Army Football

The Army vs. Navy college football game is the lone game on the college football schedule this week and for good reason. The game is loaded with tradition and one of the best games of the year.

For the 113th time these two teams will square off, this time at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, with focus on the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy not the national championship.  

This has all the makings of a normal football game. There will be college football odds and football picks on who will win, but this is more than a football game.

The broadcast will cover the game, but the main focus will be on the players and the tradition of the rivalry. The game will not have any BCS bowl game implications and will be void of chatter on how the BCS needs to implement a playoff system.

The focus will be on football and life after the game. The players are celebrated but not because of future potential as NFL players, but for their future potential as leaders.

Many college football fans will dismiss the Army vs. Navy game because it does not have the flash of an SEC championship game or a Heisman Trophy candidate, but take a second to tune in and you will quickly see why it is one of the best rivalry games in all of sports. The game itself often becomes a side story as the players on the field get the spotlight for all of the right reasons.

With all of the recent stories in sports that involve violence, drugs and scandal, this game features all that is right in the world. This game features true heroes-in-training playing the game for the love of the game and not the promise of a Nike contract or a million dollar NFL contract.

This game will not have harmful trash talk in the press leading up to kickoff.

Don’t expect any pregame shoving or stomping on the opposing team’s logo (at least, not anymore).

Even the alumni keep their trash talk simple with a single chant of “Go Army! Beat Navy.”

The fanbases don’t fight one another but instead they pull innocent pranks such as stealing the team mascot. To show that it is just tradition, the mascot is returned unharmed. This is as hostile as this rivalry gets, and it still should be considered one of the best.

Despite the records of each team, this game is meaningful on every level.

It is the only rivalry in sports that features players from both sides that will become teammates after the game. When the game is over the players will embrace one another and show mutual respect because they know that they could meet again and work side by side as part of the world’s greatest military.

These players will go on to do something much more important than playing on Sunday. They will go on to defend our country with pride and honor. For that, and many other reasons, Army vs. Navy is the greatest rivalry in sports.

James Brown is a B/R featured columnist and can be followed on Twitter. Feel free to contact James at jtsneaks@gmail.com. He also is a contributor at Bookie Blitz, a sports picks website.

It's Army-Navy week, the time when football and the rivalry between America's longest-standing service academies takes center stage in Philadelphia, culminating in an intense atmosphere on Saturday before 67,000 fans and a national television audience on CBS.

A major element this year is to play for the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy, given to the team who wins two of the three games played between Army, Navy and Air Force.  Navy defeated Air Force in Colorado Springs in October, 42-21, and Army defeated Air Force, 41-21, at Michie Stadium in November.  The trophy will be presented to the winner after this game and taken home to its academy as a prized icon to display for the upcoming year.  There is also a traditional White House visit for the winners to contemplate.

Several of the team players, head coaches and school officials gathered at the Lincoln Financial Field last week to talk about the game and the rivalry. For players at these schools, their football careers are largely remembered by how they do as seniors in this game.

This is a rivalry that goes back well over a hundred years to the nineteenth century and reflects the military history of the United States.  Prior to World War One, Douglas MacArthur was a team manager, and later, Dwight David Eisenhower briefly played and coached football.  During the World War II era, Army, coached by legendary Earl "Red" Blaik, was national champion three years in a row from 1944-1946, with General MacArthur as one of the team's biggest fans.  

Later, many players went from this game to serve in Korea and Vietnam, like Navy's Roger Staubach.  Today at practices and games, we often see military leadership visiting the team, such as the Chief of Staff of the Army, General Raymond Odierno, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, General Martin Dempsey.

Many graduates of the Army, Navy and Air Force have fought in Iraq and Afghanistan.  One player who played in this game two years ago, Chase Prasnicki, died serving in Afghanistan this summer. 

When you visit West Point, literally all over the post, as it is called, are signs proclaiming, "Beat Navy."  Very early on in basic training, the new cadets are taught to respond "Beat Navy."  At the close of meetings, meals, after singing their "Alma Mater," the cadets yell, "Beat Navy."  Many will tell you this is a sign of respect for those they will serve with.  At Annapolis, I understand they treat Army in a similar way. 

Adding to the lore, are the legendary goat and mule capers, in which the mascots have been kidnapped and taken to the rival academies.  Now spirit videos placed on YouTube and Facebook are the subject of amazing preparation.

Then there is interest from the alumni serving overseas in places like Afghanistan, Korea, Africa, ships at sea and some places where they cannot even tell you where they are.

Former New York Giant-turned-broadcaster Beasley Reese was the Master of Ceremonies for the press luncheon, and described Army-Navy as simply, "The greatest rivalry in all of sports."

