Navy Midshipmen Face Oklahoma Sooners: Predictions, Insider Picks, Analysis

The Navy Midshipmen are preparing to face the Oklahoma Sooners in the Armed Forces Bowl on Friday in Fort Worth, Texas.

Dec 14, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; Navy Midshipmen head coach Brian Newberry stands on the field before the game against the Army Black Knights at Commanders Field. / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

The Navy Midshipmen get their chance to join some of the best teams in program history as they prepare to face the Oklahoma Sooners in the Armed Forces Bowl on Friday, a game that will be played in front of a sellout crowd at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas.

Kickoff is set for noon eastern and the game will be broadcast on ESPN.

If the Midshipmen (9-3) are able to beat the Sooners (6-6), it would mark the sixth time in school history that they won at least 10 games in a season, joining the teams from 1905 (10-1-1), 2004 (10-2), 2009 (10-4), 2015 (11-2) and 2019 (11-2).

The Midshipmen entered the game at full strength with quarterback Blake Hovarth coming off a huge game against army West Point. He now has the opportunity to break the single-season passing touchdowns record set by Malcolm Perry.

The Navy defense is led by defensive back Rayuan Perry III, who will represent Navy at the Senior Bowl next month. He will be the fifth Navy player to ever play in the game.

Oklahoma enters the game trying to wrap up what would be a winning season with a victory, but the Sooners are short-handed. They lost their starting quarterback, Jackson Arnold, to the transfer portal.

Two other key defenders who are expected to go to the NFL — linebacker Danny Stutsman and defensive back Billy Bowman Jr., aren’t on the depth chart and may not play.

Here are the staff predictions for Saturday’s game.

Matthew Postins, Staff Writer

Navy 27, Oklahoma 23

I believe this is an intriguing game for a number of reasons, not the least of which is Oklahoma making a quarterback change with the transfer of Jackson Arnold to Auburn. There is also the distinct possibility that the Sooners won't have two of their top defenders on the field either.

That plays into Navy's hands, as does its way of playing football. The Midshipmen are a difficult offense to scheme against because most schools don’t play their sort of option attack anymore. This isn't the 1980s when Navy coach Brian Newberry was a kid in Oklahoma and many schools in the Big Eight played the wishbone. Only the service academies use these option-based rushing attacks.

That means that Oklahoma actually has the biggest challenge. The Sooners have to play assignment football and with the losses they've suffered on the defensive end they may not be up to the challenge.