Blake Watson rushes for 169 yards and a TD to help Memphis beat Navy for the 5th straight time

By The Associated Press

Memphis quarterback Seth Henigan (2) looks for a receiver during an NCAA college football game against Navy on Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023, in Memphis, Tenn. (Patrick Lantrip/Daily Memphian via AP)[ASSOCIATED PRESS/Patrick Lantrip]

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Blake Watson rushed for 169 yards and a touchdown, and Memphis overcame two turnovers in the final six minutes to beat Navy 28-24 in an American Athletic Conference opener for both teams. Memphis (3-0, 1-0) beat Navy (1-2, 0-1) for the fifth straight time. Watson had two 69-yard runs in the second half. The first led to Seth Henigan’s 3-yard sneak for a 28-21 lead with 14:22 left in the fourth quarter. The second long run gave Memphis a first-and-goal with 6:07 remaining, but Watson later fumbled it into the end zone and Navy’s Justin Reed recovered it. Henigan was 23 of 35 for 218 yards with one touchdown and one interception for Memphis. Henigan also had two short touchdown runs.