For Army, the goal is clear, find a way to break the ten-year winning streak by Navy in this game. Black Knight quarterback Trent Steelman just broke the Academy's 66-year-old record held by Heisman Trophy winner Glenn Davis for career touchdowns.  Steelman has led the option offense since the first game of his freshman year, averaging 16.7 carries per game over his 45-game career. That is a lot of pounding, and the Bowling Green, Kentucky has the scars to show for it, which they never mention. 

For Steelman, his fellow captains Nate Combs and Jarrett Mackey and the seniors on the team, it is all about being the Army team that breaks the streak, and this year the chance to win the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy. Doing that will make this a memorable season for Army football.

For Navy and its senior class, it is about not being the team which gives up the streak to Army—and bringing the prized trophy back to Annapolis. Navy has won the famed trophy 12 times. including seven times in a row from 2003-09. The Mids have won 18 of their last 20 games played against Army and Air Force.

Navy has been dealing with the news that one of its freshman players, quarterback Ralph Montalvo from Miami, Florida, was seriously injured in a car accident just after returning home for Thanksgiving break. Navy Coach Ken Niumatalolo provided an update,

Believe he is doing better, he is still in a coma, so it is still very, very serious but according to the reports we received today, there is some decrease in swelling, and we are all praying for him.

This season, Navy had a big change at quarterback from junior Trey Miller to freshman Keenan Reynolds, who has a 57.5 completion percentage, eight touchdown passes and has run for nine more.  Coach Niumatalolo commented about the play of his high energy freshman,

[Keenan Reynolds] has executed and has made some plays, does some good things taking care of the football, so right now he is playing very well for us, hopefully he plays well next week.

Army head coach Rich Ellerson has learned how to channel the excitement and attention his team receives before the game both on campus and from alumni serving around the world. I asked him about how it is possible to channel the excitement about the game into positives his team can benefit from,

In the early preparation, the rivalry, the focus, the institutional voices that you grow up with as a cadet can really help in preparation, but as you get closer, we try and turn the volume down.  You have to focus on what correlates with success on the football field and not get distracted.

The Army defense has struggled during the year, often playing with eight freshman and sophomores in the starting lineup.  Holding the defense together has often fallen on the shoulders of senior Nate Combs, a hybrid defensive lineman-linebacker that Army calls a "Bandit."

I asked the Indiana native about playing in the Army-Navy game and he said, "This game has been going on forever, you have those Ohio State-Michigan rivalries, but the Army-Navy games mean a lot more.  It is an unbelievable feeling being in that game."

Army quarterback Trent Steelman will be starting his fourth Army-Navy game. He has, in his fourth year at West Point after a year at the U.S. Army Prep School, the excitement and the pressure of playing a key role in the Army-Navy game has never been far.

I asked the Bowling Green, Kentucky native about the rivalry: "It is just an honor, to go out and play in a game of this magnitude, is an opportunity only a few will experience," Steelman said. "Our job, is to go out, take it all in, and play to the best of our abilities."

Both Army and Navy will wear special uniforms for this year's game.  The black Army jerseys will include numbers composed of maps of the areas of France and Belgium that the Battle of the Bulge was fought in by the U.S. Army from December 1944 to January 1945.  That victory over a force including 1,000 German tanks resulted in 90,000 American casualties.

Combs described the opportunity to recognize the hundreds of thousands of Army veterans who served in that battle during the Army-Navy game: "It is awesome, to wear that with pride, I hope we represent well the guys in that battle.  I just hope we go out and make those guys proud."

Last year, the game was played near Washington D.C. at Fedex Field. This year, the game is back in Philadelphia for the 84th time in 113 meetings.  Mayor Michael Nutter attended the press event and expressed appreciation for Philadelphia's ability to host the game and recognize the service provided by the two academies and the U.S. military:

Philadelphians love the game, there is a passion for this game, There is tremendous amount respect for men and women in our armed forces, we express our deepest appreciation for who you are, what you are doing now with your lives, and what you may do going forward. This is really the Philadelphia Bowl game.

Ken Kraetzer covers West Point football for WVOX in New Rochelle, NY, and Sons of the American Legion Radio.

His Twitter is @SAL50NYRadio.

In a day which witnessed Army Quarterback Trent Steelman score three times to break a 66-year-old  Academy record for career touchdowns, the story was Temple running back Montel Harris who ran for a school record 351 yards and seven touchdowns as the Owls shelled the Black Knights in what had been expected to be a close game.

Steelman's three touchdowns gave him 44 for his four-year career, one more than famed Army Heisman Trophy Winner Glenn Davis who played during the World War II era from 1943-46.  Those were the years when Army was coached by Red Blaik and West Point attracted the best players in the country.  Army won three straight national titles from 1944-46.  Of course in the 1940s, teams played shorter schedules than today.

