The Oklahoma Sooners jumped out to a commanding start in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl but ultimately fell to the Navy Midshipmen 21-20 on Friday afternoon at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Despite out-gaining Navy in total yards 433 to 318, the Sooners were unable to seal the victory in a nail-biting finish.

— A Tale of Two Halves

Oklahoma (6-7) dominated early, scoring on its first two possessions to take a 14-0 lead. Redshirt sophomore running back Gavin Sawchuk capped off a 65-yard, nine-play opening drive with a 21-yard touchdown run. On their second possession, true freshman quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. connected with Zion Kearney for a spectacular 56-yard touchdown pass, marking the freshman wide receiver’s first career touchdown.

However, Navy (10-3) responded with a relentless ground attack, scoring one touchdown in each of the final three quarters to secure the win. The Midshipmen’s quarterback Blake Horvath was the standout performer, rushing for two touchdowns, including a 95-yard game-tying score in the third quarter. Horvath’s 6-yard touchdown run with 4:34 left in the game gave Navy a 21-14 lead.

— Late Rally Falls Short

Oklahoma staged a dramatic final drive, with Hawkins orches- trating a 65-yard march in just under two minutes. He found tight end Jake Roberts wide open in the back corner of the end zone for a 10-yard touchdown with six seconds remaining. Down by one point, the Sooners opted for a two-point conversion to win but failed to convert, leaving the final score 21-20.

— Hawkins Shines Despite Loss Hawkins, making his fourth career start, set career highs with 28 completions, 43 attempts, 247 passing yards, and two touchdowns. He also contributed 61 rushing yards on 17 carries. Sawchuk led the Sooners’ rushing attack with a season-high 67 yards on 13 carries, while true freshman Ivan Carreon led all Oklahoma receivers with seven catches for 72 yards.

— Freshman Contributions Key Oklahoma leaned heavily on its young talent, starting four true freshmen on offense, including three at wide receiver. The quartet of Carreon, Jacob Jordan, Zion Ragins, and Kearney combined for 18 receptions and 185 yards. Kearney’s two catches included the explosive 56-yard touchdown that set the tone for the Sooners’ early dominance.

— Sooners Extend Bowl Streak

This game marked Oklahoma’s 58th all-time bowl appearance, the fourth most nationally, and extended their streak to 26 consecutive bowl games, the second-longest active streak in the nation. The Sooners now hold a 3126-1 record in bowl games.

— Looking Ahead

Although the loss capped off a disappointing 6-7 season for Oklahoma, the contributions from its freshman class offered a glimpse of the team’s potential. With a core of emerging talent and a strong recruiting pipeline, the Sooners will aim to rebound next season and build on the flashes of promise shown in the Armed Forces Bowl.