Setting the Stage
•    Army and Navy will meet in the greatest rivalry in all of sports on Saturday at Michie Stadium (38,000) in West Point for the 121st playing of America's Game, the Army-Navy Game presented by USAA. CBS Sports will televise the game nationally with kickoff set for 3:00 pm.
•    Navy leads the all-time series against Army 61-52-7 (.534), including a 3-0 mark in games played at West Point.
•    Saturday's game will be the first Army-Navy game played at a home site since 1943, due to World War II, when Navy won at West Point 13-0.  Navy also won the 1942 game in Annapolis 14-0.  
•    If Navy defeats Army and Army beats Air Force the following week, the Mids will retain the Commander-In-Chief's Trophy. The three schools have not gone 1-1 against each other since 1993 when Air Force retained the trophy (Navy beat Air Force, Air Force beat Army, Army beat Navy). A win by Navy would also make it two straight and 16 out of the last 19 for the Mids over Army.
•    In the previous 48 years the Commander-In-Chief's Trophy has been on the line, only four times has there been a tie (1974 retained by Navy, 1976 retained by Navy, 1980 retained by Navy and 1993 retained by Air Force).
•    This year marks the first time in the history of Service Academy football that one team has played both Service Academy games on the road - Oct 3, Navy at Air Force and Dec. 12, Navy at Army.
•     The Mids are 27-9 (.750) over the last 36 games against Service Academy rivals Army and Air Force.
•     Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo is the winningest coach in the history of the Army-Navy game with 9 wins.
•     Navy is coming off a 19-6 loss to Tulsa on Senior Day. The last time Navy lost on Senior Day (2002 vs. UConn), the Mids bounced back to beat Army 58-12.
•     Senior tri-captain and offensive guard Billy Honaker will wear No. 68 on Saturday in honor of former Navy offensive lineman David Forney, a three-year letter winner who died on Feb. 20, 2019 after being found unresponsive in Bancroft Hall. He was 22 years old. The number was not issued this year, however Honaker sought and received permission from head coach Ken Niumatalolo and Forney's father, Rick, to wear No. 68 for the Army-Navy game to pay tribute to his former teammate and friend. As a team, Navy has honored Forney throughout the season by wearing a sticker on the back of its helmets that pictures him running out of the tunnel at the 2019 Army-Navy game carrying the American flag with the word Brotherhood underneath.
•    If freshman Xavier Arline gets the start on Saturday, he will be just the fifth freshman to start at quarterback for Navy in the annual Army-Navy game. The Mids went 3-1 in the previous four games with Keenan Reynolds leading Navy to a win in 2012 (17-13), Jim Kubiak in 1991 (24-3) and Mike Roban in 1974 (19-0). The only time Navy has lost to Army when starting a freshman quarterback was in 1987 (17-3) when Alton Grizzard got the start.

Commander-In-Chief's Trophy
•     The Commander-In-Chief's Trophy is presented annually to the winner of the football competition among the three major service academies — Army, Navy and Air Force — and is named in honor of the President of the United States.
•     Navy has won the trophy 11 of the last 17 years and has won 27 of the last 36 Service Academy games against Air Force and Army.
•     Navy has won the trophy a total of 15 times in school history: 1973, 1975, 1978, 1979, 1981, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2019.
•     When there is no clear-cut winner,  the trophy remains with the winner of the previous year's competition.  The last time that happened was 1993.
•     The three-sided trophy stands two-and-a-half-feet tall and is engraved with the academy seals.  Reproductions of the three mascots — the Army Mule, the Navy Goat and the Air Force Falcon — are ensconced on the respective sides of this bauble.  The trophy is sponsored by the West Point Association of Graduates, the Naval Academy Alumni Association and the Air Force Association of Graduates.
•     The year in which the trophy is won is engraved on a plate gracing the respective academy's side of the trophy.

