Quarterback Blake Horvath rushed for 115 yards, and Eli Heidenreich contributed 100 yards, leading Navy to a 34-7 win against Air Force on Saturday in the opening game of this season’s Commander In Chief series.
In the 1,400th game in its history, Navy showcased its strong running game with 329 total rushing yards and a defense that allowed only 273 yards. The Midshipmen have won the CIC Trophy 11 out of the last 12 times they beat Air Force.
Horvath scored two rushing touchdowns, while Heidenreich added another and his 51-yard run set up a score in the fourth quarter.
Navy rushed for 185 yards in the first half, including a 34-yard touchdown run by Nathan Kent on a fourth-down play. Navy led 21-7 at halftime.
Air Force managed to score on a 45-yard pass from Quentin Hayes to Tre Roberson in the second quarter. Hayes completed 5 out of 6 passes for 115 yards. The Falcons (1-4) ran the ball 48 times for 158 yards.
Navy, now 5-0 for the first time since 2017, had Horvath pass for 134 yards, completing 9 of 15 throws.
This was the fourth time this season that Navy held its opponent to three touchdowns or fewer.