Game notes
- Time and date: Saturday, October 17 at 8:00 p.m. ET
- Network: ESPNU
- Location: Alamodome — San Antonio, TX
- Spread: UTSA (-6.5)
- Over/under: 55.5
- All-time series: No previous meetings
Setting the scene
It’s hard to believe, but UTSA and Navy never met once in their first three seasons sharing the American Conference.
San Antonio is known as Military City USA, serving as the home of the largest joint military base in the United States. Hundreds of thousands of military veterans live in the city, giving Navy a connection to the Alamodome despite never playing a road game there.
But the Alamodome is the perfect base for UTSA. The Roadrunners are now 26-1 against conference opponents in the building under head coach Jeff Traylor, and they are an unblemished 3-0 at home this season.
The only American Conference opponent to eke out a win in the Alamodome was another service academy — Army. Navy looks to do the same, while UTSA can clinch bowl eligibility and secure its place as an American contender.
Navy Midshipmen outlook
Navy (2-3, 1-2 American) produced a 21-5 record across the past two seasons. Yet, the Midshipmen were staring down their fourth consecutive loss last week, trailing Tulsa 26-14 in the second half. While service academies are known for their ability to play in front, Navy sparked an impressive comeback from behind.
Jackson Gutierrez led the most prolific quarterback rushing performance since 2023, using 232 rushing yards to spark a 20-0 run and a Midshipmen victory. Gutierrez wasn’t Navy’s original starter this year, but he’s seamlessly taken the reins at the position. He is one of three quarterbacks averaging over 100 rushing yards per game, and he’s only started three of Navy’s five contests. As a passer, he has kept the Midshipmen multidimensional and explosive, averaging 20.0 yards per completion and delivering four touchdowns to one interception.
Navy needed other skill position players to step up alongside its quarterback, and Michael Barrow answered the call last week. The 5’7” slot back rushed for 107 yards on 14 carries, rising into the second-leading rusher on Navy’s No. 3 ranked ground attack. Fullback Vic Listorti has also provided support as the premier downhill runner, generating 208 yards on a 5.9 average this season. In the rare times when Navy drops back to pass, Truman Brasfield is the home-run hitter UTSA’s defense must be aware of. Brasfield only has three catches on the year, but they traveled 39, 68, and 58 yards, with the latter two resulting in touchdowns.
Despite exceeding their loss total, the Midshipmen’s main defensive numbers are actually up from a year ago. They allow 49 fewer yards per game and 1.6 fewer points. Perhaps the best defensive display was shown in a 14-9 defeat at Air Force where the Falcons produced 188 rushing yards (compared to their 360 per game average against non-Navy opponents).
Inside linebackers MarcAnthony Parker and Coleman Cauley are the veteran leaders of the unit. Cauley is first on the team with 41 tackles, while Parker has been the agent of chaos in the backfield, generating 37 tackles, 4.0 sacks, and 6.0 tackles for loss. The secondary is headlined by strong safety Giuseppe Sessi, who will be making his homecoming as a San Antonio native. The Reagan High School alum has 32 tackles and was the recipient of one of the Midshipmen’s three interceptions on the season.
One to thing to monitor on defense — Navy is one of six FBS teams without a forced fumble and one of four without a fumble recovery. Look for active hands as the Midshipmen await to pounce on that first opportunity.
UTSA Roadrunners outlook
UTSA (5-1, 2-0 American) has never qualified for the American Conference Championship Game, but the Roadrunners continue to prove this team has that championship mettle. The only loss came at Texas, and when the chips are on the table, Jeff Traylor’s team consistently prevails.
UTSA is 3-0 in one-score games, stifling a Rice potential game-winning drive in Week 4, while leading its own last-minute touchdown drives to usurp Texas State and South Florida — two teams the Roadrunners lost to in 2025. The Roadrunners also can adapt to win games with different paces and styles. Their wins range from 16-14 defensive-driven slugfests to 59-45 high-flying shootouts.
One advantage the Roadrunners have in every American matchup is experience at quarterback. Owen McCown is the only third-year starter in the conference, and his efficiency keeps improving over time. He is connecting on 68.7 percent of passes this season, and he has only thrown two interceptions through six games. McCown was the architect of both game-winning drives, and while he’s not known as a scrambler, his escapability on critical plays has been the difference between 5-1 and 3-3.
UTSA rolls three-deep in the running back room. Will Henderson III leads the group with 484 rushing yards on a 6.2 average, but A’Marion Peterson and Brandon High Jr. offer valuable supporting roles. Henderson is the most explosive back, but Peterson is the ultimate short-yardage specialist. Last week, UTSA scored on three direct snaps to Peterson, using a special package with heavy personnel to assist him.
Other offensive standouts include the receiver quartet of DJ Allen, AJ Wilson, Mekhi Anderson, and David Amador II, who all lie within the range of 217 to 269 yards on the season in a passing offense which distributes the wealth quite evenly.
The Roadrunner defense had its lapses against Colorado State, but the unit has been an overall positive this season. It is heavily linebacker-driven, as expected with a 3-4 scheme, and Brandon Tucker Jr., Darion White, and Owen Pewee serve as the three-leading tacklers. Still, there is improvement to be made in the run defense, and that will be the most essential component to stopping Navy. The Roadrunners are 121st in stopping the run, allowing 185 yards per game.
UTSA must cut down on missed tackles and record more stops behind the line of scrimmage. The defense only managed two tackles for loss last week against South Florida, and it will look toward outside linebacker Camron Cooper — who has a team-high 4.0 tackles for loss — to disrupt Navy’s high-powered ground game.
Prediction
UTSA’s homefield advantage is well-documented under Jeff Traylor. This is Navy’s first appearance in the Alamodome, and the Midshipmen are already 0-3 on the road this year. However, all three losses were by one score, showing Navy hasn’t been too far behind its competition.
The Roadrunners’ run defense can be exploited by Navy, and Midshipmen made major strides offensively last week under Jackson Gutierrez. The missed tackles that defined UTSA’s defense in the Texas State, Colorado State, and South Florida games won’t be acceptable for a Midshipmen team that’s regularly looking to break off big runs.
Navy will provide an incredible challenge and lead for a significant portion of the game, but UTSA will once again step up with clutch heroics, with Owen McCown leading a game-winning drive.
Prediction: UTSA 26, Navy 21