By Michelle Richardson

Opening Kick
•    Navy (8-3) and American Athletic Conference Champion #22 (CFP), #19 (AP), #18 (Coaches) Army (11-1) meet on the gridiron for the 125th playing of the Army-Navy Game presented by USAA on Saturday at 3:00 pm at Northwest Stadium (62,000) in Landover, Md. Navy leads the all-time series 62-55-7, including a 1-0 mark in the only game previously played at Northwest Stadium. The Army-Navy game is the eighth-most played rivalry in the FBS.
•    The winner of Saturday’s game will win the Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy which is presented annually to the winner of the football competition among the three major service academies (Navy, Air Force and Army) and is named in honor of the President of the United States. Navy has won the CIC Trophy 16 times, while Army has won it 10 times.
•    If Navy can win its final 2 games, it would become just the 6th team in school history to win at least 10 games in a season, joining the teams from 1905 (10-1-1), 2004 (10-2), 2009 (10-4), 2015 (11-2) and 2019 (11-2).
•    This is the 1st time since 2017 that both Army and Navy can win the CIC Trophy heading into the Army-Navy game and just the 8th time ever (1972, 1977, 1978, 1996, 2005, 2012, 2017). The first year of the CIC Trophy was in 1972.
•    A win over Army would give Navy wins over 2 ranked opponents for the 1st time since 1958 when Navy defeated #8 / #7 Rice 20-7 and #14 / 12 Michigan 20-14. Navy defeated #24 (Coaches) Memphis 56-44 earlier this year.
•    Navy was predicted to finish 11th in the American Athletic Conference and ended the year tied for 3rd with Memphis (Navy beat Memphis head-to-head) with a 6-2 mark. Navy faced teams who finished 2nd, tied for 3rd, 5th and two of the three teams tied for 6th.
•    Landon Robinson (Jr. / NG), Colin Ramos (Sr. / LB) and Rayuan Lane III (Sr. / S) were named First-Team All-AAC by the head coaches. Justin Reed (Sr. / DE), Dashaun Peele (Sr. / CB) and Riley Riethman (Sr. / P) were named to the second team. The Mids did not have a player selected to the third team, while Connor McMahon (Sr. / OT)and Ben Purvis (Jr. / OG) were named honorable mention all-conference.
•    Navy is the only FBS team in the country that had just 2 home games in the final 9 regular-season contests.
•    Navy is the only FBS team in the country that did not play a one-score (8 points or less) game this year.
•    Navy’s 355 points scored in its 11 games this season are 143 more than it scored in its 12 games last year (212).
•    Navy has scored a touchdown on the 1st play of a drive 5 times this fall which is tied for the 3rd most in the FBS.
•    Navy is averaging 247.4 rushing yards per game, the 8th-best average in the FBS and the program’s best since 2019 when it averaged a school-record 360.5 rushing yards per game. Army leads the nation, averaging 314.4 yards per game.
•    Navy is 30-35 (.857) in the red zone with 28 (.800) of those scores resulting in touchdowns. Navy’s first 20 red zone trips resulted in TDs before settling for a field goal against Charlotte. Navy is #2 in the country in red zone touchdown percentage (.800), just behind Indiana (.818). Army is 4th at .776.
•    In Navy’s 8 wins this fall, the Mids have outscored the opposition 94-7 in points off turnovers (14-7 vs. Bucknell, 7-0 vs. Temple, 7-0 vs. Memphis, 7-0 vs. UAB, 7-0 vs. Air Force, 31-0 vs. Charlotte, 14-0 vs. USF, 7-0 vs ECU). In the 3 games Navy has lost, the Mids have been outscored 48-0 in points off turnovers (27-0 by Notre Dame, 7-0 by Rice and 14-0 by Tulane).
•    Riley Riethman’s (Sr. / P) 44.4 career punting average (218 punts, 9,685 yds) is the best in school history (min. 50 att.). He owns 4 of the 5-best single-game performances in Navy history (min. of 5 punts). Riethman is 5th in the nation in punting average this fall, averaging 46.0 yards per punt, which would be a school record.