Army vs. Navy // Last Meeting
Dec. 14, 2019 // Philadelphia, Pa. // Lincoln Financial Field
•    (AP) Malcolm Perry had done it all for Navy in a 31-7 victory against Army that earned him MVP honors in the 120th game between the service academies. Perry became the fourth quarterback in FBS history to rush for 300 yards, running for 304 yards with two touchdowns, and set a slew of program records.
•     Navy used a trick play to help reverse a rare losing streak against Army and won the Commander-In-Chief's Trophy for the 16th time and snapped a three-game losing streak to Army.
•     Navy leads the series 61-52-7. The Black Knights (5-8) were trying to win four straight games in the Army-Navy series for the first time since 1993 to 1996.
•     Perry helped the fleet of foot Navy offense run away with the game with another game for the record book. He ran for a 55-yard TD in the first half, added a 44-yard scamper and set Navy season records in yards rushing and total 100-yard games.
•     But Perry's role in Navy's most GIF-worthy play didn't end up with his name on the scoring sheet. Perry took the snap at the 1-yard line, ran to his left and handed off the ball to receiver Chance Warren who threw to Jamale Carothers for the score and a 14-7 lead. It was Navy's twist on the Philly Special - the Naval Special? - at the home of the Philadelphia Eagles.
•     It was Navy's only yard passing of the game.
•     Perry, who ran 29 times, did not attempt a pass attempt and Army surprise starter Christian Anderson threw just two passes.
•     Anderson wasn't even listed on the two-deep depth chart and got the call over Kelvin Hopkins Jr. Hopkins had two rushing touchdowns last year in Army's 17-10 win over Navy and curiously only played only mop-time in Saturday's loss. Anderson sparked the Black Knights on the game's methodical 10 minute, 41 second opening drive, scoring on a 5-yard run.
•     Perry needed just four plays to even the score on his first dynamic run of the game that sent the Mids into a frenzy. The traditional Philly game drew 68,075 fans and ESPN's ''College GameDay'' was on hand. The Cadets and Midshipmen stood, saluted, bounced and cheered for the entirety of what's billed as ''America's Game.'' Trump made a return visit for the second straight year. Trump also was at the 2016 game as president-elect.
•     Carothers crossed the goal line for a 5-yard score in the third that made it 21-3 and sent the 10 1/2-point favorite Mids on their way toward clinching the CIC Trophy.
•     Bijan Nichols kicked a 37-yard field goal and Perry added a 15-yard TD run in the fourth.

Game Day Festivities
•    The march-on of the Corps of Cadets will take place at 12:10 pm, followed by the march-on of the Brigade of Midshipmen at 12:40 pm.
•    Weather permitting, the Golden Knights and Leap Frogs will jump at 2:52 pm.
•    The National Anthem will take place at 3:02 pm and will be sung by the glee clubs from both institutions.
•    The Army flyover will take place at 3:05:30 pm, followed by the Navy flyover at 3:06:15 pm.
•    Kickoff is set for 3:10 pm.
•    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.

Most Played FBS Rivalries
•    This year marks the 121st playing of the Army-Navy game, which is the eighth-most played rivalry in FBS football.
•    Both the Wisconsin-Minnesota and Miami (Ohio)-Cincinnati rivalries were put on hold this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Most Played Rivalries In The FBS
Rk    Gms    Series
1.  129  Wisconsin-Minnesota (2020 gm canceled due to pandemic)
2.  125  Georgia-Auburn (10/3 Georgia, 27-6)
     125  North Carolina-Virginia (10/31 - Virginia 44-41)
4.  124  Oregon-Oregon State (11/27 - Oregon St. 41-38)
     124  Miami (Ohio)-Cincinnati (2020 gm canceled due to pandemic)
6.  123  Stanford-Cal (11/27 - Stanford 24-23)
     123  Indiana-Purdue (12/12)
8.  121  Army-Navy (12/12)
9.  120  Missouri-Kansas (last played in 2011)
10. 118  Texas-Texas A&M (last played in 2011)

Broadcast Coverage
•    CBS Sports will televise the Army-Navy game nationally with Brad Nessler, Gary Danielson and Jamie Erdahl on the call, while Westwood One will have the national radio call with John Sadak, Ross Tucker and Tina Cervasio.
•    ESPN College GameDay will broadcast live from West Point from 9:00 am-12 noon. Rece Davis, Kirk Herbstreit, Lee Corso, Desmond Howard, David Pollack, Maria Taylor, Tom Rinaldi, Gene Wojciechowski, Jen Lada and Chris Fallica will either be live at West Point or connecting remotely from around the country.
•    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, along with analysts Randy Cross, Houston Nutt and Kevin Carter will cover all of the sights and sounds of the pregame festivities from West Point.
•     CBS Sports will air its studio show, College Football Today, at 2:30 pm with Adam Zucker, Brian Jones and Rick Neuheisel counting down to kickoff with continued coverage of the day's pageantry at Michie Stadium.
•    The Navy Football Insider Special hosted by Scott Wykoff with contributions from Pete Medhurst, Joe Miller and Keith Mills will get underway at 12-noon on WBAL Radio 1090 AM.   
•    The Navy Football Tailgate Show on WNAV Radio 1430 AM / 99.9 FM will air from 1:00-2:00 pm with Wylie Baker and Bill Lusby serving as the hosts.
•    The Navy Football Pregame Show with Medhurst, Miller, Mills and Wykoff will get underway at 2:00 pm on the Navy Radio Network followed by game action at 3:00 pm.
•    Following the contest, Medhurst, Miller, Mills and Wykoff will recap the day's events in a 30-minute postgame show.

