Brian Newberry grew up simply down the highway from Norman, Okla., rooting for the Oklahoma Sooners.
Now, Newberry will wrap up his second season as Navy’s head coach when the Midshipmen tackle the Sooners within the Armed Forces Bowl on Friday in Fort Price, Texas.
“It will be surreal seeing them throughout that sideline,” Newberry stated. “I am enthusiastic about it. Cannot look forward to it.”
Navy (9-3) is searching for simply the sixth 10-win season in program historical past. The Midshipmen are coming off a 31-13 win over rival Military in Landover, Md.
The bowl is Navy’s first in opposition to an SEC opponent because the 1955 Sugar Bowl when the Midshipmen beat Ole Miss 21-0.
“Whenever you come to Navy, you are not anticipating that you will be taking part in Oklahoma,” Midshipmen quarterback Blake Horvath stated. “For those who would have advised me that after I dedicated right here, I believed that will’ve been fairly cool.”
For Oklahoma, it is this system’s first look within the Armed Forces Bowl and its first bowl sport in opposition to a service academy opponent.
The Sooners are in a bowl sport for the twenty sixth consecutive season, the second-longest energetic streak within the nation behind solely Georgia (28).
Oklahoma needed to sweat this one out, needing an upset victory over then-No. 7 Alabama in its dwelling finale to succeed in bowl eligibility.
The Sooners (6-6) wish to keep away from a second dropping season up to now three years after going from 1999-2021 with out a sub-.500 marketing campaign.
The sport will characteristic one of many prime speeding offenses within the nation in opposition to one of many prime run-stopping groups in FBS.
Navy was No. 7 nationally by way of the common season with a median of 249.3 speeding yards per sport.
The Midshipmen’s floor sport is led by Horvath, who has rushed for 1,091 yards and 15 touchdowns. Horvath ran for 100 or extra yards 5 instances this season, together with 204 yards and two touchdowns within the win over Military.
The Sooners have allowed simply 154.9 yards per sport on the bottom, twelfth in FBS by way of the common season.
Oklahoma will likely be with out a number of key items of that protection, although.
Linebacker Danny Stutsman, the Sooners’ main tackler and a consensus All-American, and security Billy Bowman Jr. each are anticipated to overlook the sport as they put together for the NFL Draft, whereas linebacker/defensive again Dasan McCullough entered the switch portal.
Linebacker Kip Lewis figures to play a good greater position within the bowl sport with Stutsman out.
Navy’s triple-option offense places loads of stress on linebackers.
“I am from east Texas, so I’ve performed Wing-T like again in highschool, so I am a bit used to it,” Lewis stated. “It has been a minute since I performed it, nevertheless it introduced me again to my roots taking part in the Wing-T.”
Oklahoma will even be short-handed on the offensive aspect, as freshman quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. will make his first begin since mid-October after Jackson Arnold transferred to Auburn.
The Sooners have been skinny at huge receiver all season and will likely be once more within the bowl after a number of of their receivers who missed important time as a consequence of accidents entered the switch portal.
They’re hopeful Deion Burks, who performed in simply one of many previous eight video games, will likely be obtainable for the bowl sport.
The matchup will likely be simply the second between the packages. In 1965, Navy beat the Sooners 10-0 in Norman.
–Discipline Degree Media
