Dec 123 min read

125th Army-Navy Game to Feature Amazing Rushing Quarterbacks

Army quarterback Bryson Daily — Photo by Danny Wild-Imagn Images

The 125th edition of the Army-Navy Game will spotlight quarterbacks Bryson Daily of Army and Blake Horvath of Navy. The game will kick off at 3 p.m. ET on Dec. 14 in Landover, Md.

What's at Stake?

Head coach Jeff Monken and the Army Black Knights seek the first 12-win season in program history. If they follow that up with a win in the Independence Bowl, the Black Knights will be the first of the service academies to win 13 games in one season. Navy and head coach Brian Newberry are looking to win their ninth game of the season. If the Midshipmen win both the Army-Navy Game and the Armed Forces Bowl, it will mark the first time the Midshipmen will have won 10 games in a season since 2019.

Army celebrates with the 2023 Commander-In-Chief Trophy — Photo by Danny Wild-Imagn Images

The winner of this game will also take home the coveted Commander-in-Chief Trophy, awarded to the winner of the games between Army, Navy and Air Force. Army won the trophy in 2023 after defeating Navy 17-11.

Key Players: Army

Offense

The Army offense runs through star QB Bryson Daily. The senior has 877 yards passing with 8 TDs and 1 INT. Where Daily hurts defenses is in the run game, where he is currently ninth in the country with 1,480 yards and is tied for the lead with Boise State star Ashton Jeanty with 29 rushing TDs. Running back Kanye Udoh is another weapon in the Black Knights’ run game, rushing for 1,064 yards and 10 TDs.

Defense

Linebacker Andon Thomas leads the Black Knights in solo tackles with 38, assisted tackles with 45 and total tackles with 83. Safety Max DiComenico has 50 tackles, 4 passes defended and 2 INTs.

Key Players: Navy

Offense

Blake Horvath has been named the starting QB, returning after missing the last two games with an injury. Horvath hurt his ribs on Nov. 16 in a game against Tulane. The Navy offense did not sputter without Horvath but he is the clear leader on offense. Horvath has 1,154 passing yards with 11 TDs and 4 INTs. He has rushed for 895 yards and 13 TDs. RB Eli Heidenreich has rushed for 402 yards and 3 TDs while also leading the Midshipmen in receiving with 36 catches for 597 yards and 5 TDs.

Defense

LB Colin Ramos is the leader of the Navy defense. He leads the team with 46 solo tackles, 64 assisted tackles and 110 total tackles while also chipping in 3 sacks and 1 forced fumble. Safety Rayuan Lane III has 61 tackles, 3 passes defended, 2 INTs and 3 forced fumbles. One of Lane’s INTs was returned 86 yards for a touchdown.

Trends to Watch

Army leads the nation with 314.4 rushing yards per game. That total is 47.1 yards per game more than the next best team. Navy is eighth in the country averaging 247.4 rushing yards per game. As is the case with any Army-Navy game this matchup will feature a lot of rushing plays. Both teams run the triple option offense, but Navy tends to throw the ball more than Army does. One of the oldest rivalries in college football, Army-Navy is must-see TV.