Temple will remember this game for the record setting performance of its senior running back Montel Harris who ran time and again through big holes in the Army line for 351 rushing yards and seven touchdowns.  That is right; 351 yards and seven touchdowns, both Temple school records.

Temple got ahead early with touchdowns on their first two drives both scored by senior back Matt Harris, the second from 36 yards out.  Army came back with drives of its own the first resulting in a Trent Steelman's first scoring run of the day and later a drive resulting in a 37 yard field goal by senior Eric Osteen.  The field goal was Osteen's first in his college career, most of his work has been on kickoffs. With 4:57 left in the half it was just a 14-10 Temple lead.

Temple took control of the game late in the second quarter with the first of Montel Harris' two touchdown run, the first for sixty yards, the second from one yard out with just 28 seconds left in the half to give the Owls a 28-10 lead at the half.

After a halftime that honored Korean War veterans and presentation of a large American Flag on Blaik Field, Army came out with a 75 yard drive culminated in Steelman's second touchdown of the day.  When Malcolm Brown ran for a two point conversion, it looked like Army had a chance to get back in the game down 28-18.

The Owls answered with a7r yard drive finishing with Harris' third touchdown of the game on a one yard run.

The Black Knights again came back as Trent Steelman saw an opening and ran 56 yards down the sideline for his third touchdown of the game breaking the Glenn Davis' record.  Steelman finished the game with 139 yards rushing on the day.

Temple then went on a spree scoring four times in eight minutes all on rushing touchdowns by Harris.  In the middle was an Army drive culminated by Malcolm Brown on a three-yard run.  

Afterwards, the 22 Army seniors playing in their final home game at Michie Stadium joined their teammates in singing the West Point Alma Mater in front of several thousand members of the Corps of Cadets with the Temple players respectfully standing behind them. 

Trent Steelman looked frustrated and disgusted, as in walked off Blaik Field for the last time in his Army football uniform.

Afterwards, Army head Coach Rich Ellerson took responsibility for the loss, saying:

"That's on me.  I did not give the guys on defense the tools they needed to have a chance to compete in that game.  The good news is we have another opportunity."

The Army defense had played well in recent games against Air Force and Rutgers. I asked defensive captain Nate Combs about the challenges Temple presented in the game:

"They ran all over us, which is kind of an understatement when they have over 500 yards rushing.  We just have to come out tomorrow and be ready for Navy."

Senior defensive back Josh Jackson tried to put into perspective the challenge facing the team to put this game aside and get ready for Navy:

"As seniors, this is where your character is tested.  We've been tested this whole season, but true character and true leadership is how you overcome both good and bad situations.  We'll get our team together and get ready for the showdown with Navy.

We watched senior quarterback Trent Steelman lead the Black Knight offense since the first game of his freshman or plebe year as it is called at West Point.  He takes a pounding every week but often is able to find opportunities for breakaway runs such as his 56 yard play today.  The coaching staff calls on him to pound the ball into the end zone.  On the day he broke the record of a West Point legend, he deserved better, I asked him about breaking the record on such an overall disappointing day:

"A loss is a loss. No matter what happens on the field, you're going to have that same feeling.  I would trade (all the records) back for a win, to be honest."

Thanksgiving week will give the Army players a break and the coaches a chance to regroup the defense.  The Black Knights have struggled this year with teams that have thrown big lineman at them like Temple and even Stony Brook.  But the Black Knights handled the big lines of Boston College and Rutgers.  Navy has a couple of big guards but the rest of their team is similar to Army.

The December 8 match-up on national television to be played in front of 65,000 in Philadelphia will be for the coveted Commander-in-Chief Trophy.  If the Army defense can reorganize and play like they did against Air Force, the Black knights have a chance to break their ten-year losing streak to Navy.

Ken Kraetzer covers Army football for WVOX 1460 AM in New Rochelle, NY and Sons of the American Legion Radio.

With the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy still up in the air, all three of the major service academies—Army, Navy and Air Force—will conduct "Senior Day" at home games this weekend.

Senior Day is special at the academies because not only is it the last time each group of seniors will play on their home field, all involved know that a year from now the players will be commissioned officers in the U.S. Armed Services.  Despite the talent several of them possess, none of these players will have a chance at the NFL until they have completed most, if not all, of their five-year service commitments.

For the first time in memory, Air Force is out of the Commander-in-Chief race, having lost to both Navy in October at home and at West Point earlier this month.  With the prized trophy going to the winner, Army and Navy will play in Philadelphia on December 8th in what should be a great matchup. 

