Week 2 of the NCAA football season saw two of the service academies in action, with the third taking an early bye week. Navy hosted American Athletic Conference (AAC) foe UAB, while Army traveled west to face Big 12 opponent Kansas State. Air Force, meanwhile, spent the week at home in Colorado Springs preparing for a Week 3 showdown with Mountain West Conference (MW) rival Utah State.
Fans of Navy football had reason for optimism entering Week 2. After crushing VMI in the opener, the Midshipmen looked to improve to 2-0 with a win over UAB in front of 28,325 fans at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis. UAB entered the game hoping to start 2-0 for the first time since 2019.
Army, on the other hand, was eager to rebound from a shocking Week 1 loss to FCS opponent Tarleton State. The Black Knights sought a big road win to even their record at 1-1 before beginning AAC play on Sept. 20.
Navy Wins in Weather-Delayed Battle
On Saturday night, the Navy Midshipmen defeated UAB 38-24, thanks to standout performances from quarterback Blake Horvath and running back Alex Tecza. Horvath compiled 168 passing yards and 72 rushing yards, accounting for three total touchdowns, two on the ground and one through the air. His dual-threat playmaking wreaked havoc on the Blazers’ defense throughout the night.
UAB quarterback Jalen Kitna, son of longtime NFL veteran Jon Kitna, gave Navy’s defense trouble with a productive outing of his own. The redshirt senior completed 22 of 32 passes for 304 yards and two touchdowns, helping the Blazers keep pace through much of the first half.
Weather played a major role in this contest, as two separate second-quarter lightning delays resulted in more than two hours of stoppage. For much of the first half, the game could be described as a back-and-forth affair with both teams answering one another’s scoring drives. Navy finally pulled away in the second half to improve to 2-0 on the season.
Heavily favored entering this contest, Navy struck first with Horvath’s 65-yard pass to tight end Cody Howard, which set up his one-yard rushing touchdown. Kitna responded with some offensive magic of his own. The Blazers’ starting quarterback connected with wide receiver Iverson Hooks for a 51-yard touchdown pass, the 5-foot-10, 175-pound redshirt sophomore’s second trip to the endzone this season.
On Navy’s next scoring drive, 14 plays led to another Midshipmen touchdown. Lined up at the UAB 29-yard line, Horvath connected with senior slotback Brandon Chatman for a 20-yard pass before Eli Heidenreich finished the drive with a nine-yard scoring run that put Navy up 14-7.
UAB got the ball back as the first quarter neared completion. Effectively moving the ball down the field, the Blazers evened up the game at the 14:14 mark of the second quarter when Kitna hit wide receiver Corri Milliner with a 25-yard touchdown pass. Horvath responded on Navy’s next drive with a monster 65-yard touchdown pass to Luke Hutchison. The 6-foot, 190-pound wide receiver now has two receiving touchdowns on the 2025 campaign.
With UAB at the Navy 24-yard line, play was delayed at the 11:39 mark of the second quarter due to lightning in the area. After the hour-long delay, Jevon Jackson tied the game at 21 with a 12-yard run. With more thunder and lightning entering the region, the game was delayed for the second time with 6:25 remaining in the half.
The second delay lasted just over an hour, and when the two teams came back onto the field, they exchanged field goals; Navy’s Nathan Kirkwood from 27 yards and UAB’s Jonah Delange from 40 yards. Players returned to the locker rooms for halftime with the game tied 24-24.
UAB looked to jump ahead of Navy early in the third quarter, but a Delange field goal attempt from 36 yards out was no good. The Midshipmen finally started pulling away from UAB at the end of the third. Navy got the ball back around the 10:00 mark, but were forced to punt after one set of downs. UAB could not capitalize on the defense’s quality stop. The Blazers fumbled in their own territory, setting up a four-yard rushing touchdown by Horvath at 4:12.
Down 31-24, UAB was forced to punt on its next possession. Navy, smelling blood in the water, had three solid runs on the next possession, including a 24-yarder by Horvath and 37- and 17-yarders by Tecza. The third quarter ended on this drive. Tecza was rewarded for his efforts on this drive with a 1-yard rushing touchdown at 14:57 of the fourth.
With Navy up 38-24, UAB’s Kitna was picked off by sophomore linebacker MarcAnthony Parker at 14:44. This was the Fredericksburg, Virginia native’s first interception of the season. The Midshipmen could not capitalize on the Blazers’ mistake, as they were forced to punt after a series of three consecutive rushing attempts failed to move the chains.
On the next possession, Kitna was sacked for a loss of three yards at the Navy 24-yard line. Two plays later, the quarterback suffered another interception, this time in the end zone. The Navy was forced to punt, before UAB, in a desperate attempt to score, turned the ball over on downs. The Midshipmen ran out the clock for a hard-fought win.
Navy will play in its first road game at Tulsa on Sep 13 at 8:00 PM ET, streaming on ESPN+. The Tulsa Golden Hurricane, under first-year head coach Tre Lamb, enters this Week 3 matchup with a record of 1-1. The team defeated Abilene Christian during Week 1, but fell to New Mexico State this past weekend. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Kirk Francis has 318 passing yards and two throwing touchdowns this season. Redshirt senior Dominic Richardson has 235 rushing yards on 40 carries for one touchdown.
