I 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 love All. We have
left off on Yards and Stripes your home for Service Academy Football, and it's
your home for the Army Navy preview special that we have in store. We
have a loaded podcast for you all this week as we get you ready for
America's game on Saturday, Army and Navy, presented by USAA. Saturday at
three o'clock in Philadelphia. I'm Pryce Atkinson, joined as always by my co
host Steve Carney and Mike love All. We got a lot to do tonight
today this morning, where whenever it is you're listening to this episode because as
we're gonna bring you our Army Navy preview special as we're part of the College
Gridiron Coast to Coast podcast network, as I meant, and a loaded lineup
guys. We've got Pete Medhurst, the Navy play by play voice of the
Midshipman. We've got sal Interdonado, the founder editor of Blacknight Nation dot com.
And then we're gonna wrap it up with best selling author John Feinstein,
author of a Civil War. You won't want to miss all these interviews to
get you ready from every single angle that you can be ready for Saturday's game.
And then we'll come back and wrap it up with the Travis Mannion Foundation
Honor Roll segment and our picks for America's game on Saturday. Steve Michael,
the exciteingeth Phillith the Air. Could we be more ready for Saturday? I
thinketh not. How are you guys tonight? Fantastic? It's Army Navy Week
and everybody knows what that means. It's all about this game. The whole
week is all about this game on Saturday. Yeah, you know, this
is a big week. And because while we're a day late doing this,
I mean that it's taken a We've got so much stuff this week that it's
taken us an extra day to make sure that it's all crammed in there and
making sure that you have the best coverage of the Army Navy game, which
we all love and I think we're all excited for. Yeah, I mean,
are my apologies, our apologies for being a day late, But how
is that's big. Yeah, we are not a dollar short. I was
going to say, because we have got a loaded lineup. I mean,
this is about as locked and loaded as you get, Michael. I mean,
we talked with South Inner Donado from Navy, Steve and I we talked
with Pete Medhursts a little bit earlier, and then obviously John Feinstein to wrap
it up, a good friend, somebody that will you know, be front
and center his favorite game, you know, of the calendar year. I
mean, it's just it's loaded. I mean, let's go ahead and get
into it. I mean without further ado, because we do have a lot
to do. As five and six Army four and seven Navy three o'clock Eastern
Time, Saturday on CBS, Armies given two and a half, down from
four and a half. I guess from where it started over under is thirty
two and a half. The one hundred and twenty third installment of this series,
the ninetieth time in Philadelphia and the fourteenth time for if You're scoring at
home at Lincoln Financial Field, when these two sides square off, presented by
USAA, and the eighth most played rivalry in the Football Subdivision, Navy leading
the all time series sixty two to fifty three and seven forty five, forty
and four against Army in Philly and eleven and two against the Black Knights at
Lincoln Financial Field. Army. Let's see, Navy has won eighteen of the
last twenty three in including two of the last three. So that's just kind
of setting the stage, guys, I mean the excitement we're I mean,
we're we obviously you know we've got, you know, rooting interest on both
sides. What do you think? What are we doing? What are we
talking about? What's what is the key? What are we looking at?
Is we go into it? Mike on Saturday? Well, I think the
biggest question Price and I talked about this a little bit for our readers who
like to read a little bit on my last Word on College Football column is
the Army run defense. Navies the seventh rank rushing offense in the country.
Armies defense ranks one hundred and fifteenth out of one hundred and thirty one schools.
Really, the question is can Armies defense stop Navy's rushing attack. If
they can, Army stands a good chance to win this game. The other
key is both these teams. When we've talked about this extensively this season,
both all three of us. Whichever team can keep the second half momentum of
the season going with low number of penalties and note turnovers, the team that
makes I know this is a blinding flash of the obvious, but this game
really is around centers around this. Whichever team can make a fewest mistakes,
we'll probably win this game. So those are the two things I look at
I'm focusing on when I when I look at who's gonna come out of this
game as a winner? Yeah, for me, I look at it as
this is a game that it doesn't matter if both of these teams or one
of these teams was twelve and O and the other was oh and twelve.
You know that this game is going to come down to the fact that there's
going to be a mistake that's going to be made late in the second half,
and which team is going to be the one, as Mike said,
that makes that crucial final mistake and the other team is able to take advantage
of it. Now, as we stand here, both teams with five wins,
and I really think that you know, or excuse me, one with
five wins and the other with four wins. I look at both of these
teams, as you know, even though you know Army's schedule, I think
a little lighter. We've talked about this a little bit with pe Medhurst that
that Army's schedule maybe not quite as strong as Navy's because they had the extra
couple of they had the couple of FC, they had two FCS games as
opposed to Navy, who had just won, and then of course the American
Athletic Conference schedule as opposed to going around with the Independence as Army did with
UMass and the like. I really do think that this is going to be
a battle of the big uglies. You know, you're going to see the
offensive lines for both teams and the defensive lines. Mike talked about, you
know, the Navy rushing attack versus Armies rushed defense. I honestly think that
you can look the other way as well and look at the front seven of
Navy versus to hear Tyler and what they're what they're going to have to do
to try and wrap up Tyler, especially after his three touchdown performance against UMass
that momentum, even though it's been a couple of weeks, I really do
think that that's going to be a big, big key here, especially later
on in that game. Yeah, and the margin for error is all it
is whenever, however this game is played, it's you know, mistakes are
always going to be at the forefront because margin for air being so thin.
When you talk about amount of possessions per team, you know, especially when
you run the ball and you run the clock, you don't have that many
possessions, and so you can't afford those giveaways, whether it be an interception,
a fumble, you know, God forbid, you know something that happens
on special teams where you give it immediately back to the other team. That's
all I mean, I think we all agree that's certainly always going to be
the case in this year's installment. You know, of strength verse strength is
you know, something we'll get into throughout this episode with our guests and everything.
You know, maybe fourth in the country and rush defense giving up just
eighty five and a half yards per game an army the number two rushing offense
in the country at three hundred and four point four yards per game. You
know, the one thing I'm you know that oftentimes can make a difference,
and we'll see if it does. Maybe it doesn't on Saturday. But as
special teams, Army's got, in my book, you know, an advantage
there in special teams. They blocked two punts this year, which is tied
for thirteenth in the country. We talk about mistakes, Armies only given an
a lay thirteen times, which is twentieth in the nation. But the special
teams, you know, their kickoff return and punt return defense have been very
strong this year ninth in the country and kickoff return defense and tenth and punt
return defense, you know. Mentioning the block kicks, I mean, I
think this might be an edge where Army has got a no punt intended maybe
a leg up here on Navy. Yeah, but I do think that some
of those units are pretty good. I do still as a guy who watches
Army a lot us still do worry about the kicking game. The couple of
the two games this season, the punt game kind of let them down.
And then you know, the kicking game has always with Army ever since Coach
Munkin's been there, They've not had a steady, reliable kicker. So you
know, in that I think the coverage is good. Um, Like you
pointed out a lot of good, a lot of good on the coverage areas.
But if it comes down to a you know, a last second drive
where you need to or you need a solid punt to pen Navy inside there
fifteen, or you need a thirty five forty forty five yard kick to win
the game, Uh, my heart rate would be more elevated, more and
more elevated than normal. Um with with with Army's kicking situation? All right,
are you basically saying we should not have any kind of blood pressure apparatus
on your arm on Saturday at the length? Like, certainly not if we're
going to report it to the life insurance company, for sure? Oh goodness?
All right? Well, and and remember that that Navy had that game
against these Carolina where where Daniel Davies came in and was able to come through
in overtime, uh to beat to beat the Pirates on the road. So
I don't I don't think that you could say that that Army's special teams is
that much stronger. I do admit that I do think that they do have
the advantage, But I'd be curious to see if this comes down to a
kick late in the game and it's Army versus Navy. I like Daniel Davis
chance to make to make a kick late to win a game. Yeah,
but I think price to your point, the units, you know, the
ones that produced the hidden yardage are probably in the favor of Army, But
the individual clutch performances, the guy's actually kicking or punting when they have to,
I don't know that Army has advantage there. Yeah, all right,
We're going to continue getting ready, getting you ready, as you've invested your
time today, tonight, this morning again wherever you are with this episode of
Yards and Stripes, our Army Navy Preview Special, as we are part of
the College Gridiron Coast to Coast podcast network that you can find on Apple Podcasts,
Spotify, wherever it is that you listen to your podcasts. We've got
Pete Medhurst coming up. We've got Salt Inner Denado and John Feinstein as I
mentioned, and then we'll come back and give some picks along with our Travis
Mannion Foundation Honor Roll segment. Also, we got a team going bowling,
so we'll talk about that a little bit later as we move through our Army
Navy Preview Special. But before we get to our first guest interview Pete Madhurst,
who is the Playboy Playboys of the Navy bench Shipman Steve and I caught
up with him. I want my good friend and our co host Mike love
All to tell you, guys about ticket Smarter with Pleasure Price. Fans,
are you still looking for those last minute tickets to Army Navor, maybe tickets
to a bowl game close to you or for another team that you cheer for.
