125th Army - Navy Game Set for 3 PM Saturday Kickoff
By John ChuhranCaMMVets Media
West Point, N.Y. – For the Army Black Knights football team, the last 364 days have been spent preparing for this coming Saturday. The 125th Army-Navy Game is almost here.
“There is no bigger game in the world than this one,” said Army Head Coach Jeff Monken. “Each year, we have an opportunity to talk about this rivalry and talk about this game and just what it's like. It is almost indescribable – just the intensity on each play of this game and I'm certain that this Saturday will be no different. This will be my 11th year at Army and every one of them just seems like it's been a slugfest. There's been some great battles, some really close games and I'm anticipating another game very much like that. It's just going to be blow-for-blow and there'll be one team standing at the end. Hopefully, we'll be able to execute at a very high level and give ourselves a chance to find a way to win.”
Saturday’s game at Northwest Stadium in Landover, MD (3 PM kickoff, CBS TV network) has been the focus since Army defeated the Midshipmen 17-11 with a goal-line stand in the final seconds at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, MA last year.
In the games leading up to this year’s renewal of one of football’s fiercest rivalries, Army has played brilliantly, compiling an 11-1 (9-0 in the American Athletic Conference) record (marred only by a 49-14 blowout loss to No. 4 ranked Notre Dame). The Black Knights led the nation in rushing on offense and in Red Zone efficiency on defense en route to going undefeated in AAC play to claim their first ever conference championship (after being independent for most of the last century and a quarter). It all added up to earn Army the No. 19 ranking in the Associated Press poll. Army has been in the AP Top 25 for 9 consecutive weeks, its longest stretch since 1958.
The success has been achieved through the commitment and hard work of the players and the coaches who were able to focus on the next game week after week, never losing sight of the ultimate goal – winning the Commander-In-Chiefs (CIC) Trophy. Accomplishing that objective requires the Black Knights to defeat Air Force (which was beaten 20-3 on Nov. 2) and Navy.
Through it all, there is the simple two-word sentence – Beat Navy – that symbolizes the intensity that underlies all competitions between the nation’s two oldest military academies. Beyond an ingrained belief that the U.S. Military Academy is better than the Naval Academy (with reverse feelings for the Midshipmen), there is a shared commitment to serving the nation – in combat if necessary – and to making the ultimate sacrifice if necessary while simultaneously realizing that survival in battle may very well rest on the success of these Brothers In Arms from the other Academy.
“I'm excited for our team, for our guys that have never experienced an Army Navy game,” Monken said. “It's a game like no other. For our senior class and the opportunity for them to leave here with a victory in this game as Firsties is a source of pride they'll carry with them for a lifetime, so I hope we're able to get there and get to the Victory Circle. But I'm certain that the other team is feeling the same way and they want to do the same for their seniors and for their team. It's what makes it such an incredible rivalry.”
Embracing these shared values makes the rivalry unique and deeper than anything else in sports; you want to win every time you play, but defeating your brother is even sweeter. It is why almost every conversation with cadets ends with the two-word mantra (while the phrase at Annapolis is, of course, “Beat Army”). All work is structured to realize that result. Virtually every visitor asks if they will defeat this legendary archrival. And as the game draws nearer, the questions and thoughts of the game become ever greater.
In the last week, other distractions have arisen. They certainly could cause a lapse in concentration at the wrong time. Consider these developments:
· Army’s highly regarded offensive line is losing its architect. Offensive line coach Matt Drinkall has been named Head Coach at Central Michigan. Drinkall has said he will continue in his current role on Saturday, but will leave afterward.
· CBS-TV announced that executives had met with leaders at West Point and Annapolis and all parties had signed a 10-year extension to broadcast the Army-Navy game over terrestrial TV through 2038.
· With pressure to win now increasing on head coaches at top FBS college programs, numerous head coaches have been fired before the end of the season. Coach Monken’s name had been considered as the new leader at either the North Carolina or West Virginia programs, but other coaches were eventually selected.
