This was the moment where a seismic shift in the American Conference landscape was slated to occur. The fault lines were perfectly in place as Navy faced a do-or-die 4th and 1 at Temple from its own 49-yard
line with 47 seconds remaining, trailing 31-24. Failure to convert would spoil the Midshipmen’s undefeated season and completely alter the narrative regarding Temple, which was fresh off an inspiring comeback win over UTSA.
Navy showed a traditional shotgun look in 11 personnel. Quarterback Blake Horvath handled the snap and immediately bolted forward, following the block of his trusty fullback Alex Tecza. Tecza took one defender out, and left guard Ben Purvis pulled to eliminate another Temple tackler. That ensured Horvath would move the sticks. But tight end Cody Howard completed the trifecta, handling a third Owl defender seven yards past the line of scrimmage. Those three blocks opened a red carpet for Horvath to stroll down, reaching the end zone with 39 seconds remaining.
Navy wasn’t satisfied with tying the score at 31. The Midshipmen set their standards higher, demanding the regulation win in Philadelphia. Brian Newberry sent his offense on the field, and once again, the team placed faith in Horvath. The quarterback rolled out to the right and faced immediate oncoming pressure. Right before getting tripped up, he delivered an on-the-run dart to the end zone, which was cradled by a diving Tecza. Thanks to that clutch two-play sequence, Navy escaped Temple, 32-31 — maintaining status as one of the FBS’s last 11 remaining unbeatens.
The Midshipmen are no stranger to thrillers, winning a similarly back-and-forth 34-31 game vs. Air Force in the prior week. Last game, Horvath drew headlines for his 339-yard passing effort, but this time, the quarterback operated in a more traditional Navy sense. He compiled 155 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 19 carries, logging his fourth-straight 110+ yard, 1+ touchdown game this season. He also added 141 passing yards and a touchdown on six completions, connecting on several deep balls to his tight end Howard as well as his usual No. 1 option Eli Heidenreich.
Despite the offensive success, Navy never led after the first quarter until Tecza’s diving two-point conversion. Temple equally damaged the Midshipmen defense by means of quarterback Evan Simon, who dished out a career-high 345 yards and a touchdown. Temple received strong skill position contributions from running back Jay Ducker (97 rushing yards, 2 TD) and Kajiya Hollawayne (9 receptions, 146 receiving yards) as the Owls racked up 518 yards of offense.
However, it was by no means a perfect game for the offense as Temple made a mistake it hadn’t made in its first five outings — committing a turnover. The Owls fumbled on a strip sack in the red zone in the late second quarter while holding onto a 10-7 lead. Job Grant’s fumble recovery prevented Temple from manufacturing additional points — although the Owls eventually produced a touchdown with 25 seconds remaining in the quarter to go up 17-7. That fumble was the lone turnover in a game where defenses weren’t the units producing the major plays.
Temple (3-3, 1-1 American) drops to .500 after the hard-fought defeat. After four-consecutive 3-9 finishes, the Owls still haven’t crossed the 3-win barrier since 2019, but the team is showing massive improvement in year one of the K.C. Keeler era. They’ll have plenty of opportunities to notch that coveted fourth win, most likely operating as heavy favorites over Charlotte next Saturday.
Navy (6-0, 4-0 American) is the only team in the FBS with a 4-0 conference record. The Midshipmen are 6-0 to start consecutive seasons for the first time since 1978 and 1979, and with 9-straight victories, they only trail Memphis and Ohio State (10 each) to own the FBS’s third-longest active win streak. Navy is officially bowl eligible, but the Midshipmen have their sights set on more than just one postseason matchup. Next up on the docket is Florida Atlantic on Oct. 25 after a Week 8 bye.
