One of its biggest games just wrapped up the 2024 regular season.
In the annual Army-Navy game Saturday, the Midshipmen largely had their way with the Black Knights, knocking off the No. 18 team in the latest US LBM Coaches Poll in a 31-13 victory at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland — the home venue of the NFL’s Washington Commanders.
Navy quarterback Blake Horvath was the star of his team’s win, rushing for 204 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries, an average of 8.2 yards per rush. He added 107 passing yards and two touchdowns. With the win, Navy earned the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy outright for the first time since 2019.
Defensively, the Midshipmen contained an Army offense headlined by Bryson Daily and the Joe Moore Award-winning offensive line. Daily was intercepted three times after coming into the game with just one interception in his team’s first 12 contests this season. The Black Knights were held to 178 total yards and just 3.2 yards per play.
While the matchup is a source of intense interest nationally every year, this year’s meeting was particularly intriguing.
Under coach Jeff Monken, Army was 11-1, tying the single-season record at a program with three claimed national championships. The Black Knights earned their biggest victory of the season last Friday, blowing past Tulane 35-14 in the American Athletic Conference championship game.
The Midshipmen, meanwhile, entered the game with an 8-3 record, a sizable improvement after finishing 5-7 in coach Brian Newberry’s first season. After a 6-0 start, however, Navy has lost three of its past five games. On Saturday, in its biggest game of the year, it was able to rebound in spectacular fashion.
The 18-point margin of victory represented a break from the series’ recent history. Of the 10 past Army-Navy Games, eight have been decided by one score, including last season’s 17-11 Army victory in Foxborough, Massachusetts. After Navy’s 14-game win streak in the series was snapped in 2016, the Black Knights had won six of the past eight meetings.
Here’s a look at the score, updates, highlights and more from Navy’s win against Army:
Army vs Navy score updates
Army vs Navy live updates
Final: Navy 31, Army 13
Bryson Daily throws third INT
It has been a forgettable day for Army quarterback Bryson Daily, who has been brilliant for so much of the 2024 season, but has struggled at times today against Navy.
With the Black Knights likely needing a miracle to pull off a comeback win, Daily throws his third interception of the day, with Luke Pirris picking him off at the Army 37-yard line with 3:35 remaining. Daily came into the game today with just one interception this season.
Navy likely ices game with FG
The Midshipmen take another, decisive step to a victory in the Army-Navy Game. After the Bryson Daily interception, Blake Horvath busts out a 48-yard run to get Navy to the Army 12-yard line.
On the ensuing play, it appeared as though the Midshipmen got a touchdown, with Eli Heidenreich finding the end zone from 12 yards out, but a holding penalty nullifies that and pushes Navy back. Still, the Midshipmen end the drive with a 27-yard Lance Gossett field goal to go up 31-13 with 3:39 remaining. That should about do it.
Bryson Daily throws second INT
While trying to cut into a 15-point deficit, Army quarterback Bryson Daily throws across his body and across the field to an open wideout, but Navy’s Andrew Duhart jumps in to deflect the ball in the air. From there, and with the ball somehow managing not to hit the turf, Kenneth McShan, collects the ball for the interception, giving the Midshipmen the ball at their own 33-yard line after an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.
Blake Horvath fourth TD stretches Navy lead vs Army
The Midshipmen are able to capitalize on their well-timed special teams trickery.
The play after the successful fake punt, Blake Horvath ran 19 yards to the Army 5-yard line. After a couple of short runs, Horvath follows the blocking of his linemen and gets into the end zone for his second rushing touchdown and fourth total touchdown of the day. With the extra point, Navy leads Army 28-13 with 8:50 remaining.
Navy gets first down on fake punt
A gutsy play from the Midshipmen, who appeared in position to punt from their own 47-yard line, but the snap goes directly to 285-pound nose guard Landon Robinson, who rumbles 29 yards for a first down. The ball was punched out at the end of the scamper, but Navy falls on it to gain a first down at the Army 24.
Army FG makes it one-score game vs Navy
The Black Knights go 45 yards in 13 plays to get a 31-yard field goal from Trey Gronotte. With his kick, Army gets within eight points, 21-13, with 14:44 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Army very nearly got more points, but Bryson Daily was unable to connect with a wide-open Casey Reynolds on a second-and-9 from the Navy 14-yard line.
End of third quarter: Navy 21, Army 10
The third quarter ends with Navy holding on to an 11-point lead, but Army’s driving, with a second-and-9 at the Midshipmen’s 14-yard line.
Blake Horvath’s second TD pass extends Navy lead vs Army
In a game of long, sustained drives, Navy shows that a service academy can also score in a quick strike, too.
