Army and Navy will play for the 123rd time December 10. Navy leads the series 62-53 with seven times due to a 14-game winning streak from 2002 to 2015.
There was a time when Army-Navy was the most anticipated game of the year. The two most interesting games were in 1946 and 1963, with very similar endings.
In 1946, Army was attempting to become the only team with three straight National Championships. The Cadets were led by three-time All American running backs Doc Blanchard, the 1945 Heisman Trophy winner, and 1946 winner Glenn Davis. Army dominated as unbeaten National Champion in 1944 and '45. The '44 team outscored nine opponents 504-35 and hold records for points per game (56) and average victory margin (52.1).
The Cadets entered the 1946 game top ranked at 8-0-1, with a scoreless tie against Notre Dame. Navy was 1-7 with seven straight losses.
It looked like another easy Army win at halftime with a 21-6 lead. But a funny thing happened in the second half. Navy took over the game.
The Middies scored two touchdowns, but missed the extra point both times, cutting the deficit to 21-18. On the final play of the game, Navy halfback Pete Williams was tackled one yard shy of the Army end zone and the Cadets escaped with the victory.
The close score cost Army the National Championship. Notre Dame, 8-0-1 with a 28-0 victory over Navy, passed Army in the final AP poll.
It was Navy that had the Heisman winner, Roger Staubach, and a shot at the National Championship in 1963. The Middies entered the game 8-1, second ranked. Army was 7-2.
The game was scheduled for November 30, but was postponed a week following the assassination of President John Kennedy November 22. The Kennedy family urged that it be played due to the President's love for the game. He attended the 1961 and '62 games. Kennedy served in the Navy during World War II, but as commander-in-chief he was nonpartisan, sitting on one side of the field the first half, then moving across the field for the second half.
Paul Dietzel was in his first year as Army coach five years after winning a National Championship at LSU. With the extra time to prepare, he changed the offense.
Rollie Stichweh moved from halfback to quarterback to take advantage of his running skills. He led a first quarter TD drive to give Army a 7-0 lead.
Navy tied the game at the half and seemed to take control in the second half with two TDs for a 21-7 lead in the fourth quarter. Army scored with six minutes left, added a two-point conversion to make it 21-15, then recovered an onside kick at midfield.
A methodical, time consuming drive brought Army to a fourth down at the Navy 2 in the final seconds.
With the crowd of 102,000 making a deafening roar, Stichweh asked for quiet and the referee stopped the clock to signal for quiet.
But when Stichweh went back to the line, the crowd was even loader. He asked for silence again, but the ref did not stop the clock and time expired before Army could get off another play.
Navy lost to top ranked Texas in the Cotton Bowl.
It was the last time one of the academies challenged for a National Championship. Both teams will enter this year's game with losing records.
But Army-Navy is still must-see TV with the pageantry as the Corps of Cadets and Midshipmen, the men and women who will defend the country, march onto the field before the game.
