Expected Trump visit punctuates Army-Navy game featuring overachieving squads

The Army-Navy game has always meant more, but Saturday’s 125th meeting of the service academies features two programs having simultaneously-successful seasons, a rarity in the history of the matchup.

Parallel historic trajectories developed when Army and Navy were undefeated in late October for the first time since World War II and both were ranked in the Top 25 (in weeks 8 and 9) for the first time since the 1970s. 

Only one other time in the past 100 years — 1996 — have both academies carried eight-plus win seasons into the matchup. And both are headed to bowls together for the first time in seven seasons: No. 22 Army (11-1) to the Independence Bowl and Navy (8-3) to the Armed Forces Bowl.

Those circumstances ratchet up the intensity for this year’s game even more, though additional motivation is unnecessary.

“It is almost indescribable, just the intensity on each play of this game,” said Army coach Jeff Monken. “This will be my 11th year at Army, and every one of them just seems like it’s been a slugfest.”

“You don’t have to get them going for this game. You almost have to pull them back a little bit,” Navy coach Brian Newberry told reporters. “Execution is more important than emotion in a game like this.”

Pomp and pageantry will be on full display at Northwest Stadium, marking only the second time America’s Game has been played in the D.C. area and first since 2013. President-elect Donald Trump is expected to attend the game. He attended Army-Navy as president-elect in 2016 and three times as president.

Besides service branch pride and year-long bragging rights, the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy is also up for grabs, which Army has claimed in five of the last seven seasons. Navy will have its first chance to win outright since 2019.

“Ever after 11 wins and a conference championship,” Monken said, “this game means more than any of it.”

The Black Knights enter as a conference champion for the first time in their history after beating Tulane to win the American Athletic Conference in their first year in the league. Army also carries a ranking into the matchup for only the third time in the last 60 years, the only blemish on their resume a Nov. 23 loss to No. 5 Notre Dame IN New York City. 

“Had we found a way to beat Notre Dame … and we were sitting here 12-0, undefeated, I think we’d probably be in the [College Football Playoff] conversation,” Monken said. “We might have had our name up there on the bracket.”

Army quarterback Bryson Daily is the biggest star for a program that traditionally eschews individuality. Dubbed “Captain America,” Daily’s 29 touchdowns this season ties him with Heisman Trophy finalist Ashton Jeanty of Boise State for the most in the FBS.

“They’ve done a great job of sustaining drives this year, and it’s hard to get them off the field,” Newberry said. “And I think the biggest difference for them offensively this year is when they have, in rare occasions, gotten behind the sticks, they’re able to get themselves out of those situations.”

The Midshipmen had a chance to potentially meet the Black Knights themselves for a conference title, but losses to Rice and Tulane last month took them out of contention. Newberry knows that stopping Army’s skill players along with converting any opportunity to score against the Black Knights’ top-10 defense is paramount.

“It’s the fact that we’re playing a really, really good Army football team,” Newberry said. “I’d rather play an 11-1 conference champion Army team than a 6-6 Army team. So it’s going to be a great challenge.”

After Navy had won 14 in a row since just after the turn of the century, Army has gone on to win six of the last eight contests. Who gets to sing their alma mater second as this year’s winner is to be determined. What isn’t up for debate is the Army-Navy Game’s place in the fabric of the sport and the nation.

“There’s a lot of people that play college football and play college football at this level and never get a chance to be in front of an audience like we’re going to have on Saturday,” Monken said. “I’m proud to know that the game still means that much.”