Week 14 of the 2025 regular season proved eventful for all three service academies, as Navy returned from a bye to deliver a commanding Thanksgiving night win over Memphis, Air Force closed out a challenging year with an emphatic road victory at Colorado State, and Army secured bowl eligibility in dramatic fashion by upsetting UTSA.
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With two postseason bowl bids imminent and the Army-Navy Game in a couple of weeks, each academy delivered a performance that closed out the last official week of the season on a high note.
Navy Gobbles Up Win Over Memphis
Navy, in their road white jerseys and gold helmets, returned from the bye week with one of their most complete outings of the season, showcasing their ability to sustain long, methodical drives in a nationally televised Thanksgiving night showdown at Memphis. To the delight of the Navy faithful, quarterback Blake Horvath was back in the lineup, and the Midshipmen controlled the tempo from start to finish. Paired with a defense that delivered one of its strongest performances of the year, Navy imposed its will on both sides of the ball to earn a 28-17 American Athletic Conference (AAC) victory on the road. Even more significantly, the win propelled the Mids into the national spotlight, earning them the No. 23 spot in the Week 15 AP Top 25.
Horvath completed five of nine passes for 100 yards and a touchdown. On the ground, the senior dual-threat quarterback carried the ball 15 times for 54 yards and a touchdown. He was supported on offense by senior running back Alex Tecza, who had 103 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries. Slotback Eli Heidenreich led the Mids in receiving yards with 64 on two catches.
On the Memphis side, quarterback Brendon Lewis was 19-for-36 through the air with 172 yards and two touchdowns. He also led the Tigers in rushing yards with 36. Wide receiver Cortez Braham Jr. was the leading receiver, catching four balls for 65 yards and a touchdown.
In ESPN’s final Thursday night football game of the season, Navy and Memphis exchanged punts on the first two possessions. The Tigers drew first blood in the game on their second drive of the contest. Junior kicker Gianni Spetic’s attempt from 31 yards was good. Memphis led 3-0 at the 5:35 mark of the first.
On the next two possessions of the game, the Midshipmen and Tigers were forced to punt. The Mids’ defense was especially good on the latter play. On 2nd & 10, Navy defenders Xavyer Arrington and Griffen Willis absolutely pulverized Lewis on a sack that resulted in a loss of eight yards.
The Midshipmen got the ball back with seconds left to play in the first quarter. Horvath showed off his arm with a big 27-yard pass deep down the middle to senior slotback Brandon Chatman. This drive carried the game into the second quarter. Navy then attacked on the ground for five straight plays before Horvath tossed the ball to junior wide receiver Kendall Evans on the left side for a three-yard touchdown reception. With Nathan Kirkwood’s extra point, the Mids led 7-3 at 12:11 in the second.
Navy’s lead did not last long, as Memphis answered with a touchdown of its own on the next possession. A 10-play scoring drive ended with Lewis’ one-yard touchdown toss to tight end Matt Adcock. Adcock’s third touchdown of the season and Spetic’s extra point put the Tigers up 10-7 with 7:28 left in the second quarter.
Navy used multiple offensive weapons on its next possession. On 3rd & 10 at the Navy 28, Horvath threw a strike to Heidenreich for 46 yards. On the next play, Horvath carried the ball for 22 yards. Tecza got the ball on the next two plays. He ran for two yards before taking the ball into the end zone on a two-yard touchdown. With the extra point, the Midshipmen led 14-10 at the 5:13 mark of the second.
At 1:43 in the second, Memphis jumped ahead to a 17-14 lead. Out of the no-huddle shotgun, Lewis’ deep right pass was completed to wide receiver Braham Jr. The huge 38-yard touchdown reception was the redshirt senior’s eighth touchdown catch of the season.
The Midshipmen went three-and-out on their next possession, punting the ball to the Tigers with just over a minute in the half. Memphis ran five plays to set up an unsuccessful field goal attempt with just seconds left in the second quarter. Horvath took a knee to end the first half of play, with Memphis ahead 17-14.
Navy had the opening possession of the second half. This clock-draining drive consisted of 18 plays and 10:03 of possession time. On 3rd & Goal, an exchange problem between the center and quarterback resulted in a fumble by Horvath that defensive back Joey Hunter recovered with just under five minutes in the third.
