Need to get your football fix on all things Army, Navy and Air Force.
This is Yards and Stripes Service Academy Football. Now Here are your hosts,
Price Atkinson, Steve Carney and Mike Loveall. All right, welcome into
another edition of Yards and Strikes are home for Service Academy Football, part of
the College Gridron Coast to Coast podcast network on Price Atkinson, He is,
Steve Carney and Steven maybe the most eyebrow raising weekend of the season. A
pair of very surprising results that we're going to get into. We got all
three teams back in action, every body hosting Senior Day this weekend, Travis
Manning Foundation Honorall segment, We got picks. We got a lot to do
here. But like I just mentioned, Steve, we had three games last
weekend. What would you say? I know that probably the Army Air Force
game was probably the most shocking result. But I think all things told,
last weekend had to be the most eyebrow raising weekend of the season considering what
transpired. Yeah, I certainly think so. You know, you saw Army
kind of have a bit of a hangover when it came to their matchup this
past weekend. You mentioned, you know, what they did against Air Force
and then coming back and we'll get into their game with Holy Cross here in
just a minute. But you know, I really thought that the probably the
biggest surprise had to be what what happened out West. You know, we
we we had a certain thought that you know, the Air Force was going
to come out and they were going to play angry, and that turned out
to not be the case. They didn't play angry this past week out in
Hawaii, and now they're going to find themselves unfortunately, not looking for a
for a New Year six Bowl game, but just any sort of secondary bowl
that's gonna be willing to take them. Will Will they end up in Detroit?
It always seems like that was the game, you know, the the
Armed Forces Bowl in Detroit. It looks like it's going to be there.
The Military Bowl at that Navy Marine Corps Memorial Stadium could be an option as
well. But they've they've found themselves now in a situation where they could be
in big trouble going forward, the Falcons, and it starts with a very
very important matchup that we'll we'll get to this week. But you know,
it was definitely very eyebrow raising about how Army played and and how air Force
played in two games that I think that we both believed they had pretty easy
opportunities that that ended up going by the wayside. Well, let's get into
the three games real quick late in the week. We'll touch on all three
games here really quickly, but then we'll pivot and get you ready for what's
ahead this weekend. But like you mentioned, let's start with Army and holy
Cross. Army seventeen to fourteen at home at Mikey Stadium over holy Cross,
the Crusaders number twenty two out of the FCS. You know, Army second
straight win of the season. They got all they wanted and then some from
holy Cross. And you know, while the Crusaders were down fourteen oh going
into the fourth quarter, this thing was was far from over. But I
think the big thing is Army played mistake free football without a single turnover.
You know, holy Cross had a fumble an interception, but they outgained Army
three ninety five to two sixty nine and including out rushing the Black Knights by
a margin of two thirty nine to one ninety and holy Cross had fifteen more
first downs, held the ball for five more minutes than Army did. Yet
it's the Black Knights that get a seventeen to fourteen win. Steve a couple
of big plays in this game, and it really started right out of the
gate for the Black Knights. Yeah, absolutely, you know, the they
blocked a punt on holy Cross's first drive that that ended up being returned by
Ila Medozi for a touchdown that got that got Army out to that early lead.
Because I think you're absolutely right. I thought that the Crusaders were the
better team. Uh in this game, they looked like the stronger, the
stronger squad, They were more prepared. You know, it really amazed me
to see how Army looked so much different this week going into holy Cross than
they did watching them dismantle Air Force. But yeah, you look. You
mentioned the turnover battle again. After going plus six against the Falcons the prior
week, they were plus two. They had the blocked punt, which is
not part of the turnover ratio but really is another stop. Uh So you
could say they were plus three in that case and one of them leading directly
to six points. But they had that stretch early on and then they had
probably what I thought was one of the most one of the most pivotal moments
coming in I should say midway too late through the game. They needed it.
The Army's defense, I don't think played very well for the most part,
but they stiffened when they needed it. In the third quarter, holy
Cross looked like they were going in for their first score and they get stopped
with two shots from the one the Crusaders had, and so it's a sixteen
play drive that the Holy Cross doesn't get six out of, they don't even
get three out of they get zero out of it. And I thought that
at that point that's when Army took over and sort of you saw things start
to go the way of the Black Knights. You had Javari Moore Senior knocking
away a short kind of pop over the top pass to the tight end aka
Peterson on that fourth and one to keep the Crusaders out of the end zone
and keep them scoreless in the game. That was late in the third quarter.
You know, Army was up fourteen oh going into the fourth and you
know Matthew Sluka twenty four yard touchdown passed a shorter that cuts the lead in
half to fourteen to seven, but a big drive by Army on the next
series just to get points, you know, a twenty six yard Quinn Moretzky
field goal that made it a ten point margin with four fifty nine. And
you know, while holy Cross did get a late touchdown, you know,
Army gets the ball back and basically fourth and one game on the line with
one fifty to go, Bryce and Daily keeps it for two and it's a
knee from there, as is the Black Knights get the win on Veterans Day,
a big one to get to four and six. Steve. So,
while you're still out of a you know, you can't qualify for a Bowl
if you're Jeff Munkins team, still you want to be playing well down the
stretch. And that's exactly what Army's doing is obviously they're you know, kind
of building the that crescendo. Uh with the chance to win the Commander Chief
Trophy in the Army Navy Game coming up just a few weeks away. Yeah,
you are building and now you're your your bowl game is the name is
the Army Navy Game, and that's the That's the good thing about Army's schedule
is yes, you're not going to go to a bowl game this year.
