Navy vs. Memphis: Score, Highlights and Twitter Reaction

The ship has sailed on any chance the Memphis Tigers had at qualifying for the College Football Playoff.

Previously unbeaten at 8-0, the Tigers were shocked by the Navy Midshipmen, 45-20, on Saturday night at Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis.

As per most Navy victories, the Midshipmen won the game on the ground. They rushed for 374 yards and five touchdowns. Running back Chris Swain led the way with 108 yards and three scores.

It was one of the best performances for a Navy running back in nearly a decade, per the Navy Athletics Twitter account:

Stewart Mandel of Fox Sports summed up the life of a one-loss non-Power Five-conference team:

In addition to the strong rushing performance, Navy got the best of Memphis through the air for one scoring play. ESPN College Football shared video footage of the third-quarter touchdown:

The connection from quarterback Keenan Reynolds to running back DeBrandon Sanders helped give Navy a 24-17 lead that it would not relinquish. It was the longest pass play in nearly five years for Navy, per ESPN Stats & Info:

It was also one of only three completions for the Midshipmen on the night. Memphis couldn't stop the option, however, and allowed 5.7 yards per rush. 

This will be a tough pill for the Tigers to swallow, as they had their sights set on the CFP. If they had finished unbeaten and were left out of the playoff picture, an at-large selection to the Peach Bowl or Fiesta Bowl would have been a possibility.

Now, Navy has a great shot at playing in one of the New Year's Six bowls, per ESPN's Heather Dinich:

Memphis still has two road games against ranked teams on the schedule: the Houston Cougars and Temple Owls. Its season could go downhill after this loss.

Although Navy came in at 6-1, with a loss at Notre Dame as the only blemish on the schedule, the Tigers were supposed to win this game. Per Odds Shark, Memphis opened as an 8.5-point favorite. It would be shocking if anyone outside the Navy locker room thought the Midshipmen would win by nearly four touchdowns.

Per ESPN, this was a victory unlike any other in three decades:

Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch, a dark-horse Heisman Trophy candidate, was held in check for the most part, completing 26 of 42 passes for 305 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

Navy outgained Memphis by only 21 yards, but three turnovers did in the Tigers. Both teams sit with only one loss, but the Midshipmen are in a better spot with a 5-0 American Athletic Conference record and a great shot at playing in the conference title game.

Postgame Reaction

Not only was this the Tigers' first loss of the season, but it was also the first in more than a year, per ESPN Stats & Info:

Tigers head coach Justin Fuente tipped his cap to the Midshipmen for their dominating performance, per the Memphis Twitter account:

Tom Fornelli of CBS Sports gave high praise to Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo on Twitter:

"

If Justin Fuente’s too good for Illinois at this point, I’ll still take Ken Niumatalolo.

— Tom Fornelli (@TomFornelli) November 8, 2015"

He may be up for other coaching jobs at the end of the season, but for now Niumatalolo's focus surely is on earning a conference title and getting the Midshipmen to a top-tier bowl.

This victory is a step in the right direction.