President Donald Trump has arrived at West Point, which is hosting the annual Army-Navy football game for the first time since World War II.
Before kickoff, Trump conducted the coin toss. Navy won calling tails, and opted to defer until the second half. By tradition, the president visits both locker rooms and sits on each sideline for one half of the game, to avoid the appearance of any partiality.
The 121st meeting between the service academy rivals kicked off at 3pm on Saturday under a low-hanging fog, and for the first time in 77 years is not being held on neutral ground.
Instead the game is being played at West Point’s venerable Michie Stadium. Both schools agreed to move it from its customary site in Philadelphia after attendance limits were placed on outdoor events in Pennsylvania because of concerns over the novel coronavirus, and it was Army’s turn to be the home team.
The game was last held at a service academy for two years during World War II at the urging of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, with games played at both West Point and Annapolis.
President Trump gestures as he walks onto the field at Michie Stadium ahead of the annual Army-Navy football game at West Point, which is hosting the annual game for the first time since World War II
Trump is flanked by Army and Navy officials as he walks onto the field. By tradition, the president visits both locker rooms and sits on each sideline for one half of the game to avoid any appearance of partiality
Trump stands during the pre-game invocation at Michie Stadium at West Point. Navy leads the all-time series 61-52-7
Before kickoff, Trump conducted the coin toss. Navy won calling tails, and opted to defer until the second half
Trump elbow bumps with an Army player before the start of the 121st Army-Navy Football Game in Michie Stadium
‘We are excited we are able to play this game here for only the fourth time in history,’ Army coach Jeff Monken said before the game. ‘The state of our world right now has forced the game away from Philadelphia. It will be special to play it here. It will be very nostalgic and really a great piece in the history of this rivalry.’
‘There’s a chill that goes through you unlike any other game,’ Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo said. ‘It’s the craziest thing because you’re in the locker room and it’s quiet, a little bit serene, and then you step outside and there’s this rush and you know it’s different.’
No outside fans will be allowed at Michie Stadium, which has a capacity 38,000 instead of nearly 70,000 at Lincoln Financial Field. But at least the entire Brigade of Midshipmen and Corps of Cadets (about 9,000 total) will be there.
Navy leads the all-time series 61-52-7 after snapping Army’s three-game series winning streak last season with a 31-7 victory at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
If Army defeats Navy on Saturday, then the winner of the Army-Air Force (3-2) game on December 19 will determine who wins the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy, which was won by Navy last year.
If Navy, which lost to Air Force earlier this year, wins on Saturday and Army beats Air Force, then all three teams would be 1-1 against each other. In that event, the Midshipmen would retain the trophy, which is awarded annually to winner of the series among the service academies.
President Donald Trump arrives at New York Stewart International Airport in New Windsor, New York on his way to West Point
Trump is attending the the annual Army-Navy football game, held at West Point for the first time since World War II
The Brigade of Midshipmen from the Naval Academy march on the field prior to a game between the Army Black Knights and Navy Midshipmen at Michie Stadium
The United States Corps of Cadets stands in formation after marching on to the field before the game
Navy mascot Bill the Goat inspects a formation of Midshipmen before a game between Army and Navy on Saturday
The venerated series started in 1890 when West Point cadet Dennis Michie accepted a challenge from Navy to play a football game.
At that first game, the Midshipmen arrived at West Point by ferry, and with one year of football experience to none for Army they easily prevailed 24-0 on The Plain before about 2,000 spectators.
The Black Knights returned the favor the next year at Annapolis, winning 32-16 and a football rivalry like no other was beginning to blossom.
According to Gene Schorr´s, ‘The Army-Navy Game,’ players on both teams personally congratulated one another during an evening celebration in the Navy boathouse after that initial Army victory and cadet Michie and Navy quarterback Worth Bagley, the stars of those teams, shook hands, looking forward to the next meeting.
Seven years later both men were killed in the Spanish-American War.
‘There’s so much history in both of these schools, so we’re playing for so much more than just football,’ Army senior offensive lineman J.B. Hunter said. ‘We’re stoked for this opportunity. For us, it’s very important. We don’t want anyone coming in our back yard (and winning). We’re just going to hope that what we do is going to work.’
Trump pumps his fist as he departs on the South Lawn of the White House on his way to West Point
Army cadets march on the field before an NCAA college football game against Navy on Saturday at West Point
Navy midshipmen march on the field before an NCAA college football game against Army on Saturday
Navy (3-6) leads Army (7-2) 61-52-7 in the series, which started in 1890 when West Point cadet Dennis Michie accepted a challenge from Navy to play a football game
Navy is unbeaten in three games at West Point and won the previous encounter 13-0 in 1943, when the great Glenn Davis was a plebe at West Point.
The Midshipmen won last year’s game 31-7 behind the stellar play of senior quarterback Malcolm Perry, who rushed for 304 yards and two touchdowns.
The decision to hold the contest at West Point at first rankled some Navy players, but the team has rallied to the challenge.
‘At first, I was disappointed…I didn’t really want to go up there,’ Navy senior cornerback Cameron Kinley said. ‘Then I thought about the opportunity we have in front of us as a team. To travel up to West Point for the first time since World War II and beat them on their home field and in their own stadium, it doesn’t get much better than that.’
Both teams have had quarterback issues this year. Injuries have forced Monken to use six players at the position. Niumatalolo started freshman Xavier Arline in last week’s 19-6 loss to Tulsa, the team’s fourth straight setback, and he could get the nod.
‘He did some good things last week, but he was also a freshman last week,’ Niumatalolo said. ‘But what better stage to prepare you for the biggest game of the year than playing the 22nd-ranked team in the country. We’re definitely encouraged by that.’
Army cadets march on the field before an NCAA college football game against Navy on Saturday
The Naval Academy color guard stands on the midfield logo before a game between the Golden Knights and Midshipmen
Junior Christian Anderson was the starter for Army when the season began. Monken is keeping his choice a secret. Army’s triple option is averaging just under 300 yards rushing per game to 185.3 for the Midshipmen.
Navy senior tri-captain Billy Honaker will wear No. 68 in honor of former offensive lineman David Forney, who died on campus at age 22 in February 2019.
The number was not issued this season, but the team honored Forney by wearing a sticker on the backs of their helmets that pictures him running out of the tunnel at the 2019 Army-Navy game carrying the American flag with the word ‘Brotherhood’ underneath.
If Navy wins and Army defeats Air Force next week, the Midshipmen will retain the Commander-in-Chief´s Trophy, emblematic of supremacy among the academies.
Navy is the first team in service academy football history to play both of its rivals on the road in a season. The Midshipmen lost 40-7 at Air Force in early October.