Junior quarterback Blake Horvath had an impressive performance, completing 9 of his 11 pass attempts for 225 yards and 2 touchdowns, while also rushing for 84 yards and a touchdown. This led Navy to a dominant 41-18 victory over UAB in front of a crowd of 21,536 at Protective Stadium in Birmingham. With this win, Navy improves to a perfect 4-0 record for the first time since 2017.
Navy head coach Brian Newberry expressed his pride in the team’s effort but acknowledged that there is room for improvement on both sides of the ball.
The game started off well for Navy as they scored on their opening drive, with Horvath leading a quick touchdown march. He faked a pitch and ran it into the end zone from 20 yards out. The Midshipmen continued their strong offensive display with another touchdown drive, this time taking up nearly eight minutes of game time. Alex Tecza finished off the drive with a six-yard touchdown run to give Navy a commanding 14-0 lead.
UAB managed to put together a long drive of their own but could only come away with a field goal as the Navy defense held strong in the red zone. Jonah Delange kicked a 35-yard field goal to put UAB on the scoreboard at 14-3.
Just before halftime, Horvath connected with Nathan Kent on an impressive deep pass that resulted in a stunning77-yard touchdown play. This extended Navy’s lead to21-3 going into halftime.
In the second half, Horvath continued his stellar performance by throwing another long touchdown pass—this time connecting with Eli Heidenreich who took it all the way for an impressive74-yard score. The offensive line played its part by providing excellent protection and blocking downfield.
Navy sealed their victory thanks to two field goals from Nathan Kirkwood and an additional touchdown run by fullback Daba Fofana during an impressive94-yard drive.
Navy showcased both their passing and rushing abilities throughout the game—accumulating227 passing yards and225 rushing yards respectively. Eli Heidenreich stood out among receivers with three catches for108 yards while Blake Horvath led all rushers with84 yards.
On defense, Rayuan Lane III had an outstanding performance recording12 tackles and forcing two fumbles. Justin Reed contributed significantly as well with seven tackles including three tackles behind-the-line-of-scrimmage along with two sacks and one forced fumble.
Mbiti Williams Jr.and Justin Ross each had interceptions—one being Ross’ first career interception as he is just starting his freshman year at Navy.
Next week,Navy will face Air Force Falcons in Colorado Springs—a crucial match-up in their quest for Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy which they have not won at Air Force since2012
