The Navy Midshipmen bounced back in a major way during the 2024 college football season.
In the second year under Brian Newberry, the team went 10-3, snapping a four-year streak of finishing under the .500 mark, something they had done in five out of the previous six seasons.
Reaching double-digit wins is a rare feat for Navy, as it was only the sixth time in program history they had reached that mark.
This past year’s team fell one win short of tying the all-time record of 11 victories in a single season.
For the first time since 2019, the team was ranked in the top 25 during the campaign. However, they wrongly finished outside of the final top 25 rankings the AP shared following the Ohio State Buckeyes victory in the championship game over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
Those teams finished first and second, rightfully so, after battling their way through the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff.
Just missing out on the top 25 was the Midshipmen, who received 55 points and was the first team outside of the rankings; the Colorado Buffaloes held onto the last spot with 79 points.
Two other teams from their conference finished ahead of them.
The Army West Point Black Knights landed at No. 21 and the Memphis Tigers landed at No. 24. A strong argument could be made that Navy deserved to be ranked ahead of each of them, as they owned head-to-head victories over both squads.
Back in their third game of the season, the Midshipmen defeated the Tigers in a wild 56-44 shootout, handing Memphis one of their two losses on the campaign.
In the annual Army-Navy Game held on Dec. 14, Navy took home the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy with a dominant, 31-13, victory over their rivals.
Their season was then capped off with an impressive victory over the Oklahoma Sooners in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl.
It went right down to the wire. The Sooners attempted a two-point conversion after scoring a late touchdown ,but failed, resulting in a, 21-20, win for the Midshipmen.
The team certainly was deserving of a number next to their name to end the campaign, but there are bright days ahead for the program still.
There are some people high on the Midshipmen heading into next season, as they have landed inside the top 25 of the way-too-early rankings shared by some outlets.
With star quarterback Blake Horvath and their next leading rushers, fullback Alex Tecza and slotback Eli Heidenreich, all returning, the offense should keep clicking at a high level in 2025.
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