It was a tale of two halves for the Navy defense, which could not get a stop in the first then suddenly came up with a bunch in the second.
After allowing visiting UAB to score on all four of its possessions in the first half, the defense did not give up a point in the second — a resurgent performance that enabled Navy to win its American Conference opener, 38-24.
Fullback Alex Tecza rushed for 111 yards and a touchdown, while quarterback Blake Horvath completed 6 of 8 passes for 168 yards and a score in a game that was delayed two times for a total of 2 hours, 6 minutes by thunderstorms.
After looking helpless and hapless in the first half, the Navy defense stood tall and proud in the second. Cornerback Phillip Hamilton had a forced fumble and a clutch interception as the Midshipmen forced three turnovers in the second half.
Factor in a missed field goal, their lone punt of the game and a turnover on downs on their final possession, and the Blazers were shut out in the second half after marching up and down the field at will in the first.
Quarterback Jalen Kitna had a strong outing for UAB (1-1), completing 21 of 28 passes for 298 yards and two touchdowns. Wide receiver Corri Milliner had six receptions for 100 yards and a score.
Horvath rushed for 72 yards and snipe Eli Heidenreich added 67 for Navy (2-0), which has won all three meetings with UAB. The Midshipmen amassed 463 total yards, 295 of which came on the ground.
Nose guard Landon Robinson recorded 10 tackles to anchor the Navy defense, which held UAB to 140 total yards in the second half. Outside linebacker Luke Pirris, inside linebacker Job Grant and end Julien Moutome notched six tackles apiece.
Inside linebacker MarcAnthony Parker, who sat out the first half due to a targeting violation in the VMI game, provided a spark with four tackles and an interception in the second half alone.
Both defenses were a no-show during a back-and-forth first half, which ended in a 24-24 tie. Navy rolled up 294 total yards, while UAB posted 273.
Navy won the pregame coin toss and in a rarity elected to receive. It marked the first time since the 2023 home game against UAB that coach Brian Newberry chose to receive rather than defer.
That decision paid immediate dividends as a 65-yard catch-and-run by tight end Cody Howard enabled Navy to score a touchdown less than three minutes into the game. Horvath found Howard wide-open in the flat and he raced untouched down the sideline, then barreled over a defensive back to set up first-and-goal from the 4-yard line.
Three plays later, Horvath dove over the goal line from a yard out and the Mids had an early 7-0 lead. It didn’t last long as UAB answered with a 75-yard touchdown drive that took less than three minutes. Kitna connected with wide receiver Iverson Hooks for a 51-yard scoring strike to tie the score at 7.
Navy had two things go wrong on the long pass play with Justin Ross arriving a split second too late on a corner blitz and safety Andrew Duhart slipping while attempting to cover Hooks on a crossing route.
The Midshipmen followed with a more methodical touchdown march, going 75 yards in 14 plays and taking 6:35 off the clock. The big play was a 20-yard completion to Brandon Chatman that set up first-and-goal from the 9-yard line. Heidenreich took it in from there, running over a defender at the goal line to give Navy a 14-7 lead with 3:06 left in the opening period.
UAB did not blink, responding with an eight-play, 65-yard drive to retie the score at 14. Kitna threw a perfect fade pass to Milliner in the end zone for a 25-yard touchdown.
Navy did not need long to retake the lead with Horvath tossing a beautiful bomb to wide receiver Luke Hutchison that resulted in a 63-yard touchdown. Hutchison got way behind the defense and had the ball dropped right into his hands before cruising into the checkerboard end zone for his first career touchdown, which made it 21-14 at the 12:16 mark of the second quarter.
UAB was in the process of a rapid response when the first weather delay occurred. Both teams were sent to the locker rooms and the fans were ordered to leave the seating bowl and seek shelter as there was lightning within 8 miles of the stadium.
That first delay lasted exactly one hour. A pass interference penalty against Hamilton gave UAB first-and-goal from the 9-yard line and Jackson scored on the next play, bursting through a huge hole on the right side and waltzing untouched into the end zone to forge the third tie, 21-21 with 11:19 remaining in the first half.
Unfazed, the Midshipmen came out and mounted another time-consuming drive. Chatman had consecutive runs of 17 and 14 yards to bring the ball into the red zone. Navy faced third-and-2 from the 4-yard line when a wicked lightning strike followed by rumbling thunder prompted officials to halt the game for a second time just 13 minutes after it resumed.
That second delay lasted a little longer than an hour as play resumed with the brand new artificial surface soggy from a good soaking. Navy’s offense promptly made its first major mistake with wide receiver Kendall Evans committing a false start penalty.
It was a costly penalty that pushed Navy back and a flare pass to Tecza resulted in a 1-yard loss, forcing the home team to settle for a field goal. Nathan Kirkwood converted from 27 yards to put the Mids ahead 24-21, but the failure to score a touchdown on a drive that lasted 10 plays and 6:25 gave the Blazers a chance to take their first lead.
However, UAB came up short on the final possession of the first half and a 40-yard field goal by Jonah Delange tied the score at 24 going into halftime, which was shortened to 10 minutes. Coach Trent Dilfer initially was going to go for it on fourth-and-4 from the Navy 12-yard line, but called timeout and changed his mind.
Navy’s defense claimed its first victory on the opening possession of the second half. UAB got good starting field position due to a personal foul penalty on linebacker Kenneth McShan, who foolishly ran over a UAB player on a kickoff that sailed into the end zone.
Starting at their own 40-yard line, the Blazers quickly moved the ball to the 18 of the Midshipmen. However, that is where the drive stalled and a tackle for loss (Navy’s first of the game) by nose guard Landon Robinson forced a 36-yard field goal attempt, which Delange missed wide left.
Navy did not capitalize on the missed opportunity by UAB as the offense managed only one first down before having to deliver the first punt of the game. Jacob Carlson boomed a 48-yard punt and the returner was dropped for a 4-yard loss, forcing UAB to start from its own 12-yard line.
Moments later, the Navy defense delivered its first big play of the game as Hamilton forced a fumble as wide receiver Iverson Hooks was trying to gain extra yardage following a catch. Safety Giuseppe Sessi recovered and Navy suddenly had the ball at the 29-yard line of the visitors.
The Midshipmen capitalized on the turnover with Horvath scoring a touchdown on a 4-yard run to put the home team back on top, 31-24. That was followed by a big defensive stand as the Blazers were forced to punt for the first time thanks to a holding penalty and two straight incompletions.
That gave Navy an opportunity to gain some separation with time winding down in the third quarter. Horvath got the critical drive off to a good start by taking an option keeper 24 yards to just shy of midfield. Two plays later, Tecza broke loose for a 37-yard gain — barely getting tripped up at the UAB 18-yard line.
Tecza then rumbled 17 yards on the last play of the third quarter to give Navy first-and-goal from the 1-yard line. Tecza deservedly got the payoff, barreling into the end zone on the next play to give the Mids a 38-24 lead and much needed breathing room.
Navy got another big defensive play on the ensuing possession as inside linebacker MarcAnthony Parker intercepted a poor pass over the middle by Kitna. The Midshipmen failed to capitalize on that turnover, failing to pick up a first down and having to punt.
UAB took a lot of time off the clock while using 14 plays to drive deep into the home team’s territory. The Blazers faced third-and-seven from the 17-yard line when Kitna took a shot at the end zone. Hamilton, who had previously been beaten for a touchdown and called for a pass interference penalty, made perhaps the biggest play of the game.
Hamilton had great coverage and stepped in front of intended receiver Brandon Hawkins to record his first career interception, bringing an end to a promising drive that could have pulled UAB back within a touchdown.
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