Navy Football: What Army’s Upset of Air Force Means to the Midshipmen
Army pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the season on Saturday beating then no. 25 ranked Air Force their first loss of the season. The win occurred 51 years to the date after Army’s last win over an AP ranked top-25 team. Fate would have it that the team they beat at the time was also Air Force.
So what does all this mean for Navy and their matchup with the Black Knights on December 9th? Well, first of all, the Commander in Chief’s Trophy is still in play. Well, at least a share of it for the Midshipmen. Army can win the trophy outright but with a Navy win, they’ll force a three way tie, leading to Air Force retaining the trophy.
More importantly, Army may be a better team than they’ve been given credit for this season. Air Force made a lot of mistakes in that game. There were missed tackles, poor angles taken in tackling, incorrectly filling gaps, and missed reads on the option. And that’s not even including the six turnovers Air Force committed. Two interceptions, which were both poor over throws to wide open receivers, and four fumbles. It was a very sloppy game by Air Force and something we haven’t seen from them all season.
But give Army a lot of credit for taking advantage. They showed off a lot of talent blowing out Air Force 23-3. Army held one of the best rushing attacks in the country to just 155 yards on 40 carries. When Navy played Air Force they were able to hold the Falcons to just 137 yards on 48 carries. The difference was that Navy was anemic on offense all day and couldn’t capitalize on the constant stops their defense generated.
Whats the key takeaway going into Army vs Navy? Both teams are really good at stopping the run. When they meet, it’s going to be a defensive slugfest. A lot of the game is going to come down to big plays- which defense can play disciplined the longest and which offense can stay patient and find a way to break through. The good news for Navy, they’ve opened up the passing game a bit more this year. While still a long way from being dominate, this could prove to be a difference maker in the game.
Army will play FCS Holy Cross this weekend and if they can pull off an upset against Coastal Carolina in two weeks, they’ll likely be playing for bowl eligibility against Navy. The Midshipmen also have a realistic chance to be playing for bowl eligibility in this game.
We know that both teams are going to play their best game of the season, and it’s looking more and more like this could turn out to be an incredible game. While nationally there may not be all that much at stake, both teams will have everything on the line come December 9th in Gillette Stadium.
