In 2024 and 2025, the Navy Midshipmen posted an aggregate record of 21-5.
But the 2026 trajectory was shitfing in the opposite trajectory. Navy found itself in Annapolis trailing 26-14 in the middle of the third quarter, staring down its fourth consecutive loss and third-straight conference defeat.
Jackson Gutierrez was not going to let that happen. The quarterback captained a 20-0 run in the final 21 minutes of the contest, as Navy stormed back and defeated Tulsa, 34-26.
Gutierrez rushed for 232 yards
in the victory. It marked the second most rushing yards by an FBS player this season, only trailing Louisville running back Isaac Brown who had 235 against Florida State on Friday night. Also, Gutierrez accumulated the most rushing yards by a quarterback since Jayden Daniels posted 234 in November 2023 against Florida.
The quarterback accounted for four touchdowns in the victory — one as a passer and three as a runner. He opened the game with a David Blaine-like escape from the Tulsa defense. Gutierrez was initially stuffed at the line of scrimmage on a QB keeper and discreetly spun out of it. Only about three of the eight Tulsa defenders were even aware of his escape, and Gutierrez had a free lane for a 56-yard touchdown.
That wasn’t even the wildest touchdown of the game. Tied 7-7 in the late first quarter, Tulsa had an unconvential score where quarterback Baylor Hayes delivered a lateral pass to Oran Singleton Jr. While shedding a tackle in the backfield, Singleton lobbed the ball toward the pylon. Tulsa wide receiver David Wells Jr. flew in from the back of the end zone for a deflection in order to prevent an interception. He chased the tipped ball out of the end zone to approximately the 3-yard line, where he snagged it and ran in to hand Tulsa its first lead.
It was all Golden Hurricane after Wells’ unorthodox touchdown. Navy coughed up fumbles on three consecutive possessions, and Tulsa kept piercing deep into Midshipmen territory. However, Navy’s defense proved clutch with its backs against the wall, holding Tulsa to field goals of 30 and 24 yards. Instead of a 28-7 ballgame, Tulsa led just 20-7 late in the second quarter.
After an exchange of touchdowns, Tulsa led 26-14 in the third quarter, and that’s when the Gutierrez-led rally started. The quarterback guided a 10-play, 75-yard scoring drive, concluding with the first rushing touchdown of slot back Charles Robinson’s college career. The Golden Hurricane had an opportunity to reclaim a multi-score lead, but their field goal fortune ran out on a 47-yard attempt. Navy took advantage, and Gutierrez provided the finishing efforts with two fourth quarter rushing touchdowns, while the defense forced clutch stops.
On Tulsa’s deciding fourth down attempt, Navy inside linebacker Coleman Cauley pressured Hayes in the backfield, while strong safety Maxwell Williams broke up the pass intended for Singleton. It was the cherry on top of the sundae for Cauley, who posted a team-high 10 tackles in the home victory.
Navy (2-3, 1-2 American) stared down a potential four-game losing streak and turned the potential tribulation into a triumph. The Midshipmen are on the board with their first conference victory of the season, after late comebacks against Florida Atlantic and UAB fell short. Navy aims to sustain the momentum from the 20-0 run for a trip to San Antonio and become the second conference opponent in 27 tries to defeat Jeff Traylor’s UTSA program in the Alamodome.
Tulsa (3-3, 0-2 American) now rides a three-game losing streak after a spectacular 3-0 start. Since the Golden Hurricane upset Oklahoma State, they’ve only defeated one FBS opponent (Sam Houston) while falling short in heartbreakers to North Texas and Navy — games in which they led by double-digits. Tulsa has been stellar in non-conference outings under second-year head coach Tre Lamb, faring 6-2, but conference play has been a struggle. After winning just one out of its last 10 American matchups, Tulsa aims for a stronger finish next Saturday at Rice.
