Navy Football

The Commander in Chief Trophy represents the nation's most honorable rivalry, but Army's loss to Navy on Saturday gave the Midshipmen their 11th straight win over their counterparts.

Army was close to winning this one, just like it was last season when it lost 27-21, but this ended in the same way. Navy won 17-13, courtesy of an eight-yard rushing touchdown by quarterback Keenan Reynolds with less than five minutes remaining in the game.

The trophy doesn't just represent these two schools, but because each team beat Air Force earlier this season, it came down to the final game to decide who would walk away with the hardware this season.

According to ESPN Stats & Info, Saturday's win still doesn't pull Navy even with Air Force in the grand scheme of things, though:

Most Commander in Chief's Trophy wins- Air Force 18, Navy 13, Army 6 (4 ties). Navy and Air Force have split hast 16

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) December 8, 2012

Saturday's win wasn't easy. Noah Copeland got the scoring started for the Midshipmen in the second quarter, only to see Army quarterback Trent Steelman score from 11 yards out to tie the game at seven apiece.

Then, kickers Nick Sloan and Eric Osteen traded field goals to knot the score at 10 heading into halftime. Osteen added another field goal for Army in the third quarter, giving his team a 13-10 lead heading into the fourth and final frame.

But then things began to unravel. Osteen missed a field goal try, and the Black Knights committed a crucial fumble to allow Reynolds to score the game's decisive touchdown with 4:41 remaining.

Steelman couldn't get anything going in the game's final minutes and that was that. Despite outgaining Navy by 126 yards, and rushing for 370 yards, Army couldn't earn the win. Three turnovers were a big reason for that.

This rivalry is about more than football, but both teams still want to win. Losing 11 straight games to a rival isn't something that any team wants to deal with, and losing close games like this are particularly hard to stomach.

Army has come so close, but it's back to the drawing board yet again.

It has been a while since Army has come out of the rivalry with a victory over Navy. In fact, the Midshipmen have somehow managed to win the last 10 meetings, with many of those contests resulting in unwatchable blowouts.

In today's game, which will be played at 3 p.m. ET on CBS, the Black Knights must do whatever it takes to take back this historic rivalry that dates back to 1890.

What can Army do to pull off a victory?

The same thing the team has done in its only two victories of the year: Allow senior quarterback Trent Steelman to throw the football and make plays.

We all know that Army wants to run the ball heading into this game. The Black Knights are the No. 1 rushing team in the country, averaging well over 350 yards on the ground. When you have two players that have run for over 1,000 yards and another that has topped 700, you are obviously a committed running offense.

However, in the two games that the team has won, Steelman has made plays with his arm. His top two passing performances, 77 yards against Wake Forest and 100 yards against Air Force, have resulted in victories.

In last year’s game against Navy, Steelman had one of his better passing performances, completing 66 percent of his passes for 77 yards and a score. Although the Black Knights still lost the game, the six-point loss was the smallest margin of victory during the 10-game losing streak.

Army is a team that has only thrown the ball 110 times and has run the ball 739 times. However, Steelman has shown that he can be effective throwing the ball and catching the opposing defense off guard.

Making plays in the air will only help spread the defense out and make the already top rushing unit in the country that much more effective. The Navy defense has allowed more than four yards a carry on the ground, which bodes well for the Black Knights.

Heading into this matchup, the senior quarterback also wants to end his career the right way and lead his team to a victory, according to Joe Juliano of Philly.com.

"We've always talked about finishing our career the right way," Steelman said. "To bring that trophy back to West Point would be almost unimaginable because it hasn't been done in so long. To have that feeling and to share that feeling with all the other seniors would be something special."

In order to snap that long losing streak, it will be up to the signal-caller to lead the way.

While the players on Army and Navy are often overshadowed by other college football programs, they will finally get a chance to shine against each other in the final game of the regular season. 

Navy has won 10 games in a row against the school's biggest rival, and it will look to continue that trend after a 7-4 start to the season.

Army has struggled much more this year, but the past does not matter once this game begins.

If you are unfamiliar with these teams, here are the top players from each side to watch during this exciting contest. 

