Tag: Army-Navy

You have to see Navy’s nose tackle successfully convert a fake punt play against Army

Landon Robinson showed why he’s one of college football’s signature freak athletes.

Fake punts are beginning to become a bit of a tradition in the Army-Navy game.

You remember Diego Fagot’s iconic conversion for the Midshipmen in 2021, right? When the snap surprised the linebacker and he stiff-armed a would-be tackler before scampering for a critical late-game first down? Indeed, that was pretty awesome.

And so was the fake punt Navy ran in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s game, the 125th meeting between the Black Knights and Midshipmen. But this time, the man who got the ball was not a linebacker, or a fullback, or a receiver.

No, he was a bit heftier.

On a fourth-and-5 setup at midfield early in the fourth quarter, Navy called for a fake punt. The ball was snapped into the mitts of junior nose tackle Landon Robinson, who cut through a hole set up by blockers and rumbled down the field for a 29-yard run. Robinson fumbled at the end, but it was safely recovered by Navy and set up Blake Horvath’s second touchdown of the day – which, of importance to bettors, triggered a rare over (39 points) in the Army-Navy game.

Here’s the play:

It’s not a Thicc Six, but we should celebrate it the same way.

LANDOVER, MARYLAND – DECEMBER 14: Defensive tackle Landon Robinson #96 of the Navy Midshipmen celebrates a sack against the Army Black Knights during the first half of 125th America’s Game between the Army Black Knights and the Navy Midshipmen at Northwest Stadium on December 14, 2024 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

Robinson is listed as 6 feet tall and 285 pounds. He made an appearance on Bruce Feldman’s annual Freaks List at the Athletic. Robinson, according to Feldman, can bench 450 pounds and squat 650. He entered the Army-Navy game with four sacks on the season.

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4 up-close photos of this year’s awesome Army-Navy game alternate uniforms

Yes, Nike and Under Armour cooked again with these.

People watch the Army-Navy game for a lot of different reasons. Some tune in for the patriotism and pageantry, while others are scheme sickos who love the triple-option and its variations.

Others watch on the second Saturday in December to see what kind of awesome uniforms Nike has cooked up for Army, and what Under Armour has unveiled for Navy.

It’s become part of the tradition of the long-running rivalry game that each team wears special one-off uniforms for the game, often which are nods to historic military history. In the past, Navy has paid homage to its ties with NASA and Army has given tribute to a unit that played a key role in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

This year was no different.

Army’s slick all-black threads commemorated the 101st Airborne’s role in the Battle of the Bulge, while Navy went with an all-white kit in a nod to the Jolly Rogers, the storied aviation unit.

Here’s a few up-close looks at the uniforms:

Image Courtesy of Army West Point Athletics
Image Courtesy of Army West Point Athletics
Image Courtesy of Navy Athletics
Image Courtesy of Navy Athletics

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4 things to know about Army and Navy’s potential collision in back-to-back games

Could Army and Navy play twice this season? Could the AAC title game be a play-in for the College Football Playoff?

The troops are playing some awesome football. For the first time since 1945, Army and Navy are a combined 10-0.

On Saturday, Army thumped Tulsa 49-7, while Navy snapped a four-game losing streak to rival Air Force to win 34-7 in Colorado Springs. For the Midshipmen, it was their largest margin of victory at Air Force since 1978.

It’s worth noting that Navy and Army aren’t winning the way they used to. Yes, both are still running the triple-option – or variations of it, like Drew Cronic’s Wing T hybrid in Annapolis — but the Mids and Black Knights have both incorporated passing into their schemes and are challenging opponents to keep up with them on the scoreboard. Both Army and Navy rank in the top 30 in FBS in scoring offense. Instead of grinding opponents into dust with ball control, both are trying to reach the end zone quickly and often.

Since both Army and Navy are both 5-0 — and since there is an expanded College Football Playoff this season that will have at least one Group of Five participant — it’s time to start thinking about the Mids and the Black Knights playing for a potential conference championship and playing in back-to-back weekends in December.

Let’s unpack it.

1. What’s the path for Army and Navy meeting in the AAC title game?

In case you missed it, Army finally relinquished its independence in football this year and joined the American Athletic Conference, which Navy has been a member of since 2015.

And if you look at the American standings right now, you’ll see Army and Navy at the top.

Now, there’s a lot of football still to be played, but the American doesn’t seem like all that tough of a league this year. Six of its last nine league championships were won by teams that aren’t even in the league anymore, including last season’s AAC champ, SMU.