You're not going to be eligible to play beyond UH Navy, but you are
going to be able to play in that Army Navy game, which is going
to be obviously one of the biggest games of the year in all of college
football. And in price you mentioned h Bryson Daly's play on fourth down UH
to allow them to run out the clock because at that point, UH,
they had only gone one for two UH in fourth down conversions. You don't
make that conversion, UH, and you give Holy Cross the ball back with
you know, at that at that time, it was like a minute and
fifty left on the clock, and in a three point game. You know,
who knows what happens with the Crusaders. The way that they had been
playing offense, I think that they had that opportunity. And you've got to
give credit to the two Armies offense to be able to put together the drive
that they needed. And yes, you know, you would would have loved
to have seen them get the first down prior to fourth down, but you
knew that was going to be four down territory. You knew that Army was
going to go for it. They didn't want to pump the ball back to
holy Cross at that point, so you know you got it. I will
give all the credit in the world to Armies offensive line and obviously to Bryce
and Daily who did not have the greatest day in the world, but got
the job done when they needed it. All right, Army gets to win
seventeen to fourteen over holy Cross. Next game, let's go up to Annapolis
and probably the first of not probably it is the first of two surprising results
on the day, as the Mids were a three point home underdog to visiting
UAB Steve. But in the end, it's the midshipman knocking off the Blazers
thirty one to six. And I think it's safe to say now that after
you know, musical chairs at the quarterback position, Navy has now found their
quarterback. The rest of the way is it was Xavier ard Line getting the
start yet again, as he led the Mids with ninety four yards passing including
a touchdown, and on the ground nineteen carries one oh nine with a touchdown.
And so I think right now there's no question that zavyard Line is going
to be the guy the rest of the way. But it was a game,
you know, thirty one to six. Has Navy improved to four and
five and three and three in the American I think much closer than the final
score will tell you. I mean, you'll see a twenty five point difference,
but I mean, shoot, late in the third quarter, before you
know, Navy gets a field goal, it was what ten to six,
and it was it was still you know, ten to six going into the
fourth quarter. In a fourth quarter that was all Navy. But this thing
did not get away really until late. I mean it was still eleven point
difference with less than five minutes to go before Xavier r Line, you know,
busted up the middle for you know, virtually untouched for a fifty yard
touchdown run to make it twenty four to six, you know, with four
to twelve remaining, And that was, you know, that was the difference.
I think, you know, there was certainly the we'll talk about here
in a second, a pick six. It was massive, but you know,
our line put the game out of reach right there, and Navy did
what they needed to do to run out the clock and getting an upset.
There's no question. It was just simply a home upset because they were a
three point underdog at home. They've been talked all season head coach Brian Nubiery
about, you know, protecting their home turf, and they finally did that
again in the win over UAB. Steve Yeah, absolutely, and you you
put it very succinctly there. This game was much closer than the score indicated.
You know, you think about it. Navy was only up on the
fighting Trent Dilfords seven to six at half. It was ten six going in
to the fourth quarter, and at that point the Blazers in that fourth quarter,
there was plenty of opportunity for this game to be a hell of a
lot closer than it actually was, as UAB ran five plays first in goal
late in the game, the first was taken back you mentioned ninety seven yards
for a pick six, and then Navy held with four stops on the last
drive. So you think about that's a twenty one point swing in a game
that was twenty five points. So this game had all the makings of being
a UAB win. And you can add in the fact that in the first
half Navy turned the ball over. UAB had a chance at a practically a
chip shot field goal and ended up pushing it. So right there, there's
twenty four points out of twenty five that could have gone the other way.
So this game, I know that it's going to You're going to talk about
the fact that, yes, this is a good win, a strong win,
defending your home field against a team that is a heck of a lot
tougher than a lot of people. Let on, UAB had one of the
toughest schedules in all of non Power five college football. They really did.
I thought that they've had such a tough schedule, and I think that's by
design. I think Trent Dilford wanted to have his team going up against some
of the best, and yes, he knew he was going to come out
on the short end on a lot of them, but he was really,
really strong. He's got a really strong squad. And the fact is that,
you know, the Blazers had their chances, they weren't able to take
advantage of it. Navy was and that's why there They've got to still have
an opportunity here with three weeks to go to get Bowl eligible, needing two
wins out of their last three games. Yeah, you mentioned they're still postseason
is still possible for the midshipman, but you've got to keep winning, especially
East Carolina and then SMU, which is going to be very, very tough
before you get to the Army game, because obviously we've talked about the Army
game comes after bull bids are handing out, so you've got to get the
work done before the Army Navy game. But Steve, you mentioned chances for
UAB. They had a chance late in the game. You know, the
Navy defense played, you know, outstanding, especially in the second half.
They only gave up a pair of field goals in the first half and pits
the second half shutout. But u AB almost got on the board as Jacob
Zeno was already intercepted once in the game. But with two three remaining,
as they were, you know, driving inside the Navy red zone. Let
me set this up. Navy had been flagged for let's just call him very
questionable pass interference personal you think, yeah, very very questionable, which kept
the drive alive and got them into the red zone. And then Rayon Lane
defensive back steps in front and makes you know, an outstanding play, picks
off the pass at the goal line basically and takes it ninety seven yards the
other way for a pick six, and that was with just two minutes remaining.