Scouting Army
•    Army enters Saturday's game with a 7-2 record, earning wins over Middle Tennessee State (42-0), Louisiana-Monroe (37-7), Abilene Christian (55-23), The Citadel (14-9), Texas San-Antonio (28-16), Mercer (49-3) and Georgia Southern (28-27). Its losses have come at the hands of Cincinnati (24-10) and Tulane (38-12).
•    Fullback Jakobi Buchanan leads the team in rushing with 383 yards and 5 touchdowns on 87 carries, followed by slot back Tyrell Robinson with 379 yards on 50 carries. Fullback Sandon McCoy has rushed for 10 touchdowns, which stands 16th nationally. Army is the nation's third-leading rushing offense, averaging 296.7 yds/gm.
•    Christian Anderson is Army's top passer, completing 15 of his 40 pass attempts for 158 yards with 1 touchdown and 3 interceptions. Army is averging 15.59 yds/completion, which is fifth nationally.
•    Michael Roberts is Army's leading receiver with 7 catches for 106 yards and a touchdown.
•    Army's offense ranks 13th in time of possession (33:41) and is 22nd on fourth-down conversions (.714).
•    The Army defense is led by standout linebacker Jon Rhattigan, who has recorded 67 tackles, 8 tackles for a loss, picked off 2 passes and recovered a fumble. Free safety Cedrick Cunningham has recorded 57 tackles, 7 tackles for a losss, 2 sacks and picked off a pass, while linebacker Arik Smith has 57 tackles, 7 tackles for a loss and 3.5 sacks.
•    Army's defense has scored 3 touchdowns this year, the third most in the country. It ranks fourth in total defense (289.3), seventh in pass defense (170.3 yds/game) and red zone defense (.682), ninth in scoring defense (16.3), 16th in interceptions (10) and 22nd in rushing defense (119.0).
•    Army's special teams have produced a nation's-best 7 blocked kicks this year, including 3 blocked punts which also lead the country.
•    Ryan Duran leads the nation with 3 blocked kicks this fall. Punt returner Tyrell Robinson ranks 24th nationally, averaging 8.0 yds/return

Mids' Uniform Celebrates 175 years of the United States Naval Academy
•    Throughout 2020, the United States Naval Academy has celebrated its 175th Anniversary after it opened its doors on October 10, 1845. The year-long celebration culminates on Saturday, December 12 at the 121st Army-Navy Game presented by USAA.
•    Navy and Under Armour have partnered once again to continue to highlight the leadership, service and tradition the Naval Academy has showcased over the past 175 years.
•    The Naval Academy is steeped in tradition and through its mission has produced a President of the United States, two Cabinet members, 16 Ambassadors, 24 Members of Congress, 5 State Governors, 5 Secretaries of the Navy, 1 Secretary of the Air Force, 2 Nobel Prize winners, 73 Medal of Honor recipients, 54 Astronauts and much more.
•    The tradition of the Naval Academy has also been featured on the gridiron with the Navy football program that began in 1879. The Midshipmen have seen their program win a National Championship in 1926, Heisman Trophies from Joe Bellino (1960) and Roger Staubach (1963), numerous NCAA records, which include career and season marks from recent graduates Keenan Reynolds and Malcolm Perry.
•    Throughout its 175 years, Navy has played three games against Army on its home turf, while the Black Knights are set to host the 2020 Army-Navy game. The Mids have won all three games at West Point with the last game coming in 1943, during World War II, where Navy earned a 13-0 victory. The Mids also won the inaugural Army-Navy game in 1890, beating the Black Knights 24-0 at West Point.
•    This year's Army-Navy uniform pays tribute to the Naval Academy with numerous special features as seen on the Yard with the first being the blue and white marble pattern of the helmet and shoulders. The stone is a prominent accent on the Naval Academy grounds and can be seen in the crypt of John Paul Jones and within Bancroft Hall. Jones – who has been laid to rest in the Naval Academy Chapel – is the Father of the American Navy. Bancroft Hall – the largest dormitory in the country – is named after George Bancroft who founded the Naval Academy during his time as Secretary of the Navy.
•    Navy football honors both the Navy and Marine Corps with its home field of Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium that was dedicated on Sept. 26, 1959, and was christened with a 29-2 Navy win over William & Mary on that day. The Mids continue to honor the tradition of both as the original six frigates of the Navy are remembered in each facet of the uniform and the Marine Corps emblem is embroidered on the pants of this year's uniform.
•    The Naval Academy Seal, which was established on January 25, 1899, and designed by Park Benjamin (Class of 1867), takes center stage in gold on the shoulders and gloves of the uniform. The seal is featured throughout the Yard on buildings, flags and uniforms and represents the Academy's mission, "to develop midshipmen morally, mentally and physically and to imbue them with the highest ideals of duty, honor and loyalty in order to graduate leaders who are dedicated to a career of naval service and have potential for future development in mind and character to assume the highest responsibilities of command, citizenship and government."
•    Navy Blue & Gold is entrenched throughout this year's uniform just as is the leadership, service and tradition and, "have proved the sailor's right to wear the Navy Blue & Gold."