If you are, we want to make sure you take advantage of ticket
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Smarter. Thank you, Michael. Make sure to check out our friends at
tickets Smarter with all kinds of bowl games coming up, but coming up next
right here on Yards and Stripes, your Army Navy Preview special is underway,
and next is Pete Medhurst, the playball play voice of the Navy Midshipman.
We'll be right back. It's everything you need to know about Service Academy football.
Yards and Stripes continues here once again our price, Steve and Mike all
right getting going on this Army Navy preview special. Here on Yards and Stripes,
your home for Service Academy Football. And now we are going to talk
about Navy football getting going out of the gate. And when it comes to
five tool Broadcasters, Pete Medhurst the voice of the play of the playball play,
voice of the Midshipman. He is the bar with his headshot in the
dictionary right next to the term five tool broadcasting that you can follow on Twitter
at Pete Medhurst, also the morning show host on at nine eighty am,
the team out of DC. Pete, what's happened in my man? As
you roll through the hills of West Virginia. My friend ain't man? On
my way to Morgantown. Price Steve gonna be with you guys, and always
good to talk Navy football. Yeah, Steve and I are gonna tag team
this thing, and we're gonna talk a lot about the Midshipman here in what
a year it's been finishing on clearly a high note a couple of weeks ago,
as this team's gonna come into this with what three weeks off, which
is really unheard of for the midshipman going into an Army Navy game. But
before we start, Pete, you know the emergence of sophomore fullback dab with
Fulfuana in the offensive backfield. With all due respect to some of the last
few b backs Navies had, this seems like the first legit fullback that Navy's
had in the last several years. Yeah, I mean, you know,
I think what we had Mel Carruthers obviously Noah Copeland before that. But I
mean, you're again, you're you're going back a couple of years trying to
fulfill the most important position in the Navy offense. And you know Dabo,
in fact, Dabbo, Anton and Logan all had some early adversity at that
position, and Dabba has really overcome it the most. He's gained huge strides.
Kenny and I talked about this on Monday, just talking about how much
he had to proved at that spot and how his emergence. I mean,
it would take, it would take a big game, but you know,
he's two hundred one yards away from a thousand yards and you know, when
you go back and look at his workload, it's been just a little more
than a part time player. So he's really really solidified one of the most
important spots on that offense for the football team, Pete, I'm curious the
quarterback position. At the start of the year, we all we all thought,
you know, Tai Lamati, this is gonna be just to shine that
he was going to get that opportunity. He goes down to injury and you
have to and you go to Xavier Arline. I know that Arline's not you
know, he's not new in this offense. You know, this is a
guy that has had his opportunities in years past. But how have you seen
him go, especially over the stretch of the last couple of games. You
know, yet that's that really tough stretch with Cincinnati and then Notre Dame and
UCFF, and how he is, how he has grown as a quarterback and
as a leader of that offense. Yeah, I think it's I mean,
look, if you look at the two metrics between the two teams schedule wise,
it's not even close. They's so far away. Play much tougher schedule
than Army has. And the fact that you play great teams makes you better.
Playing Cincinnati defense UF defense, not defense, has made Xavier get better
and he's really done a fantastic job progressing each game and playing very well.
The only pass he threw against Central Florida. I mean he puts them right
on the money. It hung Justice Fidge and gave the TB a chance to
go back and close on the ball. But otherwise, I mean he's in
proved in that category as well. More importantly, his command of the offense
is there now, and I think the coaching staff has a great deal of
confidence in him going into this football game with him running that offense right now.
So we continue with Pete Medhurst, the play by play voice of the
Navy Midshipman. He's also talking about five tool broadcasting also the play by play
voice at rosecoff Raceway. And then Pete, I thought it was so awesome
man, when you made your debut calling the Washington Nationals game. What was
that two years ago? Or was that last season twenty nineteen nineteen, you
know, I mean we went down there and stalked on the Brave, you
know, and since then things have changed drosterwise for both teams. But that's
the look, I mean, that's what we all aspired to when we get
in this business. You want to take it as high. Oh yeah,
as he possibly can. Very blessed to be a part of the Nationals Radio
Network. And you know, I mean there are a lot of people that
could buy for that. There are a lot of people that could do that
job, right. I just happened to be the lucky one that happened to
be right there in town. Yeah, flag Ship and um, you know,
it was just it was dream coming true, man, to have baseball
back in my town after now I'm having it for so long. Yeah,
we have the oils up the street, but it's not the same when you
call Walton team. But the match year with the Nationals, and I have
complete faith that Mike Rizzo is eventually gonna get it turned around again here in
Walton. Well you, Joe Miller, Keith Mills, Scott wike Off,
and then special commentary from John Feinstein. That's all gonna get underway on the
Navy Radio Network at two o'clock, followed by obviously the game that you'll bring
to ears all over not just the country, but the world. I'm asked
you about that at the end. Then you guys will have a thirty minute
postgame show, but real quickly on offense for Navy before we look on the
defensive side of the ball. I have a jasper you know he obviously he
lost that offensive quarter natter job. Ever so briefly last year he's quickly brought
back. He's still the quarterback coach. How his thing's gone transitionally, know
what happened last year, but how has everything gone in terms of you know,
play calling, giving up that spot and just seamlessly you know, staying
on the staff when in what was I know, an awkward time last year.
Well, I mean when you first of all, you're talking about one
of the most professional individuals at his job as there is in the country.
Yeah, and a lot of people could have handled that situation differently. That
coach believes in him handled it masterfully. I've been handled it masterfully, and
everybody boots on and I watched what goes on during the games because coaches Smooths
is right next to us. I see, but Ivan's got going on in
every play. Kenny right now has the final say on plays. But I
mean, I've I've been is essentially contributing just as much as if he were
making the final decision. Could see the communication going on. But more importantly,
price you see the work that he does with quarterbacks. And then I've
tried to tell everybody when I explained this to them, Ivan Jasper could be
the quarterbacks coach for any football team in the country. Nick Saban could hire
him tomorrow and he would hit the ground running and be great for the University
of Alabama because I believe in him that much of a football coach is football.
I was tremendous and his ability, more importantly, to communicate with kids
and get that proved. The proof is in the pudding. We have rarely
never had a quarterback not ready to go. The only thing that really hampered
that the last couple of years has been the pandemic. I mean the Xavier
never had a spring practice, so his freshman year they didn't even start till
the first week of school and he ends up starting the Army game at Westport
at the end of that season with the way things win. So Ivan's work
speaks for itself. He doesn't need me, He doesn't need Kenny or anybody
to defend him. His professionalism and his work ethic and his ability to make
people better. The results look, Kenny says all the time. In coaching,
it's a result oriented business, and the results drive in Jasper. There's
a heck of a lot more double us than there are ills throughout the course
of his end Kendia Matololo's career, and there's no doubt about that. Pete,
I want one more question about the offense because it seems like they're going
to get a big boost with offensive tackle Jamie Romo returning for this game.
And I know that there are a lot of people that that may not understand
what he's had to do to get back and ready for Army Navy this week.
Can you kind of just take us through as somebody that's around the team
on a regular basis on what he has dealt with and what he's had to
do to get back. Well, when you think about at most programs,
if you get hurt early in the season, you can pretty much red shirt
and come back the next year if you want that. They don't have that
at Navy. So this is it for Jamie Romo, this is this is
your last shot to play a football game is this week right now? And
rehabbing and rehabbing and rehabbing some more and trusting the doctors. Trusting the rehab
process is so important. And he's done that, He's battled, you know,
to this point where he's he's gonna be able to contribute this week if
the opportunity presents itself, and you know, I would have you know,
people can listen in on our pregame show. Scott Wikoff's go have a heck
of a you know, conversation with him and Jamie. Of course, his
grandfather a long time trainer at the Naval Academy, Red Romo. He's a
legend at the Naval Academy, at a legacy family at the Academy. But
you're talking about a legacy human being man, Because it would have been easy
for him to say, you know what, i gotta worry about graduating in
May. I'm gonna, you know, just worry about getting my body right
for that and doing the things I gotta do both academically and then sure I'm
still part of the team, but I'm gonna go concentrate on those things.