But Pete Medhurst's call, I don't know if you've heard it, Steve.
If you, if anybody has not heard it, to go back and
find it on Twitter online. But Pete Medhurst may have had the most outstanding
call of his illustrious career when he called the touchdown and the pick six.
Did you hear it? I mean it was he'd let the when they say
you let it all hang out, he certainly did. I did not catch
it live. I wish, I wish I had. I've heard everybody talking
about it, and I just have I haven't had that the opportunity to go
back and relive it myself. But h I plan on doing that here for
too long because you know, obviously med is an old friend of yours,
he's an old friend of mine, and you know, obviously he's gonna have
one of the great calls of his career doing that, because that's that's a
that's a fun uh that that's a fun call to make when it's when it's
going your way. I can only imagine if that had gone the other way,
how how desperate that would have sounded. Uh, you know, yo,
stop him. Please stop him. Somebody, somebody get in front of
him. But uh, but I I just I love being able to hear
uh the good people and and our friends have those calls like that. I've
not heard it live though, I've got to. I've got to go back
and listen to it. Well, I said it to you, so you're
gonna be a listen after this recording. But thirty one to six the midshipment
over UA B maybe now four and five three and three in the American you
a be dropping to three and seven two and four in the league. The
you know mentioned two very surprising results, NA being won the last game of
the day if you stayed up after dark. A shocking result in Hawaii is
the Air Force Falcons handed their second straight loss of the season, but more
importantly, their first loss of the Mountain West Conference, dropping into a tie
now with you on LV for first as they fall to the Hawaii Rainbows twenty
seven to thirteen. Hawaii improves to four and seven, two and four in
the Mountain West, but Air Force now has dropped two in a row after
the eight to no start. You know, the good thing is you got
a chance to really make some Hey this weekend as you're gonna if the Falcon
is going to be taken on UNLV with first place on the line. We'll
talk about that in a little bit, But you know, air Force has
been no doubt about it a second half team all year. I guess they
thought they could do that again. They got behind from the get go as
the Rainbows took the opening kickoff seventy five yards on twelve plays over seven minutes
off the clock. The first to two Branden Schrager TD p asses to Profelli
Ashlock, and Hawaii led the rest of the way, going wired to wire
to win their second straight game of the season. But simply put, it
was just a flat, a flat out flat performance by the Falcons, committing
four turnovers, fumble, three interceptions. Quarterbacks Jensen Jones Ben Britten didn't play
very well. Zach Larrier did not play in the game, nor did Air
Force leading rusher Emmanuel Michelle. That certainly doesn't help you. But the fact
you turn it over four times to a team and a program that has struggled
mightily over the years, and that's being kind, you know, I think
that's certainly Troy Calhoun's got some work to do. As they've now lost two
straight as they get ready to take on you and LV Steve. Yeah,
you're absolutely right. The fact of the matter is that you can't be minus
ten and in two games and expect to come away with wins in either of
them. Uh, you know, after going minus six minus four is just
uh, it's it's unacceptable. You mentioned Jensen Jones and Ben Britten. Zach
Larrier actually did get into two plays early. They have him listed as two
carries for one yard, but obviously not having Larrier, not having Emmanuel Michelle
in this game at all, who he did not play at all. You
know that that's gonna, that's gonna, that's gonna harm you. Uh you
know, you're gonna you're basically playing offense with your hand tied behind your back
and your and your feet tied together. Uh at that point. And so
I know you mentioned that that Air Force always feels like they're a second half
team, but uh, you know, they just found themselves in a in
a situation where it just was just it was too difficult to come back from
and now they've got a very very big it's you know, the there there
are seasons not over by any stretch. Of the imagination they can still come
away with a Conference USA championship. They've got their work cut out for them,
as you know, as you mentioned with UNLV coming uh to Falcon Stadium
this upcoming week, and we'll get into that here uh later on in the
show. But you know, the fact of the matter is is that if
if they wanted a New Year six Bowl game, it disappeared uh late Saturday
night out out in Hawaii, because now they are just too far behind uh
the other teams that are that have the inside track. You know, you
look at Tulane, UH, they probably have the inside track. They've got
the better schedule, they only have one loss. They they've got a pretty
uh a pretty tough finish, I would say, uh to try and get
to the American Conference Championship. They have FAU this week, they have UTSA
next week, and then they'll probably play SMU in the in the conference championship
game. I think Liberty has a much easier track. They've got UMass who
only has three wins, one of them being against Army, and they have
a three win UTEP team that they'll play before they play. I believe it's
already been decided they're going to play New Mexico State in the Conference USA Championship
game, but they've got an opportunity Liberty does to be thirteen to zero,
and so I think that having Liberty, even though they're their schedules stinks and
Tulane in front of them. They've got no shot now to be in a
New Year six Bowl game, and I think that's got to be pretty disappointing
if you're a Falcons fan. Yeah, especially starting eight to no. But
you know, if there is a silver line and you're still right there in
the thick of the mount West Conference championship race, you still have a chance
to win a conference championship and that's something that air Force has not done since
you know, joining the Mountain West. At least I can't remember back when
their last one was. It has been it has been a long while,
but the fact that this would be the chance to play in their first Mountain
West Conference championship game in school history would be big. And it's still there
on the table. But he Troit coach Calhoun's got to get them refocused and
with just very little time to do it, especially coming back, you know,
from Hawaii and making that long trip getting ready for UNLB coming to town
this weekend. All right, let's give out some game ball, Stephen.