•    Eli Heidenreich (Jr. / Snipe) and Alex Tecza (Jr. / FB), who grew up in Pittsburgh and have known each other since the first grade, have combined to score a touchdown for Navy in 16 of the last 21 games dating back to the 2023 season. With 5 touchdown catches this year, Heidenreich is just one off the school record for single-season touchdown catches which has been done by 4 different players.
•    Rayuan Lane III (Sr. / S) made his 41st-consecutive start at safety for the Mids against East Carolina which is the longest active streak for a safety in the FBS and second longest by a player in the secondary. Lane III has 3 forced fumbles this year which is tied for the 10th most in the FBS. Sporting News named him to its Midseason First-Team All-America Team, while he was also named a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award.
•    DaShaun Peele (Sr. / CB) became the 1st player in school history to return 2 interceptions for a touchdown in the same game in the Mids’ win over Charlotte. It was the 3rd time this year Navy returned an interception for a touchdown, as Rayuan Lane III (Sr. / S) had an 86-yard interception return for a touchdown with 23 seconds left in the game against Memphis that clinched the victory for the Mids. Peele leads the Mids with 4 interceptions.
•    Blake Horvath (Jr. / QB) has thrown 11 touchdown passes on the year which is tied for the 3rd most in school history.  Alton Grizzard, who threw 12 in 1990, is 2nd and record holder Ricky Dobbs threw 13 in 2010.
•    Horvath needs 105 yards rushing to become the 1st Navy player to rush for 1,000 yards in a season since 2019 when Malcolm Perry rushed for 2,017 yards. He is the 1st Navy quarterback to surpass 1,000 passing yards in a season since 2019 when Malcolm Perry threw for 1,084 yards. Horvath’s 1,154 passing yards are the most by a Navy player since Will Worth threw for 1,397 yards in 2016.
•    Horvath is the No. 6 graded runner (all positions, min. 125 att.) according to Pro Football Focus, while Lane III is the No. 5-rated safety (min. 675 snaps) and Heidenreich is the No. 2-rated receiver among all position players (min. of 50 targets). Connor McMahon (Sr. / OT) is the 9th-best offensive tackle and the best pass blocker (min. 625 snap counts) among offensive tackles.

Game Day Timeline
•    12:10 pm – March-on of the Corps of Cadets
•    12:40 pm – March-on of the Brigade of Midshipmen
•    2:45 pm – Service Academy exchange of midshipmen and cadets who are spending the semester at their rival school
•    2:47:15 pm – Golden Knights and Leap Frogs (weather permitting)
•    3:02:30 pm – National Anthem, will be sung by the glee clubs from both institutions
•    3:07 pm – Army flyover will take place when the Black Knights take the field
•    3:07:45 pm – Navy flyover will take place when the Mids take the field
•     The Navy flyover will feature four F/A-18F Super Hornets from the Jolly Rogers of VFA-103, based out of Naval Air Station Oceana, Va. Piloting the lead aircraft will be Lt. Cmdr. Nick Adams and Cmdr. Jonathan Gilliom, USNA Class of 2005.  The wing aircraft will be piloted by Lt. Harlan Ticatch USNA Class of 2020 and Lt. Caitlin Sylvester USNA class of 2020. Dash three will be piloted by Cmdr. William Dann, USNA Class of 2007 and Lt. Cmdr. Tim Baker, USNA Class of 2011. Piloting dash four aircraft will be Lt. Tristan Dmitrijev and Lt. Brandon Coleman, USNA Class of 2019. Providing ground control and support will be Lt. Tyson Stickler from the Class of 2019.
•    Celebrating 80 years of flying history, the Jolly Rogers are one of the Navy’s oldest and most decorated fighter squadrons.  From World War II to Operation ENDURING FREEDOM, VFA-103 has stood the watch, demonstrating unwavering dedication to duty, exceptional combat readiness and a legacy of excellence in naval aviation.
•    3:10 pm – Kickoff
•    Following the game, the alma mater of the losing team will be played with both teams standing at attention, followed by the alma mater of the winning team. It is the greatest tradition in all of sports.