Good luck men the rest of the way. That's not been his goal because
ninety nine percent of the young people that come to the gate on Iday,
this is who they are. We talk about how profecial they are. Prices
worked with them. He knows he's worked, He's interacted with these kids.
These kids are different. Man. We call them the best and brightest for
a reason. It's because they have a much higher calling when they come through
the gate. Sure they get to participate in Division one athletics, but the
calling is even higher for them. The reason why they all come through the
gate and Jamie Romo Livings aren't many of the student athletes at the United States
Naval Academy who overcome the same adversity to participate because that other hood means something
to them. Yeah, all right, mad. It's no question that Navy's
youth has been well documented. One of the youngest teams in the country.
You know, on defense, pretty young at linebacker and in the secondary.
But one guy at linebacker leading the way is certainly not young, and that's
John Marshall, who was named Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week after
what he did in the UCF game. I Mean, it seems like it's
really been the latter half of the season when he's come on. But there's
no question I thought I'd seen it all at linebacker for Navy over the last
few years with Diego Forgo and what he did with an incredible career. Now
it's John Marshall leading that defense giving up just eighty five yards a game on
the ground. Wow, what a revelation he's been med Think about it.
Price He was the top wide receiver for Caleb Williams, who's now at USC.
They were together at high school at Gonzagat John was his number one wide.
However, John caught a hail Mary from Caleb Williams on Navy's home field
to win the WCAC Championship game and turns that shows you how good of an
athlete he is. Though. It's the guy that was a full fledged wide
receiver in high school and he turns out to be an amazing outside linebacker.
And and look, I mean, you call the position what you want,
but striker is truly what he is. He strikes fear in the defense and
he has been amazing. I can't even tell you what it's been like to
see a Navy player have four sacks in a quarter, let alone a season
is ridiculous. But what he has done for this team. Ironically, his
greatest skill probably is diminished in this game because Army tackle thow it very much.
And that's okay. I can assure you Brian Newberry, the day defensive
coordinator, will find a way to utilize God Marshall in this football game coming
up this week. Yeah, and for those that may not know about Washington
UH schools in in DC, Gonzaga one of the top private schools in in
the entire Mid Atlantic region. Let's not just say it's not just in the
in the in DC, but the entire been Atlantic. But I want to
I want to know he um once you think the biggest key for that group
in the front seven, with Marshall spearheading the way against the here Tyler that
the Army quarterback is going to be well, I mean clearly, one of
the one of the unsung heres in his team has been our noseguard, Donald
Bernieyard Junior. He's been ridiculous running plays down sideline and sideline as a nose
guard. His plays like Cromwell, Jacob Musick and then as Price alluded to,
those linebackers have all been terrific. Remember they're having to replace you know,
a legend it maybe in Diego for Go, and we got four dudes
that have stepped right in and done that in the middle. UH this year
through this group team which has been a superb and you know that grew up
up front, plus guys like Reid and Barber coming off the bench as well.
For Navy, they cultivated death as well. It's been a lot of
fun to watch. And as I talked to coach tending a mantel Lola all
the time. We've talked about this several times through the years. You never
really understand the job how good your coaches are doing until you see their players
in the game. And when you see that defensive staff play, you can
tell all the work they've been doing Monday to Friday has been on point because
that performance of that run defense this year. Uh, let's let's face it,
that's the key matchup in this game. Army's run game Nabi's run defense.
Um, I mean, it's gonna be a Humdinger man inside the shoe
box, inside the uc F octagon, however you want to you know,
however you want to do it, we go Rick Flair, Harley Race and
the field page. But that's what this is coming up, man, This
is prime time Steelcage Mono Amano coming up this week between these two units.
Nothing like a Starcade eighty three reference. Yes, capital let me expand on
that. At Navy right now is Sidney Watts our junior basketball player. On
the girl's side, her father he is former Louisville quarterback and former wrestler Eric
Watts, whose father is Cowboy Bill Watts. Yes, and her godfather is
none other than my god Diamond Dallas Page. They are supposed to be coming
to the Army Navy basketball double header coming up in February. You talk about
a person that is so excited he can't contain his excitement. I'm like,
mean, Gene Okerlin, right now, give me a little time in Dallas
Page, give me a little Eric Watts. Let's talk about this big one
coming up between Army and Navy. And you know ddp's gonna come through with
flying colors promoting that game. And so he's said he's he's certainly, he
certainly is the man. I do want to ask you, Pete uh As.
We've talked a lot about this game going forward. I've seen the rotation
for the next five years with Foxborough, with um MetLife, Philadelphia, Baltimore
and the Game and Landover. Um I'm curious how your whats your thought is
on maybe expanding beyond the East Coast for some of these games, Like how
great would it be to have Army Navy at Soldier Field in Chicago, or
in San Diego with a Navy presence is so is so big, or up
in Seattle where the Navy presence is so big. You know, I'm curious
to see what you would think about maybe expanding the rotation, maybe not going
to Philadelphias so much, but being able to let the rest of the country
get an opportunity to go as well. Ash Balks, it's the question of
you know, we've had other cities UH want to get in all the proceedings,
but you know, the there are so many things that go into this
including you have to transport the brigadi and the core. So that's eight over
eight thousand people. You got to figure out how to get to that city
and house them, you know, the day before the game. So that's
all in your cost. And that's why the city of Philadelphia has been an
amazing host in this game. And you know, you look at clearly the
connection with Navy and Bill Belichick one of the reasons why Foxboro the Craft family
got in. Look, I mean, look, Landover is twenty minutes from
my house, but I could just assume must play that game somewhere else.
Than f x Field. But you know, Baltimore, the Ravens are an
amazing partner with Davy. We just played Notre Dame there the Giants and the
Meadowlands another outstanding partner for these two teams. They've also been a great partner
with Navy on the Notre Dame game. So we are spreading around a little
bit. I do believe there is tradition know to the city of Philadelphia.
Um, they should host it more often than than other people. But again,
cash, cash speaks volume. You know, cash ironically is such a
h there's such a quiet thing in terms of its uh you know, presidence,
but it speaks volumes when you see it. If I bring you a
lot of cash, you're gonna pay attention to me. Okay, so and
and that's that's essentially what Army and Navy have done. These cities have met
the requirements and short great Chicago, San Diego. Of course, the one
year was at the Rose Bowl, nybe beat Army forty two three that year
out there with Napoleon McCallum. But I think if it goes west of the
Mississippi, there's one guy, there's one guy that can meet the price tag.
That's Jerry Cone. So if it stands up somewhere west of the Mississippi,
that would be my prediction. If it goes west of the Missipi,
Mississippi, because that guy can write the chet interrest. That's interesting, man,
all right, before we let you go mad for a five tool broadcaster
like yourself, the elite of the elite, for bringing this game in not
just to men and women or you know here at home around the country,
but what is it like as a broadcaster to bring this game into bases to
service men, to service women around the world at all hours of the day,
night, morning, wherever it is, whenever it is for this game
on Saturday? For you? What is that? What is that like?
What is that honor like? For you know? You know me a little
bit, and you know I am a for broadcasting ju only thing I wanted
to do since I was five. Radio TV history means so much to me.
Um. And even if an ESPN or a Fox or somebody like that
doesn't call me, before you know, I retire, I'm pooled with what
I've done with my life. But this game, when you think about the
people who have called it, a very small fraternity of people yeah, included
in that fraternity. Now knowing what this game means to all of the alumni
worldwide that that tune in and to be one of those people that gets to
do that, I mean, it's an awe inspiring feeling to me. It
gave makes me very emotional talking about it because I know what our kids go
through. I know what the kids in Army go through because my cousin Pat
Campbell kicks for Army and I watched him warming up before the game, and
the President of the United States, George Bush, I'm forty yards away from
him watching him warm up before the game. Here comes George Bush saying the
match, Hey, do you might if I kick one? And my custom
says, who am I to tell the President? No? You know,
crying out loud. Right, took it right, And I watch I watched
George Bush kick the ball off of his teat I mean shaking hands. I
shook hands with President Bush. I'm shaking hands President Obama walking around the field
at this game. I've been at the White House as a result of Navy
winning Expander Chiefs Trophy as well. And as I tell people all the time,
man, as a dude that was raised by his grandparents that grew up
in a trailer park. To be able to go where I've gone with my
life and my career. To be a part of this amazing rivalry that is
as good as it gets, is his most It's as important as any we
have. Um, you know, get that from mill Uh. It's just
it's all inspiring, man, And it's one of the reasons why I look
forward to every season because I know, I mean, think about this,
he, Joe and Keith, they're all dude from an Aundo County, Man.
