Navy Conquers South Florida, Keeps CFP Hopes Alive in Tampa

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The Navy Midshipmen (7-2, 5-1 American Athletic Conference) defeated the South Florida Bulls (4-5, 2-3 AAC) 28-7 in Tampa, Fla. on Nov. 9. It seems the Bulls woke up on the wrong side of the bed for this game. The Midshipmen used their unique triple-option offense, which is rarely used across the nation. They are very successful in that offense.

Game Summary

On Navy's first drive, it took four plays for them to score with wide receiver Eli Heidenreich. It was a 60-yard run. The Bulls' first drive resulted in an interception. On the following drive, Navy went another long drive resulting in a 13-play, 67-yard one for a touchdown. After those initial TDs, both teams' defenses settled in and began to stop the other teams' offense.

Navy quarterback Blake Horvath was 6-of-11 passing for 58 yards and 1 TD. Bryce Archie was 26-of-43, 282 yards, a TD and 2 interceptions. The bulk of Navy's offense was through rushing the ball. They combined for 321 yards on 59 attempts from four different rushers. The Bulls only got 60 yards from their rushing attack for the entire game. Neither team had much of a passing attack. However, they both had one passing TD each.

Navy Turning Point

The first turning point occured for Navy as it was clear that the Bulls couldn't stop them on offense. However, a fumble was forced by linebacker Jhalyn Shuler and recovered by South Florida. Despite a slight switch in momentum, the Bulls turned the ball over on downs. With 26 seconds left in the first half, Bryce Archie threw another pick. With the turnover, Midshipmen fullback Alex Tecza was able to score another TD on a 38-yard reception before the half. The Midshipmen led 21-0.

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Things didn't get much better for the Bulls. After a decent start to a drive in the middle of the third quarter, Archie fumbled the ball. Navy's Jordan Sanders recovered the ball, ending the drive. The game was effectively put away when Blake Horvath scored on a 10-yard touchdown run, making the game 28-0.

In garbage time, the Bulls scored their only points of the game; a 13-yard touchdown pass from Archie to Michael Brown-Stephens.

What is Next

For the Midshipmen, the win was expected. They now head into the most difficult stretch of their season as they will face the two top teams in AAC. Navy still has to play Tulane on Nov. 16, followed by a road game at East Carolina on Nov. 29 and, lastly, against Army on Dec. 14. The Tulane and Army games will be the most difficult games and decide the fate of the conference championship.

For the Bulls, they will have to regroup after a tough loss. They now have to win two of their next three to make it to a bowl game. While not impossible, it is a bit of a tough ask as the Bulls appear to now be leaning on Archie for the remainder of the season. They take on Charlotte on Nov. 16, Tulsa on Nov. 23 and Rice on Nov. 30. The next two games could be crucial for the Bulls as they are very winnable for the team.