Army, Navy achieve feat not accomplished since 1945

When the teams from Annapolis and West Point last began their seasons 5-0 — in 1945 — they were ranked No. 1 (Army) and No. 2 (Navy) in the country. 

On their way to triumphant beginnings in 2024, the Cadets and Midshipmen are inspiring fans with remarkable performances and compelling storylines.  

Midshipmen

At 5-0 overall and 3-0 in the American Athletic Conference, the Midshipmen have outscored their opponents by a wide average margin of 43.6 to 20.2. Navy runs an exciting hybrid wing-T offense, which features run-pass-option (RPO) and triple-option plays.

Leading the way is dual-threat junior quarterback Blake Horvath, who has emerged as an early contender for the Heisman Trophy. His stat line jumps off the page, with a 66 percent pass completion rate, 771 passing yards and seven touchdowns while throwing only one interception. On the ground, he has gained 565 yards and scored 10 more TDs.

Horvath’s favorite target in the passing game is Eli Heidenreich, who has 20 pass receptions for 449 yards and five TDs.

On the other side of the ball, the Midshipmen are led by senior linebacker Colin Ramos, who has already made 56 tackles, including five tackles for loss and one quarterback sack. A standout defender, Ramos was named to the Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch List in the offseason.

Black Knights

Impressively, the Black Knights have won all five of their games by double digits, outscoring opponents by a staggering average margin of 38.8 to 9.8. The Army offense is run-heavy. While the Cadets have thrown for only 453 yards and six TDs on the season, they have rushed for 1,850 yards and 21 TDs.

Army’s leading rushers are quarterback Bryson Daily and running back Kanye Udoh. Daily has rushed for 602 yards and 10 TDs, and Udoh has racked up 434 yards on the ground with six TDs. Udoh has been named to the Doak Walker Award Watch List.

Dominating its opponents in the turnover battle, Army has made six interceptions and thrown none.

Playoff Implications

Army and Navy are scheduled to meet for the 125th time on Dec. 12. The Midshipmen narrowly lead the series 62-55-7.

While Navy has belonged to the AAC since 2015, this is Army’s first year in the conference. If the two teams continue on their current trajectories, they will meet in the conference championship game before their traditional annual matchup. The ramifications of such a clash would be major, potentially determining the Group of 5 representative in the College Football Playoff.