G5 Football Daily

Navy Football Beats #22 Army 31-13 in 125th Meeting

Joe Londergan, Emily Van Buskirk

Dec 14, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; Navy Midshipmen quarterback Blake Horvath (11) celebrates his touchdown against the Army Black Knights during the second half of the the 125th Army-Navy game at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images
Dec 14, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; Navy Midshipmen quarterback Blake Horvath (11) celebrates his touchdown against the Army Black Knights during the second half of the the 125th Army-Navy game at Northwest Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images / Danny Wild-Imagn Images
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For the first time since 2019, the Navy Midshipmen are in sole possession of the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy. 

Navy upset the #22 Black Knights 31-13 on Saturday in the 125th edition of the Army-Navy game in Landover, Maryland. The Midshipmen hand Army just their second loss of the season, while moving to 9-3 in their best campaign in half a decade.. 

“We’ve still got a football team in Annapolis.”

Navy head coach Brian Newberry’s words cut sharp after the Mids manhandled Army, holding them to just 178 yards of offense and keeping the Black Knight’s signal caller Bryson Daily at bay. Daily finished with day 7-16 for 65 yards and one touchdown in addition to his 19 carries for just 52 yards. Not bad for a rush defense that finished in the bottom third of the NCAA last year. 

In a beautiful twist of fate, turnovers, specifically interceptions, played a major role in the Midshipmen's victory - something that had plagued Newberry’s team in all three of its losses this season. But Navy forced Daily into three interceptions and capitalized with 10 points off of those turnovers.

While the coaching staff deserves praise for an effective game plan, near-perfect play calling and excellent in-game adjustments, Coach Newberry gave his players all the credit. Arguably, nobody deserves that more than quarterback Blake Horavth, who finished 4-9 for 107 yards and two touchdowns and added 25 carries for 204 yards and another two touchdowns. The Heisman chants after the game were hard to ignore and in a different world, Horvath might have been choppering over to Times Square after the game. But this year, the junior quarterback will have to settle for singing second, which honestly might be the preferred prize. After all, the Commander-in-Chief’s trophy is 17 inches taller and 30 pounds heavier. 

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Published
Joe Londergan
JOE LONDERGAN

Joe covers college sports from the Group of Five ranks and beyond. He has worked in the sports industry since 2008, earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Louisville, and a Master's degree from Seattle University.

Emily Van Buskirk
EMILY VAN BUSKIRK

Emily Van Buskirk is a seasoned sports industry veteran with a decade of experience covering a range of sports, including baseball, college basketball, and hockey. She joined the On SI brand just before the 2024 college football season and is based in Northern California. Emily's work has been featured in The Sporting Tribune, SB Nation, Yardbarker, and NCGA Golf Magazine. Emily is an official voter for the Doak Walker & Biletnikoff Awards and has covered college football on three continents. She boasts visits to 48 different FBS stadiums and has attended the Army-Navy Game and the Heisman ceremony on the same day. Notable moments in her career include witnessing the birth of the WildCaff, drinking Tito’s with Mike Leach, and being dubbed a "fullback in life" by Daryl Johnston.

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