Navy Looks to Remain Undefeated Against Florida Atlantic

Navy will try to stay unbeaten and extend one of the longest winning streaks in the country when it hosts Florida Atlantic on Saturday afternoon at Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.

The Midshipmen, 6–0 overall and 4–0 in the American Conference, face the Owls, who are 3–4 and 2–2 in league play. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. on CBS Sports Network. Navy has won nine straight games dating back to last season, tied for the second-longest active streak in the nation. A win would give the Mids their first 7–0 start since 1978.

Saturday’s matchup features a clash of styles. Navy leads the nation in rushing with an average of 305 yards per game. Senior quarterback Blake Horvath has been the driving force, rushing for more than 100 yards in four straight games while ranking among the most efficient passers in the country. Horvath has eight rushing touchdowns and has given the Mids a consistent spark in close wins over Air Force and Temple.

Senior receiver Eli Heidenreich has been one of the team’s biggest playmakers. He holds the school record for career receiving touchdowns with 14 and averages more than 21 yards per catch. His 243-yard, three-touchdown performance against Air Force earlier this month was the best receiving day in Navy history.

Florida Atlantic relies on the pass. Under first-year head coach Zach Kittley, the youngest head coach in the FBS at 34, the Owls run an Air Raid offense led by quarterback Caden Veltkamp, who leads the nation in completions per game. His favorite target, Easton Messer, tops the NCAA in receptions per game, while receiver Jayshon Platt ranks among the national leaders in all-purpose yards.

The Owls are celebrating their 25th season of football and are looking for their first win over Navy in three tries. A victory would give Kittley his fourth career win and the program its second-ever victory over a service academy. Linebacker Tyler Stolsky leads the FAU defense with back-to-back double-digit tackle games.

Navy has won its last three Homecoming games and hasn’t lost one since 2021. The Mids have also won 76 straight home games when leading after three quarters, the longest streak in the country. With bowl eligibility already secured and momentum building in conference play, Navy will try to keep its perfect record intact and continue one of the most impressive runs in program history.

Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Saturday on CBS Sports Network.

 

Heidenreich’s Record-Breaking Day Lifts Navy Past Air Force

Eli Heidenreich etched his name into Navy football history on Saturday, while Blake Horvath delivered a career performance to lead the Midshipmen to a dramatic 34-31 win over rival Air Force before 37,517 fans - the 10th-largest crowd in Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium history.

Heidenreich tied and then broke the program’s single-season touchdown receptions record with a pair of spectacular long scoring plays, finishing with eight catches for 243 yards and three touchdowns. Horvath was equally dominating, passing for 339 yards and three scores while rushing for 130 yards and another touchdown, accounting for 469 yards of total offense.

“I thought Blake (Horvath) was tremendous today,” Navy head coach Brian Newberry said. “Eli Heidenreich played out of his mind. He's a special player. He had a bunch of records today. I thought we offensively did some really, really good things today outside of the penalties and outside of the one turnover. Proud of our guys. Great to get a win. Again, hats off to Air Force. Couldn't have more respect for those guys.”

Eli Heidenreich

The Midshipmen struck quickly on their opening possession. On the very first play, Horvath found Heidenreich streaking down the middle for a 36-yard gain, setting the tone for the afternoon. Navy moved inside the 25 but stalled, settling for a 39-yard field goal by Nathan Kirkwood for an early 3–0 lead.

Air Force responded immediately with a 75-yard
drive capped by Liam Szarka’s 7-yard touchdown run. The drive’s opening play - a 61-yard keeper by Szarka - was the longest run surrendered by Navy this season and marked the third time this year the defense allowed points on the opponent’s opening drive.

Navy’s next drive ended in disaster when Horvath fumbled on a 14-yard scramble, giving the Falcons a short field. But Jacob Medina missed a 35-yard field goal, allowing Navy to dodge further damage.

