Army-Navy, the 125th meeting in the most storied series in college football, will officially conclude the 2024 regular season. In addition to the usual pageantry this game provides, it’s also nearly always a highly entertaining affair. Eight of the past 10 meetings have been one-score contests, including last year’s 17-11 Army victory that ended in a goal-line stand and the double-OT affair two seasons ago also won by the Black Knights.
Add the fact that both academy squads are enjoying successful seasons, and the fact that this meeting will determine the outright winner of the Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy, not to mention that the academies are a combined 15 games above .500, and it should be appointment viewing.
Here’s a quick look at the particulars.
No. 18 Army (11-1) vs. Navy (8-3)
Time/TV: Saturday, 3 p.m. ET, CBS.
Why watch: See above. This year the game takes place at the venue currently known as Northwest Stadium in Landover, Maryland, much closer to Navy’s backyard but still a neutral site with both academies sure to be well represented in the crowd. The Midshipmen took the only prior encounter on this field in 2011, but the Black Knights have claimed five of the past seven series meetings. They are also fresh off winning the American Athletic Conference title in their first year in the league. The Midshipmen were in contention for the league title before a losing spell after beginning the season 6-0, but they did claim a victory at bowl-bound East Carolina in their most recent outing. Both teams also defeated Air Force earlier in the year, so an additional piece of hardware is on the line along with the usual bragging rights at the Pentagon.
Army QB Bryson Daily is having a tremendous season, entering this contest with 1,480 rushing yards and 29 TDs with an additional 877 yards passing with eight scores. When he doesn’t keep the ball, it most often ends up in the hands of RB Kanye Udoh, SB Noah Short or WR Casey Reynolds. The Navy defense, of course, will be quite familiar with the Black Knights’ formations. Expect LBs Colin Ramos and Kyle Jacob to be in the vicinity of the point of attack often. Navy starting QB Blake Horvath was injured early in the loss to Tulane and sat out the East Carolina win but is expected to return for this one. His backup Braxton Woodson has taken plenty of meaningful snaps and will be ready if needed. FB Alex Tecza and SB Eli Heidenreich can help keep the ball moving. The main stoppers along the Army front are LBs Andon Thomas and Kalib Fortner.
Why it could disappoint: It won’t. It can’t. Navy’s 31-7 triumph in 2019 was the last truly one-sided contest, but even on the rare occasions when that happens there are still plenty of big moments. This game is truly a celebration of the sport. Enjoy.
