Navy Heads to Air Force for First Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy Test
By Brian Hradsky
The Navy Midshipmen will head west for one of the most important games on their schedule when they face the Air Force Falcons Saturday at Falcon Stadium in Colorado Springs. Kickoff is scheduled for noon Eastern on CBS, with Navy entering at 1-2 overall and 0-2 in the American Conference while Air Force comes in at 2-1 overall and 1-1 in the Mountain West.
Conference records will temporarily take a back seat Saturday. This is Navy-Air Force, the opening game in the annual competition for the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy, and Navy enters as the defending trophy holder. The Midshipmen also have an opportunity to turn around a frustrating start to the season with a rivalry victory on the road.
Navy has been better than its 1-2 record suggests in several areas, particularly on the ground. The Midshipmen are averaging 30.7 points per game and have produced more than 330 rushing yards per contest. Navy’s official statistics list 1,001 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns through its first three games, an average of 333.7 yards per game and 6.0 yards per attempt.
The problem has been turning that production into victories.
Navy Looking to Bounce Back
Navy enters Saturday following a disappointing 24-20 road loss against UAB. The defeat dropped the Midshipmen to 1-2 and made the trip to Colorado Springs even more important as Navy attempts to prevent its season from getting away from it before reaching the middle of October.
There are still encouraging numbers for head coach Brian Newberry’s team. Navy has scored 92 points through three games while allowing 77. The Midshipmen have also generated 72 first downs compared with 55 by their opponents, demonstrating how effectively the offense has moved the football despite the record.
Navy’s running game remains the centerpiece. The Midshipmen have rushed 167 times through three games, compared with only 42 passing attempts. That is hardly surprising for Navy, but the efficiency has been impressive. The Midshipmen have averaged approximately six yards every time they run the football.
Quarterback Blake Woodson is a major reason for that production. Woodson enters the matchup with 296 rushing yards on 35 carries and four rushing touchdowns. Navy quarterback Jonathan Gutierrez, meanwhile, has thrown for 204 yards and two touchdowns, giving the Midshipmen another option when they need to attack through the air.
Woodson Could Be the Difference
Service academy games frequently become battles of discipline, assignment football and execution. Defenses see variations of option concepts throughout practice leading into these games, which means simply relying on scheme is rarely enough. Navy will need Woodson and the rest of its backfield to consistently win individual matchups.
Woodson’s ability to create explosive plays could be especially important. Navy has not simply accumulated rushing yards through volume. The Midshipmen are averaging six yards per rushing attempt, which means the offense has consistently produced chunk plays rather than simply grinding out three and four yards at a time.
Air Force should be considerably more prepared for Navy’s rushing attack than the average opponent. The Falcons live in the same option-football world, understand the reads and know how quickly one missed assignment can turn into a major gain.
That makes patience important for Navy. The Midshipmen cannot abandon their identity if Air Force forces several early punts. Four-yard gains can become eight-yard gains later in the game as defenders begin reacting more aggressively to motion and option looks.
Air Force Has Its Own Dangerous Quarterback
Air Force quarterback Liam Szarka presents essentially the same problem for Navy.
Szarka leads Air Force with 310 rushing yards on 67 attempts and five touchdowns. He has also thrown for 214 yards, giving the Falcons a quarterback capable of hurting Navy with both his legs and occasional play-action passes.
Air Force enters the game averaging 34 points per contest. The Falcons are coming off a 36-33 overtime victory over Nevada, giving them momentum entering their biggest home game of the young season.
Stopping Szarka starts with discipline on the edges. Navy cannot allow defenders to become overly aggressive pursuing the dive and leave the quarterback uncovered. The Midshipmen also have to remain aware of Air Force’s passing game when the secondary begins creeping toward the line of scrimmage.
That will be one of Saturday’s biggest chess matches.
Navy’s Run Defense Has Been Outstanding
If there is one statistic that should give Navy confidence heading into a game against Air Force, it is the Midshipmen’s rushing defense.
Navy’s opponents have managed only 197 net rushing yards through three games, an average of just 65.7 yards per game and 2.0 yards per carry. Opponents have scored only two rushing touchdowns against the Midshipmen.
That is exactly the type of defensive strength Navy needs against Air Force.
The Midshipmen will still have to prove those numbers translate against a service-academy option offense. Air Force’s system places enormous pressure on defenders to maintain their assignments, tackle in space and repeatedly make the correct decision.
One missed responsibility can change a game.
If Navy can hold Air Force close to its season rushing-defense average, the Falcons could be forced into situations they would rather avoid. Third-and-long is dramatically different from third-and-two against Air Force. The Midshipmen need to win first down and force Szarka to make plays as a passer.
Navy Must Fix Its Pass Defense
The opposite side of Navy’s defensive statistics is far less encouraging.
