Navy’s Blake Horvath rushes for 200 yards, tallies 4 TDs in rout of No. 22 Army

In a game known for both teams’ grind-it-out toughness, a offensive bonanza — at least by Army-Navy Game standards — broke out.

Army quarterback Bryson Daily entered with 29 touchdowns and a “Captain America” sheen to his name, but it was Navy signal caller Blake Horvath who stole the show, rushing for 204 yards and accounting for four touchdowns as the Midshipmen beat the No. 22 Black Knights 31-13 Saturday.

“We talked about playing fast and free, without fear of failure, the importance of execution over emotion,” Navy coach Brian Newberry said. “And I thought we did that for the most part today, and I thought we did it in a convincing way over really good football team.”

Horvath put on a show that in 2024 had been previously reserved for Northwest Stadium’s resident quarterback, Jayden Daniels of the Washington Commanders. Instead, Horvath led a balanced Navy attack that piled up 378 yards, combined for the most points in the rivalry since 2010, and captured the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy outright for the first time since 2019.

“I think it was like February 27, we walk into, you know, our winter workouts, and the CIC trophy is literally plastered on every locker, every wall, everywhere around the room,” Horvath said. “And it’s been since February that we’ve put this game in our head.”

Army, which averages a nation-best 314 rushing yards per game, barely eclipsed a third of that, finishing with just 113. Daily, who finished sixth in voting for the Heisman Trophy, threw three interceptions and was held to 52 yards rushing.

“They played really hard, they had a really good plan coming in,” Daily said. “We didn’t hit the plays we needed to. They hit the big plays, and we didn’t’. And we turned the ball over — I turned the ball over — too much.”

Held in the D.C. area for only the second time in the 125 year history of the series, President-elect Donald Trump headlined a list of GOP political figures that attended the game. Trump arrived approximately an hour before kickoff, entering via motorcade underneath the stadium.

Key Republican figures, some who will play significant parts in Trump’s second administration, joined the president-elect in a stadium suite, including Vice President-elect JD Vance, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, House Speaker Mike Johnson, Pennsylvania Senator-elect Dave McCormick and Fox News host Pete Hegseth, who is Trump’s embattled pick to lead the Pentagon. Trump waved to the crowd from the glass-enclosed box before kickoff.

Navy (9-3) scored on the opening drive of the game, a plunge by Horvath from 1-yard out. The dive came one play after his 7-yard rush that had initially been ruled a touchdown was overturned.

The Midshipmen held Army’s offense to just 22 total yards in the first quarter. Daily was forced to try some home-run style passes to gain yards, but his multiple attempts were wobbly and overthrown.

Daily’s lack of touch would come to bear on Army’s first drive of the second quarter. On third and 8 from his own 24, Daily was easily intercepted by Navy cornerback Dashaun Peele on an under thrown ball — only the Black Knights’ sixth turnover and second interception of the season.

“Sorely disappointed,” Army coach Jeff Monken said. “As excited and proud as were were eight days ago, [after winning the American Athletic Conference championship], we’re as disappointed as we’ve ever been.”

The Midshipmen quickly took advantage. Two plays later, a Horvath touch pass found running back Brandon Chatman as he raced down the left sideline untouched 18 yards into the end zone for a 14-0 Navy lead.

Army (11-2) finally answered with a touchdown of their own on the next drive, a 23-yard jump pass score from Daily to Hayden Reed. The Black Knights only managed 105 yards of offense in the first half to Navy’s 174 and struggled to convert on third downs — just 2 of 7 — as they trailed the Midshipmen 14-7 at halftime.

Army’s first play after the break showed they still had a power game to work with. Starting with a 12 yard scamper by Kanye Udoh, the Black Knights ran the ball seven straight times and pushed into Navy territory. The drive would stall before the red zone, and a 39-yard Trey Gronotte field goal trimmed the Midshipmen lead to 14-10.

Much like the Jolly Rogers — the fighter squadron represented on Navy’s uniforms for the game — the Midshipmen took to the air again. Three plays after the Army FG, Horvath found Eli Heidenreich standing alone on the near sideline, where he shed a tackler and raced 52 yards for the touchdown. 

“We knew coming in if we would have those explosive plays, we’re going to score points, have a chance to win,” Newberry said, “and part of the reason why we’re doing what we’re doing offensively is for these academy games, to win the CIC, and that’s part of the evolution of this offense.”

Army moved the ball well throughout the second half, but on key third and fourth downs when it chose to pass, Navy’s defense was able to limit the Black Knights to two field goals.

Up 21-13, with the most points it’s scored in the rivalry in the last five games, Navy coach Brian Newberry pulled out the stops to secure the win.

In punt formation at their own 47, Midshipmen nose guard Landon Robinson took a direct snap, fooling the entire Army special teams unit. The near 300 pound Robinson then rumbled 29 yards to the Army 27 for the fourth down conversion, fumbling the ball as he was tackled but recovered immediately by his teammates. 

“If we got the look we wanted, we were going to run it, and if we didn’t, we’re going to punt it. And [Robinson] saw it and called it, and we ran it,” Newberry said.  “It’s the second time he’s done it this year, man. It’s good seeing that big boy, 280 pounds, running as fast as he as he does, and getting it done.”

His efforts led to Horvath’s second 1-yard rushing TD four plays later and a 28-13 Navy lead. The Midshipmen would put the icing on the victory with two more interceptions of Daily in the fourth quarter.

“It’s hard to take away that running attack, but you certainly want to control it. And thought we did that today,” Newberry said. “If you told me they were going to throw it 16 times, you know, I think that I would have thought that’d been a good day for us, for sure.”