On a third-and-4 from his team’s own 48-yard line, Blake Horvath finds an open Eli Heidenreich for a first down and from there, Heidenreich breaks a tackle near the Army 40 and scampers the rest of the way into the end zone for a 52-yard touchdown that pushes the Midshipmen lead to 21-10 with 6:34 remaining. Heidenreich is whistled for unsportsmanlike conduct for spiking the ball in the end zone, a questionable call since it looked like an Army player walked into the ball’s path rather than Heidenreich attempting to taunt his opponent.
Horvath is now up to 107 yards and two touchdowns on just four completions.
Army opening drive ends with FG
The Black Knights go 47 yards in 11 plays on the first possession of the second half for either team while draining 6:40 off the clock in the process. It ends with a 39-yard field goal from Trey Gronotte to get Army within four points, 14-10, with 8:15 remaining in the third quarter.
The points were made possible by a conversion on fourth-and-1 from the Navy 49-yard line, when a Bryson Daily pass fell incomplete, but the Midshipmen were whistled for pass interference.
Halftime: Navy 14, Army 7
Navy’s drive stalls out just shy of midfield, leading to a punt that downs Army at its own 9-yard line before the Black Knights take a knee to drain the rest of the clock and take us into halftime.
The Midshipmen with a seven-point lead, but Army will get the ball to open the second half with a chance to tie things up.
Army punts, giving Navy final chance to score before halftime
The Black Knights were able to pick up a first down, but got little else, with a Bryson Daily pass on third-and-9 falling incomplete to force a 49-yard Army punt that gets Navy back to its 35-yard line with 1:25 remaining.
Bryson Daily and company have gained 13 yards or fewer on three of their four drives today.
Navy punts
A Blake Horvath 37-yard run up the middle got Navy in an advantageous position, with a first-and-10 from the Army 33-yard line. From there, though, the Midshipmen’s drive stalls and they fail to gain another yard.
A 28-yard punt is downed at the Army 8 with 4:05 remaining in the half.
Bryson Daily TD gets Army on the board vs Navy
Suddenly faced with a two-touchdown deficit, Army gets a much-needed scoring drive.
The Black Knights successfully converted a fourth-and-3 from the Navy 46-yard line, with Bryson Daily finding Casey Reynolds for an 18-yard pickup. Two plays later, Daily again goes to the air, this time connecting with Hayden Reed on a jump pass for a 23-yard touchdown.
The play finished off an 8-play, 65-yard drive after Army had gained only 25 combined yards on its first two possessions. With the extra point, it’s 14-7 with 6:29 remaining in the half.
Blake Horvath TD pass doubles Navy’s lead vs Army
The Midshipmen make the most of the rare Bryson Daily interception. After running for 21 yards on the previous play, Blake Horvath finds Brandon Chatman in stride on a beautifully executed wheel route, allowing him to go into the end zone untouched for an 18-yard touchdown pass.
With the extra point, Navy doubles its lead, with a 14-0 advantage over Army with 11:30 remaining in the first half.
Bryson Daily interception sets Navy up in Army territory
Staring down a third-and-8, Army quarterback Bryson Daily throws an interception to Navy’s Dashaun Peele at the Black Knights’ 46-yard line, where the Midshipmen will take over. The play came on an apparent miscommunication between Daily and his receiver.
It is just the second interception on 82 attempts this season for Daily, who was recently revealed to be the No. 6 vote-getter for the 2024 Heisman Trophy.
End of first quarter: Navy 7, Army 0
Botched pitch forces Navy to punt
The Midshipmen appeared to be in a good position early in their second drive, with a first-and-10 at their own 38-yard line, but a pitch from Blake Horvath goes awry, with the Navy quarterback having to chase down the ball and fall on it for a 14-yard loss.
Facing a second-and-24, the Midshipmen were unable to pick up another first down, but a 52-yard Navy punt pins Army at its own 12-yard line with just over a minute left in the period.
Midshipmen force an Army punt
After their scoring march, the Midshipmen forces Army to punt after a Bryson Daily pass on third-and-7 goes long, with no wide receiver in the area.
Navy takes over at its own 23-yard line with 5:23 remaining in the quarter.
Blake Horvath TD puts Navy on the board
Navy receives the opening kickoff and strikes first, with Blake Horvath leaping over the line from one yard out to cap off a 12-play, 64-yard drive that drains 6:04 off the clock.
The scoring march was keyed by a 31-yard pass from Horvarth to fullback Alex Tecza on a third-and-8 that got the Midshipmen to the Army 22-yard line.
It was one of three successful third-down conversions for Navy on the drive. An encouraging start, to say the least, for the Midshipmen against the No. 7 scoring defense in the FBS.