To say Army is anxious to break Navy's 10-year winning streak and win the CIC Trophy is a major understatement.  Saturday's game between Temple and Army should give a good indication whether West Point is ready to play the type of game they did in wins against Boston College and Air Force and a close loss to Northern Illinois.  The Army defense—built mostly on freshmen and sophomores—is maturing every week. Once the greatest weakness, defense of line is now becoming a strength.

This day will be special for Army because it is the last home game at Michie Stadium for 22 seniors.  One of them, Trent Steelman, has started almost every game for four years and holds a host of West Point records.  The Bowling Green, Kentucky native is the Academy leader for quarterbacks in rushing attempts with 735, rushing yards with 3,085, rushing touchdowns with 41 and points scored with 250.   Two more touchdowns would allow Steelman to tie the West Point record for career touchdowns of 43 held by 1946 Heisman Trophy winner Glenn Davis.

What you don't see from Trent Steelman is the toughness that has allowed him to take even more hits on his body during the 735 rushing attempts.  In the Army option offense, the quarterback's job is to hold on to the ball as long as possible before pitching out to one of the slot-backs.  The quarterback takes a shot even without the ball.  Steelman just keeps on rising from the hits and encouraging his teammates on both side of the ball. 

Here is a preview of the three service academy games this week:

Air Force

The Air Force Falcons (5-5) take on Hawaii (1-8) at Falcon Stadium in Colorado Friday night at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN2.

This is Air Force’s final home game of the 2012 season, and they will showcase their No. 2-ranked rushing offense versus a struggling Hawaii team. QB Connor Dietz has been very impressive through the air, posting a 167.4 passer rating, which has backed defenses off the line of scrimmage. He can also use his speed to make plays on the ground, accumulating 606 yards rushing and five touchdowns. Senior RB Cody Getz is ranked 18th in the nation with his 111.8 yards rushing per game.

Offensively, the Falcons will seek to continue to sustain drives by converting third downs. They are eighth in the country with a 51.8 third-down conversion percentage. They average nearly 31 points per game and will play a terrible Hawaii defense that has allowed just over 43 points per game.

Army

The Army Black Knights (2-8) battle the Temple Owls (3-6), who have lost their last four games, at Michie Stadium in New York on Nov. 17 at noon on the CBS Sports Network.

This will be the last home game for Army’s 22 seniors, including QB Trent Steelman, who surpassed the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the season with his 102-yard performance last week against Rutgers.  His touchdown brought him within two of legendary Glenn Davis’ school record of 43. Junior RB Raymond Maples, who looks to join Steelman as a 1,000-yard rusher, enters the game with 965 yards on the ground.

Look for those two to lead Army’s No. 1-ranked ground games versus the Owls’ No. 77-ranked defense. The Black Knights’ rushing attack has been explosive all year, averaging 366 yards per game, but their defense has been the surprising story over the past two weeks. They gave up an average of 295 yards over that span, playing against the high-powered offenses of Air Force and Rutgers. They also have four interceptions over the last two weeks.

Temple has struggled on offense in 2012, averaging only 293 yards of offense per game, which ranks No. 118 in the country.

Navy

The Navy Midshipmen (6-4) are home against the Texas State Bobcats (3-6) on Nov. 17 at 3:30 p.m. on the CBS Sports Network

The Midshipmen seniors are playing their final home game this weekend. They are the No. 6-ranked rushing offense in the nation, averaging 274 yards per game. Senior RB Gee Gee Greene leads the attack with 679 yards rushing with an incredible 7.5 yards per carry. Freshman QB Keenan Reynolds has been impressive through the air and on the ground. He’s thrown for 719 yards and eight touchdowns and has rushed for 535 yards and nine more scores.

Navy’s No. 45-ranked pass defense will be challenged by Texas State senior QB Shaun Rutherford, who has proven to be an accurate passer, completing 64.5 percent of this throws for 1,454 yards and 11 touchdowns with only three interceptions. Texas State and former Navy slot-back Marcus Curry, who has rushed for 513 yards, an average of 6.1 yards per carry and nine scores, leads the Bobcats’ ground game.

Chris Eberhart contributed to the game previews in this article.  Ken Kraetzer covers Army football and Iona basketball for WVOX 1460 AM in New Rochelle, New York and Sons of the American Legion radio.  

Army (2-7) goes into Rutgers (7-1) today coming off the euphoria of a 41-21 win over Air Force last week at Michie Stadium. 

The victory was the Black Knights' first win over a service academy rival since 2005.  In many ways, this validates the improvements this program has made in the Rich Ellerson coaching era. 

Army head coach Rich Ellerson will never address questions about the Air Force and Navy games until game week.  He tries to keep his players focused on the upcoming opponent often making comments such as, "There is only one team we can beat this week and that is..."  

