# 2023 Navy Midshipmen football team

The 2023 Navy Midshipmen football team represented the United States Naval Academy in the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Midshipmen played their home games at Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland, and competed in the American Athletic Conference (The American). They were led by first-year head coach Brian Newberry. The Navy Midshipmen football team drew an average home attendance of 30,804 in 2023.

## Offseason
### Coaching changes

With Newberry taking over as head coach, there were several other coaching changes. On December 20, 2022, the Midshipmen promoted linebackers coach P. J. Volker to defensive coordinator while remaining linebackers coach. On January 5, 2023, the school hired Grant Chesnut to be the offensive coordinator. He held the same position at Kennesaw State for eight years. On January 9, Eric Lewis was named the school's safeties coach and defensive pass game coordinator; Brenten Wimberly was also named a defensive assistant.

## Schedule

Navy and the American Athletic Conference (AAC) announced the 2023 football schedule on February 21, 2023.
| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| August 26 | 2:30 p.m. | vs. No. 13 Notre Dame* | Aviva StadiumDublin, Ireland (Aer Lingus College Football Classic, Rivalry) | NBC | L 3–42 | 49,000 |
| September 9 | 3:30 p.m. | Wagner* | Navy–Marine Corps Memorial StadiumAnnapolis, MD | CBSSN | W 24–0 | 29,798 |
| September 14 | 7:30 p.m. | at Memphis | Simmons Bank Liberty StadiumMemphis, TN | ESPN | L 24–28 | 25,551 |
| September 30 | 3:30 p.m. | South Florida | Navy–Marine Corps Memorial StadiumAnnapolis, MD | CBSSN | L 30–44 | 29,789 |
| October 7 | 3:30 p.m. | North Texas | Navy–Marine Corps Memorial StadiumAnnapolis, MD | CBSSN | W 27–24 | 28,648 |
| October 14 | 2:00 p.m. | at Charlotte | Jerry Richardson StadiumCharlotte, NC | ESPN+ | W 14–0 | 15,659 |
| October 21 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 22 Air Force* | Navy–Marine Corps Memorial StadiumAnnapolis, MD (Commander-in-Chief's Trophy) | CBS | L 6–17 | 38,803 |
| November 4 | 2:00 p.m. | at Temple | Lincoln Financial FieldPhiladelphia, PA | ESPN+ | L 18–32 | 13,049 |
| November 11 | 3:30 p.m. | UAB | Navy–Marine Corps Memorial StadiumAnnapolis, MD | CBSSN | W 31–6 | 29,078 |
| November 18 | 12:00 p.m. | East Carolina | Navy–Marine Corps Memorial StadiumAnnapolis, MD | ESPNews/ESPN+ | W 10–0 | 28,708 |
| November 25 | 12:00 p.m. | at SMU | Gerald J. Ford StadiumDallas, TX (Gansz Trophy) | ESPN2 | L 14–59 | 21,490 |
| December 9 | 3:00 p.m. | vs. Army* | Gillette StadiumFoxborough, MA (Army–Navy Game, Commander-in-Chief's Trophy, College GameDay) | CBS | L 11–17 | 65,878 |
| *Non-conference gameRankings from AP Poll and CFP Rankings released prior to gameAll times are in Eastern time |||||||
* ↑ 38,803 is the highest all-time attendance record at Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, breaking the previous record of 38,792 set on October 7, 2017, vs Air Force.

## Game summaries
### vs Notre Dame (Emerald Isle Classic), (rivalry)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Midshipmen | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| No. 13 Fighting Irish | 14 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 35 |
at Aviva Stadium • Dublin, Ireland
* Date: August 26th
* Game time: 2:30 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Temperature: 59 °F (15 °C) • Weather: Rainy/Cloudy
* Game attendance: 49,000
* Referee: Luke Richman
* TV announcers (NBC): Noah Eagle (play-by-play), Jason Garrett (color commentator), Zora Stephenson (sideline reporter), and Terry McAulay (rules analyst)
| Statistics | Navy | No. 13 Notre Dame |
| First downs | 12 | 27 |
| Plays–yards | 55–169 | 57–444 |
| Rushes–yards | 48—126 | 32—191 |
| Passing yards | 43 | 253 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 3–7–0 | 19–23–0 |
| Time of possession | 44:35 | 32:31 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Navy | Passing | Tai Lavatai | 3/6, 43 yards |
| Navy | Rushing | Alex Tecza | 8 carries, 38 yards |
| Navy | Receiving | Brandon Chatman | 2 receptions, 41 yards |
| No. 13 Notre Dame | Passing | Sam Hartman | 19/23, 251 yards, 4 TD |
| No. 13 Notre Dame | Rushing | Audric Estimé | 16 carries, 95 yards, TD |
| No. 13 Notre Dame | Receiving | Jaden Greathouse | 3 receptions, 68 yards, 2 TD |