Broadcast Coverage
•    CBS Sports Network will air Inside College Football: Army-Navy March-On presented by USAA from 12:00-1:30 pm and Inside College Football: Army-Navy Tailgate presented by USAA from 1:30-2:30 pm. Hosts Brent Stover and Tina Cervasio-McKearney, along with analysts Randy Cross, Kevin Carter and Beanie Wells will cover all of the sights and sounds of the pregame festivities from Northwest Stadium.
•    CBS Sports will also air its studio pregame, halftime and postgame coverage live from inside the stadium. Coverage on CBS will begin at 2:30 pm with College Football Today. Adam Zucker, Brian Jones, Rick Neuheisel and Aaron Taylor will count down to kickoff, previewing the action and setting the stage for America’s Game.
•    Saturday’s game will be televised nationally by CBS with Brad Nessler, Gary Danielson and Jenny Dell on the call.
•    Scott Wykoff will host a two-hour Navy Insider Show on WBAL Radio (1090 AM) from 12:00-2:00 pm with appearances by Joe Miller and Keith Mills.
•    The Navy Football Pregame Show with Joe Miller, Keith Mills, Scott Wykoff and special commentary from John Feinstein will get underway at 2:00 pm on the Navy Radio Network, followed by game action beginning at 3:00 pm with Miller and Mills on the call.
•    Following the contest, Miller, Mills and Wykoff will recap the day’s events in a 30-minute postgame show.

Scouting Army
11-1 Overall  |  8-0 AAC
Head Coach: Jeff Monken

•    Army enters Saturday’s game as American Athletic Conference champions with an 11-1 record and a national ranking of 19th.
•    Army is coming off a 35-14 whipping of Tulane in the AAC Championship Game. Tulane is one of two teams Army beat who beat Navy in the regular season with Rice being the other.
•    The Black Knights are led by Heisman Trophy candidate and nicknamed Captain America, senior quarterback Bryson Daily. He has been nothing short of sensational with 1,480 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns on 264 carries, while completing 45 of his 78 pass attempts for 877 yards with 8 touchdowns and 1 interception.
•    Daily’s 29 rushing touchdowns are just 2 behind Navy’s Keenan Reynolds for the most in FBS history by a quarterback in a single season.
•    Daily ranks 11th nationally in all-purpose yards (134.6), 3rd in points responsible for per game (20.2), tied for 1st in rushing touchdowns (29), 4th in rushing yards per game (134.5), 1st in scoring (15.8 pts / gm) and 2nd in total touchdowns (29).
•    Daily is not Army’s only strong runner as sophomore running back Kanye Udoh has rushed for 1,064 yards and 10 touchdowns on 165 carries. Udoz is 11th in the country in yards per rush (6.45)
•    Daily’s favorite targets through the air are senior wide receiver Casey Reynolds, who also is a member of the lacrosse team at West Point, and junior slot Noah Short. Reynolds has 18 catches for 426 yards and 3 touchdowns, while Short has 16 catches for 313 yards and 3 touchdowns.
•    A major part of Army’s success has been a powerful and punishing offensive line. The Army O-line, which is a deserved finalist for the Joe Moore Award as the nation’s top offensive line, is led by fifth-year senior and last year’s team captain left tackle Conner Finucane, who was named Second-Team All-AAC. But Finucane is not alone. Sophomore center Brady Small and senior left guard Bill Katsigiannis were both named to First-Team All-AAC, while senior right tackle Lucas Scott and sophomore guard Paolo Gennarelli were named to the second team with Finucane.
•    The Army offense is third in the FBS in third down percentage (.503), 16th in fumbles lost (4), 1st in passes had intercepted (1), 1st in passing yards per completion (17.5), 14th in red zone offense (.914), 1st in rushing offense (314.4 yds / gm), 2nd in sacks allowed (0.5), 2nd in tackles for loss allowed (2.83),  1st in time of possession (35:42) and 1st in turnovers lost (5).
