FORT WORTH, Texas (BCSNN) — The 2024 Armed Forces Bowl at Amon G. Carter Stadium saw the Navy Midshipmen edge out the Oklahoma Sooners with a 21-20 victory on Friday. The game was a nail-biter, with Navy securing the win by stopping Oklahoma's two-point conversion attempt in the final seconds.

Blake Horvath was the standout player for Navy, setting a record for the Mids with a 95-yard touchdown run, and later scoring the go-ahead 6-yard touchdown with 4:34 left in the game. Horvath finished the game with 155 rushing yards on 18 carries and 92 passing yards on 7 of 12 completions. Alex Tecza also contributed with an 11-yard touchdown run for the Midshipmen.

For Oklahoma, Michael Hawkins Jr. made his first start in over two months and showed promise - despite the loss. Hawkins completed 28 of 43 passes for 247 yards and two touchdowns. Jake Roberts was the primary target, catching a 10-yard touchdown pass with six seconds left.

"It's the perfect ending. 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."

 

“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.

 

Navy Head Coach Brian Newberry

The victory marks Navy's first bowl win since 2019 and their sixth 10-win season in program history. Oklahoma, on the other hand, finished the season with a 6-7 record, their second losing season in three years under head coach Brent Venables.