Navy (1-1, 0-1 American) at UAB (1-2, 0-0 American)
When	Friday, Sept. 25, 2026 | 7:00 pm (ET), 6:00 pm (CT)
Location	Birmingham, Ala. | Protective Stadium | Game Day Guide
Television	ESPN (Anish Shroff, Andre Ware, Morgan Uber)
Live Video Stream	WatchESPN
Listen	Navy Football Radio Network (Joe Miller, Mike James, Keith Mills, Scott Wykoff) WBAL 1090 AM / 101.5 FM (Baltimore) | WFED 1500 AM (Washington, D.C.) | WFED 104.5 FM (Western Fairfax / Loudon, Va.) | WNAV 1430 AM (Annapolis) | KWFN 97.3 FM (San Diego) | WGH 1310 AM / 100.9 FM (Norfolk, Va.) | WJGM 105.7 FM (Jacksonville, Fla.) | KIKI 990 AM (Honolulu, Hawai'i) | Satellite: Sirius 81, SXM App 81 | Apps: Audacy (WNAV and KWFN) and TuneIn (WBAL)
Live Stats	StatBroadcast
Game Notes	Navy | UAB | American Conference
Season Statistics	Navy | UAB | American Conference
Social Media	@NavyAthletics | @NavyFB | Facebook | Instagram

