Army-Navy 2025 Preview

Even with sporadic triumphs that are indicative of a 6-5 record, West Point football has put forth a tantalizing performance this year. Of Army’s five losses, two were in overtime, and four of the five were by one possession.

The stretch of close-game futility includes a fourth-quarter collapse against conference opponent and 20th-ranked Tulane. During that game, the cadets led 17-10 with less than six minutes remaining, but the Green Wave scored a serendipitous touchdown with 27 seconds left, and that extinguished Army’s hopes of defeating one of America’s best teams.

An inability to close out tight games and one-possession losses have defined the cadets’ season. It also happened on opening night against Tarleton State, again in Week 4 against No. 24 North Texas, and right before Thanksgiving against Tulsa. Those four losses are the difference between 6-5 and 10-1 with a spot in the conference championship and an all-but-certain spot in the AP Top 25.

Dwelling solely on this squad’s shortcomings in clutch situations is unfair, however, because there’s still a ton on the line for Jeff Monken and Co. Because they defeated fellow American Conference opponent UTSA for the fifth time in six games, Army is bowl eligible.

Far more importantly, the coveted Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy is up for grabs. The Long Gray Line has taken the ultimate hardware among service academies back home four times since 2017. Navy certainly doesn’t plan on freely relinquishing its status as the incumbent holder, of course…

Anchors Aweigh For The Midshipmen

When Navy sideline boss Brian Newberry, who was the team’s defensive coordinator from 2019-2022, became the academy’s 40th head coach, it was his duty to right the ship – no pun intended.

Following the greatest Army-Navy game ever played in 2022, when then-head coach Ken Niumatalolo was unceremoniously fired, Newberry was tasked with rebuilding a program that hadn’t won more than five games since 2019. Army defeated Navy in another classic the following year, but Newberry and the Brigade of Midshipmen soundly beat the cadets last year.

Currently ranked 23rd in the country and boasting a 9-2 mark, Navy is enjoying success similar to that of the Black Knights last year. Per ESPN, Navy’s 67th-ranked strength of schedule has been considerably more arduous than Army’s, which is listed 86th Also on the Midshipmen’s resume are a 7-0 start, ebullient wins against 8-4 Memphis and then-ranked No. 24 South Florida, currently at 9-3. Not surprisingly, the Midshipmen also have America’s best running game.

Blake Horvath is one of the most scintillating players in the country. He’s averaging six yards per rush attempt, and has scored 14 rushing touchdowns. Navy has as much backfield depth as any other team in the FBS, too, because they have five players with at least 400 rushing yards, including Horvath.

That backfield is comprised of Alex Tecza, Eli Heidenreich, Brandon Chatman, and Braxton Woodson. As a team, the Midshipmen are racking up 6.3 yards per carry. While a service academy team is inherently expected to rank the best rushing attacks in the country, Navy’s variation of the triple option has produced one of the most lethal ground assaults any team has ever produced.

On the defensive side, the Naval Academy’s primary juggernaut is defensive tackle Landon Robinson, who has generated 6.5 sacks and 54 tackles. In the American Conference, only East Carolina’s Zion Wilson and Tulsa’s J’Dan Burnett have accrued more quarterback stops. As the case is every year, Army will have its hands full.

A Little History Lesson

The Army-Navy football game dates back to 1890, just 25 years after the end of the Civil War and when there were only 44 states in the Union.

Since 1901, there have been ten sitting United States Presidents to attend the Army–Navy Game. Teddy Roosevelt was the first, and it’s ranged from JFK and Harry S. Truman to George W. Bush and Barack Obama.

Bush’s attendance of the game in 2001, less than three months after 9/11, is perhaps the most notable of any President’s game attendance, given the circumstances. Army snapped a two-game losing streak by posting a 26-17 win. Army’s Ardell Daniels took home MVP honors as a freshman with 131 rushing yards on 23 carries. The Cadets used a 13-0 first quarter lead to propel them to victory.

Navy leads the all-time series, 63-55-7, due largely in part to Army’s ignominious 14-game losing streak in the series that occurred between 2002 and 2016. That stretch of futility spanned 5,117 days, six Army head coaches, two full presidencies, a major recession, and a winless season for the Black Knights in 2003.

The situation became so dire at West Point, that it had gotten to a point where the United States Military Academy leadership commissioned a panel headed of legendary coaches Bill Parcells and Tom Osborne. Between 1997 and 2004, Army endured a 17-74 stretch, one of the worst stretches in the history of college football.

That all ended in 2016, when Army finally bested Navy, 21-17, in 2016.

Since then, Jeff Monken and the Black Knights have defeated Navy six times in their last nine meetings.

End Of My Army-Navy Rant

America’s Game only continues to grow. Last year’s game drew an average of 9.4 million viewers on CBS, surpassing the previous record of 8.45 million in 1992. Since at least 1990, this was the largest television audience to watch the annual service academy clash.

This year’s iteration is sure to garner similar viewership and acclaim. Will Army win its fifth Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy in nine seasons, or will Navy take home its second straight ultimate prize? There’s only one way to find out.