The UAB Blazers enter Week 5 at 1-2 and are facing the toughest stretch of their 2024 schedule.

First up is Navy, followed by Tulane, Army and South Florida in the coming weeks, but the four-game battle begins by hosting the 3-0 Midshipmen, who are coming off a 56-44 win over Memphis last week.

The keys to Navy’s offensive coordinator position were handed over to former Mercer head coach Drew Cronic this offseason, and the early returns have been successful. Navy ranks 21st in total offense with 470 yards per game, 4th in rushing offense with 307 rushing yards per game, and 10th in scoring offense with 47.7 points per game.

Quarterback Blake Horvath, the centerpiece of Navy’s triple-option offense, comes to Protective Stadium after one of the best single-game performances by a quarterback in 2024.

A true dual-threat, he rushed for 192 yards and two touchdowns through the air and added another 211 yards and four touchdowns rushing, including an outstanding 90-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter that put the game out of reach for Memphis.

“To think that we’re going to shut down Navy’s run game, I think is probably an unrealistic expectation. I think you have to limit the damage, contain it,” Trent Dilfer said at his weekly press conference.

It’s the biggest task for its defense yet and likely the key to staying in the game for UAB, which drew in its last game against Arkansas but ultimately lost 27-37.

The Blazers allowed 266 rushing yards on the ground in Fayetteville. 172 of those came from running backs, but quarterback Taylen Green rushed for 96 yards and two touchdowns, which hopefully wasn’t a preview of the havoc Horvath can wreak on their run defense this week.

However, limiting air damage from opposing quarterbacks hasn’t been a problem for UAB so far, marking a surprising turnaround from their secondary’s performance last season.

The Blazers’ defense ranks third nationally in passing yards allowed per game, allows just 102.7 yards through the air per game and has totaled just 29 pass completions in three games.

On the other side of things, UAB’s offense got off to a slow start this season, bogged down by turnovers and penalties in the first two games, but got back on track in unlikely fashion against Arkansas despite the loss.

The Blazers scored 27 points in Fayetteville, behind the best performance of veteran quarterback Jacob Zeno in 2024, who went 23-32 passing for 235 yards and three touchdowns.

They need a repeat performance on offense, or better yet against a team as high-scoring as Navy and one that can control the pace of a game. The Midshipmen’s secondary has shown its vulnerability through the air, giving up 371 yards against a potent Memphis offense last week.

UAB players won’t just be playing for themselves this week either, as Protective Stadium will host the second annual game in honor of Smile-A-Mile, a nonprofit organization located just blocks from their campus. The Blazers will debut their updated black and lime alternate jerseys, which will feature the name of a childhood cancer patient in place of players’ last names.

The game begins at 11 a.m. at Protective Stadium on ESPN2.