Trent Steelman, QB, Army

There are few players in this game more experienced than quarterback Trent Steelman. It would only be fitting if the four-year starter could end his career with a big win over Navy.

While there are other effective players in the offense, it is all Steelman when the team gets close to the end zone. He has 16 rushing touchdowns this year, which are 10 more than the next highest on the team.

He also has the ability to sneak some passing attempts past this defense. The senior has only 14 career touchdowns, but three of them have come against Navy.

Steelman has rushed for over 100 yards in five straight games. He might have to make it six in order for Army to come out with a win.

Geoffrey Bacon, LB, Army

In a year where a linebacker like Manti Te'o finally gets recognized for his contributions to his team, Geoffrey Bacon should start getting noticed.

He is just a sophomore, but the linebacker has an incredible 122 tackles on the season.

Bacon has the speed to cover a lot of ground and he is a solid tackler once he gets to the ball carrier.

With Navy's speed in the run game, Army will need a player that can run from sideline to sideline in order to slow down the opposing offense. Bacon has that ability and he will be vital in the team's effort to pull the upset. 

Gee Gee Greene, RB, Navy

It took the final few weeks of his senior year for Navy to realize what it had in Gee Gee Greene.

The running back was used sparingly throughout the year, but he got the chance to shine a few weeks ago and has been quite impressive ever since.

In the four weeks where Greene has gotten at least 14 carries, he is averaging 110 yards per game. 

The senior has averaged 7.1 yards per carry throughout his career and is peaking at the right time. He should be able to continue his current hot streak and dominate a weak Army defense.

Keegan Wetzel, LB, Navy

There are a few talented players on this Navy defense, but Keegan Wetzel gives the team the best opportunity of making an impact against Army.

Against a run-heavy team, you need someone who can penetrate into the backfield and disrupt the offense.

Wetzel can do just that after totaling 13.5 tackles for loss on the year with six sacks. He also added a forced fumble and a fumble recovery this year.

Navy needs him to get behind the line of scrimmage and not let Steelman and company get room to run. Otherwise, it could be a long day for Navy. 

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Navy slotback Bo Snelson is a player who will run the ball, block, catch passes, play special teams and mentor the young players coming along—whatever he can to help the Midshipmen win.

Not big in size at 5'7" and 180 pounds, Snelson has the heart and temperament of a leader and will serve our country well in demanding military situations after graduation.

The Pasadena, Texas native comes from a family with military experience. His grandpa on his mother's side served in Vietnam with the Air Force, an uncle is also an Air Force veteran, and his cousin is in the Marines. 

Snelson had options to attend and play football at two Ivy Leagues colleges but choose the harder path offered at Annapolis.

Not a star but a player who can be counted on to do his job, Snelson has run for 464 yards with an average of 6.5 yards per carry, caught 117 passes with an average gain of 14.6 yards, and run back 13 kickoffs for an average of 17.1 yards. 

He is described by the press notes as someone who, "Plays with a nasty disposition and is a relentless blocker."

In an interview I conducted with Snelson at the Army-Navy Game Media Day, he described his position at slot-back as demanding versatility. On one play, he must go deep to catch a pass, on the next block a linebacker, and on the next, take the ball and running with it.  To do all these things takes athletic ability, conditioning and discipline.

Snelson commented on the slotbacks as a group: "We take pride in doing a lot of things, and we like that they expect a lot from us."

The Navy season started badly with lopsided losses to Notre Dame and Penn State.  Then, after a home win over VMI, there was a shutout loss at home to San Jose State. It looked like a long season for the Midshipmen with a trip to Colorado Springs to play Air Force. 

Head coach Ken Niumatalolo installed freshman quarterback Keenan Reynolds as the starter in the Central Michigan game after Reynolds had rallied the Mids to a win over the Falcons the week before—and Reynolds has started every since. Navy turned around the season, wining four-straight games and enters the Army game with a 7-4 record.