Trailing 10-3 midway through the second quarter, Horvath engineered two quick-strike scoring drives. First, after a 43-yard kick return by Isaiah Bryant set up Navy near midfield, Horvath connected with Nathan Kent for 36 yards and then hit Heidenreich on a 19-yard scoring strike to tie the game at 10.

Blake Horvath

Minutes later, after Air Force punted, Horvath found Heidenreich over the middle, and the senior sprinted 80 yards to the end zone. That score gave Navy a 17-10 lead with 4:02 left in the half and tied Heidenreich with the school record of 13 touchdown receptions.

Defensively, Landon Robinson and Julien Moutome combined for a sack late in the half to stop a Falcon drive and preserve the lead heading into the locker room.

Air Force came out of halftime and marched 70 yards on nine plays. Szarka scored his second rushing touchdown from a yard out to tie the game at 17. The sophomore quarterback was a dual-threat all day, finishing with 152 rushing yards and 249 passing yards with two touchdowns through the air.

Navy answered with its most methodical drive of the day. Starting from their own 3-yard line, Horvath led an eight-play, 97-yard drive, capped by his 59-yard touchdown run. Kirkwood’s extra point made it 24–17.

The Falcons weren’t done. Szarka completed a 37-yard pass to Bruin Fleischmann to set up an 18-yard touchdown strike on the opening play of the fourth quarter to tie the game at 24-24.

On the ensuing drive, Horvath and Heidenreich delivered again. Facing 2nd-and-long from their own 29, Horvath dropped back and connected with Heidenreich who raced 60 yards for his record-breaking 14th touchdown reception, giving Navy a 31-24 lead with 12:55 remaining.

Air Force answered two minutes later when Szarka found Jonah Dawson for a 53-yard touchdown, knotting the score at 31-31.

With the game on the line, Navy’s offense drove 60 yards in nine plays. Kirkwood’s 34-yard field goal with 6:47 left proved to be the difference.

From there, Navy’s defense delivered the crucial stop. Robinson’s penetration on first down set the tone, and Navy forced a fumble at the Falcon 49 with 3:07 left. The Midshipmen drained the remaining clock to seal their fifth win of the season.

Robinson finished with 1.5 sacks, while Luke Pirris led the defense with 12 tackles. Navy’s front line held Air Force scoreless on its final two drives after the teams traded scores on five consecutive possessions.

In addition to the action on the field, the Brigade of Midshipmen set a new Guinness World Record during the game, with 3,068 people doing pushups simultaneously for one minute, breaking the Air Force Academy’s previous mark of 2,926 set in 2023.

With the victory, Navy improved to 5–0 and retained control of the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy race. The Midshipmen will travel to Philadelphia next week to face Temple. Air Force (1–4) travels to Las Vegas to battle UNLV.

Navy and Air Force Ready to Battle

Navy and Air Force continue one of college football’s traditional rivalries on Saturday when they meet at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis in the first leg of the 2025 Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy series. The sold-out matchup will air nationally on CBS.

 

The Midshipmen (4-0, 3-0 AAC) enter riding a seven-game winning streak dating back to last season — tied for the fourth-longest active streak in the FBS. Navy’s powerful rushing game leads the nation at 352.3 yards per game, led by senior quarterback Blake Horvath, who set program records last year and has guided Navy to four straight games of 450+ yards of offense. Horvath rushed for 115 yards and two touchdowns in Navy’s 34-7 win at Air Force last season.

 

Air Force (1-3, 0-3 Mountain West) has dropped three straight but still leads the all-time series 34-23, including a 17-6 victory in its last visit to Annapolis in 2023. The Falcons are honoring the F-16 Fighting Falcon with special Air Power Legacy Series uniforms for this year’s game.

 

The Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy, awarded annually to the winner of the round-robin series between Army, Navy and Air Force, has often hinged on this matchup. In 40 of the 53 years the trophy has been awarded, the winner of the Navy-Air Force game has gone on to claim it. Navy, the defending CIC champion, has won the trophy 12 times in the last 22 years.