There’s a game remaining on each of Army and Navy’s conference schedules that could trip them up in their pursuit of making the American title game: Army travels to North Texas on Nov. 9, and Navy hosts Tulane on Nov. 16.

Otherwise, the Mids and Black Knights should be able to best the likes of Charlotte, East Carolina, UAB and Rice with relative ease. South Florida and UTSA aren’t pushovers, but most folks would argue that the service academy teams are marginally better than both.

Additionally, for the College Football Playoff, both Army and Navy will have the opportunity for a resume-boosting win down the stretch, as both the Black Knights and Mids have Notre Dame on the schedule this season.

2. So, when and where is the American Athletic Conference championship?

The American title game is played at the campus venue of the higher seeded team, which would make this extra special for Army and Navy. The Mids and the Black Knights played their annual regular season game at West Point in 2020, but only because of impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic. Otherwise, Army and Navy almost always meet on neutral fields. Before 2020, Army and Navy hadn’t played at an on-campus venue since 1943.

The AAC title game will kick off Dec. 6 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

If Army and Navy face each other then, they would meet up again eight days later for their regular-season clash, on Dec. 14 at 3 p.m. ET on CBS in Landover, Maryland — where the Washington Commanders play.

3. Have Army and Navy ever played twice in the same season?

Not in football. Ever.

In addition to playing at mostly neutral sites, Army and Navy have never met in a bowl game and haven’t been in the same conference in football until this season.

4. How would Army and Navy playing twice impact the College Football Playoff?

Well, in this hypothetical — where Army and Navy play in the AAC title game and then meet the next week for their regular-season matchup for points in the Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy race — the second game would have no impact on the playoff. Because the playoff field will have already been set and unveiled on Dec. 8.

When Army joined the conference, the deal that all three sides made — the athletic directors at the service academies and the folks running the AAC — was that the annual Army-Navy game would be a non-conference game and it would still be played on the date that it long has been: the second Saturday in December when it’s the only thing of real significance happening in FBS football before the Heisman Trophy ceremony at night. Army and Navy place a high value on having one day in the college football calendar all to themselves.

And so, the College Football Playoff committee will not take that game into consideration, this year or any other.

But they absolutely will take into account whoever is playing in the American title game. If Army or Navy wind up being the highest ranked conference champion, they would then play the annual Army-Navy game the next week, and then a week later play in the first round of the playoff.

That is, if one of them is the highest ranked Group of Five champion. That team might wind up being Boise State or James Madison and this could all be a moot conversation.

Still, an inaugural 12-team playoff with Army or Navy in it – two programs that don’t engage in NIL and don’t really accept transfers – isn’t out of the question.

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Army-Navy is no longer a standalone college football game thanks to the new bowl schedule

Army-Navy will now have to share the spotlight with the opening day of bowl season.

The Army-Navy game is one of college football’s greatest traditions. The pageantry and passion are a microcosm of what makes the sport so special.

While that tradition is not going anywhere, it’s significance in the college football calendar is set to change quite a bit in 2024, thanks to the new bowl schedule.

Historically a standalone game on the Saturday between conference championship weekend and the start of bowl season, Army-Navy will now have to share the spotlight on Dec. 14 with the Celebration Bowl — the HBCU national championship game in Atlanta between the SWAC and MEAC champions — as well as the Camellia Bowl in Montgomery, Alabama.

This is all a downstream effect of the College Football Playoff’s expansion from four teams to 12 beginning this coming season. While the third Saturday in December typically signified the beginning of bowl season, that day will now feature opening round CFP games.

To adjust for this, the start of bowl season was pushed back one week earlier, coinciding with the Army-Navy game that previously solely occupied that Saturday slot.

While it doesn’t detract from the game itself, it’s still a bummer as it will almost certainly lead to fewer eyes on the game. And besides, who wouldn’t want to watch some hard-nosed, option football on a cold December day in the Northeast?

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The best images from Army’s sixth win over Navy in eight years

Army stuffed Navy on fourth and goal to seal its sixth rivalry victory in the past eight years.

The Army Black Knights defeated the Navy Midshipmen 17-11 on Saturday to claim the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy as the best service academy football team in 2023.

Army, who had won five of the previous seven editions of the classic rivalry, dominated the first half. The Black Knights scored 10 points and held Navy scoreless, taking a multi-possession lead into the break. The Midshipmen put together one solid drive deep into Army territory early in the first half, but starting quarterback Xavier Arline forced a risky throw that ended up in the hands of Army defensive back Max DiDomenico for an interception.

