Beating Navy would propel Army to bowl
This has been Army's bowl game.
Losing season after losing season has ended with this game. The popular notion was beating Navy could salvage a year and bring hope to the next.
Army and coach Rich Ellerson have upped the stakes in one of college football's most intense rivalries.
Army's mission is simple - beat Navy at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia Saturday and advance to its first bowl game since 1996 or go home with another losing season.
"It's never been bigger," Army junior guard Seth Reed said.
"This is definitely the biggest game I've ever played in my life," Army defensive tackle Mike Gann said.
This was Ellerson's vision when he took over the program last December. Playing meaningful late-season games.
Army's five wins are a start. Army had ended the past three seasons with a loss to Navy and a 3-9 record.
"I maintain that if they cancel the game, that the job that this senior class has done up until this point has been really remarkable," Ellerson said. "Whether it's evident to the people around the program or not, it has turned. It has changed. The direction is different. The path we are on is exactly right. We are going to get where we set out to go. Let's find out if we can get there Saturday."
Navy players aren't taking Army lightly, despite seven straight wins over their service-academy rivals.
"They are starting to get the feeling back, a sense of winning," Navy guard Osei Asante said. "Once you get that feeling, you can't help it. That's what happened with us when coach (Paul) Johnson came in. One season, (Navy) went 2-10 and then they came back and went to a bowl game (in 2003). Ever since then, we've been to a bowl game.
"If they get one more win, they are going to a bowl game. They have to beat us in order to get there."
However, it didn't have to come down to this. Army's a few feet wide right on a field goal against Tulane from having its bowl itinerary set.
Nothing has been easy this season. Army struggled to get past two-win Vanderbilt, North Texas and Division I-AA VMI.
But some Army players wouldn't have it any other way.
"It's something that comes with the game of football - that one game that decides everything," Army junior defensive end Marcus Hilton said. "This is what we live for right now."
One more win keeps Army building toward the future.
"At a point in history when the program needs something so we can turn this thing back around to the greatness it always was and always should be, that's a big deal to all of us," Gann said.
Team records: Army 5-6; Navy 8-4.
By the numbers
4: 100-yard rushing games by an Army player this season. Navy has 11.
6: Commander in Chief's trophies Navy has won in a row.
7: Straight bowl appearances for Navy.
13: Combined wins by both teams. It's the most since Army was 9-1 and Navy was 8-2 entering the 1996 game.
21: Days between Army's last football game at North Texas on Nov. 21
82: The number of Army 6-foot-10 wide receiver Alejandro Villanueva
274: Points scored by Navy in the last seven games, all wins.
This has been Army's bowl game.
Losing season after losing season has ended with this game. The popular notion was beating Navy could salvage a year and bring hope to the next.
Army and coach Rich Ellerson have upped the stakes in one of college football's most intense rivalries.
Army's mission is simple - beat Navy at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia Saturday and advance to its first bowl game since 1996 or go home with another losing season.
"It's never been bigger," Army junior guard Seth Reed said.
"This is definitely the biggest game I've ever played in my life," Army defensive tackle Mike Gann said.
This was Ellerson's vision when he took over the program last December. Playing meaningful late-season games.
Army's five wins are a start. Army had ended the past three seasons with a loss to Navy and a 3-9 record.
"I maintain that if they cancel the game, that the job that this senior class has done up until this point has been really remarkable," Ellerson said. "Whether it's evident to the people around the program or not, it has turned. It has changed. The direction is different. The path we are on is exactly right. We are going to get where we set out to go. Let's find out if we can get there Saturday."
Navy players aren't taking Army lightly, despite seven straight wins over their service-academy rivals.
"They are starting to get the feeling back, a sense of winning," Navy guard Osei Asante said. "Once you get that feeling, you can't help it. That's what happened with us when coach (Paul) Johnson came in. One season, (Navy) went 2-10 and then they came back and went to a bowl game (in 2003). Ever since then, we've been to a bowl game.
"If they get one more win, they are going to a bowl game. They have to beat us in order to get there."
However, it didn't have to come down to this. Army's a few feet wide right on a field goal against Tulane from having its bowl itinerary set.
Nothing has been easy this season. Army struggled to get past two-win Vanderbilt, North Texas and Division I-AA VMI.
But some Army players wouldn't have it any other way.
"It's something that comes with the game of football - that one game that decides everything," Army junior defensive end Marcus Hilton said. "This is what we live for right now."
One more win keeps Army building toward the future.
"At a point in history when the program needs something so we can turn this thing back around to the greatness it always was and always should be, that's a big deal to all of us," Gann said.
Team records: Army 5-6; Navy 8-4.
By the numbers
4: 100-yard rushing games by an Army player this season. Navy has 11.
6: Commander in Chief's trophies Navy has won in a row.
7: Straight bowl appearances for Navy.
13: Combined wins by both teams. It's the most since Army was 9-1 and Navy was 8-2 entering the 1996 game.
21: Days between Army's last football game at North Texas on Nov. 21
82: The number of Army 6-foot-10 wide receiver Alejandro Villanueva
274: Points scored by Navy in the last seven games, all wins.
