No. 22 Army defeats Navy for third consecutive rivalry win, 17-10
Philadelphia – In front of President Donald Trump and 66,729 fans at Lincoln Financial Field, the Cadets of Army (10-2) sealed its third straight victory over Navy late in the fourth period for a 17-10 victory. The two teams, both very familiar with the common triple option offense they run, kept each other in check throughout most of the game. With wins over both Air Force and Navy (3-9) this season, Army keeps the Command-in-Chief’s Trophy for service academy supremacy for the second year in a row. For Collegefootballfan.com, we attended our 12th Army-Navy game of the 119 played to date with a host of friends who enjoyed great tailgating on a cold but sunny and comfortable afternoon in Philly. For us, this season’s game was the seventh consecutive game we’ve attended in this greatest of historic, college football rivalries.
Hail to the Chief
The tailgating festivities started early in the parking lot. With President Trump attending, security slowed our entry into the stadium. We missed the pre-game activities inside “The Linc” and caught up with the action six minutes into the first period. Before Guest Game Analysts (GGA’s) Scott Mitchell, USNR Master Chief recently retired after 26 years, Frank Scarpa (Rutgers), and Les DiVite (Seton Hall) settled into our seats in section 129 right next to the Brigade of Midshipman, Army already led, 7-0.
Quick-start Cadets
On their first possession, Cadet QB Kelvin Hopkins scored on a one-yard plunge capping an 82-yard drive on five plays. Kell Walker’s 51-yard jaunt to the Navy 10 keyed the scoring drive. Neither team could score for the balance of the half. By games’ end, the Mids totaled only 208 yards of offense to the Cadets 283. For the first three quarters, USNA gained only 64 yards on the ground 7 and no passing yards.
Presidents present
Trump, the tenth sitting President to attendthis storied rivalry, switched sidelines from the Army side to the Navy side athalftime. We at collegefootballfan.com haveattended Army-Navy games previously presided over by President Gerald Ford (1974)and by President Bill Clinton (1996).
A battle to the very end
Army started the second half marching 80 yards on its first possession. The Cadets methodically moved the football to Navy’s 26-yard line. PK John Abercrombie put up a 33-yard FG to build Army’s lead, 10-0. The Army offense chewed up 8:19 during this drive. Army regained possession late in the third period on DB Mike Reynold’s INT of Zach Abey.
In the final period,Navy stopped the Cadet drive short on a fourth and two to take back the ball at Amy’s 42. Garrett Lewis replaced Abey at QB for the Mids. On first and ten at the Army 16, Lewis picked up 10 yards, but DB Jaylon McClinton’s tackle forced a fumble and James Gibson recovered for the Black Knights on their three.
Navy forced Army to punt from the 12 and started with good field position at the 48. Malcolm Perry raced 43 yards to the Cadet five. Lewis put the Mids on the board finally with a one-yard TD to close within 10-7 as 7:01 remained in the game. Navy took possession again later from their 34. On fourth and twelve, Head Coach Ken Niumatalolo re-inserted Abey. Back to pass, LB Ken Brinson jarred the football loose and then recovered to put Army in possession at Navy’s 22 with 3:02 remaining. Three plays later, Army put the ball at the one. Hopkins scored his second TD of the game from there to extend Army’s lead, 17-7.
Navy got rolling from its 25 to Army’s 28. They elected to get three with Bennett Moehring’s 46-yard FG to trail 17-10 with only :29 to play. Army’s Jordan Asberry recovered the ensuing onsides kick on Navy’s 43. Game 119 of this historic rivalry came to an end. Navy, who won 14 consecutive games before Army’s current streak continues to lead this series, 60-52-7. We’ll all be back again next season in Philadelphia on December 14, 2019 for the 120th clash between Army and Navy.
And then there is one
Army’s successful season continues at the Armed Forces Services Bowl in Fort Worth, Texas on December 22. The Cadets play Houston (8-4) who defeated the Mids in Annapolis this season, 49-36. Navy finished the 2018 season a disappointing 3-9. This marks the first season since 2011 and only the second since 2002 that the Midshipman did not earn a trip to a bowl game. Next season,they kick off the 2019 season in Annapolis against Holy Cross.
against Navy and the rest of the Houston Cougars D will be prepping for Army’s triple-option for the Armed Forces Services Bowl in two weeks.
Bye-bye
Collegefootballfan.com faces two bye weekends in a row, one planned and one unplanned encountering earlier than anticipated “football withdrawal.” Next weekend, there are no games at any level within traveling distance to attend. We’ll watch the team we opened our season with, eight-seeded FCS Colonial Athletic Association champ Maine, on television against Eastern Washington on that irritating, red turf, play in the FCS national semi-final game. Then after the following weekend and a relaxing Christmas holiday with the family, we go bowling! Three times in four days.
Time to go bowling
On Friday, December 28, we start in Nashville at our fifth Music City Bowl. Auburn (7-5) faces off with Purdue (6-6), the only team to knock off No. 6 Ohio State this season, 49-20. The next day, we travel to attend the big one, the Orange Bowl CFP semi-final in Miami Lakes, Florida. It kicks off at 8 pm. No. 1 Alabama plays No. 4 Oklahoma with newly crowned Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray at QB. Alabama’s QB Tua Tagovailoa finished second in the balloting. With Bama’s DL Quinnen Williams finishing eighth in the balloting, Collegefootballfan.com will have seen eight of the of ten Heisman vote-getters in 2018 play in person during the last two seasons. For us, this will be our fifth Orange Bowl game. Winner of this game heads to Santa Clarita, California for the FBS title game on January 7.
We wrap up our 2018 season back in Annapolis on New Year’s Eve day at noon without Navy in a game. This year the Military Bowl features Cincinnati (10-2) of the American Athletic taking on 6-6 Virginia Tech of the ACC. Other Five against Power Five. The visit to Annapolis makes this our eighth venture to what starts as the Eagle Bank Bowl in Washington, D.C.and morphed into the Military Bowl in the capitol of Maryland.
Three bowl games in four days. It’ll be a great finish to an already memorable college football season for us at CFF.com. We finish off a record-tying season with 27 games attended in 2018, just as we did in 2017 and 2014. Despite all the great game action attended, the college football season always seems to go way too fast!