Opening Kick
•    Navy (1-1, 0-1 in the American) and UAB (1-2, 0-0 in the American) will meet on the gridiron for the fourth time in series history (Navy leads 3-0) when the two square off on ESPN on Friday night (7:00 pm) at Protective Stadium (42,351) in Birmingham. It is the first conference game for UAB, while the Mids look to bounce back from a 38-30 loss to Florida Atlantic on Sept. 12.
•    Navy won last year's game 38-24 in Annapolis as Alex Tecza rushed for 111 yards and one touchdown, while Blake Horvath threw for 168 yards and a touchdown and ran for 72 yards and two touchdowns in the conference opener for both teams. The game was tied at 24 at the half before Navy outscored the Blazers 14-0 in the second half.   
•    Navy's loss to FAU marked the first time it has lost the conference opener since 2023 when the Mids lost at Memphis 28-24. The loss also broke Navy's five-game winning streak dating back to last year and its nine-game winning streak in August and September dating back to 2024.
•    The Mids will now try and make history as the last American Conference team to lose its conference opener and still win the conference championship was Cincinnati in 2014. The Bearcats lost their league opener to Memphis, 41-14, before winning their final seven conference games to finish 7-1 and earn a share of the American title. No team has lost its conference opener and gone on to win the American Conference Championship since the league instituted a championship game in 2015. 
•    Navy will not play another home game until Oct. 10 when it plays host to Tulsa. Navy played at FAU on Sept. 12, plays at UAB on Sept. 25 and at Air Force on Oct. 3. It is the first time Navy will play three-consecutive true road games since 2010 when the Mids played at Louisiana Tech (W, 37-23), at Air Force (L, 14-6) and at Wake Forest (W, 28-27). Navy finished that year with a 9-4 record, which included a 31-17 win over Army.    
•    This will be the first time Navy has played three of its first-four games of the season on the road (not counting neutral site games) since 1997, when the Mids played at San Diego State (L, 45-31), home vs. Rutgers (W, 36-7), at SMU (W, 46-16) and at Duke (L, 26-17). That team finished 7-4, which included a 39-7 win over Army, but did not go to a bowl game because two of those seven wins were against FCS teams.
•    Navy is one of five schools in the country that will play three-consecutive road games in 2026, joining Western Kentucky, Syracuse, UNLV and Cal.
•    Under Newberry, Navy is an incredible 15-3 (.833) at home and 12-10 (.545) away from the friendly confines of Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (8-7 on the road, 4-3 in neutral site games).
•    The Mids have won seven-consecutive home games dating back to the 2025 season and are 11-1 (.917) at home since 2024. Navy last won seven-consecutive home games in 2018-19. Navy won 14 straight at home from 2014-16. Navy finished 6-0 at home in 2025. It is just the sixth time in school history Navy has gone undefeated at home in years it has played five or more home games. The Mids also went undefeated at home in 2019 (6-0), 2015 (7-0), 2013 (5-0), 2004 (6-0) and 1981 (5-0). 
•    The Mids will play seven-straight games without a bye starting with Friday's game at UAB. It is the most games Navy has played without a bye since 2022 when the Mids played nine-consecutive games without a bye. That team finished 4-8.
•    Navy did not come up with a turnover in its first-two games of the year for the first time since 1987.
•    Navy is an extremely young team, ranking 134th out of 138 FBS teams in career snaps played entering the 2026 season.
•    Navy's winning percentage of .786 (22-6) over the past three seasons (2024-26) is the 11th best in the FBS and the second-best among non-autonomy 6 schools behind James Madison (.800, 24-6).
•    Navy currently ranks second in the nation in rushing, averaging 376 rushing yards per game. Navy is averaging 6.9 yards per carry this year, which ranks sixth nationally. 
•    The Mids have scored five red zone touchdowns in five opportunities in 2026. Navy and Toledo are the only two schools in the FBS to score a touchdown this year every time it gets in the red zone.
•    Not only is Navy No. 2 in the nation in rushing offense, but it is also No. 2 in rushing defense. The Mids are giving up just 40.5 rushing yards per game, second in the country to LSU (33.0 yds/gm). 
•    Jackson Gutierrez (Jr. / QB / RB) was listed on the depth chart at two different positions in 2025 and is again playing two different positions in 2026. He was the only player in the FBS to be listed on the three-deep depth chart at quarterback and at another position (running back) in 2025 and the same holds true in 2026. Braxton Woodson (Sr. / QB) played quarterback, snipe and wide receiver in 2025 as well.
