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Navy will be looking to right the ship after a disappointing finish to the 2023 campaign. The Midshipmen went 5-7 in Brian Newberry's first season at the helm, losing to both Air Force and Army. The defensive coordinator for the Midshipmen since 2019, Newberry was promoted to head coach after Navy moved on from Ken Niumatalolo in December of 2022.
Anchors Aweigh
Despite the 5-7 record, the Midshipmen did make some improvements to their program last season. They tallied the most wins since 2019, when they finished 11-2. The defense was markedly better, finishing in the top third in the nation allowing just 22.4 points per game. The Midshipmen were competitive early in the season against American Athletic Conference heavyweight Memphis. Navy's stellar defense held four different teams out of the end zone entirely.
Offensive Preview
The Midshipmen offense struggled mightily in 2023. Navy averaged just over 17 points per game, which was in the bottom 10 of FBS. Junior quarterback Blake Horvath appeared in just four games last season, passing for 84 yards and 2 touchdowns while rushing for 183 yards on 37 carries. The Midshipmen will give him the keys to new offensive coordinator Drew Cronic’s "Sling-T" system.
Two very important pieces to this offense are fullbacks Alex Tecza and Daba Fofana. In 2023, Tecza led the Midshipmen with 758 rushing yards and 5 TDs. He averaged 6 yards per carry and reeled in 16 receptions. Fofana is a senior fullback from Cumming, Ga. who was Navy’s second-leading rusher last season. He totaled 283 yards and 3 TDs on the ground, averaging nearly 4 yards per carry. In 2022, he led all Navy backs with over 700 yards rushing and 6 scores.
Defensive Preview
The defense kept the Midshipmen afloat in 2023. Navy pitched shutouts against Wagner, Charlotte and East Carolina. The Midshipmen held UAB to just two field goals in a 31-6 victory. Spearheading this year's unit is senior linebacker and team captain Colin Ramos, who has been named to both the Nagurski Trophy and Bednarik Award Watch Lists. Cornerback Dashaun Peele and safeties Rayuan Lane and Mbiti Williams Jr. are talented and experienced players in the back end who will make life difficult for opposing offenses.
On the defensive line, the Midshipmen do not have a ton of proven depth. On the interior, Navy returns Landon Robinson, a 285-pound junior nose guard who accounted for 28 tackles and 4 sacks last season. Senior defensive end Justin Reed is the anchor of the unit, registering 7.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks in 2023. LB Luke Pirris is a hybrid edge defender, or "raider," who was tied for the team lead in sacks with Reed last season. Look for fellow raider Jordan Sanders to have a bigger impact this season after finishing with 18 tackles in just four starts in 2023.
Week 1: Bucknell
Navy should win easily against Bucknell in the season opener on Aug. 31. Bucknell went 4-7 in 2023, losing all but one game in the Patriot League. The Midshipmen and Bison last played in 1925, with Navy winning 13-7. The Midshipmen lead the overall series 9-4-1.
Record: 1-0
Week 2: Temple
The Midshipmen will host their first conference opponent on Sept. 7 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. The overall series is tied at nine wins each, with Temple winning 32-18 last year. The Owls, who were not particularly consistent on offense in 2023, lost QB EJ Warner in the offseason to the Transfer Portal. Expect the Midshipmen's defense to stifle the Owls and start 1-0 in the AAC.
Record: 2-0
Week 3: Bye
Week 4: Memphis
Memphis leads the all-time series 6-3, winning a close matchup 28-24 last year. The Midshipmen have not beaten the Tigers since 2018.
Memphis comes into the 2024 season as the betting favorite to win the AAC and return a lot of production from their top-10 scoring offense in 2023. Starting linebacker and defensive leader Chandler Martin was named to the prestigious Bednarik Award Watch List. Memphis is all-in for a conference title and a College Football Playoff berth, so things would need to get weird for the Midshipmen to pull off this upset on Sept. 21.
Record: 2-1
Week 5: UAB
Navy shut down the Blazers 31-6 last season in the first-ever matchup between the two programs. Navy ran for 269 yards and forced two turnovers in a surprising blowout of UAB last season. The Midshipmen will be in the middle of a tough three-game stretch while the Blazers should be well-rested off a bye week. UAB wins a close contest on Sept. 28 if QB Jacob Zeno protects the football.
