Army and Navy will be the only two FBS programs in action on Saturday as the service academies square off in their annual rivalry showdown on CBS. The game represents a chance for Army (8-3) to reach nine wins for the second consecutive season and the fourth time in five seasons. For Navy (3-8), it marks a chance to salvage a disappointing season.
But more than anything, it’s bragging rights that are at stake. Army has won four of the last five in the series, which surely does not sit well with the Midshipmen. Army will retain physical possession the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy, even with a loss. but if Navy pulls the upset, the three service academies would each be 1-1 against each other this season.
It should be a memorable afternoon as the teams square off at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. When these two teams play, it’s always about more than just football. But the on-field product rarely disappoints in what usually amounts to an old-school, run-heavy battle of wills between the Black Knights and Midsiphmen.
Here now is a look back at the most memorable matchups from this storied rivalry.
1. 1926: Army 21, Navy 21
Both teams were undefeated. Seen by 100,000 at Soldier Field. Considered by many to be one of the greatest college games in history.
The spectacle itself makes this game one of the most significant in the series as the teams played in front of more than 100,000 spectators at the dedication of Soldier Field, which was constructed as a memorial to those who died in World War One. But the stakes of the game — and the outcome — only add to the lore. Both were undefeated, and the right to claim a national title was at stake as they battled to a 21-21 tie. But since Army had already a tie on its schedule against Notre Dame, Navy ended up claiming a national title.
2. 1963: Navy 21, Army 15
The debut of instant replay in a game postponed a week due to the mourning period after the assassination of President Kennedy.
With the nation in a state of mourning after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the game was pushed back a week. More than 100,000 witnessed a thriller, with Army mounting a late comeback that fell just short as a Navy team led by Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Roger Staubach delivered a 21-15 victory. The game secured Navy’s place in the Cotton Bowl and served as a welcome distraction for a healing nation. The meeting was also significant because of a technological breakthrough, as CBS television viewers witnessed instant replays in a broadcast for the first time.
3. 2016: Army 21, Navy 17
Army breaks a 14-game Navy winning streak.
Navy carried a 14-game winning streak in the series and a 9-3 season record into the 2016 meeting. But in coach Jeff Monken’s third year, the Black Knights were 6-5 and on the rise after five straight losing seasons. Ultimately, Army’s defense held Navy to just 201 total yards and secured a monumental 21-17 win. But it came with plenty of drama. Navy erased a 14-point deficit and took the lead before Ahmad Bradshaw’s 9-yard touchdown run with six minutes left lifted Army to victory.
4. 1983: Navy 42, Army 13,
The first and only game played west of the Mississippi — at the Rose Bowl.
The teams combined for just five total wins in 1983, but their game with each other was particularly memorable because of where it took place. For the first and only time in series history, they played west of the Mississippi River at the Rose Bowl, with Navy winning 42-13 in front of 81,347. Funds were raised for the student bodies of both institutions to make the journey, and the week included a night at Disneyland for the cadets, the midshipmen and their families.
5. 1944: Army 42, Navy 13
Army began its greatest period on the gridiron as the military secured some of its greatest victories on the World War Two battlefield. The Knights won three straight national titles while going undefeated from 1944 through 1946. A 23-7 win over Navy in 1944 was particularly significant because it snapped a five-game losing streak to the Midshipmen in which Army had scored just six total points.