### vs Wagner (FCS)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Seahawks (FCS) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Midshipmen | 7 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 24 |
at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium • Annapolis, Maryland
* Date: September 9th
* Game time: 3:30 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Temperature: 85 °F (29 °C) • Wind: E 10 miles per hour (16 km/h) • Weather: Rainy/Cloudy
* Game attendance: 29,798
* Referee: Darryl DeBerry
* TV announcers (CBSSN): Chick Hernandez (play-by-play), Randy Cross (analyst) & Sheehan Stanwick Burch (sideline)
| Statistics | Wagner (FCS) | Navy |
| First downs | 12 | 18 |
| Plays–yards | 67–227 | 62–408 |
| Rushes–yards | 32–84 | 44–245 |
| Passing yards | 143 | 163 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 18–35–1 | 11–18–0 |
| Time of possession | 29:18 | 26:23 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Wagner (FCS) | Passing | Damien Mazil | 11/23, 100 yards, INT |
| Wagner (FCS) | Rushing | Zachary Palmer-Smith | 13 carries, 52 yards |
| Wagner (FCS) | Receiving | Mark Didio Jr. | 8 receptions, 57 yards |
| Navy | Passing | Tai Lavatai | 8/13, 161 yards, TD |
| Navy | Rushing | Eli Heidenreich | 4 carries, 66 yards, TD |
| Navy | Receiving | Anton Hall Jr. | 1 reception, 45 yards |

### at Memphis

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Midshipmen | 14 | 0 | 7 | 3 | 24 |
| Tigers | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium • Memphis, Tennessee
* Date: September 14th
* Game time: 7:30 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Temperature: 77 °F (25 °C) • Wind: at W 5 miles per hour (8.0 km/h) • Weather: Sunny
* Game attendance: 25,551
* Referee: Kevin Randell
* TV announcers (ESPN): Matt Barrie (play-by-play), Dan Mullen (analyst) & Harry Lyles Jr. (sideline)
| Statistics | Navy | Memphis |
| First downs | 19 | 19 |
| Plays–yards | 70–432 | 66–408 |
| Rushes–yards | 50–299 | 31–190 |
| Passing yards | 133 | 218 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 10–20–0 | 23–35–1 |
| Time of possession | 32:49 | 27:11 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Navy | Passing | Tai Lavatai | 10–19–0, 133 yards, TD |
| Navy | Rushing | Alex Tecza | 15 carries, 163 yards, TD |
| Navy | Receiving | Brandon Chatman | 1 reception, 58 yards |
| Memphis | Passing | Seth Henigan | 23–35–1, 218 yards, TD, INT |
| Memphis | Rushing | Blake Watson | 10 carries, 169 yards, TD |
| Memphis | Receiving | Blake Watson | 6 receptions, 68 yards |

### vs South Florida

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bulls | 7 | 16 | 7 | 14 | 44 |
| Midshipmen | 14 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 30 |
at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium • Annapolis, Maryland
* Date: September 30th
* Game time: 3:30 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Temperature: 72 °F (22 °C) • Wind: NE at 5 miles per hour (8.0 km/h) • Weather: Clear
* Game attendance: 29,789
* Referee: Scott Hardin
* TV announcers (CBSSN): Jordan Kent (play-by-play), Randy Cross (analyst) & Sheehan Stanwick Burch (sideline)
| Statistics | South Florida | Navy |
| First downs | 11 | 24 |
| Plays–yards | 59–330 | 78–435 |
| Rushes–yards | 48–240 | 44–98 |
| Passing yards | 90 | 338 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 5–11–0 | 26–34–0 |
| Time of possession | 31:08 | 28:52 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| South Florida | Passing | Byrum Brown | 26–34, 338 yards, 3 TD |
| South Florida | Rushing | K'wan Powell | 11 carries, 48 yards |
| South Florida | Receiving | Sean Atkins | 4 receptions, 16 yards, 2 TD |
| Navy | Passing | Blake Horvath | 4–6, 83 yards, 2 TD |
| Navy | Rushing | Alex Tezuka | 13 carries, 82 yards |
| Navy | Receiving | Eli Heidenreich | 1 reception, 68 yards |

