Having a successful season in college football is always a challenge. Sustaining that success when you have it is even more challenging.<\/p>\n
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\n Navy quarterback Blake Horvath looks to pass against Oklahoma during the first half of the Armed Forces Bowl NCAA college football game between Navy and Oklahoma, Friday, Dec. 27, 2024, in Fort Worth, Texas.(AP Photo\/Julio Cortez, file)(AP\/Julio Cortez)<\/p>\n
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\n Navy quarterback Blake Horvath looks to pass against Oklahoma during the first half of the Armed Forces Bowl NCAA college football game between Navy and Oklahoma, Friday, Dec. 27, 2024, in Fort Worth, Texas.(AP Photo\/Julio Cortez, file)(AP\/Julio Cortez)<\/p>\n
Having a successful season in college football is always a challenge. Sustaining that success when you have it is even more challenging.<\/p>\n
Last fall, Navy ended a string of four straight losing seasons with a 10-3 finish that included a win over Army and a rally for the ages against Oklahoma in the Armed Forces Bowl.<\/p>\n
They were even ranked for the first time since 2019. Now, they\u2019ll try to sustain that success, and the Midshipmen haven\u2019t posted consecutive winning seasons since 2017.<\/p>\n
But unlike the last two times Navy reached double-digit victories, they\u2019ve got their starting quarterback returning. Blake Horvath has found his way onto the Davey O\u2019Brien and Manning Award watch lists this summer, and he\u2019s more than just a guy compiling stats or scoring touchdowns.<\/p>\n
\u201cBlake\u2019s been exceptional,\u201d Newberry said. \u201cDespite the success that he\u2019s had and the attention he\u2019s gotten, the guy hasn\u2019t changed. He keeps his head down. He works, cares about his teammates.\u201d<\/p>\n
The senior rushed for 1,246 yards and 17 touchdowns last season while passing for 1,353 and 13 scores. And as he enters his second year, directing coordinator Drew Cronic\u2019s offense is looking to build upon last season\u2019s success \u2014 especially how they finished.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe most important step our offense took was once teams maybe thought they had figured something out \u2026 we forged a new mentality about how we have to go about things,\u201d Horvath said. \u201cI thought that was really evident in our last three games against ECU, Army and Oklahoma.\u201d<\/p>\n
The offense returns seven other starters from 2024, and that includes senior fullback Alex Tecza.<\/p>\n
\u201cLast year, we had a lot of new guys in the offense,\u201d Tecza said. \u201cI think it\u2019s just another step. I think it\u2019s going to be a very explosive offense, it\u2019s going to be exciting, and it\u2019s going to be fun to watch \u2014 that\u2019s for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n
He\u2019s a part of a ground game that ranked sixth nationally last fall, rushing for 576 yards and eight touchdowns last season, while also averaging 19.1 yards per reception. Wide receiver Eli Heidenreich notched 39 catches for 671 yards and his nine total touchdowns included a 74-yard reception.<\/p>\n
The defense returns five starters from a unit that allowed the third fewest points per game in the AAC. Linebacker Colin Ramos is gone, as are three of the team\u2019s top defensive backs.<\/p>\n
\u201cObviously, we lost a few guys in the secondary,\u201d senior noseguard Landon Robinson said. \u201cSo it\u2019s just young guys getting familiar with the position and the speed of the game, but I think they\u2019re more than capable of doing that. Excited to see where we\u2019ll be as a defense.\u201d<\/p>\n
The season kicks off Saturday with VMI stopping by Annapolis and American Conference play begins the following Saturday with UAB visiting Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Other notable games include Oct. 4 when they host Air Force; Nov. 8 when they visit Notre Dame; and Dec. 13 when they face Army at nearby M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore.<\/p>\n
CBS Sports\u2019 Randy Cross will be in the booth for multiple games this fall, and he shared earlier this month what he feels are the keys to this season.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese guys always have to be tougher, they\u2019ve always got to be more physical, they\u2019ve always got to error-free. They play with less wiggle room than just about anybody,\u201d Cross said. \u201cI think one of the real keys for this team is going to be their offensive line. If this line can duplicate what Army\u2019s line did last year, of just mauling people, that would go a long way toward these guys being double-digit (wins) plus.\u201d<\/p>\n