 

Head coach Brian Newberry has the Midshipmen off to their best start since 1978-79. A victory Saturday would make him 20-10 in his first 30 games, the best start by a Navy coach since Wayne Hardin. Meanwhile, Air Force head coach Troy Calhoun looks to rally his team behind a high-powered offense that ranks seventh nationally in rushing (254.3 ypg) and first in yards per completion (21.6).

 

Saturday’s pre-game festivities will add some extra excitement. The Brigade of Midshipmen will attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the most people doing pushups simultaneously for one minute. The current record belongs to Air Force, which set the mark in 2023 when 2,926 participants performed pushups to cadence. The Naval Academy is aiming to top that with a target of 3,300 participants on Saturday, adding a spirited twist to the rivalry before kickoff.

 

The day will also include the traditional March-On of the Brigade of Midshipmen and a flyover featuring F/A-18F Super Hornets, an EA-18G Growler and an F-35B Lightning.

 

Kickoff is set for 12:08 p.m. ET.

Navy Runs Past VMI 52–7 in Season Opener

Annapolis, Md. — Navy opened its 2025 season with a statement win, overwhelming VMI 52–7 on Saturday at Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. The Midshipmen rolled up 464 rushing yards, mixed in explosive plays from the quarterback position, and saw six new defensive starters hold the Keydets to just 15 rushing yards.

The Midshipmen wasted no time establishing control. On the opening possession, fullback Michael Barrow capped a 9-play, 67-yard march with a 7-yard touchdown run. The score was memorable not just for its timing, but because it came on Barrow’s very first career carry.

The Mids then triggered a 21-point second quarter. On the first drive of the quarter, Eli Heidenreich slipped behind the secondary for an 18-yard touchdown reception from Blake Horvath, the 11th receiving TD of Heidenreich’s career, moving him to third all-time at Navy. Alex Tecza bulled in from six yards later in the quarter, and Heidenreich added a four-yard sweep in the final minute to give Navy a 28–0 lead.

Navy's head coach, Brian Newberry’s only real misgiving arrived out of halftime. Navy’s opening third-quarter drive chewed 7:33 off the clock but stalled at the 11, where Nathan Kirkwood drilled a 28-yard field goal to make it 31–0. VMI answered nine seconds later with its lone highlight — Collin Shannon’s 75-yard strike to Owen Sweeney — before the Mids snapped back into gear.

“I thought we kind of took our foot off the gas a little bit there in the third quarter,” said Newberry. “And it can't be our mentality to start to stop the football that we play, regardless of the score, and was a little disappointed with that. We got it going back in the right direction.”

“Right direction” was an understatement once backup quarterback Braxton Woodson entered in relief. The sophomore flashed fresh legs and elite acceleration, ripping off touchdown runs of 74 and 68 yards — part of a dominating 180 rushing yards on seven carries — to bury any comeback notion. 

Shane Reynolds’ 4-yard score in the final minutes put the finishing touches on a seven-touchdown afternoon.

“Had the ability to get some guys in the game that we were hoping to be able to get in the game,” Newberry said. “And also, Braxton (Woodson) went there, did some good things. 180 yards rushing on seven carries shows his explosiveness.”

Even with the scoreboard lopsided, the defense kept its edge — especially up front. VMI finished with 212 total yards, and outside of the 75-yard touchdown, the Keydets mustered just 122 passing yards on their other 27 attempts. Navy owned the ball for 35:27, went 10-for-13 on third down, and scored on all six red-zone trips (five TDs, one field goal).

“We weren't perfect in our coverage, got a ball thrown over our heads, and obviously that can't happen,” Newberry said of the lone defensive lapse. “You still have to stop the run, but you've got to keep things in front of you.”

Navy (1–0) will host UAB next Saturday at 3:30 p.m. at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in its American Conference opener. VMI returns home to host Ferrum College.