Navy didn’t score any points until the opening minutes of the fourth quarter when they kicked a 37-yard field goal to make it a 10-3 game. Tai Lavatai, who replaced Arline at quarterback, did provide the Navy offense with a little more juice, as he threw for 179 yards on 26 attempts for the game.

Then, disaster struck. Lavatai was stripped in the pocket by Army linebacker Kalib Fortner, who recovered his own fumble and raced 44 yards back to the end zone to make it a 17-3 game with less than five minutes left.

Miraculously, however, Navy still made it a game. Lavatai marched his offense down the field, picking apart soft Army coverage for a 59-yard touchdown drive. After an Army punt, the Midshipmen had the ball with a chance to tie the game in the final two minutes.

Lavatai again picked up yardage in chunks as the Black Knights surrendered easy completions. Once the Midshipmen got into the red zone, however, Army stiffened. On Navy’s final goal-to-go sequence, they had two incompletions and a short throw down to the 2-yard line. The Midshipmen tried to run a quarterback sneak on the final play, but Army stopped them inches from the goal line to seal victory.

Here are the best images from Army’s rivalry victory.

8 up-close photos of this year’s awesome Army-Navy game alternate uniforms

It’s the Silent Service against the Dogface Soldiers in the 2023 Army-Navy game at the home of the New England Patriots.

The 2023 Army-Navy game is here. And with it – in addition to all the pregame pageantry, in-game mastery of the triple-option, and the reliable Service Academy under bet – comes awesome uniforms.

Each academy has done an excellent job at putting a unique spin on these uniforms over the years, making them singular and special. Often, they honor a specific group within the Army for the Black Knights, or within the Navy or Marines for the Midshipmen. That group could be a career path, or even a historic unit. Last year, Navy paid homage to its history with NASA, while Army honored some of its World War II veterans.

This year, Navy is giving a nod to the “Silent Service” with its simple and sleek submarine-themed uniforms, while Army is honoring the “Dogface Soldiers” of the 3rd Infantry Division, who played a crucial role during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Both teams enter this game at 5-6. Army can win the Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy outright with a win, while Navy – having lost to Air Force earlier this year – would force a three-way split with a victory. A win for the Mids would, however, give first-year head coach Brian Newberry his first victory in the series.

Ahead of this year’s game in Foxborough, here’s a closer look at those super cool uniforms.

 

Army unveils some awesome ‘Dogface Soldiers’ uniforms for the 2023 Army-Navy game

These Army uniforms are NICE.

We’ve already seen the Navy’s sleek submarine-themed uniforms for the 2023 Army-Navy game, and now we’ve got some awesome threads for Army, honoring the 3rd Infantry Division.

The uniforms were revealed on Tuesday, and here’s the history behind them, per Army: “The 3rd Infantry Division’s success hinged upon its ability to seize and maintain the initiative against a determined adversary in harsh and unforgiving terrain. The Dogface Soldiers of the 3rd Infantry Division accomplished this feat through clear application of the U.S. Army’s characteristics of the offensive: surprise, concentration, audacity, and tempo.”

Check these out:

Navy unveils sleek submarine-themed uniforms for Army-Navy game

You’ll never hear them coming.

The annual Army-Navy game is always must-see. The pageantry and spectacle of the affair goes way beyond the play on the field. Each season, the academies roll out new and themed uniforms for the rivalry game, usually dedicated to a specific unit, battle or platform.

MORE: Navy Football’s aviation themed uniforms for Army-Navy blow Army’s out of the water

This year, the U.S. Naval Academy went with a nod to the “Silent Service,” wearing uniforms for the submarine community.

The all blue uniforms have contrasting white lettering and numbers to replicate sub numbering, and there’s no extraneous logos or patches to stay stealthy.

 

They’re simple, but they’re cool. Plus, any release video that can incorporate sonar pings is already a step ahead.

Army set to join AAC as a football only member in 2024

Army joins Navy as football-only members of the AAC starting in 2024.

The American Athletic Conference (AAC) has found a replacement for the departing SMU Mustangs starting in 2024. The Army Black Knights will be joining the conference as football-only members beginning next season.

This will end a 19-year run as an Independent. The Black Knights were last part of a conference with Conference USA from 1998 to 2004. Army already holds a victory over a future conference foe this season. They defeated UTSA on Sept. 15, 37-29.