Navy will look to exploit Tulsa’s inexperience and lack of depth on defense in their second AAC matchup of the season. Look for Horvath, Tecza, and crew to have big games for the Midshipmen offense next week.
Army Bounces Back in the Little Apple
Army bounced back in a big way in week 2, defeating Kansas State in Manhattan during the Fort Riley Night game. The triple-option offense allowed the Black Knights to control the ball for much of the second half. Ten unanswered points in the fourth quarter propelled Army to a 24-21 victory. A hard-fought battle between two game teams, Army improved to 1-1, while the former nationally ranked Kansas State squad now sits at 1-2.
Sophomore quarterback Cale Hellums, filling in for injured starter Dewayne Coleman, shined with 124 rushing yards, two rushing touchdowns, and 43 passing yards with one touchdown through the air. His composure kept the Black Knights steady in a hostile environment.
Freshman wide receiver Brady Anderson delivered three receptions for 64 yards and a key touchdown before halftime, while slotback Noah Short added 113 total yards (52 receiving, 61 rushing) on 10 touches.
On the opening possession of the game, Kansas State got three points on Luis Rodriguez’s 34-yard field goal. Army was forced to punt on its first possession of the game, after the Hellums-led offense failed to get the first down on 3rd & 14 from the Army 32-yard line. The Wildcats’ final possession of the first quarter also resulted in a punt.
The Black Knights’ next possession carried the game into the second quarter, with the Army side turning over the football on downs. Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson made his opponents pay on the next drive when he completed a 32-yard touchdown pass to Jaron Tibbs at the 11:47 mark. This was the junior wide receiver’s second touchdown reception of the young season. Down 10-0, Army was forced to punt on its next possession.
Kansas State slapped on three more points courtesy of Rodriguez’s second good field goal, a 38-yarder. Down 13-0, the Black Knights finally answered as time expired in the half. Quarterback Hellums connected with his wide receiver Anderson for a two-yard touchdown. Army entered the locker room at the half down 13-7.
The Black Knights got the ball back first in the second half, but were forced to punt after one set of downs failed to achieve a first down. The Wildcats responded with a punt of their own. A 14-play Army scoring drive resulted in a Hellums’ one-yard touchdown run that gave his team its first lead of the game.
This lead did not last long. Kansas State kick returner Bryce Noernberg took the ball to the house on an explosive 99-yard touchdown return. Down 21-17, the Black Knights showed their resilience by maintaining possession of the ball for 13 plays. The end of the drive was marked by a 35-yard field goal by Dawson Jones that put Army up 24-21 at 10:46 in the fourth quarter.
Anderson Britton executed a surprise onside kick, deflected off a Kansas State player, and was recovered by Cole Searight at the Army 44-yard line. This play set up a 14-play possession that ended in another Hellums’ rushing touchdown (14 yards).
Down by three with time winding down, the defense sealed the win when Collin Mattesson intercepted Johnson with 1:35 left. Hellums and the Army offense ran out the clock on the final three plays of the contest. A whopping 52,723 fans saw Black Knights capture a hard-fought victory in the “Little Apple.”
Army heads into a well-deserved bye week before returning to action on Sept. 20 when they host the North Texas Mean Green. Army’s first AAC matchup of the season is scheduled to begin at 12:00 PM ET at Michie Stadium.
Air Force Soars into Conference Play
Air Force returns to action on Sept. 13 when they travel to Logan to face off against MW opponent Utah State. The Aggies, led by first-year head coach Bronco Mendenhall, enter at 1-1, with a win over UTEP and a loss to nationally ranked Texas A&M.
Quarterback Bryson Barnes, a Utah transfer, is coming off a solid 2024 season in which he played a significant role in the Aggies’ offense. Barnes threw for 856 yards and 12 touchdowns, and rushed for 530 yards and five touchdowns. This season, the 6-foot-2, 210-pound dual-threat quarterback has completed 34 of 58 pass attempts for 402 yards and three touchdowns in two games. He also recorded a rushing touchdown against UTEP.
Senior running back Miles Davis currently leads the Aggies in rushing yards with 138. The Las Vegas-native has one touchdown on 22 carries. Davis has also compiled 48 yards on three kick returns through the first two games of the season.
For Air Force to prevail, they will need to lean on their powerful rushing attack to control the tempo and wear down Utah State’s defense. Defensively, the Falcons must improve their pass coverage against Barnes, who has shown the ability to exploit defensive lapses. Kickoff is set for 9:45 PM ET, streaming on Fubo.
The Road Ahead
With Navy and Army both winning in Week 2, and Air Force preparing for its first Mountain West test, the service academies enter Week 3 with momentum and confidence. Each program faces unique challenges, but early results suggest they may be capable of competing at a higher level in 2025.
Looking ahead, Navy will aim to maintain its unbeaten start, Army seeks consistency after a statement win, and Air Force prepares for a pivotal road test that could set the tone for its conference season.