I think I think we got a couple of big plays that we're going to
be highlighting with our game ball. Go ahead, brother, Yeah, I'm
going special teams with Army and Elo Medozi, who was able to return Holy
Cross's block punt for the first touchdown of the of the afternoon for the Black
Nights turned out to be huge for them because obviously the offense did not have
a whole heck of a lot going on against the Crusaders. They needed every
point they could get to pull out the victory. So I'm gonna give my
game ball to Ela Medozie for the block punt, how about you. I
Am going to go with another big play obviously in that game, but I'm
going to go with the big play that Jabbari Moore made late in the third
quarter. Is the Black Knights nursing a fourteen oh lead, trying to keep
the Crusaders out of the end zone. And you know on that fourth and
fourth and one that you know the pop pass that Sluca tries to throw and
get to the tight end, it's knocked away. There the six pass break
up this season for the for the senior out of Hoover, Alabama, Jabari
Moore and now has twenty six in his career for the Black Knights, second
most in school history behind Derrick McNally's twenty nine. But you know, while
you know, we agree that the Army got you know, honestly, Holy
Cross outplayed them. They just outplayed them. Ye, obviously the scoreboard didn't
show that, but just too many mistakes, too much. You know,
they didn't execute when they needed to. But the reason is because of some
of the big plays like you mentioned the block punt by Medozie and then Jabari
Moore coming up big there to keep a Holy Cross off the scoreboard until they
got to the fourth quarter. So Jabbari Moore, the senior defensive back,
getting my game ball this week. All right, Steven, let's step away
real quick, come right back. We got three games to tell you about.
All Senior Days is Navy, the Air Force Academy, and the Army
Black Knights all honoring their seniors. Coming up this weekend, we have the
Travis Manning Foundation on a roll. We got some picks to make, bro,
So let's do that. When we come back here and look ahead to
our three games this week on Yards and Stripes, your home for service Academy
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Yards and Stripes Service Academy Football. Frank continuing on here in Yards and Stripes
your home for Service Academy Football. I'm Pryce Atkinson. He is Steve Carney
and he is also feeling better now that he has gotten his uc A venting
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This week, get off my pylon, Florida Football Insiders. That's just a
name of you. We got so much more there that is there for your
listening pleasure as we barrel down the home stretch of the college football season.
But let's barrel toward these games, Steve that we have this weekend. As
I mentioned, all three teams are at home, hosting their respective senior Day
and up first will be the Naval Academy host in East Carolina, the Pirates
two and eight one and five out of the American taking on Navy again four
and five, three and three in the Conference, a twelve noon kickoff on
ESPN News and ESPN Plus from Navy Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Navy installed is
a three point favorite. Yes last week they were a three point dog.
Well, this week they're a three point favorite at home. The over and
under thirty one and a half, as the Mids can still get Bowl eligible
with wins over ECU this weekend and then with an upset at SMU before the
Army game obviously, which is after the Bowl bids were handed out, but
Navy leading the all time series against ECU eight to two, including five and
one in conference games. However, both of East U's wins have both come
at Navy Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, where Navy's just three and two against the
Pirates and EASCU ruined Navy Senior Day the last time they were there in twenty
twenty one, a thirty eight thirty five win. Navy got a thriller,
won a thriller last year in double overtime twenty three to twenty. But the
Pirates coming in Mike Houston's team with a defense with three defensive touchdowns, which
is ninth most in the country. Their offense has only lost two fumbles this
season, which ranked six in the country. As they are coming off a
twenty two to seven upset over FAU and then nearly knocked off nationally ranked Tulane
thirteen to ten two weeks ago. So all the Pirates are two to eight,
playing better football down the stretch, and you know, nothing is a
given for this Navy team. Gonna have to come out and play another clean
game on Saturday. Steve, Yeah, absolutely, And you can call them
ECU. I would call them FGU because they're their kicker. Andrew Conrad has
certainly gotten his work in. He's He's one guy that isn't having to do
post game conditioning work. That's that's for sure. He had five field goals
in their win over the Owls over in Boca Ratone last week. And you're
you're absolutely right. You would think that a team that is two and eight,
that they're the perfect patsy to have, INDI your stadium for Senior Day.
But East Carolina is is a much tougher and a much grittier team than
than a lot of people will let on. And yes, they they were.
They suffered from the from a bad, bad start. You know,
they got they got their their butts handed to them by SMU at home.
You know. They they lost at home to Charlotte the forty nine ers,
that I think is maybe one of the most shocking results of the year because
the forty nine ers aren't very good either. But uh but but I I
certainly think that between uh there the last couple of weeks, they they certainly
have looked much much better after after they went to the Alamodole and lost to
ut s A. I think that that something clicked with them. Their their
ball possession has gotten much much better. They're controlling the pace of play.
They have slowed things down, which I think is big for for East Carolina.
