Game notes
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Time and date: Friday, January 2 at 4:30 p.m. ET
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Location: Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium — Memphis, TN
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All-time sequence: Series tied, 3-3
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Last assembly: Cincinnati 20, Navy 10 — November 5, 2022
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Current streak: Cincinnati, 3 (2018-22)
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Navy final bowl: 2024 Armed Forces Bowl, 21-20 win over Oklahoma
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Cincinnati final bowl: 2022 Fenway Bowl, 24-7 loss to Louisville
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2024 Liberty Bowl matchup: Arkansas 39, Texas Tech 26
Setting the scene
Old American Conference rivals meet once more in an American Conference venue. The Navy Midshipmen (10-2, 7-1 American) and Cincinnati Bearcats (7-5, 5-4 Big 12) reunite in Memphis, concluding their seasons in one of many few post-New Year’s bowl video games.
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Navy can seal its third 11-win season in program historical past, placing 2025 on a pedestal with 2015 and 2019. The Midshipmen are at the moment ranked No. 22 within the AP Poll and might solidify their fourth season-end rating for the reason that daybreak of the Super Bowl.
Cincinnati is bowling for the primary time as a Big 12 program. The Bearcats eye their first bowl win since 2019 after dropping their first three matchups of the 2020s. Cincinnati owns a 3-game win streak over Navy and might hold it alive by rising in Memphis.
Navy Midshipmen outlook
Brian Newberry constructed a machine at Navy, producing 10 wins in consecutive seasons for the primary time ever. The Midshipmen actually ran via the competitors this 12 months, producing the FBS’s finest dashing offense at 289 yards per recreation.
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There’s loads of program-defining expertise on this offense, most notably three seniors enjoying their closing collegiate recreation. One is quarterback Blake Horvath, who’s 18th nationally in dashing (76 yards away from No. 1 on the quarterback leaderboard) and concluding a historic run as Navy’s starter. In addition to posting among the finest passing seasons in Midshipmen historical past, Horvath has exceed 100 dashing yards in seven of his final 9 begins — constantly displaying dominance regardless of defensive changes.
Another star concluding his Navy tenure is working again Alex Tecza. Tecza was the hero down the stretch of November with 100+ yard outings vs. South Florida and Memphis, and he additionally caught the successful 2-point attempt to beat Temple. If he can handle 178 yards, he reaches 1,000 for the primary time in his profession.
Tecza is a Pittsburgh native, as is Eli Heidenreich. Navy’s all-time main receiver, Heidenreich lights defenses on hearth, typically discovering openings deep downfield. He averages 19.1 yards per catch and already owns a Navy program-best 877 receiving yards in a single season, trying to construct on these numbers in his closing time carrying the uniform.
Navy ranks thirty fifth in scoring offense and received a slew of shootouts this 12 months, triumphing in 4 of six video games permitting over 30 factors. The protection let up greater than most well-liked, significantly within the passing recreation the place opponents averaged 241 yards. However, the protection additionally options an AP First Team All-American in defensive deal with Landon Robinson. The first Navy AP First Team All-American since 1975, Robinson dominated all 12 months together with his athleticism, contributing 6.5 sacks and 58 tackles.
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Other standouts on this protection embrace linebackers MarcAnthony Parker and Luke Pirris, who mix for 168 tackles and 13.5 tackles for loss.
Cincinnati Bearcats outlook
Cincinnati managed its personal future for the Big 12 Championship Game on the morning of Nov. 14, however the Bearcats slumped towards the end, following a implausible 7-1 begin with a dreary 0-4 end. Unwelcome finishes are nothing new for Cincinnati which dropped 5-straight video games to conclude 2024 and eight of 9 to finish 2023.
The excellent news for the Bearcats is they’ll hit the reset button and redefine 2025 by outlasting Navy within the Liberty Bowl. It might be an especially uphill battle for head coach Scott Satterfield and Co., particularly contemplating the shortage of accessible personnel for Friday.
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The switch portal opens Jan. 2, and 6 starters introduced intention to enter the portal, together with quarterback Brendan Sorsby and 4 defensive backs (DBs coach Eddie Hicks departed for Arkansas). Thus, Friday is basically about next-man-up mentality for the Bearcats. The one place group Cincinnati can pleasure itself in is a full offensive line. The unit is tied with Army for the fewest sacks allowed at seven, and left guard Evan Tengesdahl is the identify to look at as an AP All-American choice.
Tengesdahl and the unit will block for brand spanking new beginning quarterback Brady Lichtenberg who prepares for his first collegiate begin in his fifth 12 months on campus (a member of the 2021 CFP workforce). Lichtenberg has thrown 45 passes over time together with six in 2025, and he seems to be to take advantage of a golden alternative to finish his school days.
With working again Evan Pryor out, redshirt sophomore Manny Covey and true freshman Zion Johnson are the brand new faces to look at within the run recreation. Each of the Bearcats’ high 4 working backs, together with Covey and Johnson, averaged 5.8+ yards per carry behind this o-line, which might bode favorably in Memphis. Also carrying a bulk of the offense is deep menace goal Cyrus Allen whose 12 touchdowns lead all Big 12 receivers.
Defensive deal with Dontay Corleone is one other obtrusive emptiness from the depth chart, as he opted out of the season to arrange for the NFL Draft. Outside linebacker Jake Golday is one other draft candidate on this workforce, however he’s anticipated to play after totaling 105 tackles and three.5 sacks in his finest season so far. Overall, Cincinnati’s protection is a hundredth in yards allowed per recreation, however the Bearcats’ obtrusive subject was their incapability to pressure turnovers — choosing off simply two passes all season.
Prediction
Service academies are likely to carry out properly in bowl video games. Navy has received six of seven. Army has received seven of eight. Air Force has received five-straight. The lengthy preparation — which might take as much as a month — typically bodes properly for these packages, and it reveals in these video games. The Midshipmen are already on a roll, taking down American Conference abilities like South Florida and Memphis in the course of the month of November, earlier than successful an emotional Army recreation.
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Cincinnati has trended in the other way with 4-straight losses, and the Bearcats are down Brendan Sorsby, Dontay Corleone, and several other different key items. Cincinnati’s main benefit might be its run recreation via its offensive line, however the Bearcats have struggled mightily on protection recently — and Navy’s possibility assault could possibly be a nightmare matchup. Midshipmen win handily and safe 11 wins for the third time ever.
Prediction: Navy 35, Cincinnati 13