Record: 2-2
Week 6: Air Force
Air Force leads the overall series 34-22 and has won four consecutive games against Navy. The Falcons beat the Midshipmen 17-6 last season in Annapolis, Md. Air Force is replacing both their leading passer and rusher from last year. They return just three starters on defense, a unit that gave up only 277 yards per game in 2023.
Both teams will come into this matchup after facing a conference opponent on the road, but Air Force will have the advantage of a raucous home crowd on Oct. 5. Expect a tremendous effort by the Midshipmen here, as it is the first game in the race for the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy. The Falcons win a low-scoring game on the legs of RB's Dylan Carson and Aiden Calvert.
Record: 2-3
Week 7: Bye
Week 8: Charlotte
Navy beat Charlotte 14-0 last season in their first-ever meeting. Charlotte will have an entirely new offensive line and a new QB: Florida Gators transfer Max Brown. Navy will have fresh legs after a much-needed bye weekend and should handle the 49ers with ease when the squads meet in Annapolis on Oct. 19.
Record: 3-3
Week 9: Notre Dame
The Fighting Irish have a commanding 81-13-1 lead all-time against the Midshipmen, winning 42-3 in Dublin, Ireland last year. Navy's last win against Notre Dame was a close 28-27 finish in 2016. Prior to winning a triple overtime thriller in 2007, Navy had lost 43 consecutive games against the Irish dating back to 1964.
Do not expect Navy to surprise anyone here in East Rutherford, N.J. on Oct. 26. The Irish use offensive weapons Kris Mitchell, Jeremyah Love and Mitchell Evans to put this game away early.
Record: 3-4
Week 10: Rice
The overall series between the Owls and the Midshipmen is 6-6, but Navy has won four in a row. The squads last played in 2009, with Navy winning 63-14. The 2024 version of Rice is much more competent foe, returning four starters on the offensive line and adding transfer QB EJ Warner from Temple. Expect a tight game on Nov. 2 with the Midshipmen forcing a few turnovers to emerge victorious.
Record: 4-4
Week 11: USF
The two teams have split the four all-time matchups, with USF winning 44-30 last season. When the teams line up on Nov. 9, Navy will have a difficult time stopping Byrum Brown and the high-octane USF offense. Cronic's modified Wing-T attack won't be able to score quickly enough to take down the Bulls.
Record: 4-5
Week 12: Tulane
The overall series sits at 12-12-1, with the Midshipmen winning the last matchup 27-24 in 2020. Tulane is replacing head coach Willie Fritz but is bringing back talented players at important positions, including RB Makhi Hughes and DL Patrick Jenkins. Navy will not be able to take advantage of the home crowd, and Tulane will win by double digits on Nov. 16.
Record: 4-6
Week 13: Bye
Week 14: East Carolina
Navy leads the Pirates 9-2 all-time, including a 10-0 victory last season. The Midshipmen gave ECU its first shutout since 1997. The Pirates sailed a few passes in the wrong direction for a couple of Navy interceptions. On Nov. 30, the Midshipmen should be able to replicate last year's dominant defensive effort and leave with a victory.
Record: 5-6
Week 15: AAC Championship Game
Week 16: Army
The final game of the regular season is always the most important one for Navy. Though they lead the overall series 62-55-7, all that matters in this rivalry is recent history. The Midshipmen have lost two in a row and six out of last eight against the Black Knights, including 17-11 last year. Navy won 14 in a row from 2002 to 2015.
Like every Army-Navy game, this one will be close and low-scoring. The Midshipmen have the defense to beat Army, but the Black Knights are slightly more proven on offense, particularly at the quarterback position. On Dec. 14, Army sings second for the third consecutive season.
Record: 5-7
Navy Midshipmen Overview
Navy will be an improved team from 2023 and could pull an upset over a more talented AAC foe, but this schedule is daunting. Unlike Army, the Midshipmen have to play Memphis, Tulane and USF this season, which are three of the four favorites to win the conference. The uncertainty at QB and the newly installed offense will put too much stress on a talented and experienced defense. There are a handful of coin-flip games that could go either way for the Midshipmen, but a 5-7 finish seems more likely than 6-6.
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