Scoring summary

1Q 06:00  NAVY  7–0  Michael Barrow 7 run (Nathan Kirkwood kick)

2Q 11:07  NAVY 14–0  Eli Heidenreich 18 pass from Blake Horvath (Kirkwood kick)

2Q 05:17  NAVY 21–0  Alex Tecza 6 run (Kirkwood kick)

2Q 00:48  NAVY 28–0  Eli Heidenreich 4 run (Kirkwood kick)

3Q 07:22  NAVY 31–0  Nathan Kirkwood 28 FG

3Q 07:13  VMI  31–7  Owen Sweeney 75 pass from Collin Shannon (Ben Shrewsbury kick)

3Q 00:50  NAVY 38–7  Braxton Woodson 74 run (Kirkwood kick)

4Q 09:39  NAVY 45–7  Braxton Woodson 68 run (Kirkwood kick)

4Q 02:37  NAVY 52–7  Shane Reynolds 4 run (Kirkwood kick)

By the numbers

• Rushing yards: Navy 464, VMI 15
• Total yards: Navy 556, VMI 212
• Third downs: Navy 10-for-13
• Sacks: Navy 5 (Landon Robinson 2.0)
• Kicking: Nathan Kirkwood 7-for-7 PAT, 1-for-1 FG (28 yards)
  
  

Game notes

• New faces: Navy started six new defenders and four new offensive players.
• First to paydirt: Michael Barrow’s 7-yard TD in the first quarter came on his first career carry.
• History for 22: Eli Heidenreich’s second-quarter TD catch was the 11th of his career, moving him to third all-time at Navy.
• Targeting: MarcAnthony Parker was ejected for targeting in the third quarter and will miss the first half next week vs. UAB.
• Big-play QB2: Braxton Woodson had touchdown rushes of 74 and 68 yards and finished with 180 yards on seven carries.

Crawford Inducted Into the Bedford County Sports Hall of Fame

Barry Crawford, a 1980 graduate of Northern Bedford County High School, has been a steady presence in the Northern Bedford sports community for over four decades. Known for his success as a player, coach, and volunteer, Barry’s dedication to local athletics has left a lasting impact on generations of student-athletes.

As a student at Northern Bedford, Barry was a three-sport athlete, competing in football, basketball, and baseball. He earned seven varsity letters between grades 10 and 12 and was named an All-Star in all three sports. On the basketball court, he made school history by becoming the first boys’ player to score over 1,000 career points, finishing with 1,023.

After high school, Barry went on to play basketball at Penn State Altoona. During his two years there, he averaged 21 and 20 points per game, scoring in double figures in 48 out of 49 games. He helped lead the team to the 1981 Commonwealth Campus Championship.

According to Coach Obermeier, “Barry was hard to defend. He had an extremely quick first step, so if opponents guarded him too closely, he would go around them. However, he was an unbelievably accurate shooter, so they couldn’t give him too much space. Barry was very unselfish and he played great defense. He was the best all-around player I coached at Penn State Altoona.”

In 2023, Barry was recognized for his achievements with induction into the Penn State Altoona Athletic Hall of Fame.

Barry’s contributions didn’t stop after his playing days. He returned to Northern Bedford and began coaching boys’ varsity basketball as an assistant in 1984 and became the head coach in 1998, a role he held until 2013. In 15 seasons, Barry led the team to 201 wins and helped establish a competitive program.

In football, Barry started as an assistant coach for the junior high team in 1985 and took over as head coach in 1993. Over 39 seasons, he remained a steady leader on the sidelines, helping players develop both their athletic skills and character.

His dedication extended to the track as well. Barry served as a District V track and field statistician for 15 years and regularly helped with running events at home meets. He also volunteered with youth softball and baseball programs.

From 2018 to 2025, Barry also served as an assistant coach for the Northern Bedford girls’ varsity basketball team, continuing to share his knowledge and love for the game.

Barry Crawford’s story is marked by his commitment to NBC and the joy he found in athletics. His impact goes far beyond wins and losses — he has helped shape the lives of countless athletes across multiple sports and generations.

Barry and his wife, Tess Crawford, have two daughters, Andrea Ritchey and Taylor Ridgeley and six grandchildren.