In a somber press conference last year after Army lost to Navy, a reporter asked how long it would take for the Black Knights to get ready for their bowl game in two weeks.
Coach Jeff Monken had a swift and pointed answer.
“This game is going to take 365 days to get over,” he said. “And probably a lifetime for me.”
Army will get its long-awaited chance to avenge the bitter defeat when it takes on Navy for the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy on Saturday afternoon in Baltimore.
Setbacks in the storied rivalry are always difficult to accept, but last year’s 31-13 drubbing was particularly devastating for the Black Knights. The loss came in a season in which they won a program-record 12 games and captured the American Athletic Conference championship.
Sandwiched between decisive wins over Tulane in the AAC title game and Louisiana Tech in the Independence Bowl, Army’s loss to Navy was a buzzkill.
“To lose this game sours the season,” Monken said.
A year later, in the 126th meeting of the teams, Army (6-5) will look to sour the season for Navy (9-2).
The Black Knights count on quarterback Cale Hellums, who has rushed for 1,078 yards and 15 touchdowns. Noah Short has run for 552 yards (6.1 per carry) and leads Army with 22 receptions for 279 yards.
Army lacks big numbers with a low-risk offense, but it compensates by being the least penalized team in the FBS and by committing just nine turnovers.
“It’s the same Army team we see every year in terms of the physicality, the toughness, the fight,” Navy coach Brian Newberry said. “They’re a really disciplined football team.”
The Midshipmen opened the year with seven straight victories before recording back-to-back losses at North Texas and Notre Dame. They have recovered by notching quality wins at then-No. 24 South Florida on Nov. 15 and Memphis on Nov. 27.
Navy’s uptick coincides with the improved health of quarterback Blake Horvath, who was hurt late in the North Texas game and sat out the Notre Dame defeat.
Horvath has rushed for 1,040 yards and 14 touchdowns and has thrown for 1,390 yards and nine TDs, with five interceptions.
Navy’s offense, which leads the FBS in rushing with an average of 298 yards per game, is in high gear, with Horvath getting plenty of help.
Eli Heidenreich, the program’s all-time leader in receiving yards, had five catches for 146 yards against South Florida. Also in the game, backup quarterback Braxton Woodson rushed for 103 yards and two touchdowns.
In the last two games, Alex Tecza has carried for 229 yards and three TDs, while Horvath has completed 13 of 24 passes for 247 yards and a pair of scores.
“I think we’re in a good place, a team that’s peaking at the right time,” Newberry said. “Hopefully we’re playing our best football on Saturday.”
The Midshipmen also boast the conference defensive player of the year, Landon Robinson, who opened his career at Navy as a fullback before shifting to nose guard.
It’s a lot to handle for the Black Knights, who won’t lack motivation.
“This is the game of a lifetime for us,” Monken said. “That’s what this game is, the magnitude of it.”
