Navy will take home the Commander’s Trophy this year after defeating 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 massive performance on Saturday, throwing for 107 yards and two touchdowns while also adding 204 rushing yards and two more touchdowns on the ground. However, the Midshipmen’s defense was also excellent, forcing three interceptions and holding the 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 picked up another on a big interception by cornerback Dashaun Peele. With the ball in prime position, Horvath threw a well-placed pass to Brandon Chatman for a 14-0 lead.
Later in the second quarter, Army quarterback Bryson Daily threw a well-placed touchdown of his own to make it 14-7 at halftime.
Army settled for two field goals in the second half, but Navy kept building its lead and taking its time. In the third quarter, Horvath and running back Eli Heindenreich combined for a 52-yard touchdown after Heidenreich was able to shake off an Army defender and stay in the field.
On the next drive, the Midshipmen grabbed another touchdown through a series of strange circumstances. On fourth-and-5, Navy attempted a fake punt and passed the ball to Landon Robinson — a 6’0″, 285-pound nose tackle. After a long gain, Robinson fumbled the ball, but Navy was able to recover it. .
WHE A WILD PLAY — Navy calls big man Landon Robinson a fake punt!
He picks up the first, slips, 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 last yard for another touchdown and a 28-13 lead.
With seven minutes left in the game, the Navy defense made another wild save. In a true team effort, cornerback Andrew Duhart started with a pick but lost control of the ball, with Kenneth McShan coming in to complete the turnover.
Daily’s third touchdown in the fourth quarter sealed things for Navy, who finished with a 31-13 victory.
Army ranks second in the nation in rushing yards per game, averaging 314.4 yards per game. But Navy held them to 113 rushing yards on Saturday, while Army accounted for just 178 total yards.
Navy is also a rushing team and put up 271 yards on the ground, 30 yards more than their average this season. However, when Horváth threw the ball, he did so with impressive efficiency. Horváth went 4:9 in passing on Saturday; two of those completions were touchdowns. Navy put up 378 total offensive yards.
Navy will now take on Oklahoma in the Armed Forces Bowl. Army, meanwhile, will play Louisiana Tech in the Independence Bowl after Marshall sat out the game due to a lack of players.