•    The Army defense is led by junior linebackers Andon Thomas and Kalib Fortner. Thomas has 88 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and 2 interceptions, while Fortner has 66 tackles and 8.5 tackles for loss.
•    Junior safety Casey Larkin is tied for 17th in the nation in interceptions with 4.
•    The Army defense ranks 13th in first downs allowed (203), 4th in passes intercepted (17), 1st in red zone defense (.545), 11th in rushing defense (104.0), 7th in scoring defense (15.0), 10th in total defense (297.9).
•    As a team, Army ranks 3rd in fewest penalties per game (3.58), 5th in penalty yards per game (35.08) and 6th in turnover margin (+1.17).
•    Sophomore outside linebacker Elo Modozie is 4th in the country in blocked kicks with 2.

Navy Athletics, Under Armour Unveil  2024 Army-Navy Uniform Honoring the Jolly Rogers
•    Navy Athletics and Under Armour unveiled the 2024 Army-Navy game uniform honoring the Jolly Rogers on Dec. 14 at the 125th playing of the Army-Navy Game presented by USAA at Northwest Stadium in Landover, Md. Kickoff is set for 3:00 pm and the game will be televised nationally by CBS.
•    The Jolly Rogers were established in 1943 and are the most lethal and history-rich squadron in all of Naval Aviation and continue to exemplify the traditions and excellence of professionalism of the United States Navy.  Their tagline is Fear the Bones and their callsign is Victory.
•    Flying over nine different types of fighter aircraft in the past 63 years, the Skull and Crossbones have become the most recognized and feared insignia in the world.  The Skull and Crossbones first flew in January 1943 on the F4U Corsairs assigned to VF-17, the most lethal Navy fighter squadron of World War II.  By the end of the war, the original Jolly Rogers had racked up over 150 kills in the skies over the Pacific.
•   In 1946, VF-17 was designated VF-5B and then again in 1948 to VF-61, as the Jolly Rogers transitioned from the F4U to the F-8 Bearcat.  VF-61 subsequently transitioned to the Navy’s first jet fighters, the F-9 Panther, then the FJ-3 Fury and finally the F-3H Demon, prior to the squadron’s decommissioning in March 1959.
•    Flying F-8 Crusaders at the time, the VF-84 Vegabonds were designated as the Jolly Rogers in June 1959 to preserve the tradition and history of “The Bones.”  Eventually the VF-84 Jolly Rogers transitioned from the F-8 Crusader to the F-4 Phantom and finally to the F-14A Tomcat in 1975.
•    Following VF-84’s decommissioning in October 1995, the decision was made to retire the “Club and Cloverleaf” insignia of the VF-103 “Sluggers” and have Fighting 103 adopt the Jolly Rogers insignia and the Tactical callsign, “Victory,” on October 1, 1995.  Prior to assuming the Jolly Rogers name and insignia, VF-103, commissioned in 1952, had consistently proven ready and willing to accomplish all assigned missions while flying successively more complex and capable aircraft.  VF-103 flew numerous sorties in the moonless skies over Vietnam and achieved the only night MiG kill of the entire conflict.
•    The Skull and Crossbones had now moved on to its fifth home in order to preserve the rich history and multiple achievements of all Jolly Rogers, spanning four generations and four fighter squadrons.  VF-103 made its last deployment flying the F-14B Tomcat in 2004 aboard the USS John F. Kennedy, conducting missions in support of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM, and the squadron transitioned to the F/A-18F Super Hornet in February of 2005, becoming re-designated VFA-103
•    In October 2006, VFA-103 deployed with CVW-7 aboard USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) to the CENTCOM AOR in support of Operations ENDURING FREEDOM and IRAQI FREEDOM, and Horn of Africa Operations off the coast of Somalia.  In 2008, the Jolly Rogers transited the Straits of Magellan aboard USS George Washington (CVN 73) during the Partnership of the Americas deployment before beginning workups in June.  The Jolly Rogers deployed again in February 2009 in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM.  During five months of supporting coalition ground forces engaged in close combat with the enemy, the squadron led the air wing in kinetic effects.
