Rivalries and traditions define college football, making annual matchups between long-standing rivals some of its most anticipated events.

The latest of these major games has concluded, marking the end of the 2024 regular season.

In the much-awaited Army-Navy game on Saturday, the Midshipmen outperformed the Black Knights, defeating the No. 18 team in the US LBM Coaches Poll with a score of 31-13 at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland, home of the NFL’s Washington Commanders.

Navy’s quarterback, Blake Horvath, was the standout player, running for 204 yards and scoring two touchdowns on 25 attempts, averaging 8.2 yards per carry. He also contributed 107 passing yards and two touchdown passes. This victory secured the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy for Navy for the first time since 2019.

On defense, the Midshipmen effectively managed an Army offense that was led by Bryson Daily and the highly regarded Joe Moore Award-winning offensive line. Daily threw three interceptions during the game, despite having only one interception in his first 12 games this season. The Black Knights were restricted to 178 total yards, averaging just 3.2 yards per play.

This year’s matchup drew significant national attention, especially because of its context.

Army, under coach Jeff Monken, finished the regular season with an impressive 11-1 record, matching the program’s single-season mark, which boasts three claimed national championships. Just a week before, they secured their most significant win of the season by defeating Tulane 35-14 to clinch the American Athletic Conference championship.

Conversely, Navy entered the game with an 8-3 record, showing substantial improvement after a 5-7 finish during coach Brian Newberry’s inaugural season. Despite a strong 6-0 start, Navy faced setbacks, losing three of its last five games. However, they managed to bounce back in an outstanding manner during their most crucial matchup.

The 18-point victory marked a significant departure from recent contests in the long-standing series, where the last ten games were mostly decided by a narrow margin. In fact, eight of the previous ten Army-Navy Games were decided by just one score, including last season’s close 17-11 win for Army in Foxborough, Massachusetts. After ending Navy’s 14-game winning streak in this series back in 2016, the Black Knights had claimed six of the last eight encounters.

Here’s an overview of the score, updates, and highlights from Navy’s victory over Army:

Score updates: Army vs Navy

Live updates: Army vs Navy

Final score: Navy 31, Army 13

Bryson Daily’s third INT

It was a tough day for Army quarterback Bryson Daily, who has otherwise been stellar throughout the 2024 season, but faced challenges against Navy today.

With the Black Knights needing a miracle to turn the game around, Daily threw his third interception, picked off by Luke Pirris at the Army 37-yard line with only 3:35 left to play. Daily entered the game having thrown just one interception all season.

Navy extends lead with field goal

Following the interception from Bryson Daily, Navy solidified their victory. Blake Horvath made an explosive 48-yard run, taking Navy to the Army 12-yard line.

A subsequent play seemed to result in a touchdown when Eli Heidenreich crossed into the end zone from 12 yards away, but a holding penalty negated that score and set Navy back. Nevertheless, the Midshipmen capped off the drive with a 27-yard field goal from Lance Gossett, increasing their lead to 31-13 with 3:39 to go. This pretty much sealed the game.

Bryson Daily’s second INT

Attempting to reduce a 15-point deficit, Army quarterback Bryson Daily threw a risky pass across the field, but Navy’s Andrew Duhart managed to deflect it. The ball was somehow caught mid-air by Kenneth McShan, who returned it to Navy’s 33-yard line following an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

Blake Horvath scores for Navy

The Midshipmen took advantage of a clever play on special teams.

Following a successful fake punt, Blake Horvath dashed 19 yards to reach the Army 5-yard line. After a few short runs, Horvath followed his linemen’s blocks and made his way into the end zone, marking his second rushing touchdown and fourth overall touchdown of the game. With the extra point added, Navy now leads Army 28-13 with 8:50 left to play.

Navy secures first down with clever fake punt

In a bold move, the Midshipmen, seemingly set to punt from their own 47-yard line, instead snapped the ball to 285-pound nose guard Landon Robinson, who charged 29 yards to secure a first down. Although the ball was knocked out at the end of his run, Navy recovered it, keeping the drive alive at the Army 24.

Army field goal brings them closer to Navy

The Black Knights methodically moved 45 yards over 13 plays to set up a 31-yard field goal from Trey Gronotte. This kick pulled Army within eight points, making the score 21-13 with 14:44 left in the fourth quarter.

Army nearly scored again, but Bryson Daily’s pass fell incomplete, missing a wide-open Casey Reynolds on second-and-9 at the Navy 14-yard line.

Third quarter wraps up with Navy ahead 21-10

The third quarter closes with Navy holding an 11-point lead as Army drives down the field, facing a second-and-9 at the Midshipmen’s 14-yard line.

Blake Horvath’s second touchdown pass extends Navy’s advantage over Army

In a game filled with long, methodical drives, Navy demonstrates that they can also strike quickly.

