Navy preserved its unbeaten record this season with an impressive 10-point victory over Connecticut on Saturday. The Midshipmen will look to keep the momentum going this coming Saturday when they take on the Air Force Falcons in a blockbuster matchup at Memorial Stadium.
Who will emerge victorious in this interservice rivalry? Read on below for a preview of this much-anticipated college football showdown and while you’re at it, you can check out our previews of West Virginia vs. Oklahoma and Arizona State vs. UCLA.
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Air Force Falcons vs. Navy Midshipmen Preview
Where: Jack Stephens Field at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, Annapolis, Maryland
Air Force had its two-game unbeaten run snapped on September 19 with a stinging 35-21 defeat to No. 4 Michigan State. The Falcons simply had no answer for the Spartans duo of Connor Cook and Aaron Burbridge, who connected on three touchdown passes. It was a bitter loss for the Falcons, whose College Football Playoff dreams are surely now over.
[sc:NCAA240banner ]Even if that is indeed the case, the Falcons’ performances thus far this season have clearly demonstrated that they will be a tough out in this year’s race for the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy. They can further boost their credentials in this interservice tournament when they take on Navy in a critical showdown this coming Saturday.
For the Falcons to record the shock win against Navy, they need their ground game to be firing on all cylinders. The Falcons are second in the FBS in rushing offense, averaging 367.0 yards per game this season. Leading the way for Air Force in this department is D.J. Johnson, who has already rushed for 210 yards and five touchdowns on 40 carries this season. He will need to find ways to dissect a Navy defensive line that is allowing just 128.0 yards per game on the ground this campaign, 38th in the FBS.
Even though Air Force has lost seven of its last 10 meetings against Navy, the Falcons will take comfort in the fact that they got the better of the Midshipmen in their last showdown a year ago. Air Force defeated Navy, 30-21, behind the heroics of Kale Pearson, who threw three touchdown passes in that contest. With Pearson and now Nate Romine (leg injury) already gone, the pressure is on quarterback Karson Roberts to deliver this coming Saturday. He completed just 6 of 9 passes for 149 yards and a score in the Falcons’ loss to the Spartans.
The Falcons are 3-7 SU and ATS in their last 10 road games.
The Navy Midshipmen extended their winning streak to three games with a 34-14 victory over the Connecticut Huskies on Saturday. It was another impressive win for Navy, which is now 3-0 for the first time since 2006. The Midshipmen have now won all of their last seven games.
Providing the impetus for Navy’s huge victory was quarterback Keenan Reynolds. The senior ran 28 times for 142 yards and three touchdowns and also threw for another score. He had a couple of 10-yard touchdown runs plus another four-yard spirnt to the end zone to give him 73 rushing TDs in his career, which is also currently tied for second-most in NCAA history behind former Wisconsin star Monte Ball, who holds the FBS record with 77.
To further illustrate Navy’s dominance on the ground, they compiled a total of 303 rushing yards against the Huskies on Saturday. The Midshipmen are third in the FBS in rushing offense, averaging 363.0 yards per game this season. That being said, they will have their work cut out for them against a solid Air Force defensive line. The Falcons allow just 93.3 yards per game on the ground this season, 16th in the entire FBS.
For the Midshipmen to continue their winning ways this coming weekend, it’s imperative that they convert on their third-down chances. Navy converted eight of its 12 third-down attempts against Connecticut, including its first seven opportunities. The onus then is on Reynolds to continue his fine play. He led Navy to touchdowns on each of its three first-half possessions against UConn.
The Midshipmen will fancy their chances against the Falcons as they have fared extremely well against them of late. They are 7-3 against Air Force in their last 10 games. The Midshipmen are 7-2-1 ATS against the Falcons during that same 10-game span.
Navy is 6-4 SU and 5-5 ATS in its last 10 home games.