At a service academy, freshman lead very structured lives, basically learning how to take and execute orders.  This starts from the first day of basic training in the summer—known as "Beast Barracks" at West Point.  No first names are used in communications between plebes and upperclassman, just title or rank and last name. This continues through the year until the senior class graduates and the plebes are promoted, a huge milestone in progressing through four years at an academy.  As sophomores, they are treated as upperclassmen, which is a big difference.

At Army, they describe the quarterback position as the most demanding leadership position at the premier leadership development institution in the world.  The Navy would contest the ranking but describe the role of their football quarterback in the same way. 

Three years ago, freshman Trent Steelman was installed as the starting quarterback, with Navy taking advantage of his speed in running the option offense that head coach Rich Ellerson installed.  As with Reynolds now, it is very unusual at a service academy for a freshman to go into a huddle or up to the line of scrimmage and start giving directions to upperclassmen who are used to hearing just,  "Yes, sir" or "No, sir" from plebes. 

Some of the formalities are relaxed during athletics, but the challenge is still daunting and speaks volumes of those who can handle the role.

In our interview, Snelson described the importance of helping talented, young players integrate into playing roles to assist the team in being more successful:

In our locker room and on the football team, we try to make everyone understand this is separate from the Academy.  Whenever we are in the Hall, a fourth class must show the first class proper respect and on down the chain of command.  Here, the best guys are going to play.  Whoever is ahead of you, you need to do everything you can to make sure he is ready.  Sometimes that's going over plays with him, doing things like that.

The "Hall" referenced is Bancroft Hall, the large main building at the Naval Academy which houses all 4,000 Midshipmen.  Not your typical warm and friendly college dormitory by any means, it can be a challenging place to live, especially for the freshman.

Snelson explained how teammate Keenan Reynolds has handled being thrust into the highly visible and demanding quarterback role at Navy like this:

In the Air Force game, when Keenan went into the huddle, it was [the feeling of] "We are trusting you to do your job because you are trusting us to do our job."  Keenan has done a great job of living up to the expectations of a quarterback.  He has been able to handle this with great composure and humility.  He is someone I am very proud of on this team.

Snelson, an English major, described his preference for Marine Corps Ground for his service in the military after graduation.  That means leading young Marines through training and into the tough places around the world that Marines are sent. 

He is one of America's finest.

Quotes from Midshipman Snelson are from an interview at the Army-Navy Game Media Day.  Ken Kraetzer covers Army football for WVOX in New Rochelle, NY and Sons of the American Legion radio.

Throw the records out the window. The annual Army vs. Navy game has shown that anything can and will happen in this storied service academy rivalry.

Navy leads the overall series by a narrow 56-49-7 margin. For the most part, it’s always a competitive and exciting matchup.

Still, the 2-9 Black Knights are facing an uphill battle against the 7-4 Midshipmen. But it’s not the steepest climb they’ve faced during their 10-game losing streak, which dates back to 2002.

This year isn’t just about the rivalry, though. An added incentive is in the mix. Both teams knocked off Air Force for the first time since 2005, meaning the Commander in Chief’s Trophy is up for grabs for the first time since then.

But why should Navy worry about its land-faring rivals?

Army has been competitive this season despite its apparently awful record. It lost 41-40 to the BCS-bound Northern Illinois Huskies and lost four other games to bowl-bound teams, too.

Running the ball has been its crutch this season, as it usually is. The Black Knights run the ball an FBS-most 86 percent of its offensive plays. They lead the nation in yards per game on the ground with 369.8. Navy is 60th in the nation in rush defense, allowing 160 yards per game.

Navy, who boasts the FBS’s sixth-ranked rushing offense, falls behind with 285.5 yards per game on the ground. Army is near the bottom (118th) in rush defense, surrendering an awful 238 yards each game.

So, why is Navy in trouble again?

Last year, Army got close, losing a fourth-quarter tie thanks to two field goals by the Midshipmen in the final quarter.

It was close.

But in a game like this, Army has the advantage at the quarterback position, despite the team’s lacking demonstrated ability to move the ball through the air. Trent Steelman is a senior and almost led his team to the win last year.

Keenan Reynolds, Navy’s freshman QB, has stepped up and led the Midshipmen to five wins in six games after taking the reins. Reynolds replaced junior starting QB Trey Miller during the team’s overtime win over Air Force and hasn’t looked back.