On a crucial third-and-4 at their own 48-yard line, Blake Horvath connects with an open Eli Heidenreich for a first down. Heidenreich then breaks a tackle near the Army 40 and speeds to the end zone for a 52-yard touchdown. This increased Navy’s lead to 21-10 with 6:34 remaining. Heidenreich was penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct for spiking the ball, which appeared to be questionable since it seemed an Army player inadvertently interfered with the action.

Horvath’s statistics rise to 107 yards and two touchdowns with just four completions.

Army’s first drive of the second half concludes with a field goal

The Black Knights orchestrated a 47-yard drive over 11 plays on their initial possession of the second half, consuming 6:40 on the clock. This ended with a 39-yard field goal by Trey Gronotte, narrowing the gap to four points at 14-10 with 8:15 left in the third quarter.

This scoring opportunity was aided by a fourth-and-1 conversion at the Navy 49, where a pass from Bryson Daily that fell incomplete drew a pass interference penalty on the Midshipmen.

Halftime: Navy leads Army 14-7

As Navy’s drive faltered just short of midfield, they punted the ball, pinning Army at its 9-yard line. The Black Knights then took a knee to run the clock down as we reach halftime.

Navy has a seven-point edge, while Army will receive the ball to start the second half, presenting them with an opportunity to equalize.

Army’s punt grants Navy a chance to score before halftime

Army managed to secure one first down but struggled to advance further. Bryson Daily’s pass on third-and-9 fell incomplete, resulting in a 49-yard punt that allowed Navy to start from their own 35-yard line with 1:25 remaining.

Daily’s squad has collectively gained 13 yards or fewer on three of their four drives so far.

Navy punts after a stalled drive

Following a 37-yard run by Blake Horvath, putting Navy in a favorable position at the Army 33-yard line, the Midshipmen’s advance stalls, and they fail to gain another yard. A 28-yard punt puts Army at their own 8 with 4:05 left in the half.

Bryson Daily scores a touchdown, getting Army on the scoreboard

Faced with a two-touchdown deficit, Army launched a much-needed scoring drive.

The Black Knights successfully converted a fourth-and-3 at the Navy 46 when Bryson Daily connected with Casey Reynolds for an 18-yard gain. Just two plays later, Daily threw a jump pass to Hayden Reed for a 23-yard touchdown.

This capped an impressive 8-play, 65-yard drive after Army struggled to only gain 25 total yards on their first two possessions. Adding the extra point, the score stood at 14-7 with 6:29 left in the half.

Blake Horvath’s touchdown pass doubles Navy’s lead against Army

The Midshipmen capitalized on a rare interception thrown by Bryson Daily. After a 21-yard run on the previous play, Blake Horvath connected with Brandon Chatman on a perfectly executed wheel route, allowing Chatman to glide into the end zone unchallenged for an 18-yard touchdown pass.

Following the extra point, Navy extended their lead to 14-0 over Army with 11:30 still to play in the first half.

Bryson Daily’s interception puts Navy in prime position

On a crucial third-and-8 play, Army quarterback Bryson Daily threw an interception that was caught by Navy’s Dashaun Peele at the Black Knights’ 46-yard line, giving the Midshipmen possession. This miscommunication between Daily and his receiver resulted in the turnover.

This interception marked only the second of the season for Daily, who had attempted 82 passes up to this point and was recently revealed as the No. 6 vote-getter for the 2024 Heisman Trophy.

End of the first quarter: Navy leads Army 7-0

Mistimed pitch forces Navy to punt

Navy seemed well-positioned early in their second drive, starting with a first-and-10 at their own 38-yard line. However, a pitch from Blake Horvath misfired, forcing the quarterback to chase the ball down and resulting in a 14-yard loss.

Facing second-and-24, the Midshipmen couldn’t secure another first down, and a 52-yard punt forced Army to start at their own 12-yard line with just over a minute left in the quarter.

Navy forces Army to punt

After Navy’s scoring drive, the Midshipmen responded by forcing Army to punt following an incomplete third-and-7 pass from Bryson Daily, as there were no receivers near the ball.

Navy regained possession at their own 23-yard line with 5:23 remaining in the game.

Blake Horvath’s Touchdown Puts Navy Ahead

Navy kicks off the game and takes an early lead, with Blake Horvath jumping over the defensive line for a touchdown from one yard out, concluding a 12-play drive that covered 64 yards and took 6:04 off the clock.

This scoring drive featured a crucial 31-yard completion from Horvath to fullback Alex Tecza on a pivotal third-and-8, advancing the Midshipmen to the Army 22-yard line.

It was part of a successful effort, with Navy converting three third-downs during the drive – a promising start against the No. 7 scoring defense in the FBS.

