PHILADELPHIA — Blake Horvath ripped off a 51-yard touchdown run and then hit Alex Tecza for the two-point conversion with 39 seconds left, lifting Navy to a 32–31 comeback win over Temple on Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field. The late burst capped a five-play, 75-yard march that took just 37 seconds and kept the Midshipmen unbeaten.   

Temple had nudged in front 31–24 on Jay Ducker’s 1-yard plunge with 1:16 remaining, completing an 11-play, 75-yard drive. But after a touchback, Horvath hit a third-and-10 flare to Tecza for nine yards, and on fourth-and-1 he kept it and split the middle for the go-ahead 51-yard score. Tecza hauled in the two-point pass to put Navy up for good. The Owls advanced to the Navy 40 in the closing seconds before time expired.     

Horvath finished with 155 rushing yards on 19 carries and two touchdowns, and threw for 141 yards including a 50-yard first-quarter TD to Cody Howard that opened the scoring. Navy piled up 243 rushing yards (384 total) on just 54 plays and went 3-for-3 on fourth down.         

Temple (which led 17–7 at halftime) controlled much of the day behind Evan Simon, who completed 25 of 36 for 345 yards and a third-quarter strike to JoJo Bermudez. Ducker ground out 97 rushing yards and two scores, and Kajiya Hollawayne caught nine passes for 146 yards as the Owls out-gained Navy 518–384, held a 34:02–25:58 edge in possession and moved the chains 27–15.           

Navy (now 6–0, 4–0 American with the win) twice clawed back from two-score deficits. After Temple went up 17–7 late in the half, Horvath’s 2-yard keeper cut it to 17–14 early in the third, but Simon answered with a 26-yard TD to Bermudez. The Midshipmen tied it 24–24 on Tecza’s 2-yard run and Nathan Kirkwood’s 48-yard field goal with 6:34left, setting the stage for the frantic finish. 

Howard (50-yard TD), Eli Heidenreich (72 yards receiving) and Tecza (39 rush, TD; two-point catch) headlined Navy’s skill group, while punter Jacob Carlson flipped the field repeatedly with a 56.3-yard average and a long of 62. Navy’s defense produced the game’s lone takeaway on a second-quarter strip of Simon, and linebacker MarcAnthony Parkerlogged a team-high 12 tackles.       

Temple’s Carl Hardin hit from 23 yards just after the second quarter began and was perfect on four PATs; Navy’sKirkwood drilled the clutch 48-yarder in the fourth. Attendance was 26,149 on a 66-degree, overcast evening.