first possession. South Florida answered with Gramatica’s chip-shot field goal.

Brandon Chatman ran it in from 4 yards away for a 14-3 lead at the end of the first.

Brown found Keshaun Singleton for a 12-yard TD on the next drive, but the two-point attempt was overthrown.

Tecza tacked on a 14-yard TD reception, and two plays from scrimmage later, Brown tossed an interception to Phillip Hamilton who returned into the red zone. Nathan Kirkwood’s field goal gave Navy a 24-9 lead at halftime.

–Field Level Media

No. 24 South Florida, Navy square off at top of American Conference

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It appears the American Conference race will go down to the bitter end, with quasi-elimination games throughout November.

This week, South Florida checked in at No. 24 in the College Football Playoff rankings and took over Memphis’ foothold of Group of Five champion in the projected bracket. But the Bulls visit conference leader Navy for a crucial showdown on Saturday in Annapolis, Md.

South Florida (7-2, 4-1 American) was ranked Tuesday by the CFP committee for the first time in program history. The Bulls look the part of a Group of Five contender: They demolished Boise State and upset Florida to earn a short-lived AP poll ranking early in the year, and their only conference loss was at Memphis two weeks ago.

Memphis absorbed its second American loss last week when it fell 38-32 at Tulane. The Tigers weren’t ranked but had been the projected Group of Five representative in the initial mock bracket. South Florida rebounded from its loss to Memphis by rolling UTSA 55-23.

Meanwhile, Navy (7-2, 5-1) has played one more league game and owns one more league win. The Midshipmen are a half-game up on South Florida, Tulane, North Texas and East Carolina in the conference standings, with their only remaining road game at Memphis on Thanksgiving.

South Florida coach Alex Golesh said this week that his players’ heads are in the right place.

“We talked about it after we had our sixth win,” Golesh said. “The feeling in the locker room was different (than previous years). There was no conversation of a sixth win. There were no ‘Bowl Bound’ T-shirts given out. That’s not the standard. I think they know that they’re playing meaningful football.”

No player in the American Conference produces more total offense than Bulls quarterback Byrum Brown at 323.1 total yards per game (2,203 yards passing, 705 rushing). Brown passed for 239 yards and two scores and added 109 rushing yards and one touchdown on nine attempts in the blowout of UTSA.

The Bulls were propelled by two defensive touchdowns in the first quarter, one interception and one fumble recovery, before the offense put up 31 in the second quarter.

That defense now must prepare for a Navy offense that’s added a dangerous passing attack to its triple-option offense thanks to quarterback Blake Horvath. Navy has scored 31 rushing touchdowns, second-most in FBS; Horvath is tied for third nationally with 13 rushing TDs and has added seven through the air.

“You have this stigma of what Navy does offensively, that they just run the ball up and down the field. (But) they’ve thrown it incredibly well,” Golesh said. “When they changed offenses a year ago, it has done wonders for them.”

Horvath missed Navy’s 49-10 loss to Notre Dame last week due to an upper-body injury. Navy coach Brian Newberry is confident Horvath will be ready to play South Florida; Braxton Woodson would go if Horvath cannot.

“I think he’s made improvement every day, starting to feel better and better as we go. … Feel good, optimistic,” Newberry said.

Newberry’s Midshipmen defeated South Florida 28-7 on the road last season, but Brown and running back Nykahi Davenport (career-high 94 yards, two touchdowns last week) make this Bulls team different.

Navy may not be a big part of the playoff conversation yet, but a win Saturday could change that. And a loss might take the conference title game off the table.

“You kind of have to look at it that way,” Newberry said. “Five teams, right, with one loss. … A team with two losses is certainly not gonna get into the championship game, you wouldn’t think.”

–Field Level Media

Nov 16, 2024; Annapolis, Maryland, USA; Tulane Green Wave quarterback Darian Mensah (10) scores a touchdown during the first half against the Navy Midshipmen at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

No. 25 Tulane dominates Navy 35-0, wins eighth straight

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Makhi Hughes rushed for two touchdowns and No. 25 Tulane’s defense smothered Navy 35-0 in Annapolis, Md., in their American Athletic Conference showdown on Saturday.

Darian Mensah threw for 138 yards and two scores and also ran for a TD for Tulane (9-2, 7-0 AAC), which clinched a berth in next month’s conference title game against No. 24 Army.

The Midshipmen (7-3, 5-2) played most of the game without star quarterback Blake Horvath, who left with a rib injury after a 9-yard rush during Navy’s third possession.

Horvath, a threat running and throwing, returned briefly before halftime but absorbed a bruising 9-yard sack on the first play. That possession ended in a three-and-out, and Horvath was done for the day. His only pass was an incompletion, and he had 25 yards on five rushes.

Hughes, who began the day fourth in the FBS with 1,209 yards rushing, finished with 82 yards on 22 carries. He capped a 65-yard drive to open the third quarter with a 1-yard scoring run to extend Tulane’s lead to 21-0.