Yeah. And for us to be able to broadcast Navy's games in the
area that we all grew up lived supported those communities still do. Um,
it's just it's it's it's I mean, I can't even put it world accurately
what it really means to me to be able to do that, because the
probably means to the people that play in it and the people that attend both
He's amazing, amazing academic Coute well Man, Pete. It's it's amazing.
It's an honor to have you for a few minutes and to catch back up
with you to talk some Navy football man. Have a great call on Saturday
and is always Holt. I will certainly be tuned in listening as you guys
get started with the pregame show two o'clock on the Navy Radio Network, and
then obviously the game, then thirty minute postgame show. You Joe Miller,
Keith Mill, Scott wike Off, one of the best crews you can find
out there. Appreciate everything, Beat Bryce, Steve, Appreciate you guys.
You guys have a great holiday. Man all right, once again, that's
Pete Medhurst, the play by play voice of the Navy Midshipman and don't go
anywhere Army fans. Coming up next, Suton or Donado, the founder editor
of Black Night Nation dot com. Mike love All and I are going to
talk with him about the Black Knights in this season and get you ready for
Saturday's game, the one hundred and twenty third installment of the Army Navy Game,
the ninetieth played in Philadelphia. We'll be right back here on Yards and
Stripes. You're home for Service Academy Football, the latest with Navy, Army
and Air Force on Yards and Stripes Service Academy Football. All right, welcome
back into the Arts and Stripes, your home for service Academy football Pryce Atkinson,
joined by my co host Mike love All for this interview is we're gonna
talk Army football with the pre eminent member of the media, a guy that
is steep in Army knowledge and covers the Black Knights as anybody around. That's
sal Enter Donado, the founder, editor, guy that runs Black Night Nation
dot com. You can follow him on Twitter sal Enter Donado again. His
website is Black Night Nation dot com. Sal, how's it going, man,
Thanks for a few minutes on a busy week as we get ready for
a game that I know we all look forward to every season. Yeah,
Price, get the praise and thanks to appreciate being back. Good to be
back here with you guys. Yeah, man, it's great too. Uh,
it's great to see Black Night Nation flourishing. I know you, I
mean you literally cover everything when it comes to you know, Army athletics,
football, basketball, baseball, lacrosse. But we're gonna talk football here because
that is the topic of the day. Um, and I know with you
know, it's been kind of a I guess a streaky season for the Black
Nights really kind of gone in streets, but late momentum, what maybe played
its best most complete game of the season last time out in forty four to
seven win over UMass. At least going into this Army Navy game, there's
momentum and you know, no college you know, Bowl eligibility is on the
table. It really doesn't matter at this point, but Army's got to be
feeling good going into the annual showdown with their with their rival Navy. Yeah,
you're looking at those last two games against U kind of the UMass,
right, the offense kind of started to play, it start to get together,
and also, um they figured out in half of that Yukon game,
right, I mean they just that's been a problem earlier in the year.
They just struggled the finished games and it took them, you know, game
ten to figure out how they kind of finish those those games against you know,
some some really decent competitions. So I think that you know, they're
heading in with momentum. Yeah, they had a bye week. Yeah,
they're getting them. They get back maybe some guys that were out against you,
Mass or guys that were banged up against you Mass. It looks like,
you know, Aijah Marshall will return and that's a big boost to their
offense, and um, you know, I think they're heading in pretty good.
And now we talked about on our podcast, Um, this is their
bowl game this year. You know, this is the bowl game for them
this year, and this is the way to send off a really dedicated,
talented group of seniors off on the right foot. So, so you mentioned
some of the injuries and the guys coming back. Um, you know,
it's it really has been. I know, when you play triple option football,
you're you're you're simply the nature the beast is You're just gonna guys banged
up, especially in the trenches, along the line of scrimmage and quarterbacks or
notwithstanding it as well. Um, slot back has really been a spot where
they have been really I don't want to say decimated, but gotten really thin
at you know, Tyson Riley even moving and taking a lot of I think
maybe even the majority of his snaps. You know, it's slot back in
that last game. What's the status on on the slotbacks? You know,
it's it's been a obviously a big play position over the last couple of years
for Jeff Munkin and the Black Knight's offense. Yeah, you know, prices
the position where all our podcasts a lot saying you gotta get these guys in
the ball more because they're such playmakers, right. And I know it's a
triple option offense and you gotta feature the fullback and the quarterback keeps a lot,
but um, you know, Tyrolle Robinson is arguably their their biggest game
changer on offense, and he went down with a knee injury against wake Forest
and you know they haven't had him back. Um you know, Isajah Marshall
got an ankle injury, I believe against Yukon, so they didn't have him.
It's the UMass and the Miles Stewart, who's kind of like the third
fourth guy. Um he was had his army is slaying on the sidelines against
the UMSK a week or two ago. So um you know, So then
what do you do? You're throwing Tyson Riley and I talk. I'm gonna
upload the video on our Black Guy Nation YouTube channel, and he said that
they the thought was to play Tyson Riley a little bit at slot back this
year, even prior to the U MASS game. But the thing is,
Tyson Riley has been banged up a lot this season, hasn't really practiced too
much. Um he's been He's also been sick too, so it's he's missed
some practice time. And he said that Tyson Riley went into that U Mass
game with three days of practice at slot back and he played the majority of
the snacks. So I think with Tyson Riley a slop slotback, you get
like more blocking, you know, at slot back. Are they gonna give
Tyson Riley the ball fifteen times as a slot back? No. I think
the idea there is to get an extra fullback on the field, UM,
an extra fullback for blocking the guy that can block. Maybe you can get
him out of the backfield too, maybe on the pass when Nabe he's not
really looking for it and you roll with him. A John Marshall, Maurice
Faland who's moved over for quarter from quarterback this season to slot back. And
Brahee Murphy's made some big plays. We can't forget Brat. He's the senior.
He's made some big plays for this team. So they're okay. They're
okay at slop back. As far as going in. Would they love to
have Tyrell Robinson, of course, but he suffered that season ending injury against
UM Wake course, Hey, sal Mike love All, I think Army's biggest
concern is probably the rush defenseifte rush defense in the nation of one hundred thirty
one teams, Navy, of course, the seventh ranked rushing offense. What
Army you gonna have to do to stop Navy's rush offense in the game.
Yeah, I think with the Army defense, I mean, if you if
you see if they've been playing well the last five games or so, they've
only given up like sixty points, and they'll tell you the team their keys
to winning is running the football and stuff in the run. And I think
that the defensive line we know in these games. Guys, if you the
trenches are gonna win this game, right, I mean Army's defensive line.
They're gonna rotate guys in and out. So those guys have to stay fresh.
They have to play their gaps, and they have to let the linebackers
make plays. They have to let Leo Loo make plays. They have to
make they have to have Marquel brought and come up from the safety position and
make some plays, and that's gonna be the key key to the game for
them. They have to come up with a turnover in this game, and
they have to switch the field in this game if they want to have success,
because that's been the key for them too much. Early in the season
they were given away points in offense or on special teams. They can't do
that against Navy, and they have to come up with their um. The
defense has to come up with a couple of plays in this game, whether
it be attacked for a loss that force is a pond, whether it be
an more of a fumble, probably a force fumble than an interception. But
they have to they have to change the game, so to speak. Yeah,
so we'll switch sides on the offense. With the evolutionary divergence of the
two playbooks from the Paul Johnson origin, Jeff Muky to be a little bit
more comfortable with changing up some of the plays. Two years ago we saw
a heavy use of unbalanced line. This year we've seen a couple of end
of rounds. We've seen a couple of slices. What do you think the
Army offense has in store for some of those wrinkles that you usually see in
the Army Navy game. To throw a defense who faces the flex going every
week, to throw that defense off. But what do you think Jeff's gonna
put into the game plan on offense this week? Man, I wish I
was in the meeting rooms, to be honest, because you know, you
look at it this. I think that sometimes in this game, honestly,
they got too conservative, They got too bland a little bit. I mean,
they should do a little bit more. And talking to Brent Davis yesterday,
it's like, you want to go against like, how do you build
a game plan against, you know, Navy. You know, I'm sure
you're practicing, you know, in the spring, in preseason and during the
year. I'm sure you're taking you know, your your Repton know, he
called the commander in chiefs periods and he and he just of course he wasn't
gonna give me away what they're gonna do, of course, you know.
