The 125th meeting between No. 22 Army and Navy will mean a little more for both teams when they collide on Saturday in Landover, Md.
For the first time in seven years, whichever team wins the game also will secure the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy, the annual prize awarded to the school with the best record in inter-service academy play.
The Midshipmen (8-3) took the first step toward securing the hardware on Oct. 5, when they traveled to Air Force and trounced the Falcons 34-7. The Black Knights (11-1) followed suit on Nov. 2, churning out a 20-3 home win over Air Force despite playing without star quarterback Bryson Daily.
ODDS AND TRENDS
Army is a consensus 6.0-point favorite among sportsbooks. That includes at BetRivers, where Army has been backed by 77 percent of the spread-line bets, and at BetMGM, where the Black Knights have been even more popular with 92 percent of the money backing them since the line opened at 4.5.
Navy has failed to cover the spread in each of its past four games against ranked opponents.
PROP PICK
Each of the past seven meetings have gone under the total points line, as have seven of Navy’s past eight games played in December, explaining very split action from the public in the Over/Under markets.
The total points line at BetRivers on Friday afternoon sat at 39.0, with the book reporting the Under drawing 53 percent of the money while the Over had garnered 60 percent of the total bets. The slightly higher 39.5-point total at BetMGM had seen a similar split with the Over backed by 55 percent of the money while the Under had drawn 52 percent of the total bets.
With two run-based offenses, possessions and points will be at a premium, and we’re going with the Under on 39.5 points.
KEY STAT
Army has won six of the past eight meetings, but Navy enters with a two-game winning streak in the series.
THE NEWS
Army won the trophy last year and has enjoyed a historically successful campaign this season, its first in the American Athletic Conference.
The Black Knights marched to their first 9-0 start since 1996 and won all eight of their conference games before routing Tulane 35-14 in the AAC title game last Friday in West Point, N.Y.
Army already has matched a program record with its 11 wins and is headed to the Independence Bowl to face Marshall on Dec. 28, but the Black Knights’ season largely hinges on Saturday’s result.
“No matter what kind of a season we’ve had, losing this game makes the season a bit of a disappointment,” Army coach Jeff Monken said.
Monken’s squad has thrived behind Daily, whose 1,480 rushing yards lead the nation’s top ground attack (314.4 yards per game). Daily’s 29 rushing touchdowns are tied with Boise State running back and Heisman Trophy finalist Ashton Jeanty for the most in college football.
The Black Knights have smothered opponents to just 15.0 points per game, the seventh-fewest in the nation. Andon Thomas is the unit’s top tackler (83), while fellow linebacker Kalib Fortner has a team-high 8.5 tackles for loss.
Army will dig in against a new-look Navy offense that has keyed the program’s turnaround after four straight losing seasons.
Like the Black Knights, the Midshipmen still rely on the triple option, but first-year offensive coordinator Drew Cronic has added some extra pop by implementing a more modernized version of the scheme that incorporates more passing plays and spread-out formations.
Navy has thrived under the new system, scoring 32.3 points per game this year after managing just 17.7 last season.
Quarterback Blake Horvath leads the Midshipmen with 895 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground to go along with 1,154 yards and 11 scores through the air. He missed Navy’s last regular-season game against East Carolina with a back injury but said he is good to go for Saturday.
Regardless of Saturday’s result, Navy will finish with its first winning record since going 11-2 in 2019. The Midshipmen will also make their first bowl appearance since that year when they played Oklahoma in the Armed Forces Bowl on Dec. 27.
THEY SAID IT
“Don’t press. Don’t make this game bigger than it is. It is a big game, but don’t psych yourself out.” –Horvath, a junior who will start his first Army-Navy game.
PREDICTION
It’s easy to look at Army’s beatdown of Tulane last week and expect another rout, but there is no rivalry quite like this one, and Navy will give the Black Knights everything they can handle. Ultimately, Army is the more-balanced team with the nation’s leading ground game and a defense capable of winning the field position battle. –Army 20, Navy 17
–Field Level Media