Navy’s defense had its signal-caller’s back on the next possession. On the first play of the drive, the Mids’ defense stuffed running back Frank Peasant on his rushing attempt that resulted in no gain. On the following play, Memphis quarterback Lewis was a step or two from a safety. The Midshipmen defense applied the same pressure on the third and final play of the possession, sacking Lewis with 4:03 left in the third quarter. Nose guard Landon Robinson recorded the sack. Going three-and-out, the Tigers were forced to punt.
The Mids offense bounced back on their next drive, recording a rushing touchdown at 1:01. A five-play possession culminated in a 12-yard touchdown run to the right by Tecza. With Kirkwood’s extra point, Navy led 21-17.
The Mids’ defense beat up Memphis on their next possession. Lewis was sacked on consecutive plays during this drive, leading to a punt at 14:12 in the final quarter. Navy used a 13-play possession that drained 8:19 of the game clock to take a 28-17 lead. A run-heavy drive led to a two-yard touchdown run by Horvath at 5:53.
The Memphis offense was dominated by the Navy defense on its next possession, turning over the ball on downs. This drive was highlighted by four incomplete passes. The Mids then ran a series of plays before punting at the 2:22 mark of the fourth quarter.
In a desperate attempt to score, the Tigers put together an 11-play drive that ended in a turnover on downs. The last play of this possession was a sack on Lewis for a loss of eight yards. The sack was recorded by senior linebacker Adam Klenk, his fourth of the season. Navy got the ball back with 38 seconds left in the game. Horvath took a knee to end the game in favor of the visiting Navy team.
The Mids improved to 9-2 (7-1 AAC) with their final showdown with archrival Army looming on Saturday, Dec. 13, in Baltimore. Memphis ends the regular season with a record of 8-4 (4-4 AAC). Just missing out on an opportunity to play in the AAC championship game, which will feature North Texas and Tulane on Dec. 5, the Mids await a bowl game invitation.
As is often the case during postseason coaching cycles at both the college and professional levels, Navy offensive coordinator Drew Cronic drew outside interest, most notably receiving an offer to become the next head coach at UAB, an AAC program. In a testament to the winning culture head coach Brian Newberry has built in Annapolis, Cronic declined the opportunity and chose to remain in his current role with the Midshipmen.
Air Force Victorious in Campaign Conclusion
Air Force closed out its 2025 season with its most complete offensive showing in weeks, overpowering Colorado State in a Black Friday road matchup that saw the Falcons return to their trademark physical identity on the ground. Dressed in their road white jerseys and blue helmets, the Falcons controlled the trenches from the opening snap, piling up sustained rushing drives while quarterback Josh Johnson delivered a poised, efficient performance in his return to the starting role. Complemented by timely defensive stops and a balanced, disciplined effort, Air Force surged past the Rams to earn a 42-21 victory that ended the campaign on a high note. With this rivalry game win, the Falcons brought the Ram-Falcon Trophy back to Colorado Springs.
Johnson, the junior from New Orleans, completed all four of his pass attempts for 104 yards and two touchdowns, while also adding 22 rushing yards and a score. Quarterback Kemper Hodges contributed heavily on the ground as well, carrying the ball 14 times for 87 yards and a touchdown.
Running back Owen Allen led the team on the ground with 107 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries. Through the air, tight end Bruin Fleischmann was the reception leader, hauling in two passes for 61 yards and two touchdowns.
Jackson Brousseau returned from being sidelined due to an injury suffered on November 15th to start for the Rams. The redshirt sophomore was 28-for-37 through the air with 323 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Lloyd Avant led the team in receiving and rushing yards. The 5-foot-10, 210-pounder had 11 yards and a touchdown on three carries with another 135 yards on eight catches.
Air Force jumped out to a commanding 14-0 lead in the first quarter on Friday afternoon. On the opening possession, Johnson completed a 55-yard touchdown pass to Fleischmann to take the 7-0 lead at 9:50. The Rams went three-and-out on their first possession, punting the ball back to Air Force.
The Falcons put together a 10-play scoring drive that served as a solid showcase for their signature running game. Allen scored the first of his two rushing touchdowns in this game on a six-yard touchdown run. With Reagan Tubbs’ extra point, Air Force led 14-0 at 2:26 of the opening frame. Colorado State got the ball back, going three-and-out on its next possession, before punting.
Air Force’s next possession took the game into the second quarter, going three-and-out and punting to the Rams at the 14:48 mark. Colorado State got on the board with a 20-yard touchdown pass on its next drive. Brousseau hit wideout Tay Lanier for his second touchdown of the season. With Isaiah Hankins’ extra point, the score was 14-7 at 8:48.