### vs North Texas

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Mean Green | 3 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 24 |
| Midshipmen | 0 | 13 | 7 | 7 | 27 |
at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium • Annapolis, Maryland
* Date: October 7th
* Game time: 3:30 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Temperature: 64 °F (18 °C) • Wind: W at 5 miles per hour (8.0 km/h) • Weather: Cloudy
* Game attendance: 28,648
* Referee: Tim Rich
* TV announcers (CBSSN): John Sadack (play-by-play), Randy Cross (analyst) & Sheehan Stanwick Burch (sideline)
| Statistics | North Texas | Navy |
| First downs | 23 | 21 |
| Plays–yards | 69–473 | 68–406 |
| Rushes–yards | 36–206 | 58–331 |
| Passing yards | 267 | 75 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 22–33–0 | 4–10–0 |
| Time of possession | 26:05 | 33:55 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| North Texas | Passing | Chandler Rogers | 22–32–0, 267 yards, TD |
| North Texas | Rushing | Ayo Adeyi | 14 carries, 125 yards, TD |
| North Texas | Receiving | Ja'Mori Maclin | 6 receptions, 76 yards, TD |
| Navy | Passing | Tai Lavatai | 4–8–0, 75 yards, TD |
| Navy | Rushing | Alex Tecza | 17 carries, 137 yards, 2 TD |
| Navy | Receiving | Brandon Chatman | 1 reception, 38 yards |

### at Charlotte

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Midshipmen | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
| 49ers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Jerry Richardson Stadium • Charlotte, North Carolina
* Date: October 14th
* Game time: 2 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Temperature: 70 °F (21 °C) • Wind: at 0 miles per hour (0 km/h) • Weather: Cloudy
* Game attendance: 15,659
* Referee: Steven Anderson
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Richard Cross (play-by-play), Taylor McHargue (analyst), Morgan Ube (sideline reporter)
| Statistics | Navy | Charlotte |
| First downs | 10 | 14 |
| Plays–yards | 55–265 | 68–265 |
| Rushes–yards | 40–173 | 40–123 |
| Passing yards | 92 | 142 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 6–15–0 | 11–28–2 |
| Time of possession | 29:08 | 30:52 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Navy | Passing | Braxton Woodson | 5–14, 85 yards, TD |
| Navy | Rushing | Alex Tecza | 6 carries, 75 yards, TD |
| Navy | Receiving | Eli Heidenreich | 1 reception, 69 yards, TD |
| Charlotte | Passing | Trexler Ivey | 11–27, 142 yards, 2 INT |
| Charlotte | Rushing | Shadrick Byrd | 20 carries, 92 yards |
| Charlotte | Receiving | Duane Thomas Jr. | 3 receptions, 54 yards |

### vs No. 22 Air Force (Commander-in-Chief's Trophy)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 22 Falcons | 0 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 17 |
| Midshipmen | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 6 |
at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium • Annapolis, Maryland
* Date: October 21st
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Temperature: 61 °F (16 °C) • Wind: NW at 14 miles per hour (23 km/h) • Weather: Sunny
* Game attendance: 38,803
* Referee: Jonathan Noli
* TV announcers (CBS): Rich Waltz (play-by-play), Aaron Taylor (analyst), and Amanda Guerra (sideline reporter)
| Statistics | Air Force | Navy |
| First downs | 8 | 10 |
| Plays–yards | 53–288 | 64–124 |
| Rushes–yards | 48–137 | 35–22 |
| Passing yards | 151 | 102 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 15–29–2 | 4–5–0 |
| Time of possession | 31:44 | 28:16 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Air Force | Passing | Zac Larrier | 4–5, 151 yards, TD |
| Air Force | Rushing | Michel Emmanuel | 22 carries, 69 yards |
| Air Force | Receiving | Dane Kinamon | 1 reception, 94 yards, TD |
| Navy | Passing | Tai Lavatai | 13–23, 96 yards, 2 INT, TD |
| Navy | Rushing | Alex Tecza | 12 carries, 24 yards |
| Navy | Receiving | Alex Tecza | 4 receptions, 27 yards |
During halftime, the Navy honored Hall of Fame NFL quarterback and Midshipmen alum Roger Staubach surrounded by his teammates from the 1963 season who made it to the Cotton Bowl in 1964. The Naval academy painted his retired number 12 at the twelve yard line at both ends on the field, joining Navy halfback Joe Bellino's number 27.

