In an era where college football no longer feels traditional, the service academies capture the spirit of old-school fans across the nation. There’s no NIL, no transfer portal, and no postseason opt-outs. The historic  AutoZone Liberty Bowl offers a genuine spectacle on Friday. The Midshipmen of the Navy will take to Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium to face a former conference foe, the Cincinnati Bearcats. 

Friday marks the third time in program history that Navy football will play in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl. It is an ideal match for both sides. The Liberty Bowl is the 7th-oldest bowl game, and it is known for its patriotic tradition. Pairing this venue with a program like the Navy connects fans with the past. Each student at the academy has made the ultimate pledge to defend the nation. When the teams were announced, excitement surged, and fans felt a sense of normalcy. They know Coach Newberry will have his team ready, sending a clear message that postseason games still matter. That playing for something bigger than yourself still matters at some places, and the Navy is one of those places. Navy as a football program is just different; there’s very rarely any negative news around the program, just unfiltered love for playing the game of football the right way without all the extra crap of today’s game. 

As far as the perfect match goes, you have the most patriotic bowl game combined with one of the best service academies playing in the 7th oldest bowl game, that right there is enough for the old souls of college football to feel all warm and fuzzy inside like seeing a long lost friend you haven’t seen in awhile that’s what the build up for this year’s AutoZone Liberty Bowl feels like. 

As for the game expectations for Navy against Cincinnati on Friday. 

Navy team is going to come out on Friday as motivated as we’ve seen a team play all season. Coach Newberry made it crystal clear that his guys were coming to Memphis on a mission to win the AutoZone Liberty Bowl, the 11th game of the season. Unlike some, the motivation combined with the talent is there for Navy to take down the Cincinnati Bearcats on Friday to win the 67th AutoZone Liberty Bowl. 

From a matchup standpoint, although not the same, Cincinnati most mirrors that of South Florida, a team that Navy beat 41-38 at home midway through the month of November. Friday will be a physical rock fight style game where every possession is crucial, and limiting the mistakes in a rain-soaked ball game will be the name of the game. As of right now, the weather forecast is calling for a cold riggid day with rain coming down for a large majority of the game, and the uglier it gets on Friday, the more that plays into the favor of the Midshipmen. 

For Navy to win on Friday, the defense has to do what it does, but the offensive side of the ball has to take advantage of every opportunity it has to put points on the scoreboard. Against Army, despite not his best effort, quarterback Blake Horvath led the Midshipmen to victory when he found Eli Heidenreich on 4th and goal to secure a 17-16 victory over Army. Horvath’s leadership is crucial on Friday for the Navy offense as they face off with a stingy Bearcats defensive unit. 

Navy and Cincinnati will get underway in the 67th AutoZone Liberty Bowl on Friday with a kickoff slated for 3:30 PM on ESPN. 

Photo Credits- Navy Football on X