•    There are six different players on the depth chart that came to Navy as quarterbacks and are now playing different positions or splitting time at quarterback and another position. Starting wide receiver Luke Hutchison (Sr.) and snipes Charles Robinson (Jr.), Tre Jones III (Jr.), Landon Walker (So.) and Evan Blouir (Fr.) are all playing different positions, while Jackson Gutierrez (QB / RB, Jr.) is splitting time between quarterback and running back.
•    Woodson's 148 rushing yards per game ranks fourth in the nation and first among quarterbacks. He is also averaging 8.46 yards per carry, which ranks fifth nationally and is the best mark among quarterbacks. His four rushing touchdowns in 2026 rank 13th in the FBS, while his 12 points per game rank sixth in the FBS.
•    Aiden Lyczek (DE) is off to a great junior campaign after missing most of his sophomore year with a lower body injury. He did make it back to play in the final three games. In his first two games of the 2026 season, Lyczek has recorded eight tackles, three tackles for loss and two sacks. He ranks ninth nationally in sacks per game.
•     The last six times Navy has won the season opener, it has gone on to play in a bowl game.  The Mids won the season opener this year 42-15 over Towson.
•    Navy has gone to a bowl game in 12 of the last 13 years it has won its season opener.
•    Navy has won 79-consecutive games at home when leading after 3 quarters, the nation's longest streak. The last time Navy lost at home when leading after 3 quarters was Oct. 23, 1999, when the Mids led Akron 29-13 and lost 35-29.
•    Navy is 9-1 over the last two seasons when scoring on the opening drive and had won 17 straight when scoring on the opening drive dating back to 2021 before losing on Sept. 12 at FAU. 
•    Navy owns a 760-606-57 (.554) record over 146 seasons. The 760 wins are the 23rd most in the FBS and the most of any team not in the autonomy four. 
•    Brian Newberry started his head coaching career at Navy with a 20-10 record, which is the best 30-game start by a Navy head coach since Wayne Hardin went 20-9-1 from 1959-61. Ken Niumatalolo, the winningest head coach in school history, started his first-30 games at Navy with a 19-11 record. Newberry is currently 27-13 (.675) as a head coach, which ties him with Niumatalolo for the second best start in school history after 40 games. Bill Ingram owns the best start for a Navy coach after 40 games. He started 27-9-4 (.725) from 1926-30. 
•    Navy's senior class has put together a 27-13 (.675) record over four seasons, including a 17-8 (.680) mark in the American Conference. The record for wins by a class is 37 by the Class of 2017. That class posted a 37-16 (.698) record in its four years.
•    Hoke Smith II (Sr. / OG) has the honor of wearing jersey No. 68 this season in memory of former Navy offensive lineman David Forney. Forney, who was a senior offensive lineman on the 2019 team, died on Feb. 20, 2020, after being found unresponsive in Bancroft Hall. He was 22 years old. Forney was a 3-year varsity letter winner for the Mids and played in 39-consecutive games over his final 3 seasons.
•    Navy's roster represents 31 different states, including 3 players from the state of Alabama, which includes starting right guard Hoke Smith II (Sr. / Birmingham). 
•    The Naval Academy Athletic Association (NAAA) and USAA have extended their historic partnership for an additional 10 years, continuing a longstanding relationship built on shared values of service, leadership and commitment to those who serve. As part of the expanded partnership, USAA has been named the Anchor Partner of Navy Athletics, the highest level of corporate partnership within the Naval Academy Athletic Association. Beginning with the 2026-27 academic year, the USAA logo will appear on jerseys for 30 Navy varsity sports, providing a visible representation of the continued collaboration between two organizations with deep connections to the military community.
•    Navy Athletics will celebrate the 100th anniversary of its only football national championship, honoring a remarkable 1926 team that finished 9-0-1 and captured a share of the national title. The Mids will wear a commemorative uniform with a special patch for the Notre Dame game in recognition of a team whose accomplishments remain one of the great chapters in Navy football history.
•    Navy currently has four players on the active NFL rosters. 2nd Lt. Eli Heidenreich (RB / WR, Pittsburgh Steelers) and 2nd Lt. Landon Robinson (DL, Cincinnati Bengals) are both rookies, while 2nd Lt. Rayuan Lane (S, Jacksonville Jaguars) is in his second year. Joe Cardona (LS, Los Angeles Rams) is in his 12th NFL season, surpassing Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Roger Staubach for the longest NFL career by a former Navy football player. Staubach played 11 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys from 1969 through 1979. 
•    Navy's four players on active 53-man NFL rosters are believed to be the most from a service academy at one time in NFL history.