The Falcons’ next possession consisted of 17 plays that ate up 8:34 of game time. This long drive consisted of all running plays, ending with Hodges punching the ball right down the middle and into the end zone. Air Force led 21-7 with 14 seconds left in the half. The Rams had time to run two more plays before halftime, two throws for 24 yards and 15 yards.
At the half, the Falcons led 21-7.
Colorado State came out swinging in the second half. Brousseau and the Rams offense attacked through the air and on the ground. One of the passes thrown during this possession was a monster 38-yarder to Avant. Three plays later, out of the no-huddle shotgun, Avant catapulted into the end zone on a five-yard run up the middle. With the extra point, Colorado State trailed 21-14 at 11:19 in the third quarter.
Air Force put together yet another all-running drive to score on Johnson’s three-yard rush to the right, and Tubbs added the point to make the score 28-14 with 5:37 left in the third. A nine-play Rams scoring drive failed to result in any points, as Hankins’ field goal missed its mark at 2:08.
The Falcons set up another long drive on their next possession. Running 13 plays, they managed to burn up another 7:59 of playing time. This drive ended with 9:09 left in regulation, as Johnson connected with Fleischmann for a six-yard touchdown pass. Air Force led 35-14.
On their next possession, the Rams scored on Brousseau’s monster 38-yard touchdown throw to tight end Rocky Beers at 6:51. With the extra point, the score stood at 35-21. Air Force answered with yet another all-run scoring drive that ended with Allen’s seven-yard rushing touchdown to put his team up 42-21 with 3:05 left in the game.
The Falcons’ defense shut down the Rams on its final possession of the game. Colorado State went three-and-out, punting away the football one last time at the 2:05 mark. Air Force ran three more plays to end the game in their favor, 42-21.
With the win, the Falcons closed out a difficult season on a high note, finishing 4-8 overall and 3-5 in Mountain West Conference (MW) play. There will be no bowl appearance for Air Force for the second straight year, as they fell short of the six-win threshold. Instead, head coach Troy Calhoun and his staff now turn their attention to an important offseason focused on rebuilding an offense and defense that struggled throughout the 2025 campaign. The departure of key seniors, including tight end Bruin Fleischmann, fullback Dylan Carson, wide receivers Quin Smith and Cade Harris, and kicker Reagan Tubbs, will leave significant gaps for the Falcons to fill heading into 2026.
Army Wins Seesaw Affair Against UTSA
Army delivered one of its grittiest performances of the season on Saturday, going on the road to San Antonio and stunning UTSA in a back-and-forth battle that snapped the Roadrunners’ 25-game home conference winning streak. Wearing their road white jerseys and gold helmets, the Black Knights leaned on explosive plays, timely defense, and the poise of quarterback Cale Hellums to secure a hard-earned 27-24 victory. With bowl eligibility on the line, Army rose to the moment in all three phases, outlasting one of the AAC’s toughest home teams to clinch its sixth win of the season and keep momentum rolling into its Dec. 13th matchup with archenemy Navy.
Hellums completed four of 10 passes for 38 yards, with his more impactful contributions once again coming on the ground, where he racked up 90 rushing yards. Senior slotback Noah Short led the Black Knights’ rushing attack, breaking loose for 127 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries. Out wide, Brady Anderson and Parker Poloskey provided reliable receiving options. Anderson led the receiving corps with 32 yards on a single catch, while Poloskey added two receptions for 18 yards and a touchdown.
Army’s defense turned in a strong performance as well, highlighted by standout efforts from Andon Thomas and Jaydan Mayes. Thomas, a senior inside linebacker, led the team with eight tackles, while Mayes, a junior cornerback, recorded five tackles and delivered the defensive play of the afternoon with a crucial pick-six just before halftime.
UTSA’s offense was led once again by redshirt junior quarterback Owen McCown, who put together a strong outing through the air. The Roadrunners’ signal-caller went 27-for-40 for 266 yards and two touchdowns, consistently spreading the ball to his top playmakers. Wide receivers Patrick Overmyer and Devin McCuin both delivered standout performances. Overmyer hauled in six passes for 73 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while McCuin led the team in receiving with seven catches for 86 yards. On the ground, senior running back Robert Henry Jr. paced the rushing attack, finishing with 62 yards on 13 carries.