I don't think it's gonna matter as much this week because Navy likes to
play that grind them out style as well. Whereas you know, Fau likes
to throw the football they like, they would love, they would love a
much faster pace. Tulane the same way, likes a much faster pace and
was able to only escape Greenville with a three point win in a game that
was only twenty three points totaled. Uh, So that that's not the way
that Tulane likes to play, It's not the way that East Caro Line of
Lakes to play, but it is the way Navy likes to play. And
so I do think that there's gonna be This is actually a better matchup for
the midshipman then you will see about against just about anybody going up against East
Carolina all year. Yeah. East Carolina's defense ranks twenty fifth in the country
and rush yards per game given up just one hundred and fourteen. Sonyvy gonna
face a fairly stout run defense in the East Carolina also eighteenth in the country
and tackles for loss per game. Maybe just one of two quarterbacks, Steve.
A note from Scott Straismeyer the Navy sid's game notes this week. Maybe
is one of two schools in the FBS this season to start four different quarterbacks
this fall, Ty Lavatie, Blake Corbath, Brack Stott, Woodson, and
now Xavier R. Line. But Navy and Duke are the only two schools
in the FBS to win a game with three different starting quarterbacks. As Lavatai
was the starter against Wagner and Charlotte, Horvath started against in the win over
North Texas and then our line in the win last week over UAB. So
a little while there as we get ready for East Carolina and Navy twelve noon
kickoff on ESPN News and ESPN Plus. Again, maybe a three point home
favorite. All right, traveling up to Mikey Stadium. Back to back games,
this is going to be on Saturday. If Armed Forces Service Academies is
your thing, the Armed Force as well, you're going to have back to
back with Army and Air Force playing on the CBS Sports Network. But Armies
up first, hosting Coastal Carolina. The Shants seven and three taken on the
Black Knights four and six a noon kickoff on the CBS Sports Network. The
Chanta Clears are a four point favorite over under set at forty three and a
half. Mentioned Mikey Stadium will be the scene for Senior Day. Is the
Black Knight's gonna honor a host of a seniors playing their final game? But
this all time series they've only played once and that was last year when Coastal
won it thirty eight to twenty eight. I believe that was the season opener
down in Conway and was heel turf. Yeah, the Shots making their fourth
ever trip to the Empire State though one and two all time heading up to
New York. But I guess the big question for the chant of Clears is,
you know I just mentioned three quarterbacks you know playing you know, in
winning games for Navy and Duke this year. You know, might that change
on Saturday? As the Shots have had to really mix things up this season
at quarterback themselves. Where Grayson McCall, the outstanding signal caller who surprised a
lot of people, I think by returning for another season at Coastal, you
know, got hurt. I believe it was the Arkansas State game. He
got drilled and had to be taken off the field on that in that game
on October the twenty first on a stretcher. He's remained in concussion protocol hasn't
been still hasn't been cleared by the doctors yet, so they've had kind of
a hodgepodge at quarterback. There. Ethan Vasco, a freshman, has been
the main guy lately, but Tim Beck has had to play uh three quarterbacks,
three different ones since McCall has been out with the injury. I think
that will be one of the big stories to watch, is what might happen
Who might be the guy If it's not Vasco. Could McCall make his return
this week? Yeah, I think I think that that's that's gonna be the
big question because obviously, if if Vasco is ineffective, Blake Boda, who
has also thrown UH and Kyle Duplessis, who has not been has not been
very good. Jared Guest had had a little bit of success against Marshall,
but it's been it's been both. It's been the Ethan Basco show UH for
the last three or four weeks. UH. Now, I really do think
that it could It could most certainly end up being a return of Grayson McCall
if he's healthy. I think I think if McCall is healthy. And and
I went back and I watched, uh when you when you mentioned the the
hit against Arkansas State for Coastal, that's a that's a very very scary moment.
Uh. And to watch your quarterback uh basically out on the turf and
have to be carried off the field on a on a stretcher, that's that's
not what you want to see. Coastal is A is not the same team
as they were last year. Obviously, we all thought that Coastal may have
been one of the best non Power five teams in all of college football last
season. This year, they only have three losses, as you mentioned.
Uh. Two of them are to Georgia teams Georgia State and Georgia Southern,
obviously taking bulldog scraps uh in both of those teams. Uh. And then
they lost to UCLA the first game of the year before we all realized that
UCLA is not Washington or USC uh in the Pack twelve. But yeah,
at that point, you see, you know a lot of people thought that
u c. L A could be a Pac twelve conference title contender. Uh.
And so uh, this is still a very good Chanticleer team. And
UH, I certainly think that Army is going to have its work cut out
for them, especially if if the Chanticleers are able to throw the football,
and and if Grays and McCall is in the game. I really do think
that they're going to work to try and throw the football as much as possible.
Yeah, I just double checked, and McCall is going to miss the
game on Saturday. Vasco has been named the starter. Uh well then so
then then then you're you're you're still gonna see the Chanticleers throw the football.
Uh, They're gonna want to throw the football a lot. They're gonna want
to try and exploit Army's defensive backfield. But it would have been it would
have been a much more potent offense with with McCall under center, that's for
sure. No question Army has won two straight, they've got the mojo going
now. But the Shants have won five in a row themselves, as you
mentioned there. But we know the last time that Air Force Army went up
against a team with a hefty winning streak and the Air Force, we remember
what happened in that one. So Mike won that long agot the same thing,
And no it was not. It was just a couple of weeks ago,
so might they be able to do that to the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers coming
up from Conway just outside of Myrtle Beach. We will find out, but
should be a good one there at Mikey Stadium again a twelve noon kickoff there.
