Navy Midshipmen Offensive Stars To Watch Against East Carolina Pirates

Here are some of the top offensive stars to watch for both the Navy Midshipmen and the East Carolina Pirates on Friday.

Oct 19, 2024; Annapolis, Maryland, USA; Navy Midshipmen quarterback Blake Horvath (11) throws the ball before a game against the Charlotte 49ers at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. / Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

The Navy Midshipmen are out to try and dominate a red-hot East Carolina Pirates team as they prepare for their post-Thanksgiving Day showdown on Friday.

Kickoff is set for noon eastern on ESPN.

The Midshipmen (7-3, 5-2 in American) have lost three of their last four games. But, they enter this game as one of the best rushing teams in the country. Navy is No. 8 in the country and averaging 243 yards per game. It also has a deceptively productive passing game and had last week off, so the Midshipmen should be fresh.  

East Carolina (7-4, 5-2) is 4-0 since it fired Mike Houston and elevated coordinator Blake Harrell. The Pirates have one of the most productive passing games in the country, as the Pirates are ranked No. 18 at 278.7 yards per game.  

Here are three offensive players to watch for each team going into Saturday’s contest.

Navy

QB Blake Horvath

It’s rare for a service academy quarterback to have more yards passing than rushing when they play a full season. But that’s how versatile Hovarth is. He’s rushed for a team-leading 895 yards and 13 touchdowns. That was to be expected. But the 1,154 yards passing with 11 touchdowns against four interceptions? That’s a huge bonus.

RB Alex Tecza

Tecza is a fine complement to Hovarth and is the team’s second-leading rusher. He’s gained 447 yards (5.5 yards per carry) and has scored seven touchdowns. He has game-breaking ability and his long for the season is 65 yards.

RB Eli Heidenreich

Part of why Horvath has been so special as a passer is because of Heidenreich, who leads Navy with 30 receptions for 556 yards and five touchdowns. He’s averaging nearly 20 yards per reception. On the ground, the back has 320 yards on just 46 carries and two touchdowns. He’s as versatile a player as you’ll find on offense.

East Carolina Pirates

QB Katin Houser

The job has been Houser’s since early October (Jake Garcia hasn’t played in more than a month). He’s helped elevate the passing game and has thrown for 1,640 yards, 16 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Combine his numbers with Garcia and the Pirates have more than 3,000 yards passing. So, Houser is going to air it out.  

RB Rajai Harris

The fifth-year senior is having a career season and is closing in on his first 1,000-yard campaign. He’s rushed for 100 yards in three of his last four games and has scored seven touchdowns in that span. He now has 858 yards rushing with 10 touchdowns entering this regular-season finale for the Pirates.

WR Anthony Smith

The Pirates have another great receiver in Chase Sowell, but Smith has been the hotter receiver of late. Since the coaching change he’s put together a trio of 100-yard receiving games and has scored three touchdowns. He has a team-leading 35 catches for 737 yards and six touchdowns. Like Harris, he’s a fifth-year senior.