Defensively, inside linebacker Shad Banks Jr. continued to anchor the Roadrunners’ unit. The veteran defender posted seven tackles and three assists, once again proving to be one of the most dependable players on the field. Defensive back Tyan Milton also turned in a strong performance, adding six tackles as UTSA’s defense fought valiantly to contain Army’s ground-heavy approach.
The Black Knight’s opening drive ended in a punt. UTSA struck first on its opening drive. McCown’s 36-yard pass to McCuin set up a Roadrunner four-yard touchdown pass. Out of the shotgun, wide receiver David Amador II connected with fellow wideout Overmyer. With Michael Petro’s extra point, UTSA led 7-0 at 7:43 of the opening quarter.
The Black Knights turned over the ball on their next possession. On 4th & 1 at their own 46-yard line, Hellums was stopped by the Roadrunners’ defense. An 11-play UTSA drive culminated in a field goal. Petro’s kick from 32 yards out was good to put the home team up 10-0 at 14:15 in the second.
Army found the end zone on its next possession. On the second play of the drive, Short ran for an explosive 81-yard touchdown. The Black Knights still trailed 10-7 at 13:22. The Roadrunners were forced to punt on their next possession. Army put together one of their signature long drives on the following drive, with 11 plays burning up 8:02 of the game clock. Dawson Jones nailed a 27-yard field goal to tie up the game 10-10 with 2:59 left in the half.
The Black Knights pulled off one of their biggest defensive plays on the Roadrunners’ next possession. McCown was intercepted by junior cornerback Mayes, whose pick-six put the Army side up 17-10 with 46 seconds remaining in the first half. UTSA turned the ball over on downs on their next possession. This nine-play drive ended in McCown getting sacked by senior outside linebacker Eric Ford just before time expired.
At the half, the Black Knights led 17-10.
Army scored the only three points of the third quarter. On the opening drive of the half, UTSA turned the ball over on downs. Ahead on the scoreboard, Army sustained a 14-play drive that drained 7:42 of playing time. The possession ended with Jones’ 37-yard field goal that increased the Black Knights’ lead to 20-10 at 4:27 in the third frame.
The two sides then exchanged punts. The Roadrunners took over on offense with just over two minutes left in the third. At 2nd & Goal on the Army 8, McCown’s pass was caught by Overmyer on the left side. This was Overmyer’s reward for his clutch 40-yard reception two plays earlier on the drive. Just five seconds into the final quarter, with the extra point, UTSA trailed by three, 20-17.
The Black Knights’ offense was stopped by the Roadrunners’ defense on the next drive, punting the ball away. UTSA capitalized on this defensive stop, spreading the ball out amongst runners and receivers to take a 24-20 lead at 9:10. Out of the no-huddle shotgun, wide receiver Jamel Hardy Jr. hauled in McCown’s pass for an eight-yard touchdown.
Coming down to the wire in a close, hard-fought game, Army had to score. The Black Knights did just that on a 13-play drive that drained over six minutes of game clock. On 3rd & Goal out of the no-huddle shotgun, Hellums found his receiver Poloskey on the right side for a four-yard touchdown. With the extra point, Army led 27-24 at the 2:49 mark.
UTSA had one more chance to tie or take the lead; however, the Army defense thwarted the drive. A highlight of this drive was Ford’s huge sack on McCown for a loss of four yards. After an incomplete pass was broken up, the Roadrunners turned over the ball on downs. Army ran three more plays to end the game.
Emotions flared between the two sides after the game, as Army head coach Jeff Monken and his UTSA counterpart, Jeff Traylor, were seen exchanging heated words. Players and coaches had to be separated before the situation escalated further.
UTSA fell to 6-6 (4-4 AAC), while the Black Knights have officially clinched bowl eligibility with their sixth win on the season. Army now sits at 6-5 (4-4 AAC) as they await their bowl invitation, and more importantly, a Dec. 13 meeting with the Midshipmen.
The Road Ahead
With Air Force’s 2025 campaign now complete, the spotlight across service academy football shifts to postseason selections and, most notably, the upcoming Army-Navy Game on December 13th in Baltimore. Not only will the rivalry determine bragging rights and close the regular season, but it will also decide the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy after both Army and Navy defeated Air Force earlier this fall. Navy enters the matchup at 9-2, while Army arrives at 6-5 fresh off a statement win that secured bowl eligibility.
Both programs are expected to learn their bowl destinations in the days leading up to the rivalry showdown, but all eyes will remain fixed on Baltimore, where the most storied game in college football will once again take center stage.
