Opening kick

• Navy (6-1, 4-0 in the American Athletic Conference) and Rice (2-6, 1-3 AAC) will meet on the court for the 13th time and first time since 2009 when the two face off Saturday noon (4 p.m.) at Rice Stadium in Houston, Texas. Saturday’s game will be broadcast by ESPN2.
• Navy is looking for its first 7-1 start to a season since 2019. The Mids opened that year 7-1 en route to an 11-2 record, winning the Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy with wins over the Air Force and Army and defeated Kansas State in the Liberty Bowl.
• Rice enters Saturday having lost two hard-fought games on the road to UConn (17-10) and Tulane (24-10). The last time Rice played at home was Oct. 12 when the Owls defeated UTSA 29-27.
• Rice starting quarterback EJ Warner, who made a game-time decision against UConn last Saturday and ultimately didn’t play due to injury, had a big day against Navy last year while at Temple. He threw for 402 yards and 4 touchdowns as the Owls defeated the Mids 32–18 in Philadelphia. That upset loss to the Owls last fall ultimately cost Navy a bowl game.
• The all-time series between Navy and Rice is tied at 6, with the Mids winning the last 4 games. Navy is 3-4 all-time against Rice in Houston, with the Owls winning the first 4 and Navy winning the last 3. The last time these two programs met (2009), the Mids won 63-14 at Rice.
• Navy is looking to bounce back from a disappointing 51-14 loss to No. 12 Notre Dame. The Mids, who had only turned the ball over twice all year (both in the opener against Bucknell), turned it over six times against the Irish, including losing five fumbles (Navy hadn’t lost a fumble all year when he started the match). It was the first time Navy had six turnovers in a game since 2002 in a loss to Boston College.
• Navy, picked 11th in the 14-team AAC preseason poll, currently sits in second place with a 4-0 record and is coming off a win over preseason favorite Memphis. The Mids, who play three of the top four teams in the preseason poll (Memphis, Tulane, South Florida), control their own destiny to reach the American Athletic Conference Championship Game.
• Navy’s 283 points through the seven games this season are 71 more than Navy scored in the combined 12 games last year (212).
• Navy has scored a touchdown on the first play of a drive five times this fall, which is the third-most in the FBS.
• Navy is averaging 267.3 rushing yards per game this fall, the fourth-best average in the FBS and the program’s best since 2019, when it averaged a school-record 360.5 rushing yards per game.
• Navy is 24-26 (.923) in the red zone this year, with 23 of those scores resulting in touchdowns (Navy’s first 20 trips in the red zone resulted in touchdowns before settling for a field goal against Charlotte ). Last year, the Mids ranked tied for 130th in the nation in red zone offense, scoring just 14 touchdowns on 29 attempts.
• Eli Heidenreich (Jr./Snipe) and Alex Tecza (Jr. / FB), who grew up in Pittsburgh and have known each other since first grade, have combined to score a touchdown for Navy in 14 of the last 17 games dating back to the 2023 season.
• Rayuan Avenue III (Sr. / Safety) made his 37th consecutive start at safety for the Mids against Rice, which is the longest active streak for a safety in the FBS and the second-longest by a player in the secondary. Lane III also has 3 forced fumbles this year, which ranks fourth in the FBS. Sporting News named him to the Midseason All-America Team.
• DaShaun Peele (Sr. / CB) became the first player in school history to return two interceptions for a touchdown in the same game in the Mids’ win over Charlotte. It’s the third time this year that Navy has returned an interception for a touchdown Rayuan Avenue III (Sr./S) had an 86-yard interception return for a touchdown with 23 seconds left in the game against Memphis that clinched the win for the Mids.
• Blake Horvath (Jr./QB), Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe and Washington State quarterback John Mateer are the only three quarterbacks in the FBS with rushing AND passing touchdowns in double figures.
• Horvath is the No. 6 quarterback (minimum 75 drop backs) and the No. 5 overall runner (all positions, min. 75 attempts), Heidenreich is tied for the No. 1 overall receiver (min. 25 targets) and Lane III is the No. 1-rated safety (min. 425 snaps) in the FBS, according to Pro Football Focus. Additional, Connor McMahon (Sr. / OT) is the 7th best pass blocker (min. 375 snaps).

Broadcast Coverage
• ESPN2 will carry Saturday’s game with Mike Monaco (play-by-play), Kirk Morrison (color) and Dawn Davenport (sideline) on the call.
• The Navy Football Pregame Show featuring Pete Medhurst, Joe Miller, Keith Mills, Scott Wykoff and special commentary from John Feinstein begins at 3 p.m. on the Navy Radio Network, followed by game action starting at 4 p.m. with Medhurst, Miller and Mills on the call.
• After the game, Medhurst, Miller, Mills and Wykoff will recap the day’s events in a 30-minute postgame show.

Better get used to the road
• After opening the season with three consecutive home games, the Mids will play seven of their final nine games away from home (5 away, 2 at neutral grounds).
• Navy is the only FBS team in the country to have just two true home games in its last nine games.

Good luck in the Red Zone
• Navy ranks 22nd in the nation in red zone offense (24-26), with 23 (19 rush, 4 pass) of those scores resulting in touchdowns. Last year, Navy ranked 130th in the country, scoring just 14 touchdowns on 29 attempts.
• Navy is second in the nation in red zone touchdown percentage, scoring 88.5 percent of the time (23-26)
• Navy’s defense is tied for 7th in red zone defense, giving up just 17 scores in 25 attempts (9 rushing, 3 passing, 5 FGs).

Fast attacks
• Navy has scored a touchdown on the first play of a drive five times in its seven games this season.
• Daba Fofana (Sr./FB) scored on a 49-yard run against Bucknell, while Brandon Chatman (Jr. / Snipe) scored on a 42-yard screen pass from Blake Horvath (Jr./QB).
• Horvath and Alex Tecza (Jr./FB) scored on back-to-back runs of 62 and 65 yards against Temple.
• Horvath did it again against Memphis, going 90 yards on a goalie.
• The 5 touchdown scores on the first play of a drive are the third most in the FBS.

Hitting the big plays
• Navy has had 15 offensive plays of 40 yards or more this year, which ranks fourth in the nation.
• Navy has had nine offensive plays of 50 yards or more this year, which ranks second in the nation.
• Navy has had seven offensive carries of 60 yards or more this year, which is the second-most in the nation.
• Navy has had three offensive plays of 70 yards or more this year, which is tied for third-most in the nation.
• Navy has had one offensive play of 80 yards or more this year, which is tied for sixth-most in the nation.
• Navy is 1 of only 7 schools to have a 90-yard play this year. Jacksonville State, Miami, North Texas, Temple, Western Michigan and Troy are the other six.

Stacking up the points
• Navy is averaging 40.4 points per game, which is tied for the ninth-best scoring average in the nation.
• Navy has scored at least 34 points in every game this year, except once when they turned the ball over six times against Notre Dame and scored just 14 points.
• Navy’s 283 points in the seven games this year are 71 more points than Navy scored in a total of twelve games last year (212).
• A big reason for Navy’s scoring drive is the play of the offensive line. Navy is tied for first in the nation in tackles for loss allowed (2.1) and is second in sacks allowed (0.43).
• Connor McMahon (Sr. / OT) is the third-highest rated pass blocker (min. 375 snaps) in the FBS, according to Pro Football Focus.