Navy Midshipmen's Memorable Matchup with Oklahoma Sooners Among Year's Best

The Armed Forces Bowl between the Navy Midshipmen and Oklahoma Sooners was one of the best games of the season.
Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. (9) is stopped shot of a first down on a fourth-down attempt during the Armed Forces Bowl football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Navy Midshipmen at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas, Friday, Dec. 27, 2024. Navy won 21-20.
Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. (9) is stopped shot of a first down on a fourth-down attempt during the Armed Forces Bowl football game between the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) and the Navy Midshipmen at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas, Friday, Dec. 27, 2024. Navy won 21-20. / BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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The 2024 college football season was a memorable one for the Navy Midshipmen.

While they fell short of being able to play for the American Athletic Conference Championship, they still found a ton of success on the gridiron. They went 10-3 during the season, reaching double-digit victories for only the sixth time in program history.

It was an incredibly impressive feat as the team had finished with a record below the .500 mark in four consecutive campaigns and five out of the last six years.

For the first time since 2019, the team was able to earn a ranking. They were in the top 25 for two weeks, reaching as high as No. 24 before being defeated by the Notre Dame Fighting Irish for their first loss of the year.

Their second ranked matchup of the season, against the Tulane Green Wave, was a tough game as well. With quarterback Blake Horvath not at 100 percent health, they were dominated 35-0.

They faced off against a third ranked opponent in their final regular season game of the season, facing off against the Army West Point Black Knights in their annual Army-Navy Game. The third time was the charm, as Navy finally broke through against a top 25 team.

That victory led to the Midshipmen taking home the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy, building some momentum heading into their bowl game against the Oklahoma Sooners out of SEC.

Things didn’t get off to a great start, as Navy fell behind 14-0 right out of the gate in the first quarter.

But, Brian Newberry’s group didn’t panic, clawing their way back into the contest on the back of their star quarterback and a stellar defnisve performance after falling into the early hole.

An epic comeback ensued, as the Midshipmen would score 21 unanswered points to take the lead in the fourth quarter.

The Sooners would drive the ball down the field on their final drive of the game, scoring a touchdown and setting up a winner-takes-all two-point conversion.

Needing one more stand, Navy’s defense stepped up and got a stop, leading to a 21-20 victory. It was such an epic game that Bill Connelly of ESPN placed it at No. 24 in his rankings of the 100 best college football games of the year.

As the college football writer noted, it was the first time the Midshipmen picked up a win over an SEC opponent since 2004, when they defeated the Vanderbilt Commodores.

It was their first bowl victory since the 2019 campaign, putting a perfect bow on the year and building some positive momentum heading into the offseason preparations for 2025.


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