· Army QB Bryson Daily, despite rushing for 1,474 yards with 29 TD (tied for most in the nation), was not named a finalist for the Heisman Trophy (to be announced Saturday evening).
· After Saturday’s game, Army will play in a Bowl game – the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl on Dec. 28 (9:15 PM on ESPN) against Marshall (10-3), winner of the Sun Belt Conference. However, Marshall Head Coach Charles Huff has resigned to take over the program at Southern Mississippi and 24 players entered the transfer portal in the following 96 hours. Starting QB Braylan Braxton and backups Cole Pennington and Stone Earle led the exodus and there is concern that many other key players from this year’s Thundering Herd might be gone before the opening kickoff, leaving Marshall and new Head Coach Tony Gibson with a shell of a team that could make a mockery of the game. Add to that background the reality that this Navy team has improved drastically from the recent past squads and the pressure can get incredibly high. Under second-year Head Coach Brian Newberry, the Midshipmen (8-3, 6-2) posted a winning season for the first time since 2019. They have won 2 of their last three games, but were completely dominated by Tulane 35-0 in the middle battle as starting QB Blake Horvath was knocked out of the game late in the first quarter with a hard tackle that triggered back spasms. He was sidelined for the next game – a 34-20 win when substitute QB Braxton Woodson rushed for 125 yards and 2 TD and threw for 165 and one TD – but has been cleared to play Saturday.“Navy's got a very talented football team,” Monken said, “a very good football team, well coached, and they've had a great year. It's going to be a huge battle and a tremendous challenge.” The offenses of the two teams are similar. Horvath and Army’s own QB, Bryson Daily, both run well and throw enough to keep opponents off balance. Daily runs more (1,480 yards to 895), Horvath passes more (1,154 to 877). Army is averaging 32.9 Points per game, Navy 32.2. Army leads in total average yards per game (397.6 to 375.9) and average rushing yards per game (314.4 to 247.7). Navy has four solid running backs – Alex Tecza, Eli Heidenreich, Brandon Chatman and Daba Fofana – that have all run for between 253 and 509 yards. Army has two primary alternatives to Daily – Kanye Udoh (1,064 yards) and Noah Short (533) – and four reserves – Samari Howard, Jake Rendina, Hayden Reed and Tyrell Robinson – who have run for between 65 and 152 yards. Navy’s Heidenreich (36 catches for 596 yards and 5 TD) , who this year became the first Midshipman in a decade to have back-to-back games where he logged 100 yards in receptions, has been the favorite passing target for the Midshipmen. Casey Reynolds (18 for 426 and 3 TD) and Short (16 for 313 and 3 TD) are Daily’s primary receivers. Offensive success will likely come down to the effectiveness of the five linemen and this is where Army has a significant advantage. The Black Knights have a quintet – LT Connor Finucane, LG Bill Katsigiannis, C Brady Small, RG Paolo Genneralli, and RT Lucas Scott – that has delayed opposing defenses and opened the gaps that enabled Army to lead the nation in rushing. This unit has been named one of the three finalists for the Joe Moore Award, presented to the collegiate Offensive line that is voted the best in the nation.
By John ChuhranCaMMVets Media
West Point, N.Y. – For the Army Black Knights football team, the last 364 days have been spent preparing for this coming Saturday. The 125th Army-Navy Game is almost here.
“There is no bigger game in the world than this one,” said Army Head Coach Jeff Monken. “Each year, we have an opportunity to talk about this rivalry and talk about this game and just what it's like. It is almost indescribable – just the intensity on each play of this game and I'm certain that this Saturday will be no different. This will be my 11th year at Army and every one of them just seems like it's been a slugfest. There's been some great battles, some really close games and I'm anticipating another game very much like that. It's just going to be blow-for-blow and there'll be one team standing at the end. Hopefully, we'll be able to execute at a very high level and give ourselves a chance to find a way to win.”
