There are only two teams in the country that can claim a 3-0 record in the conference standings. One is Ole Miss and the other is Navy.
Navy checked off another box in a quest for its first American Conference
Championship appearance since 2016. The Midshipmen got revenge on Rice for last November’s result and remained unblemished, sliding past the Owls 21-13 in wire-to-wire fashion.
It was a low-scoring defensive bout between two option offenses. Navy is no stranger to running the option, but Rice is brand new to the game — installing a spread shotgun option attack under first-year head coach Scott Abell. Despite the schemes, there were 34 combined passes in the conference matchup as the teams mixed things up. However, Navy dominated the area that counted most, out-gaining Rice 283-120 on the ground.
Quarterback Blake Horvath contributed 110 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns to go along with 172 passing yards. Fullback Alex Tecza also eclipsed the century mark with 104 rushing yards in the Navy victory, while serving as the game’s receiving leader with 53 yards. Horvath, Tecza, and an effective run game allowed Navy to construct to a commanding 21-3 lead with 10:33 remaining in the fourth quarter.
Despite the daunting deficit, the Owls pieced together a valiant comeback effort in the fourth quarter.Rice notched its first touchdown with 7:05 left on a 4th and goal connection from Chase Jenkins to Drayden Dickmann. Then a late field goal sliced the deficit to one score, but Navy recovered an onside kick to secure its seventh-straight win. The onside kick recovery ensured Navy its 75th-consecutive home win when leading after the third quarter — adding to the longest active streak in the FBS.
Navy also continued its stellar red zone track record, converting touchdowns on all three trips inside the Rice 20-yard line. The Midshipmen might as well be featured in an ESPN documentary as the team is now 3o-for-30 in the red zone since 2024, logging 27 touchdowns and three field goals to remain perfect over the 17-game timeframe.
Rice (3-2, 1-1 American) drops its first conference matchup of the Scott Abell era. The Owls won their first two games on the road this season but finally wound up on the other side in Annapolis. Rice looks for a rebound next Saturday when returning home to face Florida Atlantic in a battle of American Conference Owls.
Navy (4-0, 3-0 American) is almost halfway through its conference slate. The Midshipmen are one of 20 undefeated FBS teams through five weeks and one of three in the American. Brian Newberry’s team takes a brief break from conference play next Saturday when facing another option team in Annapolis. Air Force makes the trek two time zones over for the first leg of the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy series between the three service academies.