•    Less than six months later, the Jolly Rogers returned to sea for a seven-month surge deployment beginning in January 2010 aboard USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) in support of Operation ENDURING FREEDOM.  VFA-103 continued its role as Carrier Air Wing SEVEN’s (CVW-7’s) go-to squadron for the most demanding combat and combat support missions.  While deployed, the Jolly Rogers led the air wing in combat operations, flying over 1850 sorties and nearly 5900 hours.  The squadron’s relentless effort to prepare for operations on the tip of the spear culminated in the successful delivery of 14 precision weapons, over 600 rounds of 20mm, and more than 80 non-kinetic shows of force/presence in direct support of coalition forces fighting in Afghanistan.
•   In 2016, The Jolly Rogers completed a cruise for the ages, embarked upon the USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) in support of Operation INHERENT RESOLVE. During this deployment, the Jolly Rogers once again proved to be the most lethal squadron in the Air Wing (CVW-7), which saw them employ more Precision Guided Munitions (490 pieces of ordnance) than any other single squadron in Naval History.
•     Continuing the trend of setting of greatness and setting records within Naval Aviation, the Jolly Rogers deployed on the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) for 10 months in support of maritime security operations in the U.S. 5th, 6th, and 7th Fleet areas of operations.  This deployment spanned 295 days, which set a record for the longest carrier deployment in the post-Cold War era.
•   The Jolly Rogers departed Norfolk in August 2022 and returned in April 2023 while spending the entirety of its deployment in the U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa areas of operations.  During this historic deployment, the men and women of VFA-103 and fellow squadrons within the Air Wing (CVW-7), participated in a multitude of multinational exercises and combat operations to increase North American Treaty Organization (NATO) capability and deter aggression in the region.
•   In its most recent deployment, VFA-103 deployed for a Southern Seas Deployment from April to July in 2024, working with partner nations in SOUTHCOM and an overflight of Guyana to show support.
•     The Jolly Rogers of VFA-103 continue to exemplify the Naval Aviation traditions of excellence and professionalism.  With the Jolly Rogers emblem proudly emblazoned on the tails of the most lethal and history-rich fighter squadron in all of Naval Aviation, the legacy of “The Bones” promises to endure for many years to come.
•     This is the second time the Navy football team has honored the Jolly Rogers.  In 1962, Roger Staubach and the Mids wore a Jolly Rogers-inspired helmet design in a 34-14 rout of the Cadets at Philadelphia’s Municipal Stadium.
•     The Navy football uniform color blocking for the Army-Navy game mimics the iconic color of the Jolly Rogers aircraft.
•   Representing the Jolly Rogers tail design, the neck of the jersey incorporates the dark Navy blue color and the Jolly Rogers insignia.
•   The uniform collar striping is a direct reference to the classic stripe found on the top edge of the tail fin.
•   The Navy wordmark is inspired by the wordmark found on the side of the aircraft and the uniform numbers model the aircraft side number on the fuselage and the trailing edge flap of the wings.
•   The sleeves feature the traditional Jolly Rogers angled stripe, with 9 total chevrons (jersey + pant) on either side. This pays tribute to the nine aircrafts flown throughout the squadron’s history.
•   “Fear the Bones” is incorporated into the interior collar as a discoverable detail.
•   The locker tag draws inspiration from the iconic VF-84 tail fin design with a drop shadow “JR” (Jolly Rogers) composition.
•   Featured on the side panels of the pant, the microtext honors the six Jolly Rogers squadrons that have exemplified what it means to bear the skull and cross bones.
•   The helmet design is a culmination of the past and present Jolly Rogers aviator helmets.
•   Featuring the iconic VF-84 helmet design, chevrons are incorporated with the skull on the sides of the helmet as well as chevrons representing the nine different aircraft that the Jolly Rogers have flown in the striping of the helmet.
•   The Jolly Rogers tagline Fear the Bones is on the bumper of the helmet.
•   A white base coat with reflective qualities was used to represent VFA-103’s helmet.