Broadcast Coverage
•    ESPN will carry Friday's game with Anish Shroff (play-by-play), Andre Ware (color) and Morgan Uber (sideline) on the call.
•    The Navy Football Pregame Show with Joe Miller, Mike James, Keith Mills and Scott Wykoff will get underway at 6:00pm on the Navy Radio Network, followed by game action beginning at 7:00 pm. 
•    Following the contest, Miller, James, Mills and Wykoff will recap the day's events on the Navy postgame show.
•     Expanding upon an aggressive Navy-related programming lineup, WNAV (1430 AM) will broadcast the Sing Second Sports Podcast, followed by an encore airing of the Navy Sports Magazine starting five hours prior to kickoff (2:00 pm this week).
•    The Anchors Aweigh and Navy Football Podcasts will air four (3:00 pm) and three (4:00 pm) hours prior to kickoff, respectively, each week.
•    The WNAV Navy Tailgate Show will bring fans a live program from Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium two hours (5:00 pm) prior to kickoff for each home game and from the studio when the Mids are on the road.
•    WNAV will then join the national pregame show with Wykoff, Miller, James and Mills for all the exciting action on the Navy Football Radio Network.

Navy Radio Network
• WBAL 1090 AM and 101.5 FM (Baltimore) 
• WFED 1500 AM (Washington, D.C.)
• WFED 104.5 FM (W. Fairfax / Loudon, Va.)
• WNAV 1430 AM  (Annapolis)
• KWFN 97.3 FM (San Diego)
• WGH 1310 AM / 100.9 FM (Norfolk)
• WJGM 105.7 FM (Jacksonville, Fla.)
• KIKI 990 AM (Honolulu, Hawai'i)
• Satellite: 
    Navy Broadcast - 
    SiriusXM (Channel 81) and the SXM App (Channel 81)
    • Apps: Audacy (WNAV and KWFN) and TuneIn (WBAL)

Scouting UAB
1-2 Overall  |  0-0 American
Head Coach: Alex Mortensen

•    UAB enters Friday's game with a 1-2 record, defeating Louisiana Monroe (26-20) and losing to Illinois (42-23) and Louisiana (21-14). The Illinois game was much closer than the final score indicated.
•    UAB has 59 transfers on its roster, including 28 from the autonomy 4 conferences.
•    Redshirt junior and Georgia transfer Rod Robinson II leads the Blazers in rushing with 225 yards on 48 carries, while redshirt senior running back and South Alabama / Louisiana Monroe transfer Bam McReynolds has rushed for 143 yards and a touchdown on 36 carries.
•    Redshirt junior quarterback Ryder Burton, a transfer from BYU and West Virginia, has completed 41 of his 72 pass attempts for 478 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions.
•    Wake Forest transfer EJ Reid, a redshirt sophomore wide receiver, is Burton's favorite target. He has 12 catches for 119 yards and a touchdown, while Southern Miss / Texas State transfer Ty Mims, a redshirt senior wide receiver, has nine catches for 120 yards and two touchdowns. Mims is also an excellent punt returner, averaging 15.2 yards per return which ranks 23rd nationally.
•    Redshirt senior linebacker Muaaz Byard, a transfer from Middle Tennessee State, leads the Blazers defense with 30 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss, while redshirt junior linebacker Ike Esonwune, a transfer from Oklahoma State, has recorded 26 stops with one interception. Byard is 10th in the FBS in tackles per game (10.0).
•    The UAB defense is sixth in the nation in passing yards allowed, giving up just 116.0 yards per game.
•    Senior kicker Jonah Delange is one of the best in the country, making all seven of his field goal attempts and all six of his extra point attempts. He is third in the country in field goals per game.

Best Winning Percentage Over the Last Three Seasons (2024-26)
•    Navy's winning percentage of .786 (22-6) over the past three seasons (2024-26) is the 11th best in the FBS and the second-best among non-autonomy 6 schools behind James Madison (.800, 24-6).

Newcomers
•    Navy had seven players make their first start in the 2026 season opener against Towson: Offense: Tre Jones (Jr / Snipe), Isaiah Bryant (Sr / Snipe), Christian Cromer (So / RB) / Defense: Aiden Lyczek (Jr / DE), Xavyer Arrington (Jr / NG), Aaron Rose (Jr / S) and Trent Gillis (So / OLB).
•    Christian Johnson (So. / OLB), Charles Robinson (Jr. / Snipe), Michael Barrow (Jr. / Snipe) and Vic Listorti (Sr. / RB) all made their first-career starts against FAU, giving the Mids 11-first time starters on the year. 

Hitting the Road
•    After Navy opened the 2026 season at home against Towson on Sept. 5, the Mids hit the road for three-straight games.
•    Navy traveled to FAU on Sept. 12, travels to UAB on Sept. 25 and to Air Force on Oct. 3.
•    It will be the first time Navy has played three-consecutive true road games since 2010 when the Mids played at Louisiana Tech (W, 37-23), at Air Force (L, 14-6) and at Wake Forest (W, 28-27). Navy finished the year with a 9-4 record, which included a 31-17 win over Army.
•    It's also the first time Navy has played three of its first-four games of the season on the road (not counting neutral site games) since 1997, when Navy played at San Diego State (L, 45-31), Rutgers (W, 36-7), at SMU (W, 46-16) and at Duke (L, 26-17). That team finished 7-4, which included a 39-7 win over Army, but did not go to a bowl game because two of those wins were against the FCS.

No Time Off
•    The Mids will play seven-consecutive games without a bye starting with Friday's game at UAB. It is the most games Navy has played without a bye since 2022 when it played nine in a row without a bye. That team finished 4-8.