Annapolis, MD—-In an electrifying game at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, the Midshipmen pulled off a thrilling last-minute victory against the undefeated Memphis Tigers, winning 49-44 in front of a crowd of 31,278.
Navy’s Rayaun Lane sealed the win with an 86-yard interception return, marking the Midshipmen’s third consecutive victory and keeping their perfect record intact early in the season.
Quarterback Blake Horvath is making a strong case for Heisman consideration, as his outstanding performance has not only kept Navy undefeated but has also sparked conversations about a potential playoff run.
Memphis opened the game with an early touchdown on their first drive, taking a 7-0 lead. Navy responded on their second drive with a 5-yard touchdown run from their Heisman hopeful QB, Blake Horvath, tying the game at 7-7.
The Tigers quickly struck back with a 57-yard touchdown run by Brandon Thomas, making it 14-7 by the end of the first quarter. However, Navy kicked off the second quarter with a 37-yard touchdown pass from Horvath, evening the score at 14-14. Navy then took the lead for the first time this season after Brandon Chapman scored his first career touchdown with a 12-yard run, making it 21-14.
Memphis responded with a field goal, narrowing Navy’s lead to 21-17. But Horvath wasn’t done. He added a 3-yard touchdown run just before halftime, extending Navy’s lead to 28-17 at the break.
The second half started with Navy driving down the field, and Horvath connected with Chapman again for a 46-yard touchdown, giving Navy a commanding 35-17 lead. Memphis quickly answered with a 37-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Seth Henigan to ROC Taylor, cutting the lead to 35-24.
Memphis scored again on a short touchdown run, but a failed two-point conversion left the score at 35-30 at the end of the third quarter.
In the fourth quarter, Horvath continued his dominance with a 7-yard touchdown run, putting Navy ahead 42-30. After Navy’s defense stopped the Tigers on downs at the 10-yard line, Horvath delivered the play of the day—a spectacular 90-yard touchdown run, breaking Memphis’ spirit and increasing the lead to 49-30.
Though Memphis fought back with two quick touchdowns, closing the gap to 49-44, their comeback attempt fell short. After recovering an onside kick with less than two minutes remaining, the Tigers were in striking distance. But with 1:20 left, Rayaun Lane’s game-clinching interception and 86-yard return sent the crowd into a frenzy and secured the Navy victory.
This high-scoring American Athletic Conference game saw Navy’s Blake Horvath account for over 400 yards of offense, including 211 yards rushing with 4 touchdowns and 192 yards passing with 2 more scores. With this massive win, the Midshipmen have shown they deserve to be in the playoff conversation.
