FINAL STAND
Emmaus’ Andy Davidson suits up for last time in Army uniform against Navy
Think it's blasphemy to mention the 2018 Army West Point football seniors in the same breath as the Cadets of 1944-46?
After all, the 1944-46 teams had an aggregate record of 27-0-1, winning two national championships and finishing second the third year behind the running tandem of Doc Blanchard and Glenn Davis.
But the fact is, in the 125-year history of football for the Black Knights, only twice has Army produced 27 victories in a three-year span.
As the Knights get set for their annual battle with Navy at 3 p.m. on Saturday in Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, they have racked up 27 victories in three seasons.
A third straight victory over Navy would give these seniors the most wins in a three-year span in the program's history.
Sure, there are 10 losses and no national championships in this stretch, but Army is ranked No. 23 in the country with a 9-2 record.
“Obviously, there are a lot more games nowadays, but just to be mentioned with teams like that is amazing,” said Army senior running back Andy Davidson.
Davidson, a 6-2, 235-pounder from Emmaus, said he “was not aware” of the quirky comparison to the teams of the glory days of Army football, but he said, “It's pretty amazing when you think we were 2-10 in my freshman year. It's awesome to be even recognized with a great team like we had in the '40s and Heisman Trophy winners and national championship teams.”
What Davidson calls “the progress and transformation” of the Army program under Coach Jeff Monken may have gotten its impetus on Dec. 11, 2016 in M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, when the underdog Cadets, losers of 14 straight games to Navy at the time, stunned the Middies 21-17.
Davidson, who was moved from defense to the offense for the 2016 season and won the starting spot at running back in the triple-option offense, was the catalyst that day. He rushed 28 times — the most of his career — for 87 yards and two touchdowns, staking Army to a 14-0 lead.
Navy rallied to take a 17-14 lead, but Army put together a 12-play, 80-yard drive that ended with a nine-yard game-winning touchdown run by quarterback Ahmad Bradshaw after a fake to Davidson.
Because performances in the ArmyNavy game have a career impact similar to those of Lafayette and Lehigh players in college football's most-played rivalry, Davidson isn't about to forget the 2016 game anytime soon.
“I remember that was a great game for us,” Davidson said. “To be able to play a role in that game like I did was amazing. It was a humbling experience, to serve my team in that role, playing the majority of the snaps. It was the big momentum shift for our program … a hump we had to get over, the 14-game losing streak. That team will be remembered for years to come.”
Davidson was the go-to back in 2016. That is no longer the case, but he is ready to do anything he can to make the final games of his career special.
An all-state player at Emmaus High, he said he saw his first Army-Navy game on television when he was in 10th grade. Navy won the game, and the image that Davidson remembers most is Army quarterback Trent Steelman breaking down during the singing of the Army alma mater afterward. The losing team always sings first.
“I can’t say I loved Army at the time, but [Steelman’s emotion] gave me an admiration for Army football, the way they fought to the end even though they were the underdog.”
He didn’t see his first live game between the two academies until he was a high school senior. It was held in Baltimore, and when asked about the game, he said, “It was very cold.” Maybe that was made worse by the fact that the Black Knights lost again.
Asked about the atmosphere of the game, Davidson said, “Coming out of the tunnel is a feeling like nothing else. The crowd is electric. It’s always sold out, and
people pay a lot of money to go there. They’re die-hard fans and they either love one of the teams or one branch of service. The emotion and passion are like no other game in college football.”
Davidson said he and his senior teammates were so busy during a bye week to prepare for the Midshipmen that they didn’t have time to reflect on the fact that their careers are down to their final two games. They will play Houston in the Armed Forces Bowl on Dec. 22.
But he did say “It’s amazing to see where we came from at 2-10 to being nationally ranked right now. You have to focus on the next day at the academy. I think it’s a tremendous honor to be part of this team for four years.”
It’s also not a time for thinking that facing a Navy team that is 3-9 is going to be easy. A win for Army would give the Cadets a three-game win streak in the series for the first time since 1988-90.
Davidson will never forget his freshman year, but he said, “The roles are reversed now. The culture has shifted for our team. Obviously, I’d rather be the underdog, but our team has stepped up to the role [of favorite] and has played with a lot of physicality this season and will continue to do that.”