Recap: Navy 35 Cincinnati 13

Cincinnati’s season ended with a fifth consecutive loss Friday afternoon in Memphis, as the Bearcats were outmuscled and out-executed in a 35–13 loss to Navy. From a Cincinnati perspective, it was a long night defined by stalled drives, missed opportunities, and an inability to handle Navy’s relentless, methodical attack. The loss dropped Cincinnati to 7–6, while Navy closed an impressive year at 11–2.

(AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Slow start sets the tone

Cincinnati never found rhythm early, and Navy took advantage almost immediately. The Midshipmen opened the scoring midway through the first quarter with a 2-yard touchdown run by quarterback Blake Horvath, capping a 7-play, 63-yard drive. Navy’s ability to control the ball and win at the line of scrimmage showed up right away, while Cincinnati struggled to generate anything offensively in the opening quarter.

The Bearcats briefly steadied themselves in the second quarter when Samaj Jones finished a strong 17-play, 75-yard drive with a 6-yard touchdown run to tie the game at 7–7. That drive accounted for a significant chunk of Cincinnati’s offense on the night and required more than eight minutes of clock — a sign of how difficult yards were to come by.

Navy responds, Cincinnati stalls

Any momentum Cincinnati gained was short-lived. Navy answered late in the second quarter with a quick-strike touchdown, as Horvath hit Luke Hutchison for a 30-yard score with just 40 seconds left before halftime. The play came after Navy marched 80 yards in just over three minutes, exposing Cincinnati’s defense downfield and sending the Bearcats into the locker room trailing 14–7.

The third quarter followed a familiar script. Cincinnati’s offense struggled to sustain drives, while Navy leaned on its rushing attack and efficient passing. Horvath found Eli Heidenreich for a 13-yard touchdown early in the third, extending the lead to 21–7 and putting Cincinnati in a position it simply wasn't built to come back from with weather and inexperience at quarterback playing a key role in a lack of passing game. 

Fourth-quarter collapse

Down two scores entering the fourth quarter, Cincinnati needed a spark but never found one. Navy opened the final period with a punishing 14-play, 56-yard drive that ended in a 3-yard touchdown run by Alex Tecza, pushing the lead to 28–7 and effectively putting the game out of reach.

Cincinnati finally found the end zone again midway through the quarter when Brady Lichtenberg threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Cyrus Allen. The touchdown marked the 13th touchdown of the season for Allen, tying a school single-season record. Even then, the frustration lingered as the Bearcats failed on the two-point conversion, leaving them down 28–13.

Any slim hope vanished moments later. On the ensuing drive, Lichtenberg threw an interception that was returned five yards for a touchdown by Navy’s Coleman Cauley. The defensive score capped the night at 35–13 and put a bow on Cincinnati’s ongoing offensive struggles.

Numbers tell the story

Statistically, the game underscored Cincinnati’s issues. The Bearcats managed just 239 total yards and only 12 first downs, converting 4 of 13 third-down attempts. They averaged 4.1 yards per play and threw for just 97 yards, with Lichtenberg and Jones combining for one touchdown and one costly interception.

While Cincinnati rushed for 142 yards, much of that came from Manny Covey’s 78 yards on 11 carries. Outside of that, consistency was lacking, especially in short-yardage and passing situations.

Navy, meanwhile, played exactly the game it wanted. The Midshipmen rushed for 241 yards on 51 attempts, controlled possession, and went 9 of 15 on third down. Horvath was efficient through the air (9-for-15, 108 yards, two touchdowns), while Tecza and Heidenreich helped power a ground game that wore Cincinnati down over four quarters.

A familiar ending

For Cincinnati, the loss was a frustrating conclusion to a season that once showed promise. Five straight losses to end the year — for the second consecutive season — highlighted ongoing problems with offensive consistency, situational execution, and closing games against disciplined opponents.

Navy earned its 11th win by imposing its style from start to finish. Cincinnati, meanwhile, was left searching for answers once again, unable to get out of neutral and watching another season end with the same unanswered questions.

Final Thoughts

While it easy to point to the amount of opt outs and transfer portal losses as a key contributing factor for why Cincinnati lost, there should still be enough talent remaining to make the game more competitive than what we witnessed. Satterfield hinted following the game that sweeping changes could be coming as rumors swirl that defensive coordinator Tyson Veidt could be on his way out. Cornerbacks coach Eddie Hicks has already left for a position on Arkansas' staff. 

One bright spot of the game was the play of safety Antwan Peek Jr and linebacker Jonathon Thompson.

Peek finished the game with 11 tackles, while Thompson had eight tackles and a key forced fumble to stop a Navy drive. 

There will be a lot of holes to fill both on and off the field for Scott Satterfield this off-season. With the transfer portal officially opening today, it will be interesting to see how this staff elects to rebuild and retool this roster.