Mensah’s 1-yard touchdown throw to Alex Bauman made it 28-0 with 9:19 left in the game.

Braxton Woodson, who came on for Horvath, turned the ball over twice in a rough outing. He completed 3 of 10 passes for 13 yards with an interception and rushed 13 times for 24 yards while fumbling the ball away deep in Navy territory.

Mensah turned that giveaway into another 1-yard scoring pass, this one to Arnold Barnes III, with 7:38 left in the game.

After finishing with 90 yards in the first half, the Midshipmen had a mere 113 for the game. Tulane amassed 358 yards in winning its eighth straight game.

After going three-and-out on its first two possessions, Tulane capitalized on the only turnover of the first half.

Woodson was picked off by Sam Howard, giving the Green Wave the ball at their own 37. On the second play, Mensah hit Dontae Fleming for a 44-yard pass. Three plays later, Mensah scrambled up the middle for a 14-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead.

Navy tried to answer, converting a fourth-and-1 at the Tulane 44 on its next possession. But on a fourth-and-3 at the 35, the Green Wave’s Caleb Ransaw broke up a 5-yard pass play that would have yielded a first down.

Tulane then marched 65 yards on 11 plays, chewing up more than six minutes, and capped by Hughes’ 14-yard touchdown run.

–Field Level Media

Oct 26, 2024; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Jeremiyah Love (4) rushes for a touchdown during the first half against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

No. 12 Notre Dame rolls past No. 24 Navy with 51-14 win

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Riley Leonard passed for two touchdowns and rushed for one more, and No. 12 Notre Dame rolled to a 51-14 win over No. 24 Navy on Saturday afternoon at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.

Jeremiyah Love added 12 carries for 102 yards and two touchdowns for Notre Dame (7-1), which won its sixth game in a row. Beaux Collins and Kris Mitchell had one touchdown reception apiece, Kedren Young rushed for a score, and Jaylen Sneed had a fumble recovery for a defensive touchdown.
Blake Horvath completed seven of 13 passes for 88 yards and an interception for Navy (6-1), but he proved effective on the ground with 14 carries for 129 yards and a touchdown. Eli Heidenreich had 11 carries for 51 yards and a score.

Navy finished with six turnovers, compared with zero turnovers for Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish outgained the Midshipmen 466-310.

Notre Dame led 14-0 at the end of the first quarter and 31-7 at halftime.

Leonard played a key role in both of the Fighting Irish’s early scores. He rushed for a 1-yard touchdown and threw a 6-yard pass to Mitchell for a touchdown in the first quarter.

Horvath put Navy on the scoreboard with a 47-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter. That cut the deficit to 14-7.

Notre Dame answered with two more touchdowns and a field goal before the half. Love burst through a hole for a 64-yard touchdown and added a second score on a 2-yard run to make it 28-7 with 5:05 left before the break.

Zac Yoakam finished the first-half scoring with a 32-yard field goal.

Navy pulled within 31-14 on Heidenreich’s 1-yard touchdown with 8:44 remaining in the third quarter.

The Fighting Irish piled on three more touchdowns to put the score out of reach.

Leonard hit Collins for a 37-yard touchdown with 5:35 to go in the third quarter.

On the following drive, Horvath fumbled the ball near the end zone. Sneed spotted the loose ball as he rushed the passer and pounced on it for a touchdown to boost Notre Dame’s lead to 44-14.

Young put the Fighting Irish above the 50-point mark with 7:08 remaining. The freshman scored on a 4-yard rush for his first career touchdown.

–Field Level Media

Oct 19, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish coach Marcus Freeman on the sideline against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the fourth quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images

No. 12 Notre Dame bids to stay ‘disciplined’ vs. No. 24 Navy

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Typically, Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman tells his players on defense that he wants them to play loose and free and not get too caught up in technical details.

Freeman senses an exception to the rule, however, as No. 12 Notre Dame (6-1) prepares to kick off against No. 24 Navy (6-0) on Saturday afternoon at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J.

Technical details are vital to stopping Navy’s triple-option offense, Freeman said, so playing “fit ball” could take priority over playing “football” for once.

The undefeated Midshipmen are averaging 44.8 points per game, good for fourth in the nation. The only teams with higher-powered offenses this season are Indiana (48.7 ppg), Miami (48.3) and Boise State (46.8).

“I don’t want to get caught up by playing just ‘fit ball’ defensively, but you’ve got to be disciplined,” Freeman said. “It’s really hard to simulate in practice the speed at which they run their offense. So it can take a little time, especially for guys who have not faced that type of offense, to realize the speed at which they run their offense.

“And then, all of a sudden when you’re trying to adjust to the speed, you can lose your eyes — keeping your eyes on your assignment. We have to be disciplined. We have to practice until we can’t get it wrong, but then we’ve got to understand that it’s going to take a little time to catch up to game speed on Saturday.”

Navy coach Brian Newberry said his team could perform even better. The Midshipmen are looking for their first 7-0 start since 1978.

