President Trump likely to see another tight game as Army takes on Navy in Philadelphia

Senior Black Knights go for sweep of rival Midshipmen

Navy Midshipman Frey Pankratz signals to his classmates as they march onto the field before last year's football game against Army in Philadelphia. Navy leads the series 60-52-7 going into Saturday's game in Philadelphia. / AP photo by Matt Rourke
Navy Midshipman Frey Pankratz signals to his classmates as they march onto the field before last year's football game against Army in Philadelphia. Navy leads the series 60-52-7 going into Saturday's game in Philadelphia. / AP photo by Matt Rourke

PHILADELPHIA - Army's sensational turnaround on the football field under coach Jeff Monken has been highlighted by 10-win seasons, bowl victories and even a spot in the national rankings last season.

A win Saturday against Navy would mean a bit more, though, because the Black Knights' senior class would go out with a sweep of the storied series between the service academies. Four wins in four years would represent a wildly successful run for a program that had lost 14 straight games to the Midshipmen.

"I think it would be a tremendous source of pride for our senior class to be able to do that," Monken said. "This senior class has meant a lot for the program and the contributions they've made. I know it would mean a lot to this class to complete their career with a win over Navy and the ability to go 4-0."

The Army-Navy series has long held its spot as college football's most patriotic rivalry, with pride, prestige and the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy at stake for each side in the 120th edition of the matchup. The Black Knights have won the trophy the past two seasons after Air Force took it in 2016 and Navy did so in 2015. Before that, Army had not won the trophy since 1996.

photo Army football coach Jeff Monken, right, greets Navy counterpart Ken Niumatalolo after Army beat Navy 17-10 last year in Philadelphia. The 120th edition of the patriotic rivalry game is Saturday, also in Philadelphia, and Army has a chance to win four straight games in the series for the first time in more than two decades. / AP photo by Matt Slocum

Lincoln Financial Field, the home of the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles, will be stuffed with Cadets and Midshipmen standing, saluting, bouncing and cheering among the nearly 70,000 fans for the entirety of what is billed as "America's Game."

President Donald Trump will attend the game for a second straight year, and he was at the 2016 game as president-elect. He is the 10th sitting president to attend, a tradition that began with Theodore Roosevelt in 1901. Presidents, by custom, sit on the Army side of the stadium for one half and the Navy side for the other.

"Whether he's there or not, it's going to be a great experience for everybody," Army quarterback Kelvin Hopkins Jr. said. "Army-Navy is a special event. To have the president there, no matter what the status is or whatever is going on, it's a treat for everybody. It's going to be a show no matter what."

If recent history holds, Trump likely will see a close one: The past four games have been decided by a total of 16 points, and only once since 2010 has a team won by more than a touchdown. Hopkins had two rushing touchdowns and the Black Knights recovered two fumbles in the fourth quarter to beat Navy 17-10 last year, but the Midshipmen leads the overall series 60-52-7.

"It is amazing that these games continue to be incredible battles regardless of what the situations are with either team," Monken said.

For most of this century, the rivalry was lopsided in Navy's favor. Monken has orchestrated a rebuild of the program that has the Black Knights in position to win four straight games in the series for the first time since completing the feat in 1996.

photo Army quarterback Kelvin Hopkins Jr. drops back during the first half of the Golden Knight's game against Navy last December in Philadelphia. The programs will meet for the 120th time when they match up Saturday in Philadelphia. / AP photo by Matt Slocum

If Army defeats Navy, then Army, Air Force and Navy will share in the Commander-In-Chief's Trophy because the three teams would be 1-1 against each other this year - Navy beat Air Force 34-25 on Oct. 5 and Army beat Air Force 17-13 on Nov. 2 - and the trophy would remain in West Point, New York.

The odds are against that: No. 21 Navy (9-2) is a whopping 10 1/2-point favorite to beat Army (5-7). Navy's losses came to two teams ranked inside the top 15 of The Associated Press poll - Memphis and Notre Dame - and either way, the Midshipmen still have another game ahead as they will take on Kansas State on Dec. 31 at the Liberty Bowl in Memphis.

Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo could become the most successful coach in the history of the series. He is tied for first with Army's Earl Blaik (8-8-2 from 1941 to '58). With 96 career victories, Niumatalolo already has the most wins in program history, and he is the American Athletic Conference coach of the year.

"Going to a bowl game is always one of our top goals," Niumatalolo said, "but right now our only focus is to get goal number one, and that is to beat Army and win back the Commander-In-Chief's Trophy."

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