But it's just like, I don't know, I just I think you're gonna
see a lot of tire Tyler in this game. I think you're gonna see
Tyre Tyler run how you know, maybe different maybe on the outside, trying
to get to the outside a little bit more with Tyler. I think you're
just gonna see that. I mean, I wish they throw the ball a
little bit more. Isaiah Austin is probably the most talented wide receiver they'd have
the Jeff Monk and era. I wish they give him at least three or
four looks in this game. But I think you have to mix it up,
and I think you gotta, you know, keep it on schedules,
so to speak, enough to where that play action pass is gonna help you.
You know, I think they've hit the tiden up the scene in the
last two games. I've been calling for that all year long. Josh Linien
Filter is a really elite blocker and also a good receiver, and I think
that if they can mixed in a passing game a little bit. I know,
running the football's their deal, but if they can get a couple of
successful pass down the field, I think that will help open up the running
game just a little enough to maybe win this game. All right. As
we continue, A sout Inner Donado, the founder editor guy that everything Army
Athletics at Black Night Nation dot com again follow him on Twitter at Salt Inner
Donado, and make sure to check out their podcasts, a Black Knight Nation
podcast And you know, talking about ty here Tyler just just a second ago,
Sal I know you when you go back, you can always look,
you know, things you would do over again. Maybe hindsight a little bit,
but any second guessing you think, um, you know, going back
to that Air Force game, if Jeff Munkin had to do it over again,
starting ty Here Tyler instead of Jamal Jones in that game, and I
mean, there's no reason to think. I mean, obviously they have three
quarterbacks, all are capable what's his name, ka Kay Ballard that I don't
want to call him the third string, but maybe the guy that can throw
it the best of them all. Is there any reason to think we don't
see Tiger Tyler the majority of the game in this one on Saturday. Yeah,
I think the way he's played the last couple of games, I think
it's Ti Tire's game. He's you got all three seniors there, right,
and you got all three guys that have experience, but Tire. They really
love Tire's toughness, and they really love his leadership. And when he can
break off some runs that he's broken off. I think towards at the beginning
of the year, there weren't those. Um he wasn't breaking off like really
ten yards or more plays, and that's important in this in this offense,
to change the field, to move, move the ball, move the chains.
And when you're when you're an option quarterback, you need to pick up
Sometimes you need to pick up your offense when the fullbacks getting stuff, and
sometimes you need to pick up those ten to twenty yard runs. I think
that he's been doing that in the last couple of weeks, and I think
the passing. The passing has come along with Tiger enough where he can hit
that Josh Lilliam felt the passages down the scene of Astillion felt so um.
I think they're gonna roll with him now. If it gets into like a
late two minute drill type situation at the end of the first half or at
the end of the game where they need to throw the ball, then you
might see Jamal Jones arcade ballard. But I think the majority of the time
you're gonna see Tyre Tyler in this game. So bigger question about the Army
Navy game in general. This is the first time since two th eleven either
team's going to go to a bowl after the game. I think maybe the
second time since two thousand and three. Talk to us about the increase and
expectation of the Army Navy game. These two teams usually fighting for a bowl
game, sometimes both going to a bowl. Just the increased expectations in this
game since it moved off Throughoualry weekend and became a spotlight game for the nation.
Yeah. I was talking to Tyre Tyler yesterday. He was saying that,
you know, the preparation is the same every week for them. I
think he was telling me that the tension of detail is the same every week.
But just talking to Jabari More also yesterday, I mean, there's just
a round campus. There's on post this is there's a buzz, right,
of course there's a buzz. But for these juniors. You got guys who
the captains of this team, right, Mark Oil brought in the Connor Bishop.
They're heavily involved in the corps. Right, They're not just football players,
they're heavily involved in the corps. Brought in a regimental commander, one
of the four on the core cadets. Connor Bishop is involved in a high
officer position. So these are guys that are respected not only on the field,
but also you know, within their peers. And I think that that's
something that you know that makes the game for them. They're playing obviously,
you know in this game, right, these guys are playing for more than
just their teammates. They're playing for the guys that have played in this game
before. They're playing for the guys who are serving overseas. I think also
more than ever this year, I think that this team is playing for the
Corps. And I think that that means a lot for you know, the
culture of the team. I think it means a lot of these players.
Um, you got nineteen seniors on this team. You got guys who have
been through these games before, guys who have played in the game at might
just state him where there's nobody in the stands, and guys who have made
it act like Bishop and Broughton and an Andre Carter. You know. So
I think that that's really important that Yeah, it's it's it's a different game
this game. I do you expect more intensity because this is the last game
for each team the season. This is the seniors on both sides, no
doubt, last game in their careers for a lot of them, except maybe
you know, a couple of guys like an Andre Carter. Um, it's
gonna be really I'm looking forward to watching the start of this game and see
if the intensities even jumped up a notch or you know, geared up a
notch and comes Saturday, and so one last question for me, and it's
a softball for you. Seventh year, seventh year of the Army Rivalry series.
Uniform. What's your favorite uniform of that seven year series? Think?
Yeah, I think the type bound Division one has always been my favorite.
I mean maybe because just the game was played in those elements. I think
that's that's that was my favorite, and it was I also coupled the uniform
with the game, right, um, you know you had the uniforms are
nice, but then following it up with the game, and that game was
just an incredible game that went down to a last kick. And that's what
the Rivalry is all about, right, that's you know, you know,
getting into a fist fight in the phone booth according to Jeff Mounkin. You
know, this is what this the game is about. And that's my that's
my favorite one. This one, this one for Army is pretty good with
the first Armored Division and the meaning behind it, with World War Two,
the history of it. I think Army puts a lot of time into an
effort into their uniforms. And you know, I'm when I love like getting
out to the feeling pre game and seeing them up close in their stadium atmosphere.
You know, that's when I can maybe give this one the first Armored
division over the tenth Mountain. Tenth Mountain. But we'll see what happens out
of there, all right. So so before we let you go, there's
nobody that even follows Army recruiting like you do. You know, where is
this recruiting class? You know, and we know that there is no national
signing Day when it comes to the academies, but where do things stand with
this, you know, current recruiting class for next season's team? You know
the pulse of you know, the verbal commitments they've gotten, you know,
guys that they've been looking at, and you know, how does how is
this class shaping up? Yeah? I really dove kind of deeper into it
when seeing Okay, they have about like six I think about sixty commits right
now. We do a lot and uh, you know how many of those
commits are got offers from Air Force? How many got offers from Navy?
And you're looking at probably a third of those guys or guys who were also
been recruited by academies. I think it started off well for them. They
got a defensive lineman by name of Matt Jemma out of del Barton, New
Jersey, and UM, he was he's pretty um I think, a free
star whatever, but he's very talented. He's gonna play in an All American
game. And I think that his enthusiasm for his commitment has helped for other
guys. He's been a real he's been a guy who's really gotten out there
and tried to push that here, here's where, here's a here's a good
spot for here's what you can do at army, and here's what we can
do at Army. And they've built a pretty solid class. They got kid
by the name of Barret Gardener on a PA who has multiple like UM power
five offers. They've really done well in Pennsylvania so far. I think what
seven commits already, UM, you know, Georgia, Florida, those and
Texas, those are going to be strong states for them. But if they
can do well in like a UM, Pennsylvania is a pretty talented football state.
If they could do well and and those type of states. Then they're
gonna have a pretty good recruiting class and they have a couple other guys on
board from Pennsylvania are could really make a difference. And it's you know,
they keep on building the guys real quick. The thing that um is really
different and this is this this transfer portal, right and now the and like
you know, now with the coaching changes all over the places, now they're
seeing players like this week with the Buffalo Dean Sanders getting the Buffalo job.