Saturday’s game at Northwest Stadium in Landover, MD (3 PM kickoff, CBS TV network) has been the focus since Army defeated the Midshipmen 17-11 with a goal-line stand in the final seconds at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, MA last year.
In the games leading up to this year’s renewal of one of football’s fiercest rivalries, Army has played brilliantly, compiling an 11-1 (9-0 in the American Athletic Conference) record (marred only by a 49-14 blowout loss to No. 4 ranked Notre Dame). The Black Knights led the nation in rushing on offense and in Red Zone efficiency on defense en route to going undefeated in AAC play to claim their first ever conference championship (after being independent for most of the last century and a quarter). It all added up to earn Army the No. 19 ranking in the Associated Press poll. Army has been in the AP Top 25 for 9 consecutive weeks, its longest stretch since 1958.
The success has been achieved through the commitment and hard work of the players and the coaches who were able to focus on the next game week after week, never losing sight of the ultimate goal – winning the Commander-In-Chiefs (CIC) Trophy. Accomplishing that objective requires the Black Knights to defeat Air Force (which was beaten 20-3 on Nov. 2) and Navy.
Through it all, there is the simple two-word sentence – Beat Navy – that symbolizes the intensity that underlies all competitions between the nation’s two oldest military academies. Beyond an ingrained belief that the U.S. Military Academy is better than the Naval Academy (with reverse feelings for the Midshipmen), there is a shared commitment to serving the nation – in combat if necessary – and to making the ultimate sacrifice if necessary while simultaneously realizing that survival in battle may very well rest on the success of these Brothers In Arms from the other Academy.
“I'm excited for our team, for our guys that have never experienced an Army Navy game,” Monken said. “It's a game like no other. For our senior class and the opportunity for them to leave here with a victory in this game as Firsties is a source of pride they'll carry with them for a lifetime, so I hope we're able to get there and get to the Victory Circle. But I'm certain that the other team is feeling the same way and they want to do the same for their seniors and for their team. It's what makes it such an incredible rivalry.”
Embracing these shared values makes the rivalry unique and deeper than anything else in sports; you want to win every time you play, but defeating your brother is even sweeter. It is why almost every conversation with cadets ends with the two-word mantra (while the phrase at Annapolis is, of course, “Beat Army”). All work is structured to realize that result. Virtually every visitor asks if they will defeat this legendary archrival. And as the game draws nearer, the questions and thoughts of the game become ever greater.
In the last week, other distractions have arisen. They certainly could cause a lapse in concentration at the wrong time. Consider these developments:
· Army’s highly regarded offensive line is losing its architect. Offensive line coach Matt Drinkall has been named Head Coach at Central Michigan. Drinkall has said he will continue in his current role on Saturday, but will leave afterward.
· CBS-TV announced that executives had met with leaders at West Point and Annapolis and all parties had signed a 10-year extension to broadcast the Army-Navy game over terrestrial TV through 2038.
· With pressure to win now increasing on head coaches at top FBS college programs, numerous head coaches have been fired before the end of the season. Coach Monken’s name had been considered as the new leader at either the North Carolina or West Virginia programs, but other coaches were eventually selected.
· Army QB Bryson Daily, despite rushing for 1,474 yards with 29 TD (tied for most in the nation), was not named a finalist for the Heisman Trophy (to be announced Saturday evening).
