The Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy has been on display in the lobby of the Navy football offices on the third floor of Ricketts Hall since last December.
Coach Brian Newberry is having the 170-pound trophy, which is three-sided and features silver figurines of each service academy’s mascot, brought outside each day this week and placed where the players can see it on their way to the practice field.
It will serve as a visual reminder of what’s at stake starting Saturday with the first leg of the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy series.
Unbeaten Navy (4-0) will welcome Air Force (1-3) to Annapolis for a noon kickoff. The winner of this game has captured the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy 40 of the 53 years it has been presented.
Navy has claimed the CIC Trophy 12 of the last 13 times it has beaten Air Force.
“It’s always fun to prepare for these games. It’s always fun to coach in these games,” Newberry said Monday. “They are huge and important games played in a great environment. Our guys will be dialed in this week and be at their best in their preparation.”
It did not take long for Newberry to understand that service academy contests are vastly different than any other. In 2019, his first season as Navy defensive coordinator, he could sense there was an intense and special atmosphere inside the stadium.
Newberry vividly remembers the emotion and pride he felt while singing “Blue and Gold” after beating Air Force, 34-25, in the first Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy game of his career.
“Obviously, we sing second when we win these academy games, so that’s what you want to do,” Newberry said. “There is always a lot of pride when you sing that at the end of a game, but it’s different when you’re singing second at the end of an academy game. There’s no feeling quite like that.”
Quarterback Blake Horvath and inside linebacker Kyle Jacob led the way as Navy routed Air Force, 34-7, last season in Colorado Springs. Horvath ran for 115 yards and two touchdowns and passed for another 134 yards as the Midshipmen put forth one of their finest offensive performances in recent memory versus the Falcons.
Snipe Eli Heidenreich had 100 yards rushing and 101 yards receiving for Navy, which totaled 463 yards.
It was a big breakthrough for the Midshipmen, who snapped a four-game losing streak in the series. That stretch includes two ugly losses at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium when the Mids could not do anything offensively.
In 2021, Navy only managed 68 total yards in a 23-3 loss to Air Force. It was just as bad in 2023 when was limited to 124 yards in a 17-6 loss. Meanwhile, the 2020 contest at Falcon Stadium was one of the more lopsided in recent history with Air Force dominating to the tune of 40-7.
Air Force has struggled to start this season while simultaneously scoring and giving up a lot of points. After beating Bucknell, 49-13, in the opener, Air Force has lost three straight to Utah State (49-30), Boise State (49-37) and Hawaii (44-35).
“They’re a better football team than their record indicates and we know we’re going to get their best shot,” Newberry said.
Air Force comes to Annapolis ranked 129th out of 133 Football Bowl Subdivision programs in scoring defense, allowing 38.8 points per game. The Falcons are second-to-last in pass efficiency defense, No. 91 in rushing defense and No. 126 in total defense — giving up an average of 466.5 yards.
“Defensively, they’re a lot like us in terms of youth. They’re young and have had some injuries and bad luck. There are some talented players on that defense,” said Newberry, mentioning that Air Force has faced three straight high-powered passing teams.
“They’ve seen some really challenging stuff. Obviously, what we do is very different than what they’ve been facing,” he said.
Air Force coach Troy Calhoun has turned the reins of the offense over to sophomore quarterback Liam Szarka, who was sensational in his first career start last Saturday. Szarka set a single-game school record for total offense with 417 yards — 278 passing and 139 rushing.
Newberry noted that Air Force has evolved offensively and is operating out of shotgun formation much more than in the past.
“I’ve been really impressed by what they’ve been able to do offensively. They’re a much improved unit on that side of the football,” Newberry said. “I think they’ve landed on a quarterback they feel good about and they are playing at a really high level, offensively.”
Szarka did not see any varsity action as a freshman. He got into the Bucknell, Utah State and Boise State games before replacing junior Josh Johnson as the starter.
“I’m really impressed with how [Szarka] is running the offense. He’s custom-made for what they’re doing now and looks really comfortable,” Newberry said. “He’s a very effective runner and can really throw the ball, there’s no doubt about it.”
Senior fullback Dylan Carson is another key weapon for Air Force, which is averaging 37.8 points and 469.8 yards. The Falcons have a pair of outstanding wide receivers in seniors Cade Harris and Quinn Smith, who have combined for 25 catches totaling 699 yards and five touchdowns.
Air Force leads the nation in passing yards per completion (21.6) and ranks second in passing efficiency. Newberry used the word “concerning” when asked about the passing element presented by the Falcons all of a sudden.
“They’ve been really efficient and hit some huge plays in the passing game. You’ve got to be on point from a coverage standpoint on the back end. You have to be extremely disciplined with your eyes as far as the play-action pass stuff,” Newberry said. “You have to stop the run when you play Air Force. It’s tough to defend an offense like that when they’re that balanced and dangerous running the football and throwing it.”
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