People, there's a lot of decommitting going on. There's a lot of shifting.
So Army got I'm sure Army coaches this is a busy week for them
on the field, but I'm sure it's a busy week for them on the
phones and on their cell phones, you know, getting in contact with recruits,
keeping their interests in Army and building that class because this first signing day
will be coming up and they want to have a majority of their class um
in tax for that and then add a couple of guys in that February window
too. So um, yeah, they're dude, Yeah, yeah, it's
kind of you think it's a kind of a it's not. It's an average
year for Army football, let's just say five and six, but they've been
able to help hold the interest and get some pretty talented players so far.
All right, So I tell everybody about Black Night Nation dot com and what
you got coming up the rest of the week, and obviously your game coverage.
Yeah, our game coverage, that's what I take pride in. And
when we're at games, I'm gonna give our fans done, especially on social
media, the best experience I can get if you're not at the stadium.
So I try to do some pregame videos. I try to do some videos
from the stands even during the game, just to give that perspective of what
the game is like. We have a seth Medlison who who we add this
year as a writer who does our game stories. I'll do the video coverage
to get the postgame coverage. And yeah, we have our photographers, our
excellent We're gonna have two photographers at this game, and so we're gonna have
it covered. As far as photos and videos, We're gonna have this game
covered pretty well. Margaret Kite and Lynn Fern have done a great job for
us this year and our podcast right now, looking at tomorrow, getting Unray
Stitchway for our podcast and roll the Stitchway, um, one of the more
historic games in our Navy football history. Him and arribed the shot backs went
out in the in the sixties, in the early sixties. So, um,
I'm gonna have all these Stitchway hopefully on our podcast tomorrow to talk about
the rivalry and talk about his experiences. We just had If you check out
our YouTube channel at blacknet Nation, we just had Play Daniels on. He
was a guy who was a freshman on the ninety six team and had some
really great stories about the Army football brotherhood and how it how that helped him
in what he's doing right now. He's a very successful in business. So
um, yeah, it's been fun. If you check our archives out,
man, there's so many good video of the interviews that we've had with grads.
I was trying to put put those into a Army Navy Memories um kind
of compilation. It's a little bit of a project YouTube, but I'm gonna
do my best, so if I can get this out, I will.
And uh yeah, we just really enjoyed the season, just given our given
the Army fans and people who fought Service Academy football, some insight and some
you know, the best possible experience. Like I said during game day that
we can so sal We can't thank you enough, buddy. Appreciate all the
time today and for bringing Army football to the forefront. As we get ready
for Saturday, man, always appreciate you. Thanks a lot, nice really
trit make and I'll see you guys on Saturday. All right, Appreciate Salt
in Ordnado from Black Night Nation dot com for joining us there to talk all
things Army football. And when we come back, we will have best selling
author John Feinstein. He won't want to miss this one, and he'll be
doing Navy pregame coverage. Has been a part of the Army Radio Network in
the past, obviously, is a columnist with the Washington Post and so many
other things. Author of a Civil War. You don't want to miss this
conversation with John Feinstein, and it's coming up next here on Yards and Stripes,
your Army Navy preview special. It's everything you need to know about Service
Academy football. Yards and Stripes continues here once again in our price Steve and
Mike. All right, welcome back into Yards and stripes. Bryce Atkinson joined
Oh my man Steve Carney, producer and co hosts Extraordinary, But we were
joined by literary literary royalty John Feinstein, the award winning and best selling author
of a Civil War. Everybody listening to the podcast right now knows all about
the Army Naval Army Navy rivalry that John takes you inside. An incredible piece.
John, John, is great to catch up with you again. Thanks
so much for the time today. It's good to talk to you guys.
Thanks for having all right John, Let's you know, hop hop into it.
Um. You know, I remember I was reading I went back and
read your column just the other day because it was the last Army Navy game
I've been to, which was in the I think it was in the driving
snow when the field goal ended up just Shortbur you're twenty eighteen, Oh man.
I was standing all right at the back of that end zone with that
ball landed short, and probably at least two false starts by Navy on that
I think three on the final drive at two yeah, yeah, two of
them probably cost him the game. Is standing. I was on the Army
sideline at that point and the snow was still coming down like crazy, and
when the ball was in the air, Bru Carrigan, who was then the
Army's athletic director, was standing right behind me and I heard him say,
oh blank because he thought the kick was good. And then as you mentioned,
it just faded left at the last possible moment. What I mean,
I think it was before the game when you wrote and we've talked about this
before, but you know, quote nothing in sports moves me like the Army
Navy game, you know. And then you mentioned how you know your wife
will text you the end of the last album Mater that sung, and you
know she says, are you crying? And your answer is absolutely And I
remember you saying to Medhurst one time on the radio Navy Radio Network or I
think it was it was it wasn't met as Bob. So she don't ask
me a question right away. As soon as this ends, I'm going to
take a moment. You know you've been asking and new me well, And
we had kind of an agreement that once the last Alma Manit was over,
the winning Alma manter was over, he would talk for a minute or two
to give me time to compose myself. I mean, I've been to so
many of those games. I've known so many of those kids and coaches.
And you've been at Christ, you worked at maybe you know what I'm talking
about. There's nothing like I'd say to people all the time, there is
nothing like those few minutes right after the Army Navy game and sports. And
you know that people who think oh Alabama Albourn's the best rivalry or Ohio State
Michigan, they just don't get it. Yeah, And I say, go
to the game once and then talk to me about it. Is that What
brings you to tears, you know every single time is the conclusion knowing what
those those those men, those soldiers, for lack of better, that's what
they're going to be going off and doing. The seniors they're going to be
in harm's way that time next year. Well, and what you understand is
as hard as they've played against each other for the previous three hours, because
there's no game play harder than the Army Navy game. Um, when it's
all said and done that it sounds corny, but they're on the same team,
and they're on the same team fighting for something a heck of a lot
more important than a football game. And I've known football players from both schools
who have died overseas. I've known many who's employed overseas, and so it's
it's not like the end of any other athletic contest that that I that I've
had the privilege of attending. Yeah, before I kicked to Steve, were
more real quick because you tweeted, John, you know, a flood of
memories always come back, you know, during Army Navy week, you know,
you've been embedded in both locker rooms before the game, halftime, after
the game. You obviously wrote A Civil War one of the best sports books
I think that's ever been done. Um, but you tweeted about a ninety
five story just you know the other day involving Navy Captain Andrew Thompson in a
security guard, which you know I thought was just incredible. Can you can
you share that one and put that one into works on? Yeah, ninety
five was the year that I wrote and researched A Civil War Price, and
I think I was embedded before people used the term embedded with both teams throughout
that season, and obviously got to know the players very well, still close
to many of them, including Andrew Thompson. Who was Navy's defensive captain,
and Army won the game. They drove ninety nine yards and won the game
fourteen thirteen. Save Bob Sutton's job. One of the best people I've known
in sports. And when the game was over, after the Alma maters had
been played, Andrew came over to me and he was in tears and he
buried his head on my shoulder. And Phil Hoffman, who I'm sure you
know, the great name photographer, took a picture of that moment with Andrew
crying on my shoulder. And I don't have many athlete photos in my office
price but I've had that up in my office for many, many years.
And Garry Patterson, who back then was Navy's defensive backs coach, came along
and he kind of took Andrew by one arm. I took him by the
other arm, and we walked him up the tunnels of the locker room.
And we walked in and Charlie Weatherby, who as you know, was very
devout, was on one knee and he was about to lead the team in
a postgame prayer, and we took a knee. And I was wearing mutual
colors because I'd been back and forth between the two sidelines and locker rooms all
day, and as I started to kneel, the security guard came up to
me and said, Hey, you can't be in here and started to grab
my arm, at which point Andrew, who was six two two fifteen and
served in the Marines for twenty one years, stood up and said to the
guy, each with us, you get out of here. And the security
guard wanted no part of Andrew. He backed right off and left the locker
room. And Andrew and I still joke about that one to this day.
