FORT WORTH, Texas -- — Blake Horvath set a Navy record with a 95-yard touchdown run and then scored a go-ahead 6-yarder with 4:34 left as the Midshipmen overcame an early two-touchdown deficit and stopped a late 2-point conversion attempt to beat Oklahoma 21-20 in the Armed Forces Bowl on Friday.
The Sooners (6-7) got a 10-yard touchdown pass from Michael Hawkins Jr. to Jake Roberts with six seconds left. They then went for the win, but Hawkins was sacked by Justin Reed on the conversion try.
“It was a great play that I was able to make,” Reed said, quickly crediting the rest of the defense. “We just made sure that we stayed composed after them just getting that touchdown.”
Just two weeks after a dominating win over Army for the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy, the Midshipmen (10-3) reached 10 wins for the sixth time. The last 10-win season had been in 2019, which had been their last winning season.
“Well, it’s the perfect ending,” second-year Navy head coach Brian Newberry said. “You’re down 14-0, I think it kind of symbolizes everything that these guys have been through, especially the seniors, symbolizes how things started. Things looked bleak, things weren’t going great, adversity and they kept scratching and clawing and fighting.”
Horvath's record run on a sprint down the middle of the field tied the game at 14 late in third quarter. He then put Navy ahead for the first time on his 6-yard TD run, one play after he converted a fourth-and-3 with a 16-yard pass to Eli Heidenrich.
“I thought if we go score right there, that might be the difference in the game. And it was,” Newberry said of going for it on fourth down in that 12-play, 66-yard drive that took 7 1/2 minutes.
Horvath ran 18 times for 155 yards, and completed 7 of 12 passes for 92 yards. Alex Tecza had an 11-yard TD run for the Midshipmen.
Oklahoma went up after Gavin Sawchuk’s 21-yard TD on the opening drive, when he had 37 yards after only 61 in his other eight games this season. It was 14-0 with 5:56 left in the first quarter after Hawkins rolled left, reversed field and got almost to the other side of the field before throwing to Zion Kearney for a 56-yard catch-and-run TD.
“Came out pretty strong, but second quarter I think we got a little relaxed ... we weren't together as a team,” Hawkins said. “We got back on track after that, but going into a game like this, you have to stay on track the whole game.”
Oklahoma wrapped up its first season in the Southeastern Conference with their second 6-7 record in coach Brent Venables' three seasons.
The Sooners had a much different-looking roster than the regular season. More than two dozen players went into the transfer portal, and the Sooners were also without standout linebacker Danny Stutsman and safety Billy Bowman, who bypassed playing to begin preparation for the NFL draft.
“Obviously not the year we wanted to have, but although there’s a lot of disappointment, there’s been a ton of growth,” Sooners hometown tight end Jake Roberts said. “You learn how to fight through adversity.”
The takeaway
Oklahoma: While the Sooners played in a bowl for the 26th consecutive season, they had 23 winning seasons in a row before Venables took over as head coach. ... Hawkins was hampered by at least six dropped passes while throwing to a group whose only scholarship receivers were freshmen.
Navy: The Midshipmen are 2-0 against Oklahoma, the only other meeting a 10-0 win at Norman in 1965. They beat an SEC team for the first time since a 21-0 win over Mississippi in the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day 1955.
Up next
Oklahoma opens Venables’ fourth season at home Aug. 30 against FCS team Illinois State. Venables has a 22-17 record.
Navy returns Horvath and all of its offensive skill starters next season, which begins Aug. 30 at home against VMI.