### at Temple

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Midshipmen | 0 | 0 | 8 | 10 | 18 |
| Owls | 10 | 7 | 0 | 15 | 32 |
at Lincoln Financial Field • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
* Date: November 4th
* Game time: 2:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Temperature: 56 °F (13 °C) • Wind: SW at 3 miles per hour (4.8 km/h) • Weather: Cloudy
* Game attendance: 13,049
* Referee: Darryl DeBerry
* TV announcers (ESPN+): Noah Reed (play-by-play) and Barrett Brooks (analyst)
| Statistics | Navy | Temple |
| First downs | 13 | 23 |
| Plays–yards | 62–268 | 60–448 |
| Rushes–yards | 48–144 | 27–46 |
| Passing yards | 124 | 402 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 6–14–0 | 27–33–2 |
| Time of possession | 32:58 | 27:02 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Navy | Passing | Xavier Arline | 6/14, 124 yards, TD |
| Navy | Rushing | Xavier Arline | 30 carries, 97 yards, TD |
| Navy | Receiving | Eli Heidenreich | 2 receptions, 63 yards, TD |
| Temple | Passing | E.J. Warner | 27/33, 402 yards, 4 TD, 2 INT |
| Temple | Rushing | Edward Saydee | 8 carries, 38 yards |
| Temple | Receiving | Zae Baines | 7 receptions, 132 yards |

### vs UAB

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Blazers | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Midshipmen | 7 | 0 | 3 | 21 | 31 |
at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium • Annapolis, Maryland
* Date: November 11th
* Game time: 3:30 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Temperature: 54 °F (12 °C) • Wind: SW at 5 miles per hour (8.0 km/h) • Weather: Clear
* Game attendance: 29,078
* Referee: Kevin Randell
* TV announcers (CBSSN): John Sadack (play-by-play), Randy Cross (analyst) & Sheehan Stanwick Burch (sideline reporter)
| Statistics | UAB | Navy |
| First downs | 19 | 16 |
| Plays–yards | 66–321 | 57–363 |
| Rushes–yards | 30–115 | 47–269 |
| Passing yards | 206 | 94 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 25–36–2 | 7–10–1 |
| Time of possession | 26:45 | 33:15 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| UAB | Passing | Jacob Zeno | 25/36, 206 yards, 2 INT |
| UAB | Rushing | Jermaine Brown, Jr. | 15 carries, 55 yards |
| UAB | Receiving | Bryce Damous | 1 reception, 42 yards |
| Navy | Passing | Xavier Arline | 7/10, 94 yards, TD, INT |
| Navy | Rushing | Xavier Arline | 19 carries, 109 yards, TD |
| Navy | Receiving | Regis Velez | 1 reception, 45 yards, TD |