· After Saturday’s game, Army will play in a Bowl game – the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl on Dec. 28 (9:15 PM on ESPN) against Marshall (10-3), winner of the Sun Belt Conference. However, Marshall Head Coach Charles Huff has resigned to take over the program at Southern Mississippi and 24 players entered the transfer portal in the following 96 hours. Starting QB Braylan Braxton and backups Cole Pennington and Stone Earle led the exodus and there is concern that many other key players from this year’s Thundering Herd might be gone before the opening kickoff, leaving Marshall and new Head Coach Tony Gibson with a shell of a team that could make a mockery of the game. Add to that background the reality that this Navy team has improved drastically from the recent past squads and the pressure can get incredibly high. Under second-year Head Coach Brian Newberry, the Midshipmen (8-3, 6-2) posted a winning season for the first time since 2019. They have won 2 of their last three games, but were completely dominated by Tulane 35-0 in the middle battle as starting QB Blake Horvath was knocked out of the game late in the first quarter with a hard tackle that triggered back spasms. He was sidelined for the next game – a 34-20 win when substitute QB Braxton Woodson rushed for 125 yards and 2 TD and threw for 165 and one TD – but has been cleared to play Saturday.“Navy's got a very talented football team,” Monken said, “a very good football team, well coached, and they've had a great year. It's going to be a huge battle and a tremendous challenge.” The offenses of the two teams are similar. Horvath and Army’s own QB, Bryson Daily, both run well and throw enough to keep opponents off balance. Daily runs more (1,480 yards to 895), Horvath passes more (1,154 to 877). Army is averaging 32.9 Points per game, Navy 32.2. Army leads in total average yards per game (397.6 to 375.9) and average rushing yards per game (314.4 to 247.7). Navy has four solid running backs – Alex Tecza, Eli Heidenreich, Brandon Chatman and Daba Fofana – that have all run for between 253 and 509 yards. Army has two primary alternatives to Daily – Kanye Udoh (1,064 yards) and Noah Short (533) – and four reserves – Samari Howard, Jake Rendina, Hayden Reed and Tyrell Robinson – who have run for between 65 and 152 yards. Navy’s Heidenreich (36 catches for 596 yards and 5 TD) , who this year became the first Midshipman in a decade to have back-to-back games where he logged 100 yards in receptions, has been the favorite passing target for the Midshipmen. Casey Reynolds (18 for 426 and 3 TD) and Short (16 for 313 and 3 TD) are Daily’s primary receivers. Offensive success will likely come down to the effectiveness of the five linemen and this is where Army has a significant advantage. The Black Knights have a quintet – LT Connor Finucane, LG Bill Katsigiannis, C Brady Small, RG Paolo Genneralli, and RT Lucas Scott – that has delayed opposing defenses and opened the gaps that enabled Army to lead the nation in rushing. This unit has been named one of the three finalists for the Joe Moore Award, presented to the collegiate Offensive line that is voted the best in the nation.
Defensively, the Black Knights also have an advantage, holding opponents to just 15.0 points and 297.9 yards per game. Navy has held the opposition to 23.2 ppg and 380.5 ypg. Andon Thomas (88 tackles, 3.5 tackles-for-loss, .5 of a QB sack, 2 interceptions, 2 pass break ups, 1 QB hurry, 1 fumble recovery), Kalib Fortner (66, 8.5 tfl, 1 QB sack, 1 pbu, 4 QBh), Max DiDomenico (52, 1 tfl, 2 int, 4 QBh), and Casey Larkin (42, 5.5 tfl, 4 int, 1 pbu) are four cornerstones to a unit that leads the nation in Red Zone defense (holding opponents to just a 54.5 percent chance of scoring if they get inside the Army 20) and in time of possession (35:42).
Navy’s defense is led by Colin Ramos (110, 8 tfl, 2 QB sacks, 2 pbu, 3 QBh, 1 forced fumble), Kyle Jacob (84, 2 tfl, 3 int, 1 pbu, 2 QBh, 1 fr), Rayuan Lane (61, 0.5 tfl, 2 int, 3 pbu, 3 ff) , Luke Pirris (60, 6 tfl, 2.5 QB sack, 1 pbu, 4 QBh, 1 fr, 1 ff) , and Jaxson Campbell (55, 5 tfl, 2.5 QB sack, 1 Int, 4 pbr, 2 QBh, 1 fr).