Coach Ellerson constantly tries to keep his players focused on the mechanics of their individual roles playing football and tells them not to worry about making mistakes, A favorite expression of his is, "Turn the scoreboard off and do the things associated with winning football."

Now Army has a big win to try and build off of as they play two games against Big East rivals in Rutgers this week and Temple next week at Michie Stadium. 

The game against Temple will be remembered as Trent Steelman's last home game as the Army quarterback.  He has had an impressive collegiate career, rewriting the West Point record book over the past four years.

Army has played Rutgers close the past few years, losing in overtime 23-20 at the new Met Life Stadium in 2010. 

Last year in a game played at Yankee Stadium, Army was down 13-12 in the fourth quarter and appeared to take the lead, but a 52 yard touchdown run by Stephan Frazier was called back by a penalty. A subsequent Army punt was blocked and run back for a touchdown blowing open the game for Rutgers.

In the 2010 game at Met Life Stadium, Rutgers player Eric LeGrand was injured after running into Army's Malcolm Brown on a kick-off play. 

I asked Rutgers head coach, Kyle Flood, how Eric is doing and Coach Flood mentioned Eric's weekly work with the Rutgers radio broadcast team. 

Eric LeGrand is very lively on Twitter, often sending out inspirational mentions.  

I have met Eric twice in the past year.  Although his movement appears limited, his conversation is upbeat and engaging. 

Rutgers is the only nationally rated team that Army will play this year.  After Week 9, the Scarlet Knights reached  number 15 in the Harris, Coaches and BCS Polls and number 18 in the Associated Press. Their loss to Kent State two weeks ago dropped them back to 23rd in the BCS poll and 24th in the AP. 

Despite the Kent State loss, Rutgers is a powerful team. Especially on defense. 

Rutgers is running for 132 yards per game, led by Jawan Jamison who averages 108 yards per game. 

Quarterback Gary Nova and the Scarlet Knights like to throw the ball.  Nova has completed nearly 60 percent of his throws for an average of 227 yards per game. 

The defense is ranked sixth in the country, giving up just 14 points per game and is fourth in rush prevention, giving up just 88.5 yards per game.

Army continues to lead the country in rushing, averaging 375 yards per game, so this should be a great match up.  The best rushing team in the country will be challenging one of the top five defenses against the run.

In Ellerson's weekly press conference, he talked about how good a team Rutgers is and how motivated they will be after a bye week and a loss to Kent State.  Ellerson described the challenge in facing a team as physical as Rutgers. 

"I think everybody knows how accomplished Rutgers is.  That slight advantage that we have some weeks because of what we do is mitigated by the fact that they had two weeks to prepare for us. Frankly, we don't match-up especially well with them. I'm thinking about our guys on the defensive side of the ball.  The last couple of times we've played Rutgers, we haven't been on the right side of the scoreboard at the end, but we've battled them and competed well with these guys."

Coach Ellerson addressed my question about the changes in the Rutgers team this season and overall positive play of the team under new head coach, Kyle Flood.  Flood is a long time Scarlet Knight assistant coach who played his college football at Iona College in New Rochelle, NY., 

"I think the smart thing they've done has to do with continuity. The fact that he was able to step off where Greg (Schiano) left, the thing that you really appreciate about them is they have a relatively veteran football team that was able to leverage that experience and take it a step further. He embraced what was in place and added his own personality and direction to it."

One of the new standouts for the young Army defense this season has been freshman, Alex Meier.  The 6'2", 200 pound player is third on the team in tackles, with 32 solos and 15 assists in 47 plays through nine games.  More and more, number 23 is in the middle of making plays for the Black Knights.

I asked Coach Ellerson about the play of his emerging defensive star:

 
"Alex (Meier) was a very accomplished player at the prep school last year. Not only is he playing a lot of football for a young guy at this level, being a young guy at West Point is a little more daunting than most other place in the world. He also falls into a position that has a lot of the adjustment responsibilities that are associated with our defense. To his credit, he is hyper-competitive and does not like being wrong.  What I'm seeing from him is a remarkable resilience. He's a long way from the finished product, but he's growing every week."

If Army can play its strong ball control game on offense and complete drives nearly every time they have the ball, they have a chance against Rutgers. 

This is the best rushing defense they have played all year and Rutgers is fired up after having two weeks to think about their first loss of the season. 

The young Army defense will need to step up and make plays.

But those who really had it tough this week are those devastated by the storm, so everything is relative. 

This should be a good game that will  provide a moment of entertainment for some of those in the area recovering from the storm and for those working non-stop on storm relief.  

Ken Kraetzer covers Army football for WVOX Radio in New Rochelle, NY and Sons of the American Legion Radio. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes obtained firsthand.

