For decades, the Navy football team had turned senior day into mostly a winning proposition. Throw in the additional incentive of being able to move a step closer to a berth in the American Athletic Conference championship game, and the stakes for Saturday afternoon’s showdown with No. 25 Tulane were even more elevated.

The Midshipmen’s aspirations on both fronts were wrecked when standout quarterback Blake Horvath aggravated a prior ailment to his midsection during a 35-0 loss at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, where a venue-record crowd of 38,914 witnessed the junior miss all but a handful of series because of rib soreness.

“We got our butts kicked,” Navy Coach Brian Newberry said. “Disappointed for our fans, had a great crowd out there today, and I didn’t give them much to cheer for, and so I’m sorry for that. We knew we had to be at our best today to have a chance, and we weren’t. It was a good football team we played, but we certainly didn’t help ourselves.”

Horvath’s injury flared up with six minutes to play in the first quarter, pressing backup Braxton Woodson into extended service, including the entire second half. Navy’s offense lost considerable steam without Horvath, who entered Saturday having accounted for 2,024 yards of total offense and 24 touchdowns while managing sore ribs and back spasms.

The Midshipmen (7-3, 5-2) thus were on the short end for just the second time in 21 games on senior day, not counting the pandemic season in 2020 when no spectators were permitted. A third loss in four games also ended Navy’s bid to contend for the AAC title.

The surging Green Wave (9-2, 7-0) instead secured its spot in the conference championship game against No. 19 Army on Dec. 6 by dealing the Midshipmen their first shutout at home since 2012 and first overall since 2020.

Navy managed 100 rushing yards for its lowest output this season by far. It had been ranked fifth nationally in rushing offense (259.1 yards per game) and gained 321 yards during a 28-7 victory over South Florida last weekend for its second-highest output this year.

Navy especially struggled on third down against Tulane, going 1 for 11 on those conversion attempts. The Midshipmen were 1 for 3 on fourth down, averaged 2.5 yards per play and committed the game’s only turnover when Woodson, who was barely touched, lost a fumble the Green Wave recovered at the Navy 20.

Any fading hopes for an improbable comeback ended when running back Makhi Hughes scored on a one-yard touchdown run for a 21-0 lead midway through the third quarter. Hughes finished with 82 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries to help spark the Green Wave to an eighth consecutive triumph.

“Very disappointing, and I expect more out of myself,” said Woodson, who completed 3 of 10 passes for 13 yards and ran 13 times for 24 yards. “The coaches expect more out of me, and we’ve just got to play better.”

Tulane quarterback Darian Mensah completed 10 of 14 passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns and added 57 rushing yards and another touchdown on eight carries. The redshirt freshman directed an attack that amassed 220 rushing yards and went 8 for 13 on third and fourth downs.

The Midshipmen went into halftime trailing 14-0, marking the first time they failed to score in the first half since last year’s Army-Navy game. Navy entered the weekend with the No. 2 scoring offense in the AAC, averaging 35.7 points per game, trailing only the Green Wave (41.0).

Tulane collected the final points of the half on Hughes’s 14-yard run on third and 11 with four minutes to go. The touchdown capped an 11-play drive covering 65 yards and included the Green Wave converting on fourth and one with another 10 yards added because of a holding penalty against Navy.

“We just weren’t executing,” Navy senior fullback Daba Fofana said. “It’s simple. When we execute we can beat teams when we put up points, but we just weren’t executing, and that’s all I can say about that.”

After a defensive duel over the opening several possessions for both teams, the advantage flipped to Tulane for good in the first quarter when Horvath was slow to rise from contact to the ribs at the end of a nine-yard run. He eventually made his way to the sideline, where the athletic training staff provided further examination inside the medical tent.

Woodson entered for Horvath and four snaps later threw an interception on fourth down and four. The Green Wave needed five plays thereafter to take a 7-0 lead courtesy of Mensah’s 14-yard run, on which he avoided striker Kenneth McShan’s diving tackle attempt on the way to the end zone.

Horvath remained on the sideline during the Midshipmen’s next series, peddling on a stationary bicycle before going back into the medical tent. He emerged with his midsection heavily wrapped in white tape just as snipe back Brandon Chatman was about to enter the tent.

Moments after Horvath rejoined the offense for the penultimate drive of the first half, Navy’s protection broke down, allowing linebacker Matthew Fobbs-White to come free on a blitz for a nine-yard sack. By then it had become clear the Midshipmen would be best served to preserve Horvath’s health for the remainder of the season, leading to the decision to sit him out in the second half.

“Took a shot early on in the game and tried to do everything we could to get him comfortable and get him back out there,” Newberry said. “Training staff just didn’t feel good about putting him back out there and on the field.”