Generally, won-loss records can be tossed aside when the Army-Navy game is played and this year will probably continue that trend. But the advantage provided by Army’s O-line (called “the best I’ve ever coached” by Monken) and the united defense played by the 11-man unit should be enough to give the Black Knights a close win. However, a surprise pass play by Navy’s Horvath could upset the results. Look for another nail biter that goes down to the final ticks of the clock.
As an added incentive, because both Army and Navy both beat Air Force this year, this 125th edition of army vs. Navy has the distinction of being only the fifth time since 1978 where both teams can win the CIC Trophy – a two-and-a-half foot high, 170-pound, three sided silver and black sculpture symbolic of excellence in physical competition among our future military leaders – outright with a victory (and win a trip to the White House to meet and have lunch with President Trump, who will be attending the game, in the spring), so both sides can count on every player giving everything possible for all 60 minutes.
Asked to summarize how he would describe why this game was different from all others, Monken paused for a second to think about a response.
“People have written books about this game,” Monken said, “thousands of pages about this game. I think if you took two groups of people that had great disdain for each other, wanted to beat the other guys across from them so badly they were willing to do just about anything to see that happen. And then we handed everybody a sledgehammer and said, ‘okay, this side you get to hit that side as hard as you want with a sledgehammer, and after that swing the other side gets to hit this side with a sledgehammer as hard as they can.’
“And we just keep doing that until there's only one guy standing and his team gets to win. That's about what this game is – it is just an absolute brawl. It's a sledgehammer fight for the entire duration. It's what makes it awesome. It's a great game.”
And it will all unfold for the nation to see on Saturday.
(-CaMMVets-)
Navy’s defense is led by Colin Ramos (110, 8 tfl, 2 QB sacks, 2 pbu, 3 QBh, 1 forced fumble), Kyle Jacob (84, 2 tfl, 3 int, 1 pbu, 2 QBh, 1 fr), Rayuan Lane (61, 0.5 tfl, 2 int, 3 pbu, 3 ff) , Luke Pirris (60, 6 tfl, 2.5 QB sack, 1 pbu, 4 QBh, 1 fr, 1 ff) , and Jaxson Campbell (55, 5 tfl, 2.5 QB sack, 1 Int, 4 pbr, 2 QBh, 1 fr).
Generally, won-loss records can be tossed aside when the Army-Navy game is played and this year will probably continue that trend. But the advantage provided by Army’s O-line (called “the best I’ve ever coached” by Monken) and the united defense played by the 11-man unit should be enough to give the Black Knights a close win. However, a surprise pass play by Navy’s Horvath could upset the results. Look for another nail biter that goes down to the final ticks of the clock.
As an added incentive, because both Army and Navy both beat Air Force this year, this 125th edition of army vs. Navy has the distinction of being only the fifth time since 1978 where both teams can win the CIC Trophy – a two-and-a-half foot high, 170-pound, three sided silver and black sculpture symbolic of excellence in physical competition among our future military leaders – outright with a victory (and win a trip to the White House to meet and have lunch with President Trump, who will be attending the game, in the spring), so both sides can count on every player giving everything possible for all 60 minutes.
Asked to summarize how he would describe why this game was different from all others, Monken paused for a second to think about a response.
“People have written books about this game,” Monken said, “thousands of pages about this game. I think if you took two groups of people that had great disdain for each other, wanted to beat the other guys across from them so badly they were willing to do just about anything to see that happen. And then we handed everybody a sledgehammer and said, ‘okay, this side you get to hit that side as hard as you want with a sledgehammer, and after that swing the other side gets to hit this side with a sledgehammer as hard as they can.’
“And we just keep doing that until there's only one guy standing and his team gets to win. That's about what this game is – it is just an absolute brawl. It's a sledgehammer fight for the entire duration. It's what makes it awesome. It's a great game.”
And it will all unfold for the nation to see on Saturday.
(-CaMMVets-)