Opposing a service academy in a bowl game is no cakewalk. Since 2021, Navy, Army and Air Force have combined to reel off seven straight bowl game wins, despite facing power-conference teams in four of the matchups.
Next in line for a service academy challenge is Cincinnati, which takes on Navy in the Liberty Bowl on Friday in Memphis.
The matchup with the Midshipmen (10-2) is particularly daunting considering the Bearcats (7-5) enter on a four-game losing streak and with at least a dozen players having opted out of the bowl game.
The most notable absentee is Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby, who passed for 2,800 yards and accounted 27 touchdowns through the air and nine more on the ground.
Sorsby, who is listed by 247Sports as the top-ranked quarterback in the transfer portal, is weighing his options between the NFL and an additional college season.
The Bearcats will turn to Brady Lichtenberg, who has thrown for 333 yards and three touchdowns over his four seasons in a reserve role. Redshirt freshman Samaj Jones is also expected to see action at quarterback.
Navy enters in ship shape, led by quarterback Blake Horvath, who has passed for 1,472 yards and 10 touchdowns and rushed for 1,147 yards and 15 scores this season.
Horvath is the trigger man in an offense that leads the nation in rushing (289.3 yards per game).
“This is a completely unique offense that we’re facing,” Cincinnati coach Scott Satterfield said. “The quarterback’s incredible, back-to-back 1,000-yard rushing (seasons), and he can throw the football.”
Horvath has propelled the Midshipmen to consecutive 10-win seasons for the first time in program history. Navy also can match the school record for single-season victories, which it accomplished in 2015 and 2019.
“We battled through a lot of adversity this year,” Horvath said on Monday. “In a lot of games we were favored, supposed to win, and we’d get punched in the mouth and bounced back.”
In three of its victories, Navy trailed by as many as nine points, including a 17-16 win over Army on Dec. 13 in Baltimore.
This is the second trip to Memphis in the past five weeks for Navy. On Nov. 27, the Midshipmen trailed late in the third quarter against the Memphis Tigers but rallied for a 28-17 victory.
“We’re thrilled to be back here,” Navy coach Brian Newberry said. “Thrilled to be playing Cincinnati, a team that we’re familiar with, that came from the American to the Big 12.”
Also fueling the Navy offense are Alex Tecza, who has rushed for 822 yards and nine touchdowns, and the school’s all-time leader in receiving yards, Eli Heidenreich, a dual threat who averages 19.1 yards per reception and 6.5 yards per carry.
Meanwhile, Cincinnati will be without its most productive running back, Tawee Walker, who rushed for 709 yards, and its top two defensive players, All-Big-12 linebacker Jake Golday and end Dontay Corleone. Each is a prospective NFL draft selection.
The Bearcats also will be without four of their five starters in the defensive backfield who have left via the transfer portal.
Still intact, however, is the Cincinnati offensive line. All five starters are expected to play on Friday, along with tight end Joe Royer, a potential NFL draftee.
“I’m excited about some of our wideouts and running backs, see what they can do,” Satterfield said. “The offensive line is eager and hungry to go play and have another game together. It’s an exciting time for those guys and particularly for our two quarterbacks.”
