Vet News: Army to Battle Navy in 107th America's Classic

WASHINGTON, Nov. 28, 2006 -- One of the most revered rivalries in all of sports will be revisited Saturday when Army and Navy battle for the 107th time.

The Army-Navy Classic pits the 3-8 Black Knights opposite the 8-3 Midshipmen in Philadelphia, Pa.

The Black Knights will be looking to forge a three-way tie for this year’s Commander in Chief’s Trophy title by beating Navy. Navy defeated Air Force in October and Army lost to the Falcons earlier this month. An Army win would allow Navy to retain possession of the trophy, without any additional glory, according to tie-breaking rules set forth by the academies. In the event of a three-way tie, the team that previously captured the Trophy retains its possession.

The Midshipmen have a chance to equal their longest winning streak of five games, which last took place from 1959 to 1963. No team has won six consecutive games.

A sellout crowd of more than 68,000 is expected to fill Lincoln Financial Field with worldwide television and radio audiences tuning in.

Navy leads the all-time series by a narrow 50-49-7 margin, grabbing its first lead in the match-up since 1991. Army must find a way to control Navy’s top-rated rushing attack, which averages 333.2 yards per game.

While Army enjoyed the upper hand against Navy during most of the 1990s, Navy has turned the tide in recent years. The Midshipmen have captured seven of the last nine engagements, including the past four, to grab a 50-49-7 advantage in the classic rivalry.

On a broader scope, Army has prevailed in 11 of the last 20 meetings (and 7 of 14) with its arch rival, a revered series that dates back to 1890. Hard-fought Army victories were commonplace last decade, with the Black Knights prevailing in seven of those 10 match-ups. Those seven Army victories came by a total of just 24 points, with an amazing six-game stretch of cadet wins decided by a total of only 14 points.

The point differential over the course of the 106-game series stands at a rather microscopic 214 points (an average of 2.0 points per game). That figure stood at 92 entering the 2002 contest, but Navy has outscored Army 176-54 the last four years. The Mids blasted Army 58-12 in 2002, setting a series-record scoring total in the process, then followed with 34-6, 42-13 and 42-23 victories the past three years.

SOURCE: VNIS