Navy Crushes VMI 52–7 in Season Opener Blowout
ANNAPOLIS, MD — Navy wasted no time asserting control in its season opener, punching in a touchdown midway through the first quarter and never letting up. The Midshipmen methodically piled on the points, racking up 52 total by the final whistle in a dominant win over VMI at Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
After a quiet start on both sides, Navy got on the board with a 7-yard touchdown run from Michael Barrow to cap an 11-play, 70-yard drive that set the tone for the night. From there, it was all Midshipmen. Three more touchdowns in the second quarter blew the game open, and by halftime, Navy held a 28–0 lead. VMI managed just one scoring play—a 75-yard pass in the third quarter—but it was immediately wiped out by Navy’s Braxton Woodson, who responded with a 74-yard touchdown run of his own. The Midshipmen added two more scores in the fourth and coasted to a 52–7 final.
This was Navy football the way head coach Brian Newberry wants it played—fast, physical, efficient. The triple-option attack was in full gear, piling up 307 rushing yards on 52 carries, with a 6.5 yards-per-carry average that speaks to how thoroughly Navy controlled the line of scrimmage. Quarterback play was steady and deep. The defense settled in after the early misstep and completely shut VMI down. And when a momentum swing briefly gave the Keydets life in the third quarter, Navy answered instantly—and emphatically.
The quarterback room was a story in itself. Blake Horvath started and ran the show in the first half, completing six of seven passes for 66 yards and a touchdown while adding 28 yards on the ground. He led a clean, methodical offense that wore down VMI’s front and kept the chains moving. But the real breakout came from sophomore Blake Woodson, who entered in the second half and wasted no time putting the game away. On his first two carries, he scored from 74 and 68 yards out—back-to-back gut punches that completely buried any hopes VMI had left. Woodson finished with 142 yards on just two carries, both for touchdowns, and made it clear Navy has serious depth under center.
Eli Heidenreich was the most versatile weapon on the field, scoring twice—once on a short reception from Horvath and once on the ground—and totaling 132 all-purpose yards. Running backs Alex Tecza and Jeremiah Cobb handled the heavy lifting between the tackles, combining for 161 yards and two touchdowns. In total, Navy’s backfield looked loaded, balanced, and ahead of schedule for Week 1.
Defensively, the Midshipmen were just as sharp after that first drive. VMI was held to just 76 total yards—including eight rushing—on 27 attempts. Outside of one blown coverage that allowed a 75-yard touchdown pass from C. Shannon to O. Sweeney, the defense never lost control. The front seven pressured consistently, logging four sacks, and the secondary tackled cleanly and kept big plays in check.
Keyron Crawford was one of the defensive standouts, tying a career high with seven tackles and notching a sack. Keldric Faulk, a projected breakout pass rusher, added another in the fourth quarter, continuing to show why he’s one of the more intriguing athletes on this defense. But the best stat? VMI was held to just three conversions on twelve third downs—and was stopped on half of its fourth-down attempts. Navy’s defense not only held the line, it flipped the field.
Even with the final score reading 52–7, head coach Brian Newberry wasn’t interested in handing out gold stars. After the game, he praised the result but made clear there’s more work ahead.
“It feels like there was still some meat left on the bone,” Newberry said. “We put up 24 in the second half, but I thought we took our foot off the gas a little in the third quarter. We can’t have that mentality, no matter what the score is. It’s all about the standard.”
Still, he didn’t hide his satisfaction with how his team handled the moment, especially given how many new faces were in the lineup.
“We had nine new starters on offense and defense today, and several others on special teams,” Newberry added. “So yeah, there were breakdowns—it’s the first game of the year. But we did some good things. I’m looking forward to sitting down and watching the tape.”
His biggest takeaway was clear: this was Navy football.
“We want to be fast, physical, smart, together. That’s our style. And we did that really well at times.”
With the win, Navy starts the season 1–0 and sends a message that this team—built on depth, discipline, and an unrelenting run game—is ready to go toe-to-toe with anybody. There’s plenty to clean up. That’s Week 1. But if this opener is any indication, the Midshipmen aren’t easing into 2025. They’re coming full steam ahead.