Navy Pulls Away From UAB With Second-Half Shutout

Navy opened American Athletic Conference play with a 38–24 win over UAB on Saturday at Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. The Mids rushed for 295 yards and scored the game’s final 17 points, blanking the Blazers in the second half.

The first half was a shootout, with both teams trading blows. Blake Horvath opened the scoring with a 1-yard keeper before UAB answered with a 51-yard strike from Jalen Kitna to Iverson Hooks. Eli Heidenreich and Jevon Jackson traded rushing touchdowns, and Horvath connected with Luke Hutchison for a 63-yard score. By halftime, the teams were deadlocked at 24–24.

Navy’s defense seized control after the break. Phillip Hamilton forced a fumble in the third quarter that Giuseppe Sessi recovered, setting up Horvath’s second rushing touchdown. Alex Tecza added a 1-yard score early in the fourth, and interceptions by Hamilton and MarcAnthony Parker sealed the win.

The victory improved Navy to 2–0 for the second consecutive year and extended its home winning streak when leading after three quarters to 74 games.

Key Performers

• Blake Horvath (QB, Sr., Navy) — Accounted for 240 yards of offense, rushing for 72 yards and 2 touchdowns while throwing for 168 yards and a 63-yard TD.
• Alex Tecza (RB, Sr., Navy) — Ran for 111 yards on 15 carries and a touchdown, his third career 100-yard rushing game.
• Phillip Hamilton (CB, So., Navy) — Forced a fumble, recovered another, and grabbed his first career interception in the end zone.
• Landon Robinson (NG, Sr., Navy) — Led the defense with 10 tackles and a tackle for loss.
• Jalen Kitna (QB, Jr., UAB) — Threw for 304 yards and 2 touchdowns, but had two second-half interceptions.

Quotable

Head coach Brian Newberry:
“Obviously it’s a great team win, but what I was most proud of was the way we responded defensively in the second half. To shut out a team like that after the way the first half went shows a lot about our resiliency.”

Quarterback Blake Horvath:
“I just tried to keep us on schedule. Our backs and receivers made big plays, and the O-line gave me time to take shots when they were there.”

Wide receiver Luke Hutchison:
“That was a moment I’ll never forget. I saw the ball in the air and just thought, ‘go make a play.’ To score my first touchdown like that was special.”

Nose guard Landon Robinson:
“We talked at halftime about just executing our assignments. Once we started winning first down, everything else followed. We knew we could get stops if we did our job.”

UAB head coach Trent Dilfer:
“Navy played an incredibly disciplined second half. We moved the ball in the first half, but credit to them for the adjustments they made. They didn’t give us anything easy after the break.”