THE ANNUAL ARMY VS NAVY GAME 125 PREVIEW & PICK
Summary
The 125th Army-Navy game will be a historic clash of triple-option offenses, with Navy holding a 62-55 series lead. The Midshipmen decisively won last year’s meeting 31-13 and enter this contest with a 9-2 record, led by quarterback Blake Horvath. Army, at 6-5, is coming off a win over UTSA but appears less explosive.
The pick favors Navy to cover the -6.5 spread, as their potent offense remains largely intact from last season’s dominant performance. While both teams are familiar with defending the option, Navy’s firepower is expected to prevail in a higher-scoring game than the low total suggests, with a predicted final score of Navy 34, Army 20.
ARMY AT NAVY (-6.5, O/U: 38.5)
Location: M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, Md.
Broadcast: CBS
Kickoff: 3 p.m., Dec. 13
THE HISTORY
This throwback game is a trip through history as these two teams line up and play the old-fashioned way, as if no one has a quarterback who can complete double-digit passes. Instead, you’ll see two triple-option teams with the Black Knights running a modified Flexbone and Navy utilizing a hybrid Wing-T. This is what football used to look like all the time before pro-style, spread, and the rest all evolved over the last 80 years or so.Â
This will be the 125th meeting between Army and Navy, with the Midshipmen taking the first-ever match-up 24-0 back in 1890. Navy currently holds a 62-55 advantage in the series, and the two teams have tied seven times. Last season, Navy blew out the Black Knights, 31-13, with Blake Horvath completing 4 of 9 passing for 107 yards, two touchdowns, and no picks. He rushed 25 times for 204 yards and two scores. Eli Heidenreich caught one of those passes for a 52-yard touchdown.Â
Army tried to throw it more, with little success. Bryson Daily was 7 of 16 passing for 65 yards, one TD, and three picks. He carried the ball 19 times for 52 yards. Kanye Udoph rushed 14 times for 53 yards. Hayden Reed caught three passes for 29 yards and a score.Â
ARMY (6-5)
The Black Knights had a down season after a 12-2 2024 campaign. They did win three of their last four and claimed a 20-17 victory over fellow service academy Air Force. Last week, they knocked off UTSA 27-24. Cale Hellums was 4 of 10 passing for 38 yards and a TD. He added 23 rushes on the ground for 90 yards. Noah Short did most of the work on the ground, carrying the ball 14 times for 127 yards and a touchdown. He also completed a 32-yard pass. Parker Polosky caught two passes for 18 yards and a score. The defense held the Roadrunners to 116 total yards on the ground and picked off Owen McCown once. Army will play UConn in the Wasabi Fenway Bowl on Dec. 27.Â
NAVY (9-2)
Navy put up its second consecutive winning season and comes into this game on a two-game winning streak. They too defeated Air Force this year, 34-31, and picked up a huge victory over then No. 24-ranked USF two weeks ago. Last Saturday, they pushed past Memphis, 28-17. Blake Horvath was 5 of 9 passing for 100 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions. He added 15 carries for 54 yards and a score. Alex Tecza rushed 26 times for 103 yards and two touchdowns. Eli Heidenreich caught two passes for 64 yards. Kendall Evans caught one three-yard TD pass. The Midshipmen will face off against Cincinnati in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl on Jan. 2.
THE PICK
This spread and total look very low to me. Horvath and pretty much the entire offense that blew out this Black Knights team last season is still at Navy and rolling. Army, on the other hand, doesn’t seem nearly as explosive. The thing about these triple-option teams is that while their offense can catch “regular” defenses by surprise, who don’t see it every week, these teams know what’s coming. Conceivably, that could keep the score down, but it didn’t last season when the Black Knights fielded a better team. Navy 34, Army 20
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