The 125th rendition of the sacred battle known as The Army-Navy Game was played this past Saturday at Northwest Field, just outside of Washington, D.C. Army entered the match as a one-touchdown favorite after finishing the regular season with an 11-1 record, an American Athletic Conference Championship, and a Top 25 ranking. This has been one of Army’s best seasons in history. Their QB1, Bryson Daily, finished 6th in the Heisman voting and earned the nickname "Captain America." They also boast a standout offensive lineman, Paolo Gennarelli , who was named to the All-American team. Navy had a solid season as well, but few expected them to challenge Army in this game. They were led by their phenomenal QB1, Blake Horvath, who missed a few games due to injury—contributing to Navy’s losses without their leader.
I was joined by my better half, known to readers of this blog as the amazing Mrs. Tailgate, although she has a habit of announcing scores with the losing team first :). Our good friends, the Kernans from Rockville, Maryland, hosted us for the weekend and joined us for what would be my 10th Army-Navy Game in the past 14 years. What made the day especially meaningful was the tailgate. We had the privilege of tailgating with fellow officers from my Army unit (the 6-27th) from 1987-1989 and their wonderful wives.
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| The men of 6-27 |
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| The better halves make the picture much better |
The day was crisp, with temperatures hovering in the 30s, but clear skies and no wind made for perfect tailgating conditions. The spread of food and drink did not disappoint: pepperoni bread, sausage queso dip, brats, bellinis, and a cooler stocked with Natty Bo and other lesser-quality libations (plus a variety of Scooby snacks). Our tailgate ringleader introduced me to the Jack Daniel’s version of Fireball for a nip or two. Some of these friends I’ve kept in touch with through the years; others we hadn’t seen in ages. Our fearless leader, who was our Battalion Commander back in the day, spent the afternoon with us. He went on to earn three stars in his Army career.
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| Scenes from the tailgate |
With a 3:00 PM kickoff, we wrapped up the tailgate and made our way into the stadium to enjoy the pregame pageantry. Given the presence of the next President and Vice President of the United States, security was tight, with Secret Service agents at every gate. I write about the pregame pageantry every year, but it truly never gets old. The Navy and Army parachute teams once again landed spectacularly on the 50-yard line logo. Army Apache helicopters and Navy fighter jets wowed the crowd with flyovers. The ceremonial coin toss was conducted by outgoing Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. President Trump appeared on the Jumbotron, much to the delight of the Midshipmen and Cadets.
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| Pre game pageantry |
We were seated in the lower bowl near the Navy band and Midshipmen section. Whenever the Cadets from West Point started a chant, the Midshipmen would respond with a loud “Whoop Whoop!” Curious about its origin, I was told this: the cadets’ traditional dress gray uniform has a cape component, prompting the clever Midshipmen to compare them to the flying monkeys from The Wizard of Oz. Now, I’ll never not unsee that visual!
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| The Midshipmen and the Cadets |
On the Field
Navy opened the game with an impressive first drive, scoring a touchdown to jump out to a 7-0 lead. It was clear they brought the energy, and Army would need to dig deep to match it. While Navy capitalized with touchdowns, Army managed just one touchdown and two field goals. Navy’s QB1, Blake Horvath, thoroughly outplayed Army’s Captain America with his running and passing. Navy’s defense stifled Army’s run game and forced Bryson Daily into three interceptions. Navy’s special teams also outperformed Army, executing a fake punt for a 40-yard gain and first down just as Army seemed poised to grab momentum.
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| Taking in the game |
The game was “chippier” than usual, which is uncommon for such a revered contest. Navy ultimately won 31-13. For the first time ever, we left with two minutes to go and missed the teams singing their respective alma maters—a tradition you must experience at least once.
All the seniors on these teams will graduate in May and move on to their first military assignments, beginning their minimum five-year commitments. God bless America!
Around the Country
After returning to the Kernan compound, we enjoyed pizza and Greek salad (courtesy of our friend Patrick) just in time to watch the Heisman Trophy presentation. Colorado’s two-way Iron Man, Travis Hunter, edged out Boise’s Superman, Ashton Jeanty, in the closest vote in 15 years.
In FCS Quarterfinal action:
#1 Montana State demolished Idaho on Friday night.
The University of South Dakota bested UC Davis (who we watched the previous week).
Perennial powerhouse North Dakota State defeated Mercer.
South Dakota State walloped Incarnate Word.
In Division III, Salisbury State (MD) lost to powerhouse Mount Union, while Johns Hopkins (MD) advanced to the semifinals, where they’ll face Mount Union next weekend.
Bieber Award
Marshall University, where all three of my brothers spent part of their college years, just won the Sun Belt Conference championship. This victory earned them a berth in the Independence Bowl against Army. However, their head coach Charles Huff left the team the next day after the school failed to renew his expiring contract after the season. He accepted an offer from Southern Mississippi University to be their next coach. In protest, many loyal players entered the ever-growing transfer portal, leaving the team so depleted that Marshall had to withdraw from the bowl. Louisiana Tech has replaced them.
Blame lies with both the administration for failure to execute a new agreement for Coach Huff, and the players for abandoning their teammates and fans. There’s no gray area here. For the first time in Bieberdom history, the players and administration of Marshall University share the infamous Bieber hardware. They’ve earned the nickname The Blundering Turd—a play on their team name, The Thundering Herd.
Ginger Award
During the Celebration Bowl between HBCU conference champs Jackson State (SWAC) and South Carolina State (MEAC), an incredible moment occurred. After a Jackson State punt return, a flag was thrown. Fans assumed the 28 yard return would be nullified. However, the before announcing the call, the head referee Rory Bernard took the mic, gave a shoutout to the military veterans, and snapped off a crisp salute.
If the day wasn’t already patriotic enough, this moment was the icing on the cake. Thank you, sir—and enjoy your first Ginger Badass Award!
Next Up
I’ll be manning multiple screens from the West Coast headquarters this weekend. We’ve got the opening round of the inaugural 12-team FBS Playoffs, plus the FCS and Division III semifinals on various streaming services.
We won’t be attending a live game… unless I’m otherwise persuaded!
Happy Tailgating!
Hi Dan - Enjoyed meeting you and Mrs. Tailgate and sharing the ride To and From the game. The singing of the Alma Maters was especially great this year (Go Navy!).
ReplyDeleteDisappointed, though, to read that you have never visited Fitton Field...home of the Holy Cross Crusaders. 4th oldest D1 stadium (1908)!!....you know, it's almost like you're not taking this College Cathedral thing seriously...
Hahahhaha love it Patrick. You are right, we know the grand parents of this year’s starting QB. I will make a game there at some point to praise the house that Gordie Lockbaum built!
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