Yeah, I can certainly imagine that's a's a it's a great story John,
and about a great guy. Speaking of a great guys, I actually want
to get to this year's game a little bit because I just find that there
are so many storylines that have been just incredible over the course of the year
for both Army and for Maybe I want to start with your thoughts on this
game and if you thought that if Nabe would be in this position after what
happened at the beginning of the year, because I know that when they lost
to Delaware, I went, oh, here we go again. Yeah,
I think a lot of people did. And I had my annual summer lunch
with Kenny Namato Bolo just before practice started, and he was very optimistic about
this year's team. He really thought they were going to build on the two
games at the end of last season. They rather Temple, they beat Army,
and the Tay Lavatay was going to step up and improve as a quarterback
from his first year as a starter. And the Delaware game was just such
a downer. First play, Kenny went out of character. They won the
toss and Kenny said, no, let's receive. Let's get off to a
good start, because usually they defer, as you know, right, yeah,
And they received the kickoff and on the first play they fumbled and it
was a harbinger for the whole day and in some ways for the season.
And they fumbled. Delaware went in and scored and maybe never got its offense,
going lost fourteen seven, and that was that was. You know,
Delaware was a very good FCS team, they made the playoffs, but you
schedule an FCS team at home to get a win, and that was really
a downer. And I think it took a while for them to recover psycholot
excuse me, psychologically from that loss. Um and then they did beat East
Carolina on the road, a bowl team in overtime. And then right after
that what happens, Lavitai gets hurt and Xavier ourline has come in and he's
improved every week. But you know as well as I do Price, he
can't throw the football. When they upset UCF a couple of weeks AG,
which is a great win on the road. Um, they they threw one
pass and that's something they're gonna have to figure out Saturday, is how to
move the ball if Army stops their run game, because Army is obviously gonna
hear their defense for to stop the run. Yeah. And the other the
other thing that I wanted to know about as a as a writer's perspective,
Um, uh Andre Carter the second on the on the Army sideline. You
know, it's been a long time since uh, any service academy has had
a guy of that uh talent than the natural talent. I mean, we're
talking about a guy that's probably going to be a first round pick in the
NFL UH this year. How how how interesting of a subject would that beat
for? UH? For a piece, I'm sure that you're always looking for
right for interesting perspectives for games. Yeah. I remember when CJ. Mccollumn
first showed up at Lehigh as a basketball player, and Jeff Jones was the
coach of American and he said to me after that game, he said,
that's not a Patriot League athlete. And Carter is not an Army Navy type
athlete because he's got NFL ability, he's got an NFL size, he's huge,
and he's fast and usually, you know, one of the things about
coaching an Army, Navy or Air Force is that if you're recruiting a kid
who has any NFL ambition at all and you say, oh, by the
way, there's a five year military commitment when you graduate, they run screaming
from the room. Now that's loosened up in the last few years. If
Carter is a first round draft pick, if he does make a team,
he'll get a chance to play in the NFL. But he's the exception and
not the rule. And he is certainly an exceptional talent. I you know,
you see players I mentioned Andrew Thompson, but you see players every year
in the Army Navy game who have made themselves into terrific college football player because
they compete so hard, and they're smart and they figure out how to beat
you. But you rarely see a guide than an NFL Scout's going to get
excited about, all right, as we continue. A John Feinstein best selling
author. You can follow him on Twitter at Jay Feinstein Books. Also check
him out online Feinstein books dot com. A Civil War clearly, you know,
just a one of the best reads that I've ever had when it comes
to a sports book, John, Um, you know you mentioned and also
you're gonna be doing pregame with the Navy Radio Network or kind of reunineteen again
with Pete Medhurst, Joe Miller, Scott Wykoff that that group, so people
will be able to listen to you on the Navy Radio Network pregame on Saturday.
Um, you know, expectations for Saturday because you you know, Navy
struggled, you know, found a little bit of late season Momentum, Army
could attain what I guess would be meaningless Bowl eligibility at this point with Bowl
bits handed out. But you know, I think back to one of the
weirdest sites I think I've ever seen, the twenty twenty COVID game that was
played at Mikey Stadium, And you mentioned Xavier Arline, who was a true
freshman thrust in action, only the fifth true starter freshman starter at quarterback for
Navy in an Army Navy game runs for one oh nine. I think his
fifty two yard run early in the third quarter was their longest play from scrimmage
that year. And that was a critical play because if Yeah scored, the
game might have been different. With three nothing at that point, he's going
to get that crack again, John, And you mentioned having to throw the
football. That's something he cannot do. I mean, he's a hybrid lacrosse
football player. With him, you know, at quarterback, what is Navy
going to do? You know, and especially with him getting another crack at
this you know, that's something that every player wants when you lose to your
rivalry one time, much less twice. Yeah, there's no question about that.
And and our line has improved week to week. You know, he
hadn't really played for a couple of years until robats I got fired. He
played early last year, but then lavats I took over and was a starter
for most of the last season. In the first several games this season,
and you could see he wasn't confident making the pitch, and of course making
the pitch is so critical in an option offense, and so is making the
decision you get to the football fullback, you keep, you pitch whatever,
And his confidence doing all that has grown from game to game. And even
though he's not Gonne throw the football downfield effectively, I think he can be
effective in this game. And you know what I've seen with Navy's gotten better.
We talked about the start against Elaware. They've gotten better as a team.
Their defense has been good all year price yea, And that's why I
think this is going to be another seventeen thirteen type game like we had last
year. It's very unusual nowadays since Jeff Munkin got there for Army to be
playing with no hope of going to a ball game or not going to a
ball game. Navy he's not going to a ball game for the third straight
year. And so what what's different about this game than the last few years
is for all the seniors, this is it. Yeah, this is the
end. Now our line is a junior. But nevertheless, the emotions involved
for the players. When I did a Civil War, neither team went to
a ball. That year, Army finished five five and one. Navy after
losing the Army finished five and six. And this is before you know,
everybody with six wins went to a ball. So all the players walking onto
that field in ninety five as this year, I knew this was it for
football and it was a very emotional thing for all of them because they've all
played football their entire lives. So it'll be a very emotional game on both
sides. John, I'm curious. We've talked a lot about the history of
Army Navy. I want to talk really quickly about the future of Army Navy.
I know there are reports out there about the rotation of the game and
that Philadelphia is kind of upset that the next time around that they've only got
one shot at the game. We've talked a little bit about on this show
about maybe taking the game more often on the road and taking it to unconventional
um sites, like how like having Army Navy in San Diego because of the
Navy presence there, taking uh taking it to maybe Charlotte because of the presence
of Army in uh In in North Carolina. Uh. You know, is
that something that you think that this that this. Uh, you know that
these two service academies can do going forward, that maybe they take it on
the road and until they are the road. Um, not to Charlotte or
San Diego in this next rotation, but they're gonna play in Oxboro. They're
gonna play again in Washington and at dump of a stadium. Uh, They're
gonna play in the Meadowlands. Uh. They're gonna play in Philadelphia once in
the next five years. And I'm trying to remember the fifth location. Christ
you may know it, but I happen to be a believer. Army Navy
should always be in Philadelphia. Uh. It's the right between the two schools.
Uh. Geographically, Uh, it's it's where our country was founded.
Uh. The people in Philadelphia know how to put on the Army Navy game.
It's a huge undertaking, not just the game itself, but Army and
Navy want to go on the road. You know why you're gonna be both
gonna be stunned by this because they can make more money. They bid up
the right to to to host the game. UM. And I understand college
football's about money, even at the Service account and these even in the IVY
League. But um, I'm a great believer that Army Navy belongs in Philadelphia.
Everybody knows how to get there. Uh, it's between the two schools
and geographically, and I'm very disappointed that they're chasing the money this way,
though not at all surprised. All right, John, before we let you
go, I just want to go back to one more question to you,
and that your twenty eighteen column writing, only cadet can have some understanding of
what it's like to be a midshipman, and only a midshipman can understand what
it's like to be a cadet. End quote that what you wrote. And
I'm brought back to Navy Captain Andrew Thompson again because I can't remember. It's
been a while since I read a Civil War and read so many between then
when I first read it. But you know that ninety five contest Army co
Captain Jim Can Jim Candleloop, you know, he leaves his team celebration and
he asked to go to the Navy locker room or outside to meet Andrew Thompson,
you know, to express his thanks for what he called a game well
played one for the ages. As you mentioned, I think earlier, Navy
stopped three times inside the three that ninety nine yard drive that produced the winning
score. Army wins fourteen to thirteen. In the midst of a difficult loss.
You know, Jim reaching out and wanting to go across down the hallway
or across the hallway. That kind of acting class of goodwill, to me,
embodies what this rivalry is all about. Yeah, and Jim and Andrew
are are perfect examples of the rivalry. Date the Army and Navy captains always
meet at the Army Navy luncheon the week before the game get to know each
other. And what they realized when they meet each other, as I said,
is wait a minute, he could be me. I could be him
because it takes so much discipline and toughness to survive at any of the academies.