The tradition after Commander In Chief games between Army, Air Force and Navy is for the "Alma Mater" of both teams to be performed by the respective school bands with the teams standing together at attention. The anthem of the losing team is performed first, then the anthem of the winning team is performed second.

"Singing second" is perhaps the most prized moment in the football career of a player at one of the service academies. 

Today, for the first time since 2005, Army "sang second."

After the game, Army senior quarterback Trent Steelman looked like the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders and he could celebrate with this teammates. Steelman is breaking almost all the records for quarterbacks at Army, but his career will be remembered by today's game and what happens in Philadelphia against Navy in December. He said after the game:

"It's a feeling I had never experienced before. It's a feeling I wouldn't change for the world. It is a big win for our program, but we have to turn around and go back to work."

At Army, football careers are measured by how teams have done against Air Force and Navy.  When you visit West Point, signs are all over the stadiums, gyms and arenas proclaiming "Beat Air Force" and "Beat Navy."

This 2012 team will now be known as the team which broke the streak against Air Force, but they know they have more work coming up with big match-ups against nationally ranked Rutgers and Temple before playing Navy in December.

After the game, Coach Ellerson was beaming in his understated way.  He talked about how this was a good Army team, better than their record demonstrates. He described the growth of the young players in the lineup, with as many as eight freshman and sophomores starting on defense in recent weeks, about how they are gaining confidence and experience with each passing week.

Army won by getting out ahead early on a 66-yard drive finished by Trent Steelman's first of two scoring runs. On this play, Steelman hit the line was going no where, but spun his body through another hole to allow him the four yards for the touchdown.

The Black Knights really won this game with defense. With the score tied 7-7, the Army defense gave up a 65-yard drive to Air Force, but on 4th-and-goal from the 1, the Black Knights stopped the plunge by Falcon quarterback Connor Dietz. That set the tone for the rest of the day.

After that, Army marched down the field three times and scored two field goals—the kicks by Daniel Grochowski from 20 and 36 yards, and the other was Steelman's second touchdown run on a one yard plunge—to take a 20-7 halftime lead.

Last year in Colorado Springs, Army held a 14-0 lead at the half and gave up 21 unanswered points to Air Force in the third quarter. Today, the Black Knights, cheered on by a very loud Corps of Cadets, scored twice in the third quarter on two 54-yard drives, with sophomore fullback Larry Dixon scoring on a six-yard run followed by a one-yard run by Raymond Maples less than six minutes later.

Army held on through two Air Force touchdowns in the fourth quarter, and the defense ended up scoring a touchdown of their own when Nate Combs recovered a fumbled snap in the end zone to finish off the 41-21 victory.

Michie Stadium is said to be one of the best places to watch college football. Today, the sun was shining through most of the game and the trees had turned to fall colors over the east stands, which made it easy to forget the tough week it had been for so many. 

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs General Martin E. Dempsey and Army Chief of Staff General Raymond T. Odierno, both graduates of West Point, were on the sidelines. There were surely happy West Point alumni cheering in Afghanistan and other places where soldiers are serving.

Ken Kraetzer covers Army football and Iona basketball for WVOX 1460 AM and Sons of the American Legion Radio.

Game Two of the 2012 Commander-in-Chief Trophy competition will match Air Force (5-3) and Army (1-7) will be played at West Point as the New York area recovers from Hurricane Sandy. Meanwhile Navy ((5-3) will look to improve their record with a home game in Annapolis against Florida Atlantic.  

in Colorado Springs on October 6th Navy defeated Air Force in overtime 28-21.  A win by Air Force in Saturday's game would give the Falcons a chance to hold onto the Trophy they won out right last season, if Army then beats Navy in Philadelphia on December 8th.  But Army has only it's own plans in mind as it prepares to host their rivals from Colorado.

Air Force at Army    

When: Saturday, November 3rd, at 12 Noon EDT

Where: Michie Stadium. West Point , NY (39,000)

Watch: CBS Sports Network

Listen:  WABC 770 AM in New York, KVOR AM 740 Colorado Springs, The FAN 104.3 Denver

The game at West Point will be played Saturday with the perspective that the Hudson Valley region is just beginning to recover from Hurricane Sandy.  Gas shortages could limit some fans from traveling north for the day and others are involved int eh clean-up. 

For the players especially the seniors, this is a big day, a football game they will remember all their lives.  The military teaches that missions must be carried out despite all kinds of different circumstances both at home and on-site.  But the commitment to service of players and staff on both sides to the needs of others will not be far from mind.

For Army this is simply a chance to create a positive for their season and to beat a rival they have not defeated the past six years.  Last year Army led the Falcons 14-0 at the half, but 21 third quarter points by Air Force gave them a 24--14 win in Colorado Springs.

