Navy gets 95-yard TD run from Horvath and stops 2-point try to beat Oklahoma in Armed Forces Bowl

FORT WORTH, Texas — Blake Horvath set a Navy record with a 95-yard touchdown run and then scored a go-ahead 6-yarder with 4 minutes, 34 seconds left as the Midshipmen overcame an early two-touchdown deficit and stopped a late 2-point conversion attempt to beat Oklahoma, 21-20, in the Armed Forces Bowl on Friday.

The Sooners (6-7) got a 10-yard touchdown pass from Michael Hawkins Jr. to Jake Roberts with 6 seconds left. They then went for the win, but Hawkins was sacked by Justin Reed on the conversion try.

Just two weeks after a dominating win over Army for the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy, the Midshipmen (10-3) reached 10 wins for the sixth time. Their previous 10-win season had been in 2019, which had been their most recent winning season.

Horvath’s record run on a sprint down the middle of the field tied the score 14-14 late in third quarter. He then put Navy ahead for the first time on his 6-yard TD run, one play after he converted a fourth-and-3 with a 16-yard pass to Eli Heidenrich.

Horvath ran 18 times for 155 yards and completed 7 of 12 passes for 92 yards. Alex Tecza had an 11-yard TD run for the Midshipmen.

Oklahoma went up after Gavin Sawchuk’s 21-yard TD on the opening drive, when he had 37 yards after only 61 in his other eight games this season. It was 14-0 with 5:56 left in the first quarter after Hawkins rolled left, reversed field and got almost to the other side of the field before throwing to Zion Kearney for a 56-yard catch-and-run TD.

Oklahoma wrapped up its first season in the SEC with its second 6-7 record in coach Brent Venables’ three seasons.

The Sooners had a much different-looking roster than the regular season. More than two dozen players went into the transfer portal, and the Sooners were also without standout linebacker Danny Stutsman and safety Billy Bowman, who bypassed playing to begin preparation for the NFL Draft.

Hawkins completed 28 of 43 passes for 247 yards and two touchdowns in his first start for the Sooners in more than two months.

Hawkins started three games in the middle of the season and was the first Sooners true freshman quarterback to win his first road start at Auburn on Sept. 28. Jackson Arnold returned to the starting role the final five regular-season games. But Arnold then left in the portal to go to Auburn.