Five Navy Defensive Players and One Specialist Named All-Conference; Offense Places Two on Honorable Mention
•    Five Navy defensive players and one specialist were named to the American Athletic All-Conference teams it was announced on Dec. 3 by the league office, while the Navy offense had two honorable mention selections. The all-conference teams are selected by the league’s 14 head coaches.
•    Tulane (7-1 in the AAC) led the way with 17 all-league selections, while Army (8-0) had 11 and Memphis (6-2, lost to Navy) had 10. Navy’s (6-2) 6 selections were tied with East Carolina (5-3) and UAB (2-6) for 4th.
•    Landon Robinson (Jr. / NG), Colin Ramos (Sr. / LB) and Rayuan Lane III (Sr. / S) were named First-Team All-American Athletic Conference.
•    Justin Reed (Sr. / DE), Dashaun Peele (Sr. / CB) and Riley Riethman (Sr. / P) were named to the second team.
•    The Mids did not have a player selected to the third team, while Connor McMahon (Sr. / OT) and Ben Purvis (Jr. / OG) were named honorable mention all-conference.
•    Robinson, in his first year as a starter, has been a dominant force on the defensive line with 43 tackles, 5.5 tackles for a loss, a team-high tying 4.5 sacks, 6 quarterback hurries, 1 forced fumble and 1 blocked kick.  His 4.5 sacks are tied for the most on the team, while his 6 quarterback hurries were the most on the team. This is his first all-conference selection.
•    This is the second time Ramos has been named First-Team All-AAC, as he was also named to the first team in 2023.  Ramos leads Navy in tackles for a second-consecutive year with 110 stops, while he has also recorded 8 tackles for a loss, 3 sacks, 2 pass breakups, 3 quarterback hurries and a forced fumble.  Ramos is eighth in the country in tackles per game in 2024 (10.0), while his 20 tackles vs. Memphis are tied for the second most in the FBS this year. Ramos is the first Navy player since Ross Pospisil (2008-09) to record back-to-back 100-tackle seasons, while he needs just 20 tackles in the last two games to tie Clint Bruce and Marc Firlie for fifth on Navy’s career tackle list.
•    Lane III was named First-Team All-AAC for the first time in his career, as he was named to the third team in 2023.  He is third on the team in tackles with 61, has 2 interceptions (including a memorable one against Memphis that he returned for a touchdown to seal the upset over the Tigers), has broken up 3 passes and has 3 forced fumbles.  Lane III, who has started 41-consecutive games at safety which is the most by any safety in the FBS, is rated as the sixth-best safety in the FBS by Pro Football Focus.  He has the second and fifth-longest interception returns for a touchdown in school history.
•    Reed is having his second-consecutive outstanding season at defensive end and was recognized with a second-team honor.  Reed leads the Mids in tackles for a loss (8.5) and is tied with Robinson for the team lead in sacks with 4.5 to go along with his 35 tackles, 1 pass breakup and a forced fumble.
•    Peele, who received honorable mention honors last year by the coaches, earned second team honors in 2024 thanks to his team-high 4 interceptions and 5 pass breakups.  He has recorded 39 tackles on the year with 3.5 tackles for a loss and 2 sacks.  Peele is tied for fourth in the country in interceptions per game and is tied for first in the FBS with 2 interceptions returned for a touchdown.  His 2 interception returns for a touchdown are also the most in school history, while his 9-career interceptions rank seventh in school history.
•    Riethman, who was named First-Team All-AAC last year, was named to the second team this year despite leading the conference in punting and ranking fifth nationally with his 46.0-yard average.  His career punting average of 44.4 yards per punt ranks as the best in school history.  Riethman holds 3 of the 4 best single-season punting averages in Navy history and 4 of the 5 best single-game punting averages in school history.
•    McMahon and Purvis earned honorable mention honors for the first time, as they were stalwarts on the offensive line for an offense that scored 355 points in the first 11 games in 2024 after scoring just 212 points in 12 games last year. Navy is averaging 247.4 rushing yards per game in 2024, which ranks eighth nationally and is No. 2 in the country in red zone touchdown percentage (80.0 percent). McMahon is ranked as the ninth best offensive tackle in the FBS and the best in the AAC by Pro Football Focus and is ranked as the best pass blocker in the FBS by PFF.