The game is a match-up of the two best rushing offenses in college football.  On the ground, Army averages 383 yards per game, the Falcons 366 yards each week.  Air Force has an edge in passing with 114 yards per game compared to the Black Knights 114.  At the end of the day Air Force is scoring 34 points per game compared to Army 24.8.

Air Force coach Troy Calhoun calls upon a senior QB Connor Dietz to lead the Falcon offense. Dietz Columbus, OH has completed 63.2 percent of his passes for 847 yards and seven touchdowns.  Cody Getz has 928 yards including three 200 plus yard games and eight TDs rushing.  Getz is not listed in the Air Force two deep chart for the week and USA Today reports he is questionable due to an ankle injury.  Wes Cobb a senior from Houston, TX may have to pick up carries, he has 349 yards and four TDs on the year.  The Falcon offensive line led by Senior center Jordan Eason is not big, but enables the Falcons ground game.

On defense Air Force gives up 421 yards per game, 215 of that on the ground so they maybe vulnerable to Army's running game. Senior linebacker Austin Niklas leads the team in tackles with 75. 

Army is leading the NCAA Division one with a strong running game led by four year starter Trent Steelman who is rewriting the West Point record book nearly every week. One of three captains, the native of Bowling Green Kentucky has run for 810 yards this year and scored ten touchdowns on the ground for the Black Knights.  Steelman does not throw often but has 394 yards wit junior Patrick laird and sophomore Chevaughan Lawrence his favorite targets.

Junior Ray Maples is Army's top running back with 834 yards but has been slowed by injuries according to head Coach Rich Ellerson in recent weeks. Army is deep on offense with fullback Larry Dixon having gained 502 yards on the year and should be back in the lineup this week after injuries slowed him in recent weeks.       

On defense Army has been playing with as many as eight freshman and sophomores in the lineup.  Middle linebacker Geoffrey Bacon has been the leading tackler for Army with 87 stops in eight games.  The Black Knight defense should be bolstered by the return to the lineup of senior captain Nate Combs who has been out the past two games with a shoulder injury.  

Keys for the game are for both teams is to control the ball with their potent running games. Army needs to not put themselves in a hole giving up easy points early like recent games.  On offense expect Trent Steelman to have a big game but he needs to get the ball to backs Maples and Brown.  It appears sophomore Larry Dixon should be back at close to full strength.

On defense, the young Army needs to generate stops and not give up long drives to the Falcons.  A big help will be Nate Combs back at his spot rushing the passer and plugging holes on running plays. 

There will be no lack of energy at Michie Stadium and for the first time in several weeks the Black Knights should be close to full strength.  The seniors on Army will play will with urgency, watch for a close game.

Florida Atlantic (2-6) at Navy (5-3)

November 3rd, 3:30 PM EST 

Navy-Marine Corps Stadium, Annapolis, MD (34,000)

Watch: CBS Sports Network

Listen: WBAL Baltimore, WFED 1500 Wash, DC, WNAV1430 AM 99.9 Annapolis, Sirius 134, XM 193

Navy has a chance to win their fifth straight in their first meeting with Florida Atlantic.  A win for the Midshipmen would qualify them for a Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl game date in San Francisco on Dec. 29th against a team from the Pac 12.

The Mids like Army and Air Force are running the ball averaging 271 yards a game on the ground and 108 in the air.  Like Army their scoring average at 25.5 points per game puts pressure on the defense.

Freshman Keenan Reynolds from Antioch TN now is the starting quarterback, he has completed 27 of 42 passes for 413 yards and six touchdowns. His QB rating is a whopping 189.  On top of that Reynolds has run for 246 yards and five TDs. 

Running back Gee Gee Greene has 527 yards and a 7.3 average per attempt.  Navy has the biggest offensive line of the three service academies led by the guards on the left side senior Josh Cabral at 6-3 and 297 pounds and on the right sophomore Jake Zuzek So. 6-0 318.

On defense senior Tra'ves Bush leads with 53 tackles overall from the rover position and senior outside linebacker Keegan Wetzel has 11 tackles for loss of 57 yards and six sacks.

Former Nebraska defensive coordinator Carl Pelini is the first year coach of  Florida Atlantic which is located in Boca Raton.  The Owls comes into Annapolis after a 34-27 win over fellow Sun Belt Conference foe Troy University.  In the final two minutes of that contest the Owls drove 74 yards culminating in a 22 yard  touchdown pass from senior QB Graham Wilbert to William Dukes.

Prior to that they took their lumps with games at Alabama and Georgia. Wilbert at 6-6 and 225 pounds has size which has helped him stand up tot he schedule FAU has faced.  The Owls like to pass and average 202 yards per game and 12 touchdowns in the air.  The defense is giving up 418 yards per game reflecting the big time opponents they have played. 

FAU has a growing program that will benefit from the large pool of high school football ball talent in their home state, but look for the Mids to prevail with their freshman QB Keenan Reynolds gaining confidence with more playing time.

Ken Kraetzer covers West Point football for WVOX in New Rochelle, NY and Sons of the American Legion radio.

Army Captain Nate Combs will be back from a shoulder injury and in the defensive lineup this week as the Black Knights will battle arch-rival Air Force at Michie Stadium on Saturday.

The matchup will be the second of the three round robin Commander In Chief games between Air Force, Navy and West Point. On October 6 in Colorado Springs, Navy defeated Air Force 28-21 in overtime.

Air Force, as the CIC winner in 2011, can retain the trophy only if the Falcons win Saturday and Army defeats Navy in Philadelphia on December 8.

The addition of Nate Combs to the Army lineup will be a big boost as he is the best player on the team at rushing the passer and stopping plays short of the line of scrimmage. 

The New Albany, Indiana native leads Army with nine tackles for a loss on the season, six of which were solo quarterback sacks. 

Combs plays the "Quick" defensive position, which is basically a stand-up lineman responsible for diving into holes to catch ball-carriers in the backfield.

As head coach Rich Ellerson's weekly press call shifted to Wednesday because of Hurricane Sandy, I asked the coach about the roles of primary linebackers Geoffrey Bacon in the middle, Zack Watts on the outside, and Jarrett Mackey (normally a down lineman, who has been filling in at the "Quick" position): 

Geoffery (Bacon) has to be a superb tackler and see the alley. He's had a lot of opportunities to make tackles and his percentage is not where it needs to be. But it's growing. What you see from Zach (Watts) and Jarrett (Mackey), you want those guys to be weapons on the edge, to make plays and control the space that Geoff has to tackle. They all work in concert that way.

Army will again field a starting lineup that includes eight sophomores and a freshman. Coach Ellerson talked about his defense compared to Air Force:

Defensively, we're quite a bit different in terms of our orientations, but we're playing with similar looking guys. I'd like to think that the biggest difference is they have a bunch of juniors and seniors and we're a little bit younger than that.

About the return of Nate Combs to his key spot in the defense, the Black Knight coach said: 

We also get Nate (Combs) back this week, so you'll have him join that trio, which will thicken us up a bit. Nate has been the most dynamic player on defense this year in terms of making plays and creating opportunities.

One of the different aspects of this game is that after facing teams with 300-pound offensive linemen at all five positions, the Falcons' offensive team plays with linemen similar in size to Army players. 

The Falcons front five on offense range from center Jordan Eason at 6'3" and 260 pounds to guard David Lore who weighs in at 235 pounds. Regarding the Air Force offense, Coach Ellerson said,

Offensively, obviously we're both running the football. They're running triple option with (quarterback Connor) Dietz, who has a great background running the option. When he played over the last few years as a back-up, they became a bit more of an option outfit.  They are really leveraging that part of their offense. He's grown as a passer as well.

One of the reporters asked about the performance of junior running back Raymond Maples, who ran for over 100 yards in four of the first five games but has been held under the century mark in the three last outings against Mid-America Conference opponents.

Coach Ellerson's response reflected the Army coaching staff's view on Maples as a terrific blocker:

Ray (Maples) has been beat up pretty good. We've been playing some pretty sporty guys on defense. The thing you don't see is what Ray does without the ball. It's his burden that not only is he arguably as good or better than anyone else we have with the ball, he is without a doubt the best guy without the ball. You want Ray blocking for you.

Last week, sophomore running back Trenton Turrentine had a big game blocking for quarterback Trent Steelman (one block in the second quarter against Ball State sprang Steelman for a big gain). 

Turrentine also gained 43 yards on four carries. The head coach was quite animated about the Keller, Texas native:

Every week he gets a little bit better. He got hurt last season and missed the spring. He came raring to go during training camp and on the first day in pads, he broke his thumb. He missed the next six weeks. He's a capable guy both with and without the ball. At times, he's been a devastating blocker.

Army freshman quarterback A.J. Schurr mentioned in an interview that he originally planned to enroll at Air Force, but his visit to West Point convinced him to join the Black Knights.  

I asked Coach Ellerson about the recruiting competition between the service academies: 

We don't spend a lot of time talking about the other service academies or civilian institutions. We spend our time in recruiting talking about West Point and articulating what's unique about this institution and this path that a young man is considering. The contrast takes care of itself. If we do a good job of explaining and presenting West Point, it doesn't matter who else is talking to you, you'll know if it fits or not.

 

Ken Kraetzer covers Army football for WVOX 1460 AM in New Rochelle, NY, Sons of the American Legion Radio and the American Legion On-line Update.

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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.