FORT WORTH, Texas — OU’s Armed Forces Bowl matchup with Navy is one of the more intriguing showdowns of bowl season.
It is Navy’s first bowl against an SEC opponent since the 1950s and a matchup of the Midshipmen’s triple option against the program where the option flourished for decades.
It features Blake Horvath, one of the top running quarterbacks in the nation, against a freshman now forced into service after starter Jackson Arnold transferred to Auburn.
It also has Navy’s coach, Brian Newberry, coaching against the team he grew up rooting for.
The game also has the Sooners trying to avoid just their second losing season of their last 26th while Navy tries to win 10 or more games for just the sixth time in program history.
Here are a closer look at the matchups in Friday’s game:
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When OU runs the ball: Will Xavier Robinson carry the load?
Just six weeks or so ago, it looked like Xavier Robinson was destined to redshirt.
But the freshman from Carl Albert emerged late — thanks to Taylor Tatum’s fumbling issues, Jovantae Barnes’ health and Gavin Sawchuk’s ineffectiveness.
Robinson, Tatum, Sawchuk and Sam Franklin are all listed as co-starters at running back in the depth chart ahead of the game.
Robinson has clearly been the most effective, though, averaging 4.9 yards per carry with four touchdowns.
Tatum’s yards per carry are slightly higher (5.1) but he has struggled with ball security.
Freshman quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. has shown some ability to run, both with the fearlessness he showed against Tennessee and then again against Auburn the next week, and the speed he flashed during a long touchdown run against Auburn as well.
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When OU throws the ball: Who will be Michael Hawkins Jr.’s targets?
OU has been shorthanded at receiver all season.
They’ll be even more short-handed in the Armed Forces Bowl.
The Sooners’ two leading receivers, tight end Bauer Sharp and wide receiver J.J. Hester both have transferred away, leaving Deion Burks — who is questionable after missing the last two games and seven of the last eight — as the only potentially available receiver with more than 207 receiving yards this season.
Behind Burks, the next-leading receiver is freshman walk-on Jacob Jordan, who has 22 catches for 207 yards and a touchdown.
Navy is allowing 207.7 yards per game through the air, squeaking into the top 50 nationally in the category.
Safety Rayuan Lane III has been the Midshipmen’s best defender in pass coverage. Lane has two interceptions, has broken up four passes and has three forced fumbles.
Navy has 17 interceptions, tied for fifth nationally.
The Sooners, for all their offensive woes, have mostly avoided interceptions, with just six this season — tied for 10th nationally.
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When Navy runs the ball: Strength vs. strength
This figures to be the area where the game will be decided.
The Midshipmen have one of the top rushing attacks in the country, averaging 249.3 yards per game on the ground. That ranks seventh nationally.
OU has one of the top rush defenses in the country, sitting 11th at 105.8 yards per game allowed on the ground.
But the Sooners will be without one of their top run-stopping weapons, as linebacker Danny Stutsman won’t play in the game as he prepares for the NFL Draft.
Stutsman graded out at 91.1 against the run this season according to Pro Football Focus, second nationally among linebackers with 100 or more plays against the run.
Horvath is the top-graded quarterback on the run, coming in at 91.5 — better than all but five running backs who played more than 100 snaps.
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When Navy throws the ball: Watch out for Eli Heidenreich
The Midshipmen have attempted just 166 passes this season — just above half of what OU has attempted (320) in a season where attempts were sharply down from years past.
For comparison, the last time the Sooners attempted fewer than 200 passes in a season was 1998, the final season before the arrival of Bob Stoops.
But though Navy doesn’t try many passes, nearly 18% of its completions have gone for touchdowns.
Midshipmen running back Eli Heidenreich has 37 catches for 649 yards and six touchdowns, more than double the yardage production of OU’s top receivers.
In addition to being without Stutsman, OU will also be without safety Billy Bowman and cheetah Dasan McCullough.
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Special teams: Zach Schmit gives OU kicking edge
The Midshipmen have been susceptible to missed extra points this season, with Nathan Kirkwood missing four of 51.
OU kickers Zach Schmit, Tyler Keltner and Liam Evans combined to go 30 of 31 on extra points and Schmit is a perfect 141 of 141 on extra points in his career. The streak is the third-longest in program history.
Schmit is also 9 of 10 on field goals while Kirkwood is 5 of 8.
OU is averaging just 7.8 yards per punt return, though Navy is even worse at 4.6 (112th nationally).
Both punters have been plenty effective, with OU’s Luke Elzinga averaging 45.2 yards per punt while Riley Riethman of Navy is even better at 45.7 yards per punt.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU football vs Navy: Inside the matchups for Armed Forces Bowl
