Army vs Navy Spread
While these teams haven’t been noteworthy on the national college-football stage since the days of Roger Staubach, the annual battle of the military academies known as the Army-Navy Game is one of the best rivalry games in the country, with the respect, patriotism, pageantry and healthy competition between the branches of the military featured in this game.
The Army likes to show “Beat Navy” signs, while Navy members display their “Bear Army” placards. While neither team will be heading into a bowl game, this should be a good matchup. Before the active bowl season begins, this game is usually the celebratory bridge from an entertaining regular season to the bowl season.
Navy has won 55 of 111 all-time meetings (seven ties), including the last nine in a row (the longest win streak in the history of the series) and 12 of the last 14. The point differential in the series is 323 points (2.9 points per game), but 231 of those points have come during the Midshipmen’s current win streak (nearly 26 points per game). Prior to this run, the difference between the academies was less than a point per game.
According to our latest college football odds, Navy is favored by 7 points, while the total sits at 56.5 points.
Army
The Black Knights have been off since Nov. 19, when they lost 42-14 at Temple to fall to 0-7 outside of West Point. Army’s only wins have been at home in New York state, over Northwestern (21-14), Tulane (45-6) and FCS Fordham (55-0). The home loss was to San Diego State (23-20). Since the Fordham win, Army has lost three straight, scoring 14 or fewer in each game.
Despite the scoring struggles, Army ranks as the best rushing team in the country, averaging 351 rush yards per game while posting 399 yards of total offense per game (ranking 75th nationally with 25 points per game). Five different players have shared much of the rushing load in the option offense, but the group is led by Raymond Maples with 994 yards and four touchdowns on 7.4 yards per carry, and Trent Steelman with 583 yards and 11 TDs on 4.9 yards per carry.
Steelman has completed 51 percent of his passes for 347 yards and two TDs with two interceptions, throwing just 39 passes all season. The offensive line has allowed 10 sacks. Davyd Brooks leads the receiving corps with eight receptions for 137 yards and one TD, while Malcolm Brown has 138 yards on six grabs (23 yards per) and one score.
The Army defense ranks 74th nationally in scoring defense (28 points per game), allowing 364 yards per game (186 rushing, 178 rushing) while recording 16 sacks and forcing 15 turnovers – two of which were returned for TDs (Geoffery Bacon, interception; Nate Combs, fumble).
Steve Erzinger leads the defensive unit with 92 total tackles (20 more than anyone lese), adding three sacks and a fumble recovery. Zach Watts has three sacks, 21 tackles and a forced fumble, and Thomas Holloway has an interception, 72 tackles and a fumble recovery.
Navy
The Midshipmen have been off since Nov. 19, when they fell 27-24 at San Jose State, which snapped a two-game win streak. Five of the teams’ seven losses this year have come by three points or fewer, including a 24-21 loss at South Carolina and a 35-34 overtime home loss to Air Force. Navy is 2-4 away from Annapolis and 2-3 at home.
Navy ranks 47th nationally in points scored (30 ppg) while recording 406 yards per game (which includes 314 rushing yards per game, fourth-best in the country). Kriss Proctor runs this offense by leading the running game with 817 yards and 12 TDs on 4.6 yards per carry, plus he completes 51 percent of his passes for 774 yards and seven TDs with six interceptions. His offensive line has allowed 12 sacks.
When Proctor hands off, the top running back in this option offense is Alexander Teich, with 790 yards and three TDs on 4.7 yards per carry. When Proctor throws, his top targets are Brandon Turner (14 catches) and Matt Aiken (13) with 27 combined catches for 501 yards and five scores.
Defensively, Navy ranks 82nd nationally in points allowed (30 ppg), giving up 417 yards per game (240 passing, 177 rushing) while recording 13 sacks and forcing 21 turnovers – two returned for TDs (Tra’ves Bush and Chris Ferguson, interceptions).
Matt Warrick leads this unit with 94 tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery, while Bush adds 85 tackles and a team-high two INTs. Jabaree Tuani has 5.5 sacks, 46 tackles, a team-best three forced fumbles and two recoveries, while Wes Henderson has three fumble recoveries, 23 tackles and a sack.
