No. 25 South Florida visits Navy on Saturday in a pivotal American Athletic Conference matchup that could help shape the league’s championship race. There's also a potential Group of Five bid to the College Football Playoff on the line.
The Bulls (7-2, 4-1 AAC) enter the weekend ranked No. 24 in the CFP rankings, a crucial detail given the CFP ranking is the AAC’s top tiebreaker. Quarterback Byrum Brown continues to power USF’s turnaround, becoming just the third FBS player in the last 30 seasons with at least 2,200 passing yards, 19 touchdowns and 700 rushing yards through nine games.
Navy (7-2, 5-1) counters with standout quarterback Blake Horvath, whose availability is in question after he missed last week’s loss to Notre Dame with an injury. Coach Brian Newberry said Horvath “has made an improvement every day,” and the Midshipmen will need him to keep pace with Brown. Horvath’s career efficiency rating of 164.9 ranks among the top 35 since 1956.
Five teams share one conference loss, making this a separation Saturday in the AAC. Navy has also been nearly impossible to beat at home when leading after three quarters, winning 77 straight in such situations.
ESPN’s Rece Davis picked South Florida but warned the Bulls’ historical struggles defending Navy’s option make this matchup anything but simple.
The Bulls and Midshipmen meet in Annapolis on Saturday (Noon ET, ESPN2)
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