This game, though, transcends the football field. There is so much emotion and pride at stake that it will be interesting to see how the freshman responds.

It may look bleak for the Black Knights, but Army will compete until the final seconds of the 113th-annual Army-Navy Game.

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Regardless of your team affiliation during the year, there is nothing quite like the annual Army-Navy game. 

The battle pits together two sides that are heated rivals on the field, but have mutual respect as a group that will soon defend the same country. 

Navy has had the overwhelming advantage as of late with 10 straight victories. However, one win by Army could be enough to make up for a decade of disappointment. 

Here is everything you need to know about this intense military contest. 

When: December 8 at 3 p.m. ET

Where: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pa.

Watch: CBS

Listen: Westwood One, SiriusXM Satellite Radio

Live Stream: CBSSports.com

Spread (via ESPN): Navy (-7)

Navy has the superior team on paper with five more wins, plus the recent history of dominating Army. 

While records can usually be thrown out the window in this matchup, in only one of the last 10 games has Army even been within a touchdown of winning. 

The neutral field does not give either team an advantage, but the talent level does, and Navy has more of it. 

Over/Under (via ESPN): 56

Army needs to work on its defense, but neither team is known for putting a lot of points on the scoreboard.

The constant running will make this game fly by, and the final score should be relatively low compared to this mark. 

Injury Report (via USA Today)

Army

RB Malcolm Brown (Ankle) Questionable

RB Larry Dixon (Hip) Questionable 

LB Justin Trimble (Concussion) Questionable

DB Marques Avery (Shoulder) Questionable

OL Ben Jebb (Ankle) Questionable

Navy

QB John Hendrick (Heel) Questionable 

What's At Stake?

When these two teams take the field, all that matters is pride.

This will be Army's last game after a 2-9 season, while Navy has already accepted an invitation to the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl against Arizona State. 

Still, this is the game that will determine whether either side had a successful season. 

Key to Navy Victory: Avoid Turnovers

Navy has turned the ball over at least two times in each of the team's four losses this season. Against Penn State and Notre Dame, the Midshipmen gave the ball away four times in each game.

While these are superior teams, there is no excuse for the constant fumbles.

Turnovers kill drives, and they give opposing teams opportunities to score that they ordinarily would not have had against a solid defense.

The Midshipmen will be the better team on Saturday, but they need to make sure they do not give away the game with bad mistakes. 

Key to Army Victory: Surprise the Defense

Everyone knows Army likes to run the football. The team is currently No. 1 in the country with 369.8 rushing yards per game, but No. 124 with only 68.1 passing yards.

This would not be a problem, except for the 2-9 record. 

Against Navy last season, the Black Knights came close to a victory thanks in part to a 25-yard touchdown pass by quarterback Trent Steelman. It caught the defense off guard and it helped tie the game late.

Army's two wins this season featured Steelman's two highest passing totals on the year. While they were not big games by any means, the change of pace opens up more of the offense.

A few key passes could be all it takes to gain a competitive advantage on that side of the football. 

Prediction: Navy 31, Army 21

Army has so many guys that can run, with two players over 1,000 rushing yards for the season and one more with almost 800 on the ground.

However, the defense has allowed 37 points per game and has not improved over the course of the season. 

Navy should be able to do enough to outscore the Black Knights and continue its dominant winning streak in this rivalry.

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Navy quarterback Ralph Montalvo is in a medically induced coma following a single-car accident in Miami on Thanksgiving night last week, according to a report by the Capital Gazette's Bill Wagner.

This according to Wagner:

Navy athletics spokesman Scott Strasemeier confirmed that Montalvo was seriously injured and was currently in a medically-induced coma designed to hasten the healing process. Strasemeier had no further details about the accident or Montalvo’s condition.

According to Wagner, details regarding the accident have yet to be released, but alcohol was not believed to be a factor.

Montalvo, a freshman this season, is a third-string quarterback for the Midshipmen but played primarily on the scout team this season. He graduated from La Salle High School in 2011 and attended the Naval Academy Prep School last academic year. Montalvo earned letters in high school for football, track and field and lacrosse.

Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo flew to Miami this past weekend to check up on Montalvo and his family, according to Navy athletics spokesman Scott Strasemeier via Wagner. Several of Montalvo's Navy teammates who live in Florida have also come to visit him at Kendall Regional Medical Center, where he is currently located.

According to Wagner, Montalvo was set to dress for the Midshipmen for this December's Army-Navy game in Philadelphia before being injured last week.

Keep it right here for more on Ralph Montalvo's status as it becomes available.

By about 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, the Navy Midshipmen could be the first team in the nation to know where they will be spending their Christmas holiday season.

The Midshipmen, who are 5-3 and only need one more win to become bowl eligible, are a two-touchdown favorite over Florida Atlantic, who will visit Annapolis trying to avoid its seventh loss of the season. If Navy wins, it will almost surely accept a bid to the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl, which will be played in San Francisco on December 29.

Go back a little over a month, and it would’ve been hard to conceive that Ken Niumatalolo’s team could be in such a position.

On September 30, the Midshipmen were sitting at 1-3 and one day earlier had suffered a shutout loss to San Jose State at home. In three games against FBS-division competition, Navy had scored a total of 17 points and committed 10 turnovers on offense. Clearly, not the type of hard-nosed, disciplined play that has become synonymous with Navy football over the past decade.

Against Air Force on October 6, things seemed to be turning around. The Midshipmen were finally getting some offensive production from quarterback Trey Miller and were within one score the entire game. Then, with about 10 minutes remaining, the junior injured his ankle and had to sit out the rest of the game.

The injury forced Navy to turn to true freshman Keenan Reynolds to lead the offense for the rest of the game. What appeared to be yet another setback for the Midshipmen ended up being a blessing in disguise. Reynolds calmly led Navy to an upset victory over Air Force, which was capped in overtime by a fumble in the end zone that was recovered for a Midshipmen touchdown.

Not only was the Air Force game a turning point for Navy in general, but also for Reynolds in particular. Since then, the Midshipmen are averaging over 36 points per game on offense, and Reynolds has taken over for Miller as the starting quarterback.

The turnaround has been marked by a return to basics for the Navy offense. Rather than trying to pass for yards as they attempted to do last year and at the beginning of this year, the Midshipmen are sticking with a strong running attack that racked up 512 yards last week against East Carolina. Not only has this resulted in a better third-down conversion rate, but it has limited the turnovers significantly (Reynolds has committed only one turnover since becoming the starter).

In addition to Reynolds, key to Navy’s success offensively have been senior Gee Gee Greene and sophomore Noah Copeland. Green and Copeland, who are the team’s leading rushers and spearhead Navy’s triple-option attack, were members of last year’s Navy squad that failed to qualify for postseason play for the first time since 2002.

Now, it is almost certain that the Midshipmen will get back to a bowl game in 2012. This week’s opponent, Florida Atlantic, could have an extremely tough time stopping this confident Navy offense. The Owls are last in the Sun Belt in rush defense, giving up just over 200 yards per game on the ground.

Keeping pace with Navy will be no easy task, either. Florida Atlantic also ranks last in points per game scored.

It would be foolish to assume that Navy is simply settling for the minimum six wins to head to San Francisco, however. Looking ahead, it is entirely possible that the Midshipmen could run the table for the remainder of the season and end up 9-3. In addition, Navy would put together its longest winning streak since 1926.

Ken Niumatalolo would never admit it, but it would feel nice if Navy is the first school in the nation to say it knows where it will be during bowl season.

Taking care of business early is always a good feeling.

Strong wins this weekend by Air Force 48-31 over Nevada on Friday night in Colorado Springs and Navy 56-28 at East Carolina while Army struggled and edged at home  30-22 by Ball State.

The second leg of the round robin Commander-In-Chief competition is in action this week with the Falcons traveling to West Point.

Air Force

The Air Force Falcons (5-3) took over second place in the Mountain West Conference with their 48-31 win on Oct. 26 over the Nevada Wolf Pack (6-3).

