In a matchup where 74% of drives ended in a punt, the Navy Midshipmen staved off an upset bid from AAC newcomer Charlotte. Navy's defense forced three turnovers and freshman quarterback Braxton Woodson threw his first career touchdown in a 14-0 win in North Carolina on Saturday.
Except for Charlotte's kneel down at the end of the second quarter, every possession of the first half ended with a punt.
In the second half, Navy produced enough of a spark to put distance between themselves and their hosts. They opened the third quarter with a five-play, 75-yard drive that ended with a 69-yard touchdown pass from Woodson to Eli Heidenreich.
Navy would not score again until the fourth quarter. With 11 minutes remaining, defensive end Justin Reed recovered a fumble by Charlotte quarterback Trexler Ivey. On the very next play, fullback Alex Tecza would take a 62-yard run to the house.
Ivey finished the afternoon 11-of-27 for 142 yards with two interceptions. He threw his second on the final play of the game, which was a deep pass towards the end zone.
With the victory, Navy even out their record at 3-3 with a 2-2 record in AAC play. They'll ride their two-game win streak into next Saturday, when they face fellow service academy Air Force.
Charlotte have now lost five-straight games to bring their record to 1-5. They have yet to beat an FBS team this season. Their next chance for a victory will be October 21 at East Carolina.
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