Coastal a four point favorite in that matchup. All right, last game
of the day, and this one is a big one, Stephen, no
other way to put it. First place in the mount Less Conference it is
on the line, as UNLB is eight and two, five and one in
the mount Less heading to Colorado Springs to take on identical record Air Force eight
and two, five and one a three thirty pm Eastern Standard time kickoff one
thirty locally there in the Springs on the CBS Sports Network in the matchup for
first place in the Mountain West. Air Force installed is a field goal favorite
at home over under is forty seven and a half as air Force is simply
put trying to snap that two game losing streak after the eight to no start
and when they rose to number seventeen in the polls. Big game for two
reasons. Obviously that first place is on the line. But you ask,
well, what happens next week. Who does each team play well. Air
Force will be heading to Boise State to play on the Smurf Turf. UNLV
will be hosting San Jose State, So while next week air Force will be
on the road, UNLV will be at home. Both Boise State and San
Jose State have identical records five and five four into in the Mountain West,
but the Senior Day, final home game of the season and up for the
careers at Falcon Stadium is over forty six players managers. They're gonna be honored
in the pregame ceremony with a senior class that has gone thirty one and eleven
overall, eighteen and eight in Mountain West Conference games during their tenure there in
Colorado Springs. The Falcons lead the overall series eighteen to six, including nine
and two versus the Rebels at home. The Falcons have won five straight overall
in this series. Might they make it six a big one on Saturday?
Steve, It's gonna be huge, especially because the question was, you know,
is UNLV real this year? We had that We had that question come
up a couple of weeks ago. I posed, you know, hey,
could I know a lot of people are looking at that Boise State game to
end the year as being the biggest test for air Force the rest of the
way, and I was like, well, don't look out for UNLV.
It's gonna be that's gonna be a big game. And the question was,
you know, you know who is UNLV played, have they have they done
anything? You know? Really you know, really they're their toughest opponent at
that point was coming up. Uh, they were going to go to Fresno
State. They end up losing that game in Fresno, but then they turned
around. They beat Wyoming by twenty at home. And you know, Wyoming
is is not a bad team at all, and so I think they that
is a that's a that's a very good win, uh for un l V.
But this is going to be a much different type of opponent, uh
for the REVS. I I really do think that, you know, this
is a game. You know, if you're uh, if you're Fresno State,
you certainly are rooting for un l V because at that point, uh,
you've got you've got the conference championship on your track, it's on your
racket, you know, if you're Fresno State and you're seeing that you're gonna
have to go to Colorado Springs for a for a Mount West title game.
That's certainly that's not something that you want to you want to consider. You
want you want to be able to go to Las Vegas, uh and and
especially because of the way that things end if you're air Force, you need
this win and you need this win badly. And I think that they're going
to come out and get this and get the win that they need and honor
what has been. You know, I think you can say that this may
be the most successful senior class going back to the Fisher to Barry days,
you know, being twenty games over five hundred. This this is a very
very strong senior class, and they're they certainly are going to want to go
out and get a and get another win here in their final home game and
send send the fans. I'm happy for sure, Yeah, no doubt about
it. The impact of the senior class for the Falcons has had on the
program and sixteen and four record in Falcons Stadium. Really want to make that
seventeen and four to have the inside track with one more regular season game at
Boise State left, but this class has been Bowl eligible all four years,
you know, post to two to zero bowl records with back to back wins
over Power five programs in those bowls. And you know I won the Commander
in Chief Trophy in two thousand and two. So no doubt about a legacy
of success, to say the least for these seniors that are going to be
going out. But a big one on Saturday is Air Force last year of
fourteen to forty two to seven win in Las Vegas. A couple early fumbles
by UNLV helped Air Force build a quick fourteen oh lead and then a twenty
eight to seven advantage. But Barry Odom has got this thing flipped right now,
and with his defensive background, you know he's going to have something dialed
up for Air Force. On Saturday is the Falcons, a three point favored
again three thirty Eastern Standard time, kickoff one thirty locally in the Springs on
the CBS Sports Network. We got some games to pick, We got our
Travis Manning Foundation on a roll segment. We got a couple of news notes
to pass along. We got that to do when we wrap it up here
on this episode of Yards and Stripes, your home for Service Academy Football in
two thousand and seven, Green First Lieutenant trap Vis Manion was killed in Iraq
after saving his wooted teammates. Travis's legacy lives on through the words he spoke
before his final deployment. If not me, then who? Words that today
fuel the spirit of Travis Manion Foundation and through TMF these words can live in
you too. Show the world what you're made of. Because character is invisible
until it's not. Find out how you can strengthen the character of your community
alongside empowered veterans, families of the fallen, and inspired civilians at Travismanion dot
org. All Right, continuing on in this episode of Yards and Stripes,
you're home for Service Academy Football, and you know it's a time where we
honor and remember a fallen hero on our Travis Manian Foundation Honor Roll segment.