### vs. East Carolina

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Pirates | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Midshipmen | 7 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 10 |
at Navu-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium • Annapolis, Maryland
* Date: November 18th
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Temperature: 55 °F (13 °C) • Wind: NW at 18 miles per hour (29 km/h) • Weather: Sunny
* Game attendance: 28,708
* Referee: Steven Anderson
* TV announcers (ESPNews): Mike Corey (play-by-play) and Dustin Fox (analyst)
| Statistics | East Carolina | Navy |
| First downs | 9 | 13 |
| Plays–yards | 60–189 | 61–276 |
| Rushes–yards | 22–34 | 50–174 |
| Passing yards | 155 | 102 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 24–38–2 | 10–11–0 |
| Time of possession | 25:56 | 34:04 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| East Carolina | Passing | Alex Flinn | 24/38, 155 yards, 2 INT |
| East Carolina | Rushing | Alex Flinn | 12 carries, 31 yards |
| East Carolina | Receiving | Chase Sowell | 6 receptions, 62 yards |
| Navy | Passing | Xavier Arline | 10/11, 102 yards |
| Navy | Rushing | Alex Tecza | 24 carries, 94 yards, TD |
| Navy | Receiving | Eli Heidenreich | 2 receptions, 53 yards |
With this victory, the Navy Midshipmen became the first FBS team to record three shutouts this season. Also, quarterback Xavier Arline set a Naval Academy record for completion percentage in a game. He completed 10 of 11 passes for 102 yards (90.9 percent). The previous record was 88.2 percent (15-17) by Marco Pagnanelli against the Duke Blue Devils on October 2, 1982.

### at SMU (rivalry)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Midshipmen | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Mustangs | 28 | 24 | 7 | 0 | 59 |
at Gerald J. Ford Stadium • Dallas, Texas
* Date: November 25th
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: Temperature: 55 °F (13 °C) • Wind: E at 4 miles per hour (6.4 km/h) • Weather: Sunny
* Game attendance: 21,490
* Referee: Tim Rich
* TV announcers (ESPN2): Roy Philpott (play-by-play), Roddy Jones (analyst) and Taylor McGregor
| Statistics | Navy | SMU |
| First downs | 14 | 21 |
| Plays–yards | 70–253 | 63–487 |
| Rushes–yards | 45–182 | 34–118 |
| Passing yards | 71 | 369 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 9–25–1 | 18–29–0 |
| Time of possession | 32:04 | 27:56 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Navy | Passing | Braxton Woodson | 9/18, 71 yards, INT |
| Navy | Rushing | Braxton Woodson | 18 carries, 104 yards, TD |
| Navy | Receiving | Alex Tecza | 3 receptions, 34 yards, |
| SMU | Passing | Preston Stone | 14/19, 322 yards, 3 TD |
| SMU | Rushing | Tyler Lavine | 7 carries, 49 yards, 3 TD |
| SMU | Receiving | Kelvontay Dixon | 4 receptions, 125 yards, 2 TD |

### vs Army (124th Army-Navy Game), (Commander-in-Chief's Trophy)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Black Kights | 0 | 10 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
| Midshipmen | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 11 |
at Gillette Stadium • Foxborough, Massachusetts
* Date: December 9th
* Game time: 3:00 p.m. EST/12:00 p.m. PST
* Game weather: Temperature: • Wind: NW at 6 MPH at 51 miles per hour (82 km/h) • Weather: Cloudy
* Game attendance: 65,878
* Referee: Edwin Lee
* TV announcers (CBS): Brad Nessler (play-by-play), Gary Danielson (analyst) & Jenny Dell (sideline)
| Statistics | Army | Navy |
| First downs | 15 | 17 |
| Plays–yards | 61–259 | 64–309 |
| Rushes–yards | 47–205 | 35–130 |
| Passing yards | 54 | 179 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 7–14–0 | 16–29–1 |
| Time of possession | 33:31 | 26:29 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Army | Passing | Bryson Daily | 7/14, 54 yards, TD |
| Army | Rushing | Kanye Udoh | 13 carries, 88 yards |
| Army | Receiving | Casey Reynolds | 3 receptions, 32 yards |
| Navy | Passing | Tai Lavatai | 16/26, 179 yards, TD |
| Navy | Rushing | Tai Lavatai | 19 carries, 74 yards |
| Navy | Receiving | Jayden Umbarger | 6 receptions, 75 yards, TD |
For this year's clash, Navy represented the crewmembers of Submarine warfare. Nicknamed the "Silent Service", the uniform pays tribute to the U.S. Submarine Force. The color rush uniform is covered in 'Eclipse Navy', Under Armour's darkest shade of navy blue, to mimic the covert design of a submarine hull. According to the Naval Academy website, "The overall design was intended to be simple and utilitarian to convey the stealth purposes of a submarine's design." The helmet bears an airbrushed Virginia-Class submarine on the right side and a Navy's anchor logo hand-painted with color-changing pragmatic paint on the left side.