Pregame
Army vs Navy uniforms
Here’s a look at the uniforms Army and Navy football will be wearing for today’s matchup:
Marshall opts out of bowl game vs Army
As the Black Knights take the field for their final regular season game, their postseason future is experiencing a bit of an unexpected change.
According to a report Saturday from Yahoo Sports, Marshall is opting out of its scheduled appearance in the Independence Bowl against Army. Since coach Charles Huff left for Southern Miss, the Thundering Herd has lost 29 players to the transfer portal, according to 247Sports.
With Marshall out of the game and no 6-6 teams remaining, a replacement will have to be found among 5-7 teams, with the Black Knights’ opponent determined based on NCAA Academic Progress Rate scores.
Cadets take the field before Army-Navy Game
With kickoff still about two hours away, hundreds of West Point cadets are on the field and leading the Army faithful in a chant.
Army vs Navy game location
The 125th installment of the Army-Navy Game will be held at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland, the home venue of the NFL’s Washington Commanders. In the hours leading up to the game, the field is ready for the Black Knights and Midshipmen.
Army vs Navy time today
Date: Saturday, Dec. 14
Time: 3 p.m. ET
Location: Northwest Stadium (Landover, Maryland)
What channel is the Army vs Navy game on today?
TV channel: CBS
Streaming: Paramount+ | Fubo (free trial)
Radio: Westwood One
The Army-Navy Game will air on CBS Saturday. Brad Nessler (play-by-play) and Gary Danielson (analyst) will call the game from the booth while Jenny Dell will serve as the sideline reporter. Streaming options for the game include Paramount+ and Fubo, the latter of which offers a free trial to potential subscribers.
Watch the Army-Navy Game live with Fubo (free trial)
Army vs Navy history
Series record: Navy leads 62-55-7
Army’s last win: 2023 (Army 17, Navy 11)
Navy’s last win: 2021 (Navy 17, Army 13)
Army vs Navy predictions
Below are picks and predictions for Saturday’s Army-Navy Game:
College Sports Wire: Army 23, Navy 21
Fox Sports: Army 28, Navy 23
ESPN: Army has 65.9% chance to win
Army vs Navy betting odds
Odds courtesy of BetMGM as of Friday, Dec. 13
Spread: Army (-6)
Over/under: 39.5 points
Moneyline: Army (-250) | Navy (+200)
Army vs Navy weather update
According to a forecast from The Weather Channel, there will be a mix of sunshine and clouds Saturday afternoon in Landover, Maryland, with a high temperature of 39 degrees. There will be light and variable winds, but that should only matter so much to two teams that seldom pass the ball.
Army football schedule 2024
Friday, Aug. 30: vs. Lehigh (W, 42-7)
Saturday, Sept. 7: at Florida Atlantic * (W, 24-7)
Saturday, Sept. 14: BYE
Saturday, Sept. 21: vs. Rice * (W, 37-14)
Thursday, Sept. 26: at Temple * (W, 42-14)
Saturday, Oct. 5: at Tulsa * (W, 49-7)
Saturday, Oct. 12: vs. UAB * (W, 44-10)
Saturday, Oct. 19: vs. East Carolina * (W, 45-28)
Saturday, Oct. 26: BYE
Saturday, Nov. 2: vs. Air Force (W, 20-3)
Saturday, Nov. 9: at North Texas * (W, 14-3)
Saturday, Nov. 16: BYE
Saturday, Nov. 23: vs. No. 6 Notre Dame (L, 49-14)
Saturday, Nov. 30: vs. UTSA * (W, 29-24)
Friday, Dec. 6: vs Tulane * (AAC championship game) (W, 35-14)
Saturday, Dec. 14: vs. Navy
Record: 11-1 overall, 9-0 in AAC play
* Denotes American Athletic Conference game
Navy football schedule 2024
Saturday, Aug. 31: vs. Bucknell (W, 49-21)
Saturday, Sept. 7: vs. Temple * (W, 38-11)
Saturday, Sept. 14: BYE
Saturday, Sept. 21: vs. Memphis * (56-44)
Saturday, Sept. 28: at UAB * (W, 41-18)
Saturday, Oct. 5: at Air Force (W, 34-7)
Saturday, Oct. 12: BYE
Saturday, Oct. 19: vs. Charlotte * (W, 51-17)
Saturday, Oct. 26: vs. No. 11 Notre Dame (L, 51-14)
Saturday, Nov. 2: at Rice * (L, 24-10)
Saturday, Nov. 9: at USF * (W, 28-7)
Saturday, Nov. 16: vs. Tulane * (L, 35-0)
Friday, Nov. 29: at East Carolina * (L, 34-20)
Saturday, Dec. 14: vs. No. 18 Army
Record: 8-3 overall, 6-2 in AAC play
* Denotes American Athletic Conference game
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