Opponents have thrown for 767 yards through three games, averaging 255.7 passing yards per contest. They have completed 54 of 72 attempts and thrown eight touchdown passes against only one interception.
Air Force will not throw 40 times Saturday unless something has gone drastically wrong. However, those numbers matter because option offenses are often at their most dangerous through the air when defenses become completely committed to stopping the run.
Navy’s safeties will have to remain disciplined.
Air Force does not necessarily need 300 passing yards. One or two completions of 30 or 40 yards could completely change field position and potentially decide a close rivalry game.
The Altitude Factor
Navy will also be dealing with something it cannot simulate perfectly in Annapolis: playing at Falcon Stadium.
Colorado Springs sits at more than 6,000 feet above sea level, creating a unique challenge for visiting teams. Navy’s physical conditioning should help, but the Midshipmen still need to manage substitutions and avoid leaving defensive players on the field for long Air Force possessions.
That makes Navy’s offense important beyond scoring points.
Long drives would allow the Midshipmen defense to rest while simultaneously forcing Air Force’s defense to deal with Navy’s rushing attack possession after possession. If Navy can control the football for six, seven or eight minutes at a time, the altitude becomes less of a factor.
Three-and-outs would create the opposite problem.
Rivalry Has Swung Back Toward Navy
Air Force has historically had the advantage in this matchup, but Navy has won the last two meetings.
The Midshipmen dominated Air Force 34-7 in 2024 before winning a much tighter 34-31 game in 2025. Air Force won 17-6 in 2023 and 13-10 in 2022.
Those results demonstrate how unpredictable the rivalry can become. Three of those four meetings were decided by relatively narrow margins or remained competitive deep into the game.
Saturday will be the 59th meeting between the academies, according to the current game information, adding another chapter to one of college football’s distinctive rivalries.
More importantly for Navy, the Midshipmen are trying to retain possession of the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy.
Five Keys for Navy
Protect the football. Service academy games frequently feature fewer possessions than typical college football games. Navy cannot afford to give Air Force additional possessions through turnovers.
Control Szarka. Navy’s defense has been excellent against the run through three games. That success needs to continue against Air Force’s quarterback-centered rushing attack.
Create explosive runs. Navy’s six-yard rushing average has been one of the team’s biggest strengths. Woodson and the Midshipmen backs need to break several runs beyond the second level.
Stay disciplined against play action. Navy cannot allow its safeties to become so focused on the option that Air Force produces easy completions behind them.
Finish drives. Moving the football is not enough. Navy needs touchdowns. Field goals and empty possessions could become costly in a rivalry that has frequently produced close games.
Matchup to Watch: Navy Rushing Attack vs. Air Force Front
This could determine the afternoon.
Navy enters averaging well over 300 rushing yards per game, while available matchup statistics have Air Force allowing approximately 129 rushing yards per game. Something will have to give.
The Midshipmen do not necessarily need 330 yards Saturday. If Navy can approach 250 yards while consistently staying ahead of the chains, the offense should have opportunities to control possession and put points on the board.
Air Force’s objective will be the opposite. The Falcons want to force Navy into obvious passing situations, where the Midshipmen have attempted only 42 passes all season.
A Chance to Reset Navy’s Season
Saturday is bigger than Navy’s record.
The Midshipmen cannot erase their 1-2 start with one victory, and the American Conference losses will remain significant later in the season. However, beating Air Force in Colorado Springs would immediately change the direction and feel of Navy’s season.
Navy would return to Annapolis at 2-2 with a rivalry victory, continued control of its Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy destiny and renewed confidence heading into the remainder of the schedule.
A loss would drop the Midshipmen to 1-3 and eliminate their margin for error in the trophy competition.
That is what makes Saturday so important.
MSB Take
Navy’s record is concerning, but the underlying numbers give the Midshipmen reasons for confidence against Air Force. A team averaging more than 330 rushing yards per game while allowing fewer than 70 rushing yards per game has two traits perfectly suited for winning a service-academy rivalry game.
The biggest concern is Navy’s pass defense. Air Force does not throw frequently, but the Falcons do not need to. If Navy commits too aggressively to stopping Szarka and gives up two or three explosive passes, those plays could erase much of the advantage created by the Midshipmen’s rushing attack.
Navy needs to make this a physical, possession-oriented football game. Feed the rushing attack, protect the football, make Air Force earn every yard and keep Szarka from producing explosive quarterback runs.
Saturday provides Navy with an opportunity to make its biggest statement of the young season. Conference play has not started the way the Midshipmen wanted, but the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy remains directly in front of them.
Navy at Air Force
Saturday, Oct. 3
Noon ET
Falcon Stadium — Colorado Springs, Colorado
TV: CBS
