PHILADELPHIA (Interstat) — In a stunning finish that defied the pregame projections and the flow of the game itself, Blake Horvath ripped off a 51-yard touchdown run with 39 seconds remaining to lift the Navy Midshipmen to a heart-stopping 32-31 victory over the Temple Owls on Saturday at Lincoln Financial Field.

The game-winning dash capped a wild fourth quarter and preserved Navy’s perfect season, moving the Midshipmen to 5-0, while Temple fell to 3-2.

The contest was a tale of two offenses. Temple’s attack, led by quarterback Evan Simon, was methodical and prolific through the air. Simon, a Mount Joy, Pennsylvania, native, picked apart the Navy secondary, completing 25 of 36 passes for 345 yards and a touchdown. His favorite target was Kajiya Hollawayne, who hauled in nine catches for 146 yards, repeatedly moving the chains for the Owls.

Navy’s offense, in stark contrast, was a one-man wrecking crew on the ground. Quarterback Blake Horvath of Hilliard, Ohio, was virtually unstoppable as a runner, carrying the ball 19 times for 155 yards and two critical touchdowns. His passing line was a modest 6 of 16 for 141 yards and another score, but his legs were the story, consistently bailing the Midshipmen out of difficult situations.

The game began with a quick strike from Navy. After Temple’s opening drive stalled with a missed field goal, Horvath connected with Cody Howard on a 50-yard touchdown pass to give the Midshipmen an early 7-0 lead.

Temple responded with a marathon 15-play, 75-yard drive that chewed over eight minutes off the clock, capped by a 2-yard Evan Simon touchdown run to tie the game at 7-7 at the end of the first quarter.

The Owls began to seize control in the second quarter. A 23-yard field goal from Carl Hardin gave Temple its first lead at 10-7. Then, just before halftime, Temple engineered a masterful two-minute drill. Simon drove the Owls 81 yards in just over two minutes, with Jay Ducker plunging in from a yard out with 25 seconds left to send Temple into the locker room with a 17-7 advantage.

Navy emerged from halftime with a renewed focus on its ground game. The Midshipmen marched 74 yards on their opening drive of the third quarter, with Horvath finishing it off with a 2-yard touchdown run to cut the deficit to 17-14.

Temple answered right back. Simon engineered another efficient drive, culminating in a 26-yard touchdown pass to JoJo Bermudez of Egg Harbor City, New Jersey, to extend the Owls’ lead to 24-14.

Undaunted, Navy came right back with another long scoring drive. This time, fullback Alex Tecza, from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, powered in from two yards out for his first touchdown of the game, pulling Navy back to within three at 24-21 as the third quarter concluded.

The fourth quarter became a strategic battle. Navy consumed nearly eight minutes on a 16-play drive that resulted in a 48-yard Nathan Kirkwood field goal, tying the game at 24-24 with 6:34 left.

Temple then appeared to deliver the decisive blow. The Owls embarked on a methodical, 13-play, 75-yard drive, meticulously grinding down the clock. Ducker, who was a workhorse all afternoon, scored his second 1-yard touchdown run of the game with just 1:16 remaining, giving Temple a 31-24 lead and leaving Navy with minimal time and no timeouts.

The situation looked dire for the Midshipmen. After an incomplete pass, a deep incompletion from Horvath was bailed out by a pass interference penalty on Temple, moving the ball to the Navy 49. Following three more incomplete passes, Navy faced a desperate fourth-and-10 from its own 49 with 47 seconds left.

In a play that will live in Navy-Temple lore, Horvath took the snap, found a seam up the middle, and outraced the entire Temple defense for a breathtaking 51-yard touchdown. The stunning score put Navy ahead 32-31, as the Midshipmen opted for a two-point conversion try that failed.

Temple had one last chance with 39 seconds and two timeouts. Simon efficiently moved the Owls from their own 25 to the Navy 40, but his final pass as time expired fell incomplete, sealing the miraculous comeback for Navy.

Defensively, Navy was led by MarcAnthony Parker, who recorded 12 tackles, and Giuseppe Sessi, who had 11. For Temple, linebacker Curly Ordonez of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and cornerback Avery Powell of East Orange, New Jersey, each tallied eight tackles, with Ordonez adding a sack.

The result was a shock to the betting markets, as Temple had been installed as a 9.5-point favorite. The combined score of 63 points also went over the projected total of 52.5. The win sets up Navy for a bye week before hosting Florida Atlantic on Oct. 25, while Temple looks to rebound next Saturday on the road at Charlotte.