Well-armed forces wage a battle of unbeatens

air force academy» Service academy sports have always served a bigger purpose when it comes to preparation and character building. But within that framework and mission, every so often everything aligns to produce a season like this one — and a game like Saturday’s between Air Force and Navy at Falcon Stadium.

“I know college football is an enterprise which is trying to go one direction,” Falcons coach Troy Calhoun said. “However, I think what’s really, really cool is just the ethos and the soul of the academies. And yet, still the belief and the possibility of having competitive football teams.”

The Falcons (3-0) and Midshipmen (3-0) will meet with perfect records for the first time in the series that was first played in 1960 and became an annual fixture in 1973.

Adding to the intrigue is Army (3-1), which looks like it has its best squad in six years — and maybe since the 1996 team that went 10-2.

“It’s really cool to see three institutions where it’s more than just about football,” Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo said. “It’s actually more than just the education. It stands for more than that. I think it symbolizes a lot of things that are great about our country. I think it’s really cool to see that all three service academies are doing well at the same time. Hopefully we can all three continue to be successful, because it’s a long year.”

Until proven otherwise, the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy goes through this matchup between Navy, which has won 19 of its past 22 games and captured the trophy 10 of the past 13 seasons, and a senior-laden Falcons squad protecting a 14-game home winning streak and seeking its fourth CIC Trophy in seven years.

The Air Force/Navy winner has captured the past 19 CIC Trophies. Every matchup in this series at Falcon Stadium since 2002 has been decided by single digits.

The running game continues to be the driving force for both teams. Air Force’s 359.3 yards per game ranks third in the nation, with Navy fifth at 316.3.