“I don’t think we’ve peaked yet,” Newberry said. “I don’t think we’ve really come close to our ceiling.”

The Fighting Irish are no slouches on offense, either, averaging 34.6 points per game.

Riley Leonard leads Notre Dame with 1,182 passing yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions to go with 456 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground. Jeremiyah Love is the No. 1 running back with 462 rushing yards and seven scores.

By comparison, Navy quarterback Blake Horvath has passed for 888 yards and 10 touchdowns, with one interception, and has rushed for 621 yards and 10 scores. Alex Tecza ranks second in rushing with 306 yards and seven touchdowns.

Notre Dame linebacker Jack Kiser provides a steadying influence over the rest of the defense, Freeman said. Kiser, a senior, ranks second on the team with 34 tackles.

“He’s a problem solver when he’s out there,” Freeman said. “The ability for him to communicate and get other people lined up … is tremendous.

“My challenge to Jack, I keep reminding him he’s gone in a couple games, this is it. Now you’ve got to challenge that room to step up. You can’t always make all the calls and the checks. Your job is to leave that room better than how you found it.”

Navy’s defense is led by Justin Reed (team-high four sacks) and Dashaun Peele, who leads the group with three interceptions. Linebacker Colin Ramos has a team-best 68 tackles.

This will be the 97th all-time meeting between the programs. Notre Dame leads the series 82-13-1 and has won the past six matchups.

–Field Level Media

A Navy fan urges on the Midshipmen as the Army-Navy game goes to overtime for the first time in the rivalry's history. Army won 20-17 in the second overtime. Img 2166

Army, Navy expect competitive fight in Foxborough

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Saturday marks the 124th clash between Army and Navy and a preview of a budding conference rivalry.

Army is slated to join Navy in the American Athletic Conference next season, shedding its independent status.

“I just thought it was the right move for Army football at this time,” Black Knights coach Jeff Monken said. “Navy has proven a service academy can be competitive in the AAC.”

The Black Knights and Midshipmen will meet at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., a first-time venue for a series that began in 1890. Identical 5-6 records and recent history suggests it will be a competitive contest.

Army earned a 20-17 victory in double overtime in last season’s game to trim Navy’s all-time edge in the series to 62-54-7. Seven of the past nine meetings have been decided by seven points or fewer.

The Black Knights carry a three-game winning streak into the game but have been idle since a 28-21 home win against Coastal Carolina on Nov. 18.

Army, which tweaked its style of option football before the season, rushed for 365 yards on 62 carries against the Chanticleers while attempting only two passes — one for an interception. Tyson Riley (12 carries, 112 yards), Bryson Daily and Ay’Jaun Marshall all ran for scores.

Navy last played on Nov. 25, when it fell 59-14 at SMU for its third loss in the past five games. The Midshipmen trailed 52-14 at halftime and were outgained 452-139 in the first two quarters.

Navy, which also is working through a new offense this season, was led by quarterback Braxton Woodson, who rushed for 104 yards and a touchdown and passed for 71 yards.

Navy coach Brian Newberry, the program’s former defensive coordinator, is eager for his first game as head coach in the series.

“It’s a lot of fun preparing for this game and game-planning,” Newberry said. “You want to make sure you do everything that you can to make sure your players are prepared.”

Army can capture its first Commander-in-Chief’s trophy since 2020 with a victory. A Midshipmen win would give them a share of the trophy with Air Force.

–Field Level Media

Sep 10, 2022; Annapolis, Maryland, USA; Navy Midshipmen head coach Ken Niumatalolo walks through the bench during the first half against the Memphis Tigers at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo out after 15-plus seasons

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Navy parted ways with football coach Ken Niumatalolo after 15-plus seasons on Sunday.

His tenure ended with Midshipmen’s 20-17 double-overtime loss to Army on Saturday in Philadelphia.

That defeat capped a second straight 4-8 season for Navy and left Niumatalolo with a 109-83 record. He is the winningest head coach in the history of the U.S. Naval Academy.

“Our sincerest gratitude to Coach Ken for what has been a distinguished and impactful legacy at the Naval Academy,” athletic director Chet Gladchuk said in a news release. “Navy football flourished for many years under his leadership. He will forever be remembered for the influence he has had on the lives of those who played for him. We all have great respect and appreciation for his 25 years of service to the Academy.”

Niumatalolo, 57, was promoted to head coach on Dec. 8, 2007 and lost in the Poinsettia Bowl that season.

The Middies went 6-5 in bowl games and posted three seasons with double-digit wins (2009, 2015, 2019) under his direction.

He was the American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year in 2015, 2016 and 2019 but Navy produced only one winning season in the past five years.

“The Naval Academy will now move forward with continued high ambitions and embrace a new era of reaffirmed expectations for Navy football and our midshipmen,” Gladchuk said.

Before replacing Paul Johnson as head coach, Niumatalolo worked as an assistant coach at Navy (1995-98, 2002-07) and UNLV (1999-2001).

–Field Level Media