And the Travis Manian Foundation is doing incredible work in communities all across the country
as loved ones are carrying on the legacy of servicing commitment of their loved one
with special projects all across the country. You can find out how you can
get in and support the Travis Manning Foundation online at Travismannion dot Org. And
this week we're going to honor remember a member of the United States Navy,
Commander Peter G. Oswald. Commander Oswald, he gave the ultimate sacrifice on
August the twenty seventh, two thousand and two, from injury sustained during a
training related accident in southern El Salvador. The exercise he was conducting US standard
fast roping technique to exit Blackhawk helicopter. Oswald was the commanding officer of the
Naval Special Warfare Unit based out of Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico, a unit
in charge of Naval special operations, missions and training for the Southern Command.
Oswald was a native of Bellingham, Washington, a star student and athlete at
the United States Naval Academy, where he graduated in nineteen eighty four. He
was survived by his parents, brother, two brothers, his wife, and
three daughters. Quote. He was on the fast track to being one of
the top leaders of the community. This is a tight knit community. Most
of the Seals knew him and are devastated by his tragic loss. That being
Lieutenant Commander Darren James, spokeman spokesman for the Naval Special Warfare Division based out
of San Diego Commander Peter Oswald was honored through the travisman and Foundations Character Doesn't
Matter program presented to campers in the Naval Academy Summer Seminar program and the Academy's
Stem camp for rising eleventh graders. And again, you can get involved with
TMF online at travismann In dot org. Find ways that you can honor a
fallen hero, ways you can honor somebody it is that you know in your
local community. Just go on line at Travismanion dot org. Travis Mallion Foundations
Nine to eleven Heroes Run five K race series unites communities across the country and
around the world to honor the sacrifices of September eleventh and the war since.
Join your community this September and register to run walk or rock by visiting nine
eleven Heroes on dot org. The latest with Navy, Army and Air Force
on Yards and Stripes Service Academy Football. Welcome back here to Yards and Stripes.
Fryce Atkinson Steve Farney want to thank the Travis Manny Foundation for allowing us
to partner with him yet again the season highlighting veterans that have given that ultimate
sacrifice, and not just that, but the legacy of commitment that their families
are carrying on in communities across the country. You can get involved at Travismannon
dot org. This month, the month of November Veterans Day obviously this past
weekend or he stopped and you know, as I like to say, you
know, Veterans Day. To me, it should be every day thanking veterans
like your self, Steve. People that have served that you know, have
given that many many years. Some have given their lives, you know of
service twenty years, twenty five years of active duty, you know to our
nation. But the Travis Manning Foundation has got a drive going on during the
month of November where you can donate to help give to our nation's heroes a
path to improve their mental health. And you can go online to donate.
Now find out more information about what the Travis Manion Foundation is doing to help
improve the mental health for our nation's heroes that come home that have served.
So check that out online at Travismannion dot org. Steve a couple of news
notes just real quickly to pass along a big announcement though earlier this week is
Air Force Superintendent Lieutenant General Richard Clark named the next executor the executive excuse me,
the next executive director of the College Football Playoff. He'll be replacing the
first and only executive director, Bill Hancock. Bill just a wonderful person I've
had the chance to work with during his time at the College Football Playoff and
then at the Olympics. Bill's going to be stepping away but the College Football
Playoff and naming Air Force Superintendent Lieutenant General Richard Clark to take over next summer,
as he'll officially start the job in June. A former Air Force player,
had a thirty eight year a military career. He'll be moving over to
the College Football Playoff and obviously a lot of big changes going under or underway,
with the Playoff expanding to twelve teams next year, likely a new TV
deal that's going to be expected to be a multi billion dollar deal most likely,
and who knows. If you know the College Football Playoff, you know
they evolve into an organizing body for college sports, specifically for college football.
So a lot happening, is a big transition times he'll take over executive director
of the College Football Playoff. Steve Yeah, what a great, what a
great piece of news for General Clark. I really do think that it was
funny. We were joking about this on the uh on the broadcast for the
University of South Florida that you know, obviously with with Dick Clark taking over,
uh in the college football play if you're gonna have Ryan Seacrest obviously hosting,
right, Uh, that's that's how it's how it works. Uh.
But you know, you know, joking, you know, with a little
little name word play there. But uh, you know it's a it's a
great responsibility, uh that General Clark is taking over. Uh. You know,
Bill Hancock did a did a fantastic job running the college football Playoff and
the executive committee. But there there's nobody that I could see that can get
things in shape and you know, any sort of excess and any sort of
thought that there's going to be some sort of uh favoritism towards certain conferences,
you know, once this uh, once the the playoff expands to twelve,
I don't see I don't see anything better than a than a military officer being
in charge of this because it's a it's gonna be a much it's gonna be
like wrangling cats and obviously. Uh. In the military, you end up
having to deal with all sorts of people in all sorts of walks of life.
UH. And I think that he's going to have a lot of success
UH doing what he's doing, and a lot of people are going to be
very happy with how the college football Playoff will look moving forward with the twelve
team format because of what Richard Clark is able to do, UH, for
the for the committee, totally, no question about it. Now standing honor
in a big opportunity for for General Clark. ESPN announcing the College Game Day
going to travel to the one hundred and twenty fourth Army Navy Game, presented
by USA and Foxborough. The broadcast will be live on Saturday morning, December
ninth, from ten am to twelve noon outside of Gillette Stadium. Their week
fifteen show taking on the Army Navy game yet again, so that they will
be live again from ten am to twelve noon outside of Gillette Stadium there in
Foxborough. And one final note to pass along Steve before he picked some games,
Navy's game next weekend at SMU, obviously SMU having a fantastic season.