2020 Army-Navy Game Presented by USAA Moved to West Point
•    Naval Academy Director of Athletics Chet Gladchuk and Army AD Mike Buddie announced on Oct. 23 that the 121st playing of the Army-Navy Game presented by USAA will be played at West Point on Saturday, Dec. 12.
•    The game is being moved from Philadelphia due to attendance limits placed on outdoor events in the state of Pennsylvania that do not allow the entire Brigade of Midshipmen and Corps of Cadets to attend.
•    It's the first time the Army-Navy Game will be played at a home site since World War II when Annapolis hosted the 1942 game and West Point in 1943. The two schools also rotated hosting the first four games from 1890-93.
•    "As has been decided, we will not be able to visit the home of Army-Navy this December," said Gladchuk. "History will repeat itself as we stage this cherished tradition on Academy grounds as was the case dating back to World War II. Every effort was made to create a safe and acceptable environment for the Brigade, the Corps and our public while meeting city and state requirements. However, medical conditions and protocols dictate the environment in which we live. Therefore, on to the safe haven of West Point on Dec. 12 and let it ring true that even in the most challenging of times, the spirit and intent of the Brigade of Midshipmen and Corps of Cadets still prevails."
•    "For service academies, athletic competition is essential to developing tough, resilient leaders with competitive mindsets who are prepared to serve our country in uniform. There is no better representation of that than the Army-Navy Football Game each year," said Naval Academy Superintendent Vice Admiral Sean Buck. "We will miss the warm welcome the City of Philadelphia provides to Army and Navy fans, however, we are thrilled to continue this longstanding tradition by playing the 121st Army-Navy Game at Michie Stadium at West Point this year."
•    "We want to thank the City of Philadelphia, the Eagles and all involved in the planning for their efforts to navigate this historic game in the current COVID-19 climate," said Buddie. "Of utmost importance to us throughout this entire process was the health, safety and welfare of the Corps of Cadets and the Brigade of Midshipmen. We are excited about this historic opportunity to host Navy and the Brigade inside the gates of West Point for the first time since 1943."
•    "The health and welfare of the Corps of Cadets and Brigade of Midshipmen is the number one priority," said USMA Superintendent Lieutenant General Darryl A. Williams.  "Hosting the Army-Navy Game on West Point will be the safest way for the cadets and midshipmen to cheer their teams to victory."
•    It is unlikely there will be fan attendance allowed at Michie Stadium beyond the Corps of Cadets and Brigade of Midshipmen.  

This Date In Navy Football History
•    Navy is 2-1 all-time on Dec. 12 and have won the last 2 contests.  
•    The last time the Army-Navy game was played on Dec. 12 was in 2015 when Navy defeated the Black Knights 21-17 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.

Notes to Know
•    Navy started three different quarterbacks in its first three games of the season for the first time since 1992. That 1992 team finished 1-10. Navy has played at least two quarterbacks in 7 of its 9 contests this year. The only games Navy played just one were against Temple and Houston (Dalen Morris went the distance in both games).
•    13th-year Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo earned his 100th-career victory when the Mids defeated Temple in Annapolis on Oct. 10. He is the 24th active coach with 100-career wins and just the sixth active coach to achieve it at one school.
•    Navy is 42-28 (.600) in the Niumatalolo era (2008-present) in one-score games (8 points or less), including 3-1 (.750) in 2020.
•    Senior defensive end Jackson Perkins is the only player on Navy's defensive unit to start all 9 games this fall. The Mids have started 4 different nose guards and 3 different quarterbacks.
•    Sophomore linebacker Tama Tuitele is the nation's leader in forced fumbles with 4.
•    Opposing kickers are an incredible 20-22 (.909) on field goals and 30-31 (.968) on extra points this year against the Mids. Two of the three misses were blocked by Navy -Tobe Okafor blocked a field goal vs. ECU and J'arius Warren blocked a PAT vs. SMU.
•    Senior cornerback Cameron Kinley is one of 12 finalists for the Campbell Trophy presented by Mazda. The Campbell Trophy, also known as the Academic Heisman, is college football's premier scholar-athlete award that annually recognizes an individual as the absolute best in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership. Kinley is also a tri-captain on the football team and is the President of the Naval Academy Class of 2021.