Army Rice
Charlotte South Florida
East Carolina Temple
Florida Atlantic Tulane
Memphis Tulsa
Navy UAb
North Texas UTSA

Army is currently 2-5 with four straight losses to Syracuse, Boston College, Troy, and LSU.

According to the report from The Athletic, the annual Army-Navy game will remain a nonconference matchup played after the AAC title game. Since Navy is part of the AAC, if they were the top two teams in the conference, they would play in back-to-back weeks per ESPN’s Heather Dinich.

The betting guide to Army-Navy: Consider the first-half over

And maybe think about the Navy moneyline too?

College football’s regular season officially concludes Saturday when Army meets Navy in Philadelphia for the annual rivalry game. The Black Knights and Midshipmen own this date in college football – typically the second Saturday in December – as no other FBS game is being played. Conference championships have been decided and bowl games have been booked. All that’s left is to settle a battle between the Mids and Cadets at a neutral site, surrounded by pageantry, pomp and a bit of hate.

Neither Army nor Navy is bowl-eligible this year, so, for the seniors on these teams, this will be the last college football game they ever play in before going off to serve in the military. The players at Army and Navy don’t get fifth, or sixth or seventh seasons of eligibility. They don’t get to transfer for their final year of college ball. For a lot of them, this is the biggest stage they’ll ever play on, and that all-out effort often gives the game some special moments.

Saturday’s game – which kicks off at 3 p.m. on CBS – marks the 123rd meeting between Army and Navy, and the 90th time the game has been played in Philadelphia. Navy leads the all-time series 62-53-7, but the teams have exchanged victories in each of the past four years.

Navy is set to wear uniforms honoring the academy’s history of producing astronauts, and Army is sporting some unique threads too.

It should be an entertaining game for fans and bettors alike.

The spread has moved both ways at various sportsbooks in recent days. As of Thursday morning, BetMGM and DraftKings had Navy favored by 2.5 points.

It has become increasingly popular among bettors to put money on the under in games between two Service Academy teams. And it’s hard to argue the math behind it. Since 2005, the under in games played between Army, Navy and Air Force has hit 83% of the time, and it’s a perfect 10-0 in the last 10 games, according to Bet Labs.

A big reason why this happens is that the three FBS Service Academies know each other so well. They largely recruit the same players and play incredibly similar styles of offense. These are also, arguably, the most important games on their respective schedules. So, there’s a ton of preparation that goes into these games for the Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy, and it can often result in low-scoring defensive battles. These triple-option-heavy teams also rarely pass, which can make for some results that don’t light up the scoreboard.

However, it seems like oddsmakers might be wising up to this. A lot of books set the over-under for the Army-Navy game at around 32.5 points, which is incredibly low. In fact, it is the lowest point total set for a game between the Midshipmen and Black Knights since 2005.

But instead of putting money down on the final score over-under, a smart bet could be to bet the over for the first half. Here’s why:

  • BetMGM and DraftKings have both set the first half over-under at 16 points.
  • In the nine games played between teams coached by Army’s Jeff Monken and Navy’s Ken Niumatalolo, the average first half scoring total is exactly 16 points.
  • In those nine games, the scoring total in the first half has been higher than 16 points five times. And in the past five meetings between Army and Navy, the first half total has gone over 16 three times. One of the times it didn’t was in 2020, when the game was played in a cloud of fog at West Point.
  • In Navy’s last four games, the Mids are scoring an average of 10.7 points in the first half while allowing 14.25. If that holds true in this game, that hits the first half over.
  • In four of Army’s last five games – I excluded the Black Knights’ win over UMass because, well, UMass is terrible – the Black Knights are scoring and average of 10.7 points in opening halves while allowing 7.5 points. Again, if that holds, that’ll hit the over.

So, the math and averages tell us that Army and Navy should combine to score more than 16 combined points in the first half. Both BetMGM and DraftKings opened the odds on the first half over hitting at -110.

One other bet to consider: Navy (ML)

The Mids beat Army last season, and one could argue that this Black Knights team isn’t as good as that one. Also, Navy should feel pretty good going into this game, having beaten UCF in its regular season finale.

Moreover, Navy has had three weeks without games to prepare for Army. Under Niumatalolo, when the Mids have at least three weeks to prepare for the Black Knights, they are 4-0. Navy is also 11-2 against Army at Lincoln Financial Field.

And while Navy has just four wins this season, they did play the 26th toughest schedule in FBS based on opponent winning percentage. Army, based on Sports-Reference’s strength of schedule statistic, played the 102nd toughest schedule in the country.

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