Houston vs. Navy: Score and Twitter Reaction

Houston's dreams of making the College Football Playoff were likely squashed Saturday as Navy ran all over the Cougars defense to secure a 46-40 upset win.  

With the teams deadlocked in a 20-20 halftime tie, Navy broke things open in the third quarter by outscoring Houston 21-7. That included two scores in a span of 61 seconds thanks to Darryl Bonner's 17-yard touchdown catch and Josiah Powell's 34-yard interception return touchdown. 

The Midshipmen did what they do as well as anyone in the country: run the ball. Quarterback Will Worth led the way with 115 yards, but seven players combined for 306 rushing yards on 63 carries. That dominant rushing attack allowed Navy to win the time-of-possession battle by keeping the ball for nearly 35 minutes. 

Because Houston had to respect Navy's running attack, Worth was able to go over the top in the passing game, per Ralph Russo of the Associated Press:

Worth is rarely asked to do much through the air, though he did throw 30 passes in a 28-14 loss against Air Force last week. This marked his first game of the season with at least two passing touchdowns. 

SB Nation's Rodger Sherman had some fun with Navy's newly developed passing game:

Per ESPN Stats & Info, Navy picked apart Houston's run defense in the first half alone:

Navy's 306 rushing yards were the most Houston has allowed under head coach Tom Herman, surpassing Memphis' 212 yards last season, per ESPN Stats & Info. In addition the 46 points scored against sixth-ranked Houston were Navy's most in school history, surpassing the 45 it put up against Memphis last year.

Per Cork Gaines of Business Insider, it's been a long time since Navy defeated a ranked opponent and even longer since it defeated a Top 10 foe:

"

#Navy's last win vs a ranked opponent was Notre Dame in 2009. Navy's last win vs a top-10 team was 1984 vs No 2 South Carolina

— Dr Cork Gaines (@CorkGaines) October 8, 2016"

Houston quarterback Greg Ward Jr., who entered Saturday with two interceptions in four games, threw two picks against Navy's defense. The Heisman hopeful had 359 passing yards and three touchdowns, but his two picks destroyed the Cougars' chances of winning. 

Houston had three turnovers that led to 17 points for Navy, including Powell's pick-six. 

The Cougars did not go quietly, despite the turnovers. But even when things seemed to be turning in their favor, something else would go wrong to keep momentum on Navy's side. 

For instance, after Dillon Birden capped a 73-yard drive with a two-yard score early in the fourth quarter, Navy blocked the extra-point attempt to keep a 41-33 advantage. 

Navy took 6:52 off the clock on its ensuing drive, though Houston's defense stopped Shawn White on a 4th-and-1 from the Cougars' 16-yard line for a critical turnover on downs. 

That fourth-down stop came after the officials reviewed a run by Worth on third down that was originally ruled a first down before it was revealed his knee hit just short of the marker. 

Again, though, Navy's defense only gave up two yards on three plays and forced a punt attempt. But the snap from Byron Simpson sailed over Dane Roy's head and out of the end zone for a safety to give the Midshipmen a 43-33 lead with less than six minutes remaining. 

Sean Pendergast of Sportsradio 610 in Houston questioned the Cougars' attempt in that spot:

There was still time left if the Houston defense could make a stop, but the Cougars were struggling to get off the field when Navy had the ball.

Stewart Mandel of Fox Sports could feel Houston's dreams for a big season fading away after that moment:

The loss marks just the second defeat Herman has suffered since taking over at Houston in 2015. Connecticut handed the Cougars their lone loss last season on November 21. 

Jim Dunaway of WIAT 42 CBS in Birmingham, Alabama, had some fun with Herman's status as the hottest head coaching commodity in the country following the loss:

One loss won't relegate Houston to poor status. The national title is out of the picture, but Herman rallied his team last year and led the Cougars to a victory over Florida State in the Peach Bowl. Houston will go back to the drawing board, looking for answers after this unexpected defeat. The Cougars have plenty of fight, as they displayed Saturday. 

This was Navy's day to make a statement. The Midshipmen are now 3-0 in the American Athletic Conference with a one-game lead over Houston for the top spot in the Western Division and a clear path to the AAC Championship Game. 

Postgame Reaction

Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo praised his team's effort in the school's biggest upset in 32 years. 

"It lets you know our country's in good shape because these are our leaders," Niumatalolo said, per NFL Network's Mike Garafolo. 

Herman drew parallels between this defeat and last year's game against Connecticut, per Joseph Duarte of the Houston Chronicle:

Per Duarte, Herman said that despite the loss, Houston's goals have not changed:

Per Duarte, Houston running back Tyler McCloskey said he doesn't plan on simply forgetting this defeat:

Ward was also distressed by the way Houston played Saturday, per Duarte: