Brian Newberry could win his second consecutive bowl game over a Power Four opponent as the head coach at Navy on Friday.
Navy (10-2) will take on Cincinnati (7-5) in the Liberty Bowl. That’s one year after Navy defeated Oklahoma in the Armed Forces Bowl, and the MVP of that game, Blake Horvath, is intending on leading the Midshipmen again in their upcoming matchup.
Navy had a memorable season and was in position to win the American Conference early on. The Midshipmen opened the year with a seven-game winning streak against VMI, UAB, Tulsa, Rice, Air Force, Temple, and FAU, and most of those games were decided by double digits.
But then Navy lost back-to-back games on the road to North Texas and Notre Dame. That basically prevented the Midshipmen from competing in the league championship and the College Football Playoff.
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But that didn’t stop Navy from pulling off two spectacular wins next. The Midshipmen went and beat No. 24-ranked South Florida 41-38 and Memphis 28-17.
But then Navy found a way to win its most important game. The Midshipmen managed to triumph in the 126th Army-Navy game 17-16 to bring home the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy.
Now Navy will take on Cincinnati, which won seven straight games after a season-opening loss to Nebraska. But then the Bearcats lost their last four games of the regular season to Utah, Arizona, BYU, and TCU.
Navy vs. Cincinnati Betting Odds
Cincinnati is a +7 college football betting odds underdog against Navy, with the Over/Under being 54.5 as of this writing. The moneyline for Navy is -285, while it’s +225 for Cincinnati.
Navy vs. Cincinnati On TV
The matchup between Navy and Cincinnati will be televised on ESPN.
The game will kick off at 4:30 p.m. ET on Friday, Jan. 2. The contest is taking place at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee.
Navy vs. Cincinnati Prediction
I predict Navy will win and cover the seven-point spread. I also project the game will go Under 54.5 total points.
Navy has stars on both sides of the ball, and I expect the Midshipmen will be in control of this game on offense and defense.
Landon Robinson was a HERO Sports Group of Five first-team All-American as a defensive lineman, as he often dominated games up front. He has 58 tackles with 6.5 sacks this season.
Eli Heidenreich was also a G5 All-American this year. He caught 46 passes for 877 yards and five touchdowns while rushing for 437 yards and three TDs.
In fact, Navy has the No. 1 rushing offense in the country with 289.3 yards per game on the ground. Cincinnati wasn’t great against the run, as the Bearcats allowed 173.6 rushing yards per contest.
That’s why I think Navy quarterback Blake Horvath will have another fantastic outing. He’s rushed for 1,147 yards and 15 touchdowns while passing for 1,472 yards, 10 touchdowns, and six interceptions on a 60.7% completion rate. Alex Tecza is another player to watch, as he has rushed for 822 yards and nine scores.
I think Navy’s ground game will help the Midshipmen control time of possession and earn a 10-point victory in a low-scoring contest.
