Dec 14, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; Navy Midshipmen quarterback Blake Horvath (11) carries the ball towards the Military Black Knights through the second half of the the a hundred and twenty fifth Military-Navy recreation at Northwest Stadium. Necessary Credit score: Danny Wild-Imagn Photos Brian Newberry grew up simply down the highway from Norman, Okla., rooting for the Oklahoma Sooners.
Now, Newberry will wrap up his second season as Navy’s head coach when the Midshipmen tackle the Sooners within the Armed Forces Bowl on Friday in Fort Price, Texas.
“It should be surreal seeing them throughout that sideline,” Newberry mentioned. “I am enthusiastic about it. Cannot look ahead to it.”
Navy (9-3) is searching for simply the sixth 10-win season in program historical past. The Midshipmen are coming off a 31-13 win over rival Military in Landover, Md.
The bowl is Navy’s first towards an SEC opponent for the reason that 1955 Sugar Bowl when the Midshipmen beat Ole Miss 21-0.
“While you come to Navy, you are not anticipating that you will be enjoying Oklahoma,” Midshipmen quarterback Blake Horvath mentioned. “If you happen to would have instructed me that after I dedicated right here, I assumed that will’ve been fairly cool.”
For Oklahoma, it is this system’s first look within the Armed Forces Bowl and its first bowl recreation towards a service academy opponent.
The Sooners are in a bowl recreation for the twenty sixth consecutive season, the second-longest lively streak within the nation behind solely Georgia (28).
Oklahoma needed to sweat this one out, needing an upset victory over then-No. 7 Alabama in its house finale to achieve bowl eligibility.
The Sooners (6-6) want to keep away from a second dropping season up to now three years after going from 1999-2021 with no sub-.500 marketing campaign.
The sport will function one of many high dashing offenses within the nation towards one of many high run-stopping groups in FBS.
Navy was No. 7 nationally by means of the common season with a mean of 249.3 dashing yards per recreation.
The Midshipmen’s floor recreation is led by Horvath, who has rushed for 1,091 yards and 15 touchdowns. Horvath ran for 100 or extra yards 5 occasions this season, together with 204 yards and two touchdowns within the win over Military.
The Sooners have allowed simply 154.9 yards per recreation on the bottom, twelfth in FBS by means of the common season.
Oklahoma might be with out a number of key items of that protection, although.
Linebacker Danny Stutsman, the Sooners’ main tackler and a consensus All-American, and security Billy Bowman Jr. each are anticipated to overlook the sport as they put together for the NFL Draft, whereas linebacker/defensive again Dasan McCullough entered the switch portal.
Linebacker Kip Lewis figures to play a good larger position within the bowl recreation with Stutsman out.
Navy’s triple-option offense places loads of stress on linebackers.
“I am from east Texas, so I’ve performed Wing-T like again in highschool, so I am somewhat used to it,” Lewis mentioned. “It has been a minute since I performed it, but it surely introduced me again to my roots enjoying the Wing-T.”
Oklahoma may also be short-handed on the offensive facet, as freshman quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. will make his first begin since mid-October after Jackson Arnold transferred to Auburn.
The Sooners have been skinny at large receiver all season and might be once more within the bowl after a number of of their receivers who missed important time as a result of accidents entered the switch portal.
They’re hopeful Deion Burks, who performed in simply one of many previous eight video games, might be out there for the bowl recreation.
The matchup might be simply the second between the packages. In 1965, Navy beat the Sooners 10-0 in Norman.
–Area Stage Media
