Army-Navy is the big service academy matchup every year, but generally, Navy-Air Force matches up the two best teams of the group. That’s true again this year, as Army has some major work to do as it adjusts under a new coaching staff.
How to watch Navy vs. Air Force: Game guide, TV schedule, streaming, odds
Who will pull into the driver’s seat for the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy?
Joy R. Absalon-USA TODAY Sports
However, this year’s Navy-Air Force game could be interesting, as the Falcons are a surprising 3-1 and just knocked off Boise State by 14 points. The Midshipmen enter the game in a two-loss slump, with tight losses to Rutgers and Western Kentucky.
Both of these programs have major built-in recruiting disadvantages, but they’ve been successful in recent years and are off to decent starts again in 2014. Air Force has bounced back from a miserable 2013 season to jump out to a 3-1 start, including a win against Boise State, while Navy kept things close with Ohio State earlier in the year.
This one could easily decide who wins the Commander-in-Chief’s trophy, the annual award given to the service academy team with the best record against the two others, so it’s a big one. Let’s look at the matchup.
How to watch, listen, and stream
Game time: 3:30 p.m. ET
TV: CBS Sports Network
Online streaming: CBSSports.com
The numbers
Rankings and records: Air Force is 3-1 and Navy is 2-3. Neither team is ranked.
Vegas: Navy is a 4-point favorite, but the line is now 3.5 The over/under is 56.5
Weather forecast: Sunny with a high of 73 and a low of 44.
Two things at stake
The Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy will likely be decided by the outcome of this game.
Beyond that, a win for Navy would get the Midshipmen back to .500, while a win for Air Force would show that the Falcons are legit this year and have fully bounced back from a season ago.
One big matchup
Navy offense vs. Air Force defense: It will be strength vs. strength when the Navy offense takes on Air Force’s defense. The Navy offense is always good behind the triple option attack, and Air Force has proven to have a very solid defense this season, holding Boise State to just 14 points and even holding up well in the Falcons’ lone loss to Wyoming. However, it will get its biggest test yet this week, and it has to be able to keep the Midshipmen out of the endzone. The Air Force offense has struggled, so to be able to pull off the upset, the Falcons are going to have to get another solid effort from their defense.
Further reading
Read Mountain West Connection for more on Air Force and Underdog Dynasty for more on Navy.
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