Overview
- UAB rallied to a 24-20 win after Marlin Dean forced a fumble on Navy QB Jackson Gutierrez on a first-down sack and Chris Spencer recovered, with Bam McReynolds scoring on the next play; the decisive sequence came late on Friday night.
- McReynolds finished with 71 rushing yards and two touchdowns, UAB quarterback Ryder Burton threw for 174 yards, and Gutierrez accounted for 134 rushing yards and 104 passing yards in his first career start.
- Navy outgained UAB 353-290 and piled up 249 rushing yards but the fourth-quarter turnover directly swung the result.
- The result gives UAB a 2-2 overall record and a 1-0 start in American Conference play while Navy falls to 1-2 overall and 0-2 in the conference, with both teams scheduled to play on Oct. 3.
- Pregame projections had Navy favored by about 6.5 points and the model leaning to an Over 51.5, and reports that Braxton Woodson was questionable with an ankle issue meant Jackson Gutierrez started and was heavily involved in Navy’s hybrid spread-option attack.