Marshall Withdraws from Bowl Game Against Army

As the Black Knights gear up for their last game of the regular season, their postseason path is facing an unexpected twist.

According to a Yahoo Sports report on Saturday, Marshall has decided to opt out of the Independence Bowl contest set against Army. Following coach Charles Huff’s move to Southern Miss, the Thundering Herd has seen a significant exodus of 29 players to the transfer portal, as noted by 247Sports.

With Marshall withdrawing and no other 6-6 teams available, a new opponent must be identified from the pool of 5-7 teams, using NCAA Academic Progress Rate scores as the criteria.

Location of Army vs Navy Game

The 125th Army-Navy Game will take place at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland, the home turf of the NFL’s Washington Commanders. As game day approaches, the field is being set for both the Black Knights and Midshipmen.

Game Time for Army vs Navy

• Date: Saturday, Dec. 14
• Time: 3 p.m. ET
• Location: Northwest Stadium (Landover, Maryland)

Where to Watch the Army vs Navy Game

• TV Channel: CBS
• Streaming: Paramount+ | Fubo (free trial)
• Radio: Westwood One

The Army-Navy Game will be televised on CBS this Saturday. Brad Nessler will provide play-by-play commentary, with Gary Danielson as the analyst, while Jenny Dell will roam the sidelines. You can also catch the game via streaming on Paramount+ and Fubo, which currently offers a free trial for new users.

Watch the Army-Navy Game live with Fubo (free trial)

History of Army vs Navy

• Series Record: Navy 62, Army 55, 7 ties
• Last Win for Army: 2023 (Army 17, Navy 11)
• Last Win for Navy: 2021 (Navy 17, Army 13)

Predictions for Army vs Navy

Here are some predictions for today’s Army-Navy Game:

• College Sports Wire: Army 23, Navy 21
• Fox Sports: Army 28, Navy 23
• ESPN: Army has a 65.9% chance to win

Betting Odds for Army vs Navy

Odds provided by BetMGM as of Friday, Dec. 13

• Spread: Army -6
• Over/Under: 39.5 points
• Moneyline: Army -250 | Navy +200

Weather Forecast for Army vs Navy

The Weather Channel forecasts a mix of sun and clouds for Saturday afternoon in Landover, Maryland, with temperatures reaching a high of 39 degrees. Winds are expected to be light and variable, which may have minimal impact on the game, particularly for two teams that don’t often rely on passing plays.

2024 Army Football Schedule

• Friday, Aug. 30: vs. Lehigh (W, 42-7)
• Saturday, Sept. 7: at Florida Atlantic * (W, 24-7)
• Saturday, Sept. 14: BYE
• Saturday, Sept. 21: vs. Rice * (W, 37-14)
• Thursday, Sept. 26: at Temple * (W, 42-14)
• Saturday, Oct. 5: at Tulsa * (W, 49-7)
• Saturday, Oct. 12: vs. UAB * (W, 44-10)
• Saturday, Oct. 19: vs. East Carolina * (W, 45-28)
• Saturday, Oct. 26: BYE
• Saturday, Nov. 2: vs. Air Force (W, 20-3)
• Saturday, Nov. 9: at North Texas * (W, 14-3)
• Saturday, Nov. 16: BYE
• Saturday, Nov. 23: vs. No. 6 Notre Dame (L, 49-14)
• Saturday, Nov. 30: vs. UTSA * (W, 29-24)
• Friday, Dec. 6: vs Tulane * (AAC Championship Game) (W, 35-14)
• Saturday, Dec. 14: vs. Navy
• Record: 11-1 overall, 9-0 in AAC play

* Denotes American Athletic Conference game

2024 Navy Football Schedule

• Saturday, Aug. 31: vs. Bucknell (W, 49-21)
• Saturday, Sept. 7: vs. Temple * (W, 38-11)
• Saturday, Sept. 14: BYE
• Saturday, Sept. 21: vs. Memphis * (W, 56-44)
• Saturday, Sept. 28: at UAB * (W, 41-18)
• Saturday, Oct. 5: at Air Force (W, 34-7)
• Saturday, Oct. 12: BYE
• Saturday, Oct. 19: vs. Charlotte * (W, 51-17)
• Saturday, Oct. 26: vs. No. 11 Notre Dame (L, 51-14)
• Saturday, Nov. 2: at Rice * (L, 24-10)
• Saturday, Nov. 9: at USF * (W, 28-7)
• Saturday, Nov. 16: vs. Tulane * (L, 35-0)
• Friday, Nov. 29: at East Carolina * (L, 34-20)
• Saturday, Dec. 14: vs. No. 18 Army
• Record: 8-3 overall, 6-2 in AAC play

* Denotes American Athletic Conference game