Teams reach their pinnacle
Midshipmen, Black Knights ready to put hype, build-up behind them for clash
PHILADELPHIA – All the hype begins about two weeks beforehand, officially kicking off this year with the Army-Navy media event and luncheon held at Lincoln Financial Field on Nov. 28.
From that day forward there are hundreds of stories written or broadcast by media outlets all over the country.
Excitement reaches a fevered pitch during game week with pep rallies on both campuses and a wide variety of special events here in Philadelphia, which will be hosting the Army-Navy football game for the 88th time.
The Midshipmen and Black Knights arrived at their respective team hotels
Thursday night and conducted walkthrough practices at
Lincoln Financial
Field on Friday afternoon.
A year’s worth of anticipation and build-up culminates today at precisely
3:10 p.m. when the
119th Army-Navy football game kicks off in front of a frenzied sellout crowd that will include the entire Corps of Cadets, Brigade of Midshipmen and President Donald Trump.
By that point, Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo will have told his team a hundred times that “this game is won between the white lines.” Army coach Jeff Monken will have repeatedly informed his troops that “this game will not be won on emotion; it will be won with execution.” TV: Radio:
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No. 23 Army (9-2) enters this annual showdown ranked in the Associated Press poll for the first time since 1996 and is set to play Houston in the Armed Forces Bowl. A great season filled with tremendous accomplishments will seem hollow if the Black Knights cannot beat the Midshipmen.
“It’s the pinnacle of our season,” Monken said. “It’s the most important game of the year. It’s the biggest game of the year. There are very few rivalries that you can get away with talking about 365 days of the year. But for 365 days of the year at both academies, this rivalry is talked about. We have signs up. It’s a goal of ours and we are looking forward to the game.”
Meanwhile, Navy (3-9) has suffered through its worst season since 2002 and did not earn a bowl berth for just the second time in 16 years. The Midshipmen find themselves in the unenviable position of having to salvage a dismal campaign by upsetting their archrival.
“As tough as this season has been, you can tell there is a different look in their eyes. They’re excited about the opportunity,” Niumatalolo said. “One game changes everything. That’s the way we’re looking at it. One win can change the whole season.”
Army can claim the coveted Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy for the second consecutive season with a win on Saturday. A loss would mean the Black Knights merely retain the trophy, a meaningless achievement that simply saves on shipping costs.
“Make no mistake, we want to be the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy champions again because that has not been done in a long time at West Point,” said Army linebacker and tri-captain Cole Christiansen.
Army has never won the CIC Trophy two years in a row and has done so a total of six times since the series was established in 1972. As soon as hostilities commence in Philadelphia, the 68,625 fans in the stands and the millions watching on television will realize quickly this service academy showdown is a bare-knuckle fist fight.
Former Navy coach Paul Johnson, whose presence looms large over this rivalry now that two of his disciples stride the opposing sidelines, routinely said the Army-Navy game is “played inside a phone booth.”
That is because the majority of offensive plays will take place between the tackles. Army and Navy know how to defend the triple-option better than any other team in the country and the inevitable result is a rock’em, sock’em affair in which yards are very hard to come by.
“There is no option factor in this game. Army is very well-coached defensively and always plays hard,” Navy offensive coordinator Ivin Jasper said. “We have to be smart and find a way to execute in order to drive the field. There are not going to be many big plays. You have to take whatever they give you and just grind it.”
Last season’s meeting, which Army won 14-13 after Navy kicker Bennett Moehring barely missed a 48-yard field goal as time expired, provides a perfect example. Army had eight possessions and ran 50 plays while Navy had seven possessions and ran 48 plays. The Midshipmen amassed 296 total yards while the Black Knights finished with 241.
“It’s going to be a physical game. They’re a physical team, we’re a physical team. They run the ball, we run the ball. They possess the ball, we possess the ball,” Niumatalolo said. “The only reason this game lasts long is because of the television commercials.”
Monken has Army operating its version of option offense at an extremely high level this season. Quarterback Kelvin Hopkins has directed an attack that ranks second nationally in rushing offense with 303 yards per game. The Black Knights do most of their damage inside with fullback Darnell Woolfolk (823 yards) and Hopkins (783 yards) leading the way.
“They’ve kind of evolved offensively. I think the power running game, with option elements mixed in, really suits them,” Niumatalolo said. “I think the 2018 version of Army football has been four years in the making. I’ve been impressed with watching how Monk has evolved since he’s been at Army.”