Oklahoma and the U.S. Naval Academy have both been playing varsity football for well over 100 years. On Friday, in Fort Worth, Texas, they will face each other for just the second time in the history of both programs.
The Sooners (6-6) will be making their 26th consecutive appearance in a bowl game and 58th all-time, fourth most in college football history. They are 35-21-1 in those postseason appearances.
Oklahoma has played in 16 different bowl locations among its 57 previous bowl locations, but this will be the first time in the Armed Forces Bowl.
Although it is OU's first time in the Armed Forces Bowl, the Sooners have played six times previously in Amon G. Carter Stadium, site of the Armed Forces Bowl and home of the TCU Horned Frogs, as former members of the Big 12. OU is 4-2 in games played at the new version of Amon G. Carter Stadium, which was completed in 2012.
Navy (9-3) is no stranger to postseason play either, making its 25th bowl appearance, but the Armed Forces Bowl will be the Midshipmen's first bowl game since the Liberty Bowl in 2019. The Midshipmen defeated Kansas State 20-17 in that game.
Navy has an overall bowl record of 12-11-1. This will be the third time Navy has appeared in the Armed Forces Bowl. The Middies split the previous two games in 2013 and 2016.
The only other time Oklahoma and Navy have met on the gridiron was nearly 60 years ago in 1965 at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman. Two seasons after legendary head coach Bud Wilkinson left Oklahoma, Navy came to Norman and beat the Sooners 10-0. That was not a good Oklahoma team, coached by Gomer Jones. OU finished 1965 with a 3-7 record.
You may need a program to keep track of the Oklahoma players who will be available for the Armed Forces Bowl. Twenty-five OU players who were on the roster for the Sooners' final regular-season game against LSU on Nov. 30 have entered the transfer portal.
OU will also be without consensus All-American linebacker Danny Stutsman and standout safety Billy Bowman, both of whom opted out of the game to prepare for the NFL Draft, as well as injured running back Jovantae Barnes.
Navy, on the other hand, should be at virtual full strength for the bowl game.
What fans need to know about Navy
- Navy is 9-3 for the season. A win over Oklahoma would give the Midshipmen a 10-win season for just the sixth time in program history. By contrast, Oklahoma has recorded 42 seasons all-time with at least 10 wins.
- Two of Navy's three losses this season were by 37 points to Notre Dame (51-14) and 35 points to Tulane (35-0). Oklahoma defeated Tulane 34-19 earlier in the season. The Midshipmen come into their game with the Sooners riding the momentum of a giant 31-13 over archrival Army. Quarterback Blake Horvath accounted for four touchdowns, running for 197 yards and two touchdowns and passing for 107 yards with two touchdowns.
- The Midshipmen rank 37th in the country, averaging 32.2 points per game and seventh nationally among FBS teams, averaging 249.3 rushing yards per game in a triple-option offense. Junior quarterback Blake Horvath leads the team with 1,091 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns. He averaged almost 7 yards per carry. Navy has two other ball carriers (Alex Tecza and Eli Heidenreich) who have each rushed for over 400 yards this season.
- Navy doesn't throw the ball as often as other teams, but when it does the primary receiving target is Heidenreich with 37 receptions for 649 yards and six touchdowns.
What to watch for from Oklahoma
- True freshman Michael Hawkins Jr. will be the starting quarterback for Oklahoma against Navy. Hawkins started three games this season and has thrown for 536 yards and a touchdown and ran with the ball for another 143 yards. He has a rushing touchdown and one passing. He played in just one of the Sooners' final four games after being removed from the South Carolina game following two interceptions and a lost fumble in OU's first three possessions of the game.
- Another Sooner true freshman will probably see plenty of action against Navy. Xavier Robinson has played in just four games this season, and they came in OU's final four games of the regular season. Robinson had 56 rushing yards against Missouri and broke loose for 107 yards on the ground against a good Alabama defense.
- In all six Oklahoma wins this season, the Sooners have outscored their opponents 77-9 off of turnovers. In their six losses, they have been outscored 61-14 off of turnovers.
- Oklahoma ranks fifth in FBS allowing just eight rushing touchdowns all season. On the other side of the ledger, Navy ranks eighth in the country with 37 rushing touchdowns.
Key matchup
The Oklahoma defense has allowed just 105.8 rushing yards per game and 2.9 yards per attempt in the 2024 season, that is 12th best out of the 134 FBS teams. The Navy offense averages 249.3 rushing yards per game, seventh-best nationally, and 5.4 yards per carry.
Prediction
Roster attrition will definitely be an issue for Oklahoma in this game. The Sooners still have enough talent to win the game and plenty at stake with the opportunity to avoid a second losing season in Brent Venables' three years as head coach and finish off what has been a disappointing season overall on a high note. I'm just not sure the big-game experience is there on the Sooners' side to get the job done. Navy 27, Oklahoma 24