Oct 313 min read

The Forgotten Rivalry: Army-Air Force

The service academies, No. 21 Army (7-0, 6-0 America Athletic Conference), Navy (6-1, 4-0 AAC), and Air Force (1-6, 0-4 Mountain West), often play for more than wins and losses. It's all about pageantry, pride and patriotism every time the academies take the field, but there is also clarity. Is the game on the field important? Yes. However, the athletes understand they will play for much higher stakes after graduation.

The Army-Navy game grabs the most attention every year and why not? It is a late-season tradition with endless history and passion. Presidents often attend the game. In a sport rich with tradition, the Army-Navy weekend is one of the best.

This weekend, a different game will gain national attention, not because of a Southeastern Conference rivalry or because a Heisman front-runner is showcased, but because at noon EST on Nov. 2, the Army Black Knights will host the Air Force Falcons on the United States Military Academy in West Point, N.Y. for the first time since 2019. In their last 10 matchups, the teams both have five wins. Army won 23-3 last season, but Air Force leads the series 38-19-1. Things are different this season. Army is ranked 21st, undefeated, and has one of the best teams in the nation, averaging 40 points per game while only allowing 12. In The Black Knights' last game on Oct. 19, they defeated East Carolina, 45-28 (4-4, 2-2 AAC).

Both teams were idle last week, yielding two fresh, motivated squads.

Air Force is coming off a 21-13 loss to Colorado State (5-3, 3-0 MW), and the team's only win was in Week 1 when the Falcons defeated FCS opponent Merrimack (4-4).

Army Air Force Rivalry — © Danny Wild-Imagn Images

Player to Watch: Army

Quarterback Bryson Daily has led his team in a record-setting fashion. Only seven games into the season, Daily has already broken the school's single-season record for total touchdowns (26) and rushing touchdowns (19). In the East Carolina Game, Daily managed more touchdowns than any single player in Army’s history with 6. That is the most since Elmer Oliphant’s 6-TD game in 1916.

Player to Watch: Air Force

Wide receiver Cade Harris has been the foundation on the ground for the Falcons. He has rushed for 212 yards and 4 TDs on the season. He also has 169 receiving yards. Both teams love to control the clock, run the ball and establish defense. Harris’ ability to grind it could give Air Force a chance at an upset, and what a sweet one it would be for the Falcons.

What it Means

It always means a little more when the service academies battle it out. Picture this. Ten years from now alumni from Air Force and Army are stationed in a war zone far from home, fighting for the freedoms we often take for granted. The alumni start a conversation, looking for an escape, maybe a laugh. Perhaps the conversation turns to their time at the academies and those fall Saturdays when the only worry was who was lined up across from them.

The only worry was a game. They smile, a welcome relief from the carnage around them, remembering how important the game seemed at the time.