•    Navy, who was predicted to finish 11th in the preseason, finished third with a 6-2 mark. In addition to Navy, there were 7 teams in the league who finished with a .500 record or better in the conference and the Mids played 5 of them, going 4-1.

Navy to play Oklahoma in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
•    The Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl announced last Sunday the Navy Midshipmen (8-3) and the Oklahoma Sooners (6-6) have accepted invitations to play in the 22nd Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl on Friday, Dec. 27 at Amon G. Carter Stadium (47,000) in Fort Worth, Texas.  Kickoff is set for 12 noon (ET), 11:00 AM local time and the game will be televised nationally by ESPN.
•    This marks Navy’s 25th bowl appearance (12-11-1 all-time) and the third time Navy has appeared in the Armed Forces Bowl.  The Mids defeated Middle Tennessee State 24-6 in the 2013 Armed Forces Bowl and lost to Louisiana Tech 48-45 in 2016.  Overall, the Mids have won two-straight bowl games and five of the last six.
•    This will be the first time that Navy has played an SEC team in a bowl game since 1954 (1955 Sugar Bowl) when Navy knocked off Ole Miss 21-0. Navy has also played current SEC teams Missouri (1961 Orange Bowl and 2009 Texas Bowl) and Texas (1964 Cotton Bowl) prior to those schools being in the SEC.
•    Navy last played a team from the SEC in 2011 when Navy lost at South Carolina 24-21.
•    This will be just the 2nd meeting between Navy and Oklahoma and the 1st in postseason play. Navy defeated the Sooners in the previous meeting, 10-0, on Oct. 2, 1965 in Norman.
•    Oklahoma will be playing in a bowl game for the 26th-consecutive season and the 58th time overall (31-25-1), the 4th most by any school. The Sooners, playing as an SEC member for the first time in 2024, picked up a signature win in November, dropping then-No. 7 Alabama, 24-3, to earn bowl eligibility. Of the team’s 12 opponents, eight were ranked among the nation’s top 25 during the season.
•    On the year, Oklahoma averaged 24.3 points per game, while allowing 21.6 per contest and just 2.9 yards per rush. Danny Stutsman (110 tackles, 8.0 tackles for loss) is a finalist for the Butkus Award presented to the nation’s best linebacker. Head coach Brent Venables is 22-16 in three seasons at the helm. OU is only the second SEC team to play in the Armed Forces Bowl, joining Mississippi State (2020).
•    Navy fans can purchase tickets to attend the Armed Forces Bowl or donate tickets right now at this link.
•    Ticket prices range from $50 to $95. The only way to sit with the Navy contingent is to buy your tickets through the Navy ticket office.  Navy will be seated on the east sideline of the stadium in sections 120 through 128 and 230 through 238.
•    If you are interested in sending a midshipman or any enlisted military personnel in the area to the game, the donation price would be $50.
•    Additionally, there will be a Brigade of Midshipmen pregame tailgate located outside the southeast side of the stadium. Join Naval Academy leadership, the cheer team, two-legged Bill the Goat and the Drum and Bugle Corps along with midshipmen, Navy alumni, parents and fans to cheer Navy on to victory.  The price is $75 per adult and $50 for those ages 5-12.  Children 5 and under are admitted free of charge. Fans can purchase tickets to the tailgate via the same link to buy tickets for the game.
•    The “Bowl for the Brave” has featured the armed forces theme since 2006. The Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl, played in honor of the Armed Forces of the United States, was the first collegiate football bowl game to host all three U.S. Military Academy football teams, and this marks the 14th time in the past 18 years that the game has featured an academy team. Air Force (2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2022, 2023), Army (2010, 2017, 2018, 2021) and Navy (2013, 2016, 2024) have been frequent participants over the past nearly two decades.
•    Since 2014, the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl is the second-highest scoring of the more than three dozen bowl games in the nation with a total of 654 points. Only the Rose Bowl Game (680) has had more points scored.

COURTESY NAVY ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS