Temple vs. Navy 2025 Recap: A Thriller at Linc Leads to Midshipmen Victory, 32-31

The matchup between Temple and Navy did not disappoint in the slightest. In a back an forth affair, Navy snuck out a victory by a score of 32-31 against the Owls. There was a plethora of great offensive plays, key defensive plays, and gutsy decisions throughout this game. It was everything you want in a football game, and then some. Navy stayed undefeated after the victory, moving to 6-0 on the season. Temple falls to 3-3, but there is is plenty to be excited about if you are a fan of the Owls. With that in mind, let’s dive into the 2025 recap between Temple vs. Navy.

Temple vs. Navy 2025 Game Recap

Build the Ship out of Horvath

The Navy offense faced some struggles against Temple in the first half. The run game was getting stuffed, and the passing game was not in rhythm. However, things got on back on track, thanks to one player: Blake Horvath.

The star quarterback did just about everything for the Midshipmen on Saturday, and that is putting it lightly. He threw for 141 yards, and his touchdown on the first drive of the game ended up being crucial for Navy. As a runner, Horvath racked up 155 yards and two touchdowns, including the dagger late in the fourth quarter. In between those moments, Horvath made great throws, ran with power as a runner, and made plenty of smart decisions.

When Navy needed him most, Horvath delivered. He executed and excelled in the biggest moments of the game, keeping a level head the entire time. And with his overall ability as a player, the quarterback was able to achieve everything that Navy needed him to do. Of course, this included the game-winning 2-point conversion.

Things are not perfect for the Midshipmen, and they will be in danger if they play like this against teams like Notre Dame, USF, and Memphis. But with a player capable of flipping the game on its head by himself in Horvath, Navy will always have a fighting chance. And with his leadership ability on full display, there are not many teams to take over Navy in this conference in 2025.

Temple’s Offense is Legit

Despite the loss, I cannot stress this point for Temple enough: The offense is LEGIT!

K.C. Keeler has the Owls rolling at an extremely high level six games into this season, a far cry from the lowly offense they had in 2024. The motions and shifts are perfectly timed. They are putting skills players in the best possible positions to succeed. Additionally, there are great counters and misdirection plays littered throughout the playbook, keeping the defense off guard all game long. It truly feels like everything is flowing together for the Owls, which is allowing them to have way more success than expected in 2025.

The offense is flowing through quarterback Evan Simon, who has taken another leap with Keeler at the helm. Simon threw for 345 yards and a touchdown, while also rushing for 20 yards and a second touchdown. The quarterback is not only decisive, but also accurate to every area of the field. He is hitting short passes and throwing dots deep down the field to his wideouts. Simon, to his credit, also showed an ability to create outside of the pocket against Navy.

At running back, Jay Ducker ran with great burst and power, notching 97 yards and two touchdowns on four yards per carry. Freshman running back Keveun Mason showed upper-tier speed and burst, especially on a late-game carry where he gained 23 yards.

The pass catchers for Temple were just as good. Kajiya Hollawayne was electric all night, showcasing impressive YAC skill, route running, body control, and overall play speed. He looks to be a reliable target for the Owls going forward in 2025, and for very good reason.

JoJo Bermudez was just as impressive for Temple, showcasing blazing speed, great route running, and upper-level hands and body control. Colin Chase was an awesome target for Simon in key situations, while Peter Clarke continued to look like an upper-level tight end for the offense.

In Year 1 of K.C. Keeler, the Owls already look like a threat to the best teams in the American Conference. Specifically, they know how to move the ball, control the game, and score points whenever they feel it is necessary. Things will only improve as the head coach puts together more recruiting and transfer portal classes; as a result, the future of Temple football under Keeler is exciting.

Time of Possession Plays a Key Role

In a wild twist of fate, Navy was not the team that dominated the possession battle in this game.

Taking a page out of their opponent’s playbook, Temple relied on methodical offensive drives that burned up a lot of clock in this game. Whether due to a lack of trust in their defense, out of fear of Navy’s explosive unit, or a desire to get their own offense comfortable, the Owls played things very slow for the majority of this game. In total, Temple’s TOP was 35:02, a good chunk of time higher than Navy’s 25:58. Temple also had 27 first downs compared to Navy’s 15 first downs.

Just looking at these numbers, it is no surprise that the Owls were in a prime position to win the football game. They executed at a high level, scored a high number of points, and limited the impact that Navy could have on them over four quarters.

However, Navy had an 11-percent explosive play rate and went 3-of-3 on fourth downs in this game. This stemmed from Temple struggling to contain Blake Horvath, who essentially helped to create the explosive plays in the late stages of the game.

Temple seemingly has a winning game plan to beat a team like Navy, and they were very close to doing just that on Saturday. If they find a way to limit explosives for their opposition and stop the run over four quarters, along with having high-level offensive production, the Owls will be able to win a lot of games this year and going forward.

Temple vs. Navy 2025 Recap: Other Notes

Linebacker Curly Ordonez played well for the Owls. He was not perfect, but provided great plays as a run defender, pass rusher, and even coverage player. He is crucial for the Temple defense.

Charles Calhoun should be rushing the passer as much as possible for the Owls. The linebacker is a wrecking ball and brings great power to the game for Temple.

Adam Klenk and Irabonoise Oniha flashed on the Navy defense today, specifically as pass rushers and run defenders. It’ll be interesting to see how these two players fare against some of the more “difficult” opponents on the schedule for Navy. They could play huge roles in helping the Midshipmen reach the American Conference championship or the College Football Playoff.

NFL Draft: Stock Risers

Peter Clarke, TE – Temple

Notching 47 yards on five receptions, the tight end displayed the full range of his abilities. He looked smooth in space, showed nice burst, and displayed soft hands. Clarke had a great feel for his surroundings, too, knowing how to gauge depth and make things easier for his quarterback. Additionally, Clarke graded out as an upper-level run blocker in the game. It looks like Temple may have another NFL prospect on its hands.

Blake Horvath, QB – Navy

What is Horvath at the NFL level? Who knows. Is that stopping me from thinking about his potential fit as a player? No, it is not.

Horvath has all of the athleticism needed to play at the next level; it is just a matter of what position it will be at. If not quarterback, I would personally love to see him experiment with wideout, and maybe even tight end. However, NFL teams should be trying to get Horvath’s traits in the building. More than almost any other player in college, the Navy quarterback deserves to get an invite to the Shrine or Senior Bowl. Not only would that show off his skills to an NFL audience, but it would also allow a team to get a better read on what he could possibly be at the next level.

What’s Next for Both Teams?

Navy heads into a bye week before taking on FAU at home, while Temple is set to travel to North Carolina to face the Charlotte 49ers next weekend.