Nov. 28, 2001

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The Storyline
One of the most revered rivalries in all of sports will be revisited on Saturday, Dec. 1 when Army and Navy battle for the 102nd time. Rich with tradition, drama and excitement, the series has featured seven of its most riveting editions in the last nine years. The outcome of each of those skirmishes was decided in the final minute with the Black Knights prevailing six times. Those six Army victories were decided by a TOTAL of 14 points. Navy snapped a series-record five-game Army winning streak in 1997 with a 39-7 victory. That along with Navy's 19-9 win in 1999 mark the only series matchups in the last nine years that have been decided by more than four points. Just five years removed from a season that saw both Army and Navy invited to postseason play, the teams have struggled this fall. In fact, Army and Navy will carry the teams' second worst combined record into this hallowed matchup. Despite the team records, the pairing remains one of the treasured traditions in all of sports.

All-Time Record
The Black Knights are in the midst of their 112th season and fourth as members of Conference USA. Army boasts an impressive all-time record of 620- 382-51 (.613) and ranked tied for 19th on the nation's all-time victories list entering the 2001 campaign. The Black Knights ended 108 years of Division I-A independence in 1998 and headed into the 2001 season ranked 21st among all Division I-A programs in winning percentage (.626).

Army Last Year
Army struggled to a deceiving 1-10 record a year ago, dropping four straight verdicts to end the season. The Black Knights suffered three of their losses by a total of nine points, and dropped a total of five games by 14 points or less. Army finished the year ninth in the final Conference USA standings, posting a 1-6 record. The Cadets' lone victory came during a dramatic, last-minute 21-17 comeback win over Tulane at Michie Stadium.

This Time Last Year
Army began last season with six consecutive setbacks before notching its first victory opposite Tulane during late-October. The Black Knights closed the year with four consecutive setbacks, dropping a 30-28 verdict to Navy in the season finale.

Scouting Navy
For the second consecutive season, Navy enters its season finale without a victory in tow. The Midshipmen have dropped all nine of their games to date and have dropped 19 of their last 20 contests. Their lone win during that span came against Army in last year's season-ending encounter. Senior QB Brian Madden heads the Mids' spread offense, having rushed for 830 yards and passed for 860 markers. Madden, who missed last season due to injury, gashed Army for 177 rushing yards on 41 carries to lead Navy past the Black Knights two years ago. Besides Madden, no other Navy player has rushed for more than 190 yards this fall. Senior Jeff Gaddy, a converted defensive back, tops the Mids' receiving corps, leading the club with 23 receptions.

Navy Last Week
Julius Jones rushed for 117 yards and one touchdown and Terrance Howard ran for two scores to lead Notre Dame to a 34-16 victory over Navy in South Bend. Howard, who carried 12 times for 54 yards, recorded touchdown runs of 4 yards in the second quarter and 8 yards in the third, providing the Fighting Irish with a 24-13 advantage. Navy closed to within eight points on a 20-yard field goal by David Hills, before Jones extended the margin to 31-16 with a 44-yard scoring scamper with 12:10 remaining. Notre Dame jumped out to an early 10-0 lead when Nicklaus Setta kicked a 41-yard field goal and Jason Sapp returned a fumble 39 yards for a score. The Mids ralled to tie the game on a 38- yard TD jaunt by QB Brian Madden and a 24-yard field goal by Hills. Madden rushed 22 times for 70 yards and added 105 markers through the air, completing 5 of 12 pass attempts for the Midshipmen.

The Army-Navy Series
Army has captured 10 of the last 15 meetings (and 6 of 9) with its arch rival to grab a 48-46-7 advantage in the revered series, which dates back to 1890. Hardfought Army victories were commonplace during the decade of the 1990s, with the Black Knights prevailing in seven of those 10 matchups. Those seven Army victories came by a total of just 24 points, with an amazing six-game stretch of Cadet wins decided by a total of only 14 points. The point differential over the course of the 101-game series stands at a rather microscopic 101 points. The history of the series is detailed in the notes section on pages three through five of this release.