That game on Saturday, November the twenty fifth, that will be a twelve
noon kickoff eleven am locally there in Dallas on ESPN two. So Navy and
SMU on Saturday, the November twenty fifth, Thanksgiving weekend going to be a
twelve noon Eastern Standard Time kickoff on ESPN. All right, brother, let's
get to some games and get out of here. Let's pick all three of
these games, and let's start in the order of which we brought them to
you and kind of preview to East Carolina at Navy noon kickoff there. East
Carolina two and eight, maybe four and five mids a field goal favorite over
Unders thirty one and a half. Which way you're gonna go on Senior Day
in Annapolis? Steve, Yeah, I think you you understand that they are
a team the Pirates are that are gonna want to try and slow the pace
down, which I think is gonna work right into Navy's wheelhouse. I think
you're gonna see You're gonna see some kicks from their kicker, from from East
Carolina's kicker. It's what he's been known for here over the last few weeks.
But I think I think Navy is gonna is gonna be able to handle
the Pirates pretty easily. I have them beating East Carolina twenty four to nine
on Senior Day twenty four to nine. I've got the Mids buy a field
goal, not a not an East Carolina field goal, but obviously yes,
a Navy field goal. I think Navy's gonna win it on Senior Day twenty
to seventeen and get that win to stay in the hunt for a bowl game,
as they will then move to Dallas to take on SMU the following weekend.
So we're both going with Navy on Senior Day there. Well, let's
do Senior Day at Army up at Mikey Stadium, the Black Knights hosting Coastal
Carolina Coastal seven and three Army four and six. This one again a twelve
noon kick off with the CBS Sports Network. Coastal installed is a four point
favorite over under forty three and a half. Can the Army Black Knights?
Can they stop another big winning streak? On Saturday steven? Can they stop
another big winning streak? Price they can? Will they stop another big long
winning streak is another question to ask and unfortunately, on my on my mind,
that answer is no. I think that Coastal does get the win.
I think this is twenty seven fourteen. I think that unless Bryce and Daily
can have a big game under center for Army, I think that this is
going to end up being more than a one scorer lead for the share to
clears. So I have them winning by thirteen. Yeah. I like Coastal
by ten. I like the Shans thirty four to twenty four, even without
Grayce. If Grayson McCall was playing, I think I might go by a
bigger margin. But with freshman Ethan Basco going to be under center for the
injured McCall still out after that hit back on October twenty first against Arkansas State,
I think it's gonna be a little bit closer. I think Army is
gonna be game. I just think Coastal is just going to have a little
bit too much and a little bit too much speed and playmakers to pull it
off. I think it'll blow the over but I think it'll be a ten
point margin, So we're pretty close there. Finally, Air Force first place.
As we mentioned on the line against UNLB, both teams identical eight to
two records overall five and won the Mount West three thirty Eastern Standard time kickoff
on the CBS Sports Network. Air Force a field goal favorite at home over
under is forty seven and a half. Who's going to have the inside track
to go to the mount West Conference champmanship game after this one? Steve,
Oh, you're gonna falcon it up there? Price, I have air Force
taking this one. I have them going over as well. So I have
the Falcons beating the Rebels thirty one to twenty seven, and what's going to
be a wild affair at Falcons Stadium because I know that UNLV wants this one
bad. They really do. They want to They want to be able to
say that we've got the inside track of things and to try and push air
Force out of a Mountain West Conference playoff scenario. But I don't think it's
going to happen. I think the Falcons win. I think they win close,
but I think in what's going to be a very high scoring game.
What was your score prediction? Thirty one to twenty seven? I knew,
I knew it. I want to make sure I heard that right. That's
exactly what I had down for you. Ah, thirty one to twenty seven
is I literally identical. I had it typed out just before we started this
segment, So great minds think alike, especially if Air Force gets the win.
One thing to keep an eye on this one. If this one does
come down to a field goal, I believe it's Jose Pizzano, the field
goal kicker for UNLV lou Grosia Award semi finalist. I won't, you know,
tip my hand fully on that one, but he definitely was in my
top three in the balloting. Is we cast lou Gros Award votes the other
day I had him in my top three, you know, for the Glue
Grows Award this year for the nation's most outstanding kicker. But this guy is
accurate. He can hit him from deep and he could be that weapon that
could decide this thing. But you and I are alike, man. We
think that the Falcons are going to get it done by the identical score of
thirty one to twenty seven. So if it lands on thirty one to twenty
seven, we must have some kind of fun Thanksgiving week because I'll be probably
headed right out to the closest otb I can find if people nail that one.
Steve, always appreciate you, my friend, great work as always as
you help keep things straight to produced lined up and out everybody on the College
Gridiron Coast to Coast podcast network, where you can listen to us every single
week during the college football season wherever it is you get your podcasts. We
will be back again with you next week as we will get you ready as
we come down the stretch in the final regular season week of the season on
Thanksgiving week next week. But steve until then, man, we will talk
to you then. Hope everybody has a great week. Enjoy the games on
Senior Day. Go Army, Go Navy, Go air Force, and we
will talk to you. Then join us again next time for Yards and Strikes
Service Academy Football. To get more on all things Service Academy Football, like
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