The Navy Midshipmen will host the UAB Blazers in a Week 2 College Football matchup with both teams entering with a 1-0 record. Navy defeated the VMI Keydets 52-7 in its opener, while UAB took down Alabama State 52-42. These teams also faced off last year, with Navy producing a 41-18 victory.
Navy enters as 21-point favorites and holds -1600 odds on the moneyline on DraftKings Sportsbook. UAB holds +900 odds of getting the outright victory with the game total set at 59.5.
This article will preview both teams and provide a pick for the Week 2 matchup.
UAB vs. Navy Preview
UAB Preview
Former NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer raised some eyebrows when he decided to take over the UAB football program prior to the 2023 season. His time with the team hasn’t started desirably, with the Blazers going 4-8 in his debut season and 3-9 last year. The Week 1 victory over Alabama State, however, is encouraging to start this season. UAB put up points in every quarter and tallied 520 total yards.
Quarterback Jalen Kitna completed 18-of-23 passes for 247 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Kitna transferred from Florida and had some ups and downs last season. He averaged 276.1 passing yards per game with 17 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. If he takes a step forward with his decision-making, which looked to be the case in Week 1, it would help the UAB offense in a major way.
Running back Jevon Jackson also got off to an excellent start, tallying 17 carries for 166 yards and two touchdowns. Solomon Beebe and Isaiah Jacobs were also involved in the rushing attack, combining for 93 yards and three total touchdowns.
But the biggest concerns with the Blazers fall on the defensive side of the ball. They allowed 202 rushing yards and 312 passing yards in the opening matchup while losing the time of possession battle 34:11 to 25:46. The defensive unit returned just one starter from last year and did not look up to par against Alabama State. Their struggles to stop the run could be especially problematic in this matchup.
Navy Preview
Navy enters with a much more positive outlook. The Midshipmen went 10-3 last year, which marked their best record since 2019, and peaked at 24th in the AP Poll. Plenty of key players are back, and they dominated VMI in the season opener. Quarterback Blake Horvath returns after recording 1,353 passing yards, 1,246 rushing yards and 30 total touchdowns. Horvath is a perfect fit for Navy’s unique offensive style, which is so run-oriented. He completed 6-of-7 passes for 66 yards and a touchdown while adding 14 yards with his legs in the season opener.
But he does not do it alone, with the running back room having an impressive opening week performance. Braxton Woodson had seven carries for 180 yards and two touchdowns while also completing three passes for 26 yards. Alex Tecza added 15 carries for 89 yards and a touchdown, while Eli Heidenreich rushed for 70 yards and a touchdown on nine carries. Heidenreich also led the team with 65 receiving yards and a touchdown through the air. In total, Navy carried the ball 56 times for 464 yards and six total touchdowns.
UAB vs. Navy Pick
UAB looked solid in the season opener and should be encouraged by its performance on the field. Kitna has a chance to emerge as a quarterback to watch this season if he can continue building off his Week 1 effort. But the struggles to stop the run will be put on full display in this matchup and are too much to overlook.
Navy ran for 227 yards against UAB last year, and the backfield unit looks to have gotten even stronger. This was also only slightly above their season average, with the Blazers allowing 214 rushing yards per game last year. Alabama State had no trouble rushing for over 200 yards in the season opener against UAB, and Navy possesses a stronger run game.
The 21-point spread is notable and will turn some away from supporting the Midshipmen. But ultimately, I feel far more confident in the Navy offense putting points on the board at a rate UAB cannot match than the Blazers having success against the Midshipmen defense. Navy held opponents to 22.2 points per game last year and an average of 288 yards of total offense. VMI tallied just seven points and 197 yards of total offense in the first game while being sacked five times. UAB looked respectable in the season opener, but Navy is the better team.