The Falcons offense torched Nevada’s defense for 600 yards-139 through the air and 461 yards on the ground. Air Force was able to sustain drives by converting 9-14 third-down conversions and 2-3 fourth-down conversions.

Air Force’s senior QB Connor Dietz led an efficient passing game, completing 6-7 pass attempts for 139 yards and two touchdowns. Senior RB Wes Cobb carried the ball 30 times for 152 yards and a score, and he added 68 yards on the ground with a rushing touchdown. Sophomore RB Jon Lee ran the ball 10 times for 96 yards, junior WR Ty MacArthur had 76 yards rushing on seven carries and senior RB Mike DeWitt and senior WR Dontae Strickland each had a rushing touchdown.

Nevada’s sophomore QB Cody Fajardo threw for 211 yards, completing 15-27 passing attempts with a touchdown and an interception.

Having lost to Navy at home earlier this month, Air Force travels to West Point seeking to split its two Commander-in-Chief games with a win over Army.  A win by the Falcons combined with an Army win over Navy in December would allow Air Force to retain possession of the trophy.

Navy

The Navy Midshipmen (5-3) put up 563 yards of offense on the road in their 56-28 blowout win against the East Carolina Pirates (5-4).

The game started with a back-and-forth shootout. Navy jumped out to a 14-0 lead after the first quarter. But East Carolina struck back with two scores to start the second quarter. Then, freshman QB Keenan Reynolds ran for a one-yard touchdown, giving Navy a 21-14 lead. That started a string of 28 unanswered Navy points, putting them up 42-14 to start the fourth quarter, and they never looked back.

Navy’s freshman QB Keenan Reynolds completed 3-5 passing attempts for 51 yards and two touchdowns and a pick. He was among 12 Midshipmen with at least one carry, rushing for 81 yards and three scores. Senior slot back Gee Gee Greene ran for 131 yards on 14 carries and senior SB Bo Snelson ran for 67 yards on nine attempts.

East Carolina’s sophomore QB Shane Carden went 19-29 passing for 194 yards and a touchdown and an interception. Junior RB Vintavious Cooper ran for 121 yards on 18 carries with one touchdown.

Navy’s next game is against the Florida Atlantic Owls (2-6).

Army

The Army Black Knights (1-7) struggled to overcome an early 14 point deficit and lost 30-22 to the Ball State Cardinals (6-3) before 30,010 at Michie Stadium.

Cardinals scored two touchdowns in the first 9:08, the first as junior QB Keith Wenning completed five of five pass plays including the six yard touchdown completion to senior wide receiver Jamill Smith. The next drive; Ball State sophomore running back Jahwan Edwards ran for a touchdown from two yards out, completing a 60 yard drive.

Army answered late in the first quarter with a 76 yard drive as junior fullback Hayden Tippett ran seven yards for the Black Knights’ first score, cutting the lead to 14-7.  Ball State added a 49 yard field goal from senior kicker Steven Schott.  An interception by Army junior linebacker Justin Trimble led to an Army 24 yard field goal by freshman Daniel Grochowski. 

In the second half, Army made it close on a 35 yard run by QB Trent Steelman to the Ball State 15 followed up by a Malcolm Brown touchdown sweep to trail 27-20.  Schott scored his third field goal of the day to provide a two score lead 30-20.  On the last play of the game Cardinal punter Scott Kovanda ran out of the end zone for a safety.

Steelman went 3-5 passing for 38 yards and led the Black Knights’ rushing attack with 106 yards on 17 carries.  Tippett ran the ball 20 times for 100 yards and a score. Junior RB Raymond Maples carried the ball for 49 yards on 11 carries and a rushing touchdown of his own.  

Wenning completed 18-27 pass attempts for 189 yards and two touchdowns. Edwards and senior RB Barrington Scott ran for 153 and 81 yards rushing respectively as Ball State out gained Army 413 to 379 yards.

Army hosts Air Force on Saturday at Michie Stadium.

Chris Eberhart contributed to this article. Ken Kraetzer reports on Army football for WVOX in New Rochelle, NY and Sons of the American Legion Radio.