Navy Tops Cincinnati 35-13 in Liberty Bowl, Capping Historic Year for Midshipmen

Navy closed the 2025 season with a 35-13 win over Cincinnati in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl in Memphis on Jan. 2, 2026, finishing 11-2 and matching the program's single-season win record. Senior quarterback Blake Horvath accounted for three touchdowns, and a stout Navy defense turned a late turnover into a decisive score as the Midshipmen celebrated a landmark season under coach Brian Newberry.

Game at a glance

The Midshipmen built a steady lead, scoring in each quarter and turning a close first-half contest into control after halftime. Navy relied on its run game and timely play-action, while Cincinnati, missing several key contributors, could not find consistent traction through the air or on the ground.

Final score: Navy 35, Cincinnati 13

Records after the game: Navy, 11-2; Cincinnati, 7-6

Key performers:

• Blake Horvath, Navy: 9 of 15, 108 passing yards, 2 passing TDs, 1 rushing TD, game MVP-level performance.
• Alex Tecza, Navy: 80 rushing yards, 1 TD, key downhill runner.
• Eli Heidenreich, Navy: multi-purpose threat with 62 rushing yards and 64 receiving yards in his final game.
• Cyrus Allen, Cincinnati: 4-yard receiving TD, tied Cincinnati single-season record with 13 touchdown catches.

Navy finished the season with a trophy, a top-25 ranking, and a rare back-to-back 10-win stretch for the program.

How the game unfolded

Navy struck early and used a balanced ground attack to keep Cincinnati off balance. A 30-yard Horvath touchdown pass late in the first half gave the Midshipmen momentum, and an opening drive of the second half stretched the lead to two possessions. Cincinnati produced a late touchdown, but Navy's defense closed the door with an interception returned for a touchdown that sealed the margin.

The conditions were a factor, with rain and a slick field limiting explosive passing plays and amplifying the advantage for a disciplined rushing attack. Navy's ability to maintain tempo, convert on early downs, and protect the ball under wet conditions proved decisive.

Scoring summary (selected plays)

```text
1st Quarter: Navy touchdown, Horvath 2-yard run
2nd Quarter: Navy touchdown, Horvath 30-yard pass to Luke Hutchison
3rd Quarter: Navy touchdown, Horvath 13-yard pass to Eli Heidenreich
4th Quarter: Cincinnati touchdown, Brady Lichtenberg 4-yard pass to Cyrus Allen
4th Quarter: Navy defensive touchdown, Coleman Cauley 5-yard interception return
```

Numbers that mattered

Strategic takeaways

Why Navy won

• Navy leaned into what it does best, controlling the line of scrimmage and the clock, and running with discipline, which is especially effective in poor weather. Blake Horvath's ability to mix passing into a run-first offense forced Cincinnati to respect play-action, and that opened up the occasional chunk play.
• Defensive fundamentals were strong. Navy limited explosive plays and finished with a turnover that turned into a defensive touchdown, the sort of swing that kills momentum and often decides bowl games.

Where Cincinnati fell short

• Personnel losses mattered. Several starters, including the season's primary playmakers, were absent for the bowl, which forced backups into larger roles and hampered continuity. Cincinnati's offense, built earlier in the year on vertical passing and tempo, struggled to adapt when its structure was altered.
• Wet-field football reduces margin for error, and Cincinnati did not sustain enough effective drives to keep Navy's offense off the field.

Voices from the field

Navy's coach framed the victory as a team achievement and a high point for a veteran senior class, while Cincinnati's staff acknowledged the challenges posed by absences and the need for offseason work to rebuild depth and consistency. Players on both sides credited the weather and turnovers as decisive factors in the game's ebb and flow.

Broader context and what comes next

For Navy

This win caps a two-year run that produced more victories than any previous two-season span in program history. Beyond the trophy and a likely final AP placement, the Midshipmen will enter the offseason with momentum, a successful recruiting pitch, and a coaching staff that has found a working blueprint in Newberry's system. The departing seniors will leave big shoes to fill, but the program's recent trajectory is upward.

For Cincinnati

The loss highlights the volatile nature of modern roster management in college football, where transfers and opt-outs can reshape a team's bowl appearance. Cincinnati's finish will prompt evaluations of depth, portal strategy, and how to protect against late-season attrition. Coach Scott Satterfield and his staff face an offseason of roster repair and recruiting to return the Bearcats to consistent competitiveness in the Big 12.

Multiple viewpoints

• Observers who value continuity and fundamentals will point to Navy's scheme and senior leadership as the core reasons for the victory, and they will highlight how weather and ball security amplified those strengths.
• Critics of Cincinnati's program structure will note the program's vulnerability to departures and call for stronger retention strategies, while supporters will argue the season still included notable highs and that the bowl game loss, while painful, is one game in a larger rebuilding arc.

Final note

When the confetti cleared in Memphis, Navy had not only won the Liberty Bowl, it had inscribed a milestone into the program record book. For Cincinnati, the day was a reminder that momentum is fickle, and that the calendar for college football now includes an offseason of hard choices. Both teams leave with lessons, and for Navy, a rare, celebratory winter feeling; for Cincinnati, a call to rebuild and regroup ahead of the next season.

— David Anderson, veteran sports reporter with 25 years covering college football