And although they the Army and Navy kids do, we sort the Air
Force as the country club academy because they have carpeting on the on in the
dorm rooms there. Um but um, Andrew and Jim are still close friends
to this day. We had a twenty fifth anniversary that was supposed to be
two years ago but got postponed because of covid UM for both teams in New
York last year. Um. They were both there, um and they were
at each other's weddings. Uh. And in a funny story, UM,
Jim and and Derek Klein, who was his best friend at Army came to
Andrew Andrew's graduation and Navy in May of nineteen ninety six, and after the
ceremony, the Marines went to the football locker room to put on their marine
uniforms since they were now members of the Marines. And so Derek and Jim
and I went to the locker room and there was a guard on the door,
and Jim said, we're here to see Andrew Thompson. And the guard
looked at them and looked at Jim and said, are you members of the
class of nineteen ninety six, And Jim said, yes, we are because
he and Derek had just graduated from West Point Wow. So it was we
all went in and saw Andrew and and like I said, they've been buddies.
Andrew deployed while he was in the Marines to rap lives in Fort Worth.
Now he actually came back to Navy for a couple of years as the
Marine rep. You may have seen him then christ Yep. But what I
said is I happened to do the book in ninety five. I got lucky.
I met a group of terrific young men. The game was great,
But I could do that book any year because the young men are going to
be terrific young men. They're gonna have stories to tell, They're gonna be
people you're gonna want to be friends with for life. Uh, there's there's
That's why there there is nothing quite like Army Navy and why I get so
emotional at the game every year. And John, I think that's exactly why
our Civil War is a timeless classic. It will always be for for the
reason that you just described. And you know, I know, raise a
fist, take a knee, and that's out right now, makes it,
you know, a fantastic Christmas gift. You know, I'm certainly always partial
to your basketball books, being a college basketball guy at heart, but a
Civil War, but raise a Fist, Taking knee the most recent best seller
that's received I think, what some of the highest reviews you've ever had,
John, for one of your books. Yeah, and it was really gratifying
because obviously it's a controversial subject. Yeah, uh as as you and I
sit here, I'm getting tweets from people who say that, you know,
Colorado has made a mistake hiring Deon Sanders. What's he ever done? Well?
I happen to know Deon Sanders because he was with the Ravens or I
did my Ravens book, and he's one of the brightest people I know.
Because he's a showmen, there are a lot of white people who make assumptions
about him, and that's that's a big problem we have in this country.
You know, white people who are either intimidated by by black people or who
don't understand black people. I can't understand what it's like to be a black
person because I'm not black, but I can I can't empathize, but I
can certainly sympathize. And the book, like you said, got great reviews.
I think people understood. People who reviewed it understood what I was trying
to do and what I was trying to say, and I was trying to
bring awareness to a subject that pretty much is an elephant in the room for
a lot of us. And it's understandable because some of the numbers which I
have in the book, which are out there are embarrassing, you know,
just flat out embarrassing and um and that's I think that's why the book receive
good reviews at Jay Feinstein Books, Feinstein books dot Com online everything you can
find about what John's working on literary wise, and certainly you know the Washington
Posts, Golf Digest, in the Navy football pregame show on Saturday. John
cannot thank you enough for your friendship and your time. As always, John,
thank you so very much. Thank you, Gryce. Good to talk
to you guys. Have a great holiday. Once again, our thanks to
John Feinstein, the best selling author and columnists with the Washington Post, for
joining us there. When we come back, Mike, Steve and I we're
gonna put a bow on this thing. Give you some picks for Saturday's game
right here on Yards and Stripes, your Army Navy Preview Special. In two
thousand and seven, Marine First Lieutenant Travis Mannion was killed in Iraq after saving
his wooded 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 Mannion 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 Travismanian dot Org.
And before we wrap up this episode of Yards and Stripes, in this Army
Navy preview, you know that we've come to the time where we honor remember
a fallen hero who has given the ultimate sacrifice. During our Travis Mainian Foundation
on a roll segment in this week, we're gonna remember Army first Lieutenant Ashley
Henderson Huff. She was a native of Belle Meade, New Jersey, and
Lieutenant Ashley Huff gave the ultimate sacrifice on September the nineteenth and two thousand and
six when an ied exploded near her mounted patrol during combat operations in Mosul Iraq.
Huff was assigned to the five hundred forty ninth Military Police Company in three
hundred and eighty fifth Military Police Battalion based out of Fort Stewart, Georgia's and
her childhood and baton Rouge, Louisiana. Before moving on to New Jersey.
She attended the University of Georgia was a member of the ROTC program, graduating
in two thousand and four as a second lieutenant that later deployed to Iraq in
December two thousand and five. For a service, she was award of the
National Defense Service Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on
Terrorism Service Medal, Army Service Ribbon, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, and
Combat Action Badge. Her father, Mark Henderson said, quote Ashley was a
happy person, a good leader. She was very caring about her soldiers,
well respected by them and by her commanding officers. She had a promising career
in the army, and whatever else she chose. Quote. Lieutenant Huff survived
by her parents, Mark and Janet Henderson, her husband, Brian Huff,
as well as her sister Abbey. The Travismanian Foundation honored First Lieutenant Ashley Henderson
Uff through their Character Does Matter Program on November the twenty nine, two eleven,
when her story was told to inspire over fourteen hundred students at kemmy Rudy
Middle School in Plainsboro Township, New Jersey. The students and took on a
challenge to follow the examples of their fellow falling here. They're fallen heroes and
lived by Travis's motto, If not me, then who? They honor their
fallen heroes through researching Ashley's life and exceeded their goal of completing five hundred acts
of kindness in her honor. And once again, we thank the Travis Mannion
Foundation for partnering with us on this very and most important segment of the podcast
every single week because as we all know, freedom isn't free and the heroes
like Ashley Henderson Huff who gave their life to keep us safe and also to
protect our freedoms and we will they will never be forgotten. 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 Run dot org. The latest with Navy, Army and Air
Force on Yards and Stripes Service Academy Football. All right, continuing along here
on our Army Navy preview special. How about that we had fantastic interviews with
Pete South and then John Feinstein in that final segment right there, just before
our Travis Meanion Foundation Honor Roll, make sure you go to Travismanion dot org.
Do it now to get your tailgate tickets for their tailgate starting at ten
am right across the street from lencol Financial Field. Again Travismanion dot Org.
You can pick up your tickets right there online to get involved in an outstanding
tailgate, one that I've been to several years ago. And Travis Meanion Foundation
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All right, guys, before we give some picks and get out of
here. On our Army Navy preview. Special congratulations to the Air Force Falcons
because they are going bowling the Lockey Martin arm Forces Bowl nine and three.
Air Force going to do battle there and Fort Worth against six and six Baylor.
That game gonna go down on December the twenty second at seven thirty pm
Eastern Standard Time on ESPN. Baylor has been installed as a six and a
half point favor favorite an over under at forty nine and a half in a
bowl game where air Force is appearing for the six time. The twentieth anniversary
of this Bowl game gonna be played again on Thursday, December the twenty second
at TCUs Beautiful Amon G. Carter Stadium. Baylor and air Force and matched
up three previous times, with the Bears winning all three matchups, but they
haven't played since nineteen seventy seven. Tickets are available at Goairforce Falcons dot com,
get your tickets here again at air Force Falcons dot com and real quickly
staying on air Force Mike and Steve brad Roberts no shocker here. Congratulations to
him the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year. If anybody voted any differently.
I don't know where their head was in the sand on that. Because
Brad Roberts just absolutely outstanding. He's gonna show up. I'm convinced on some
All American teams. I just know it. I mean, he's what third
the nation in rushing is in the regular season, fantastic year by the senior
from the Air Force Academy, and in final before we give some picks.
I know Mike probably didn't like this one, but man, I read about
I read the Naval Academy's official press release. Michael that uh few midshipman went
on a secret mission the other day, dropping ping pong balls and leaflets during
noon formation at West Point via aerial assault. That was met with some smiles
and maybe a little a few grumbles there at West Point. I don't know
if you saw that. New Steve is grinning, so I know he knows
all about it. But you know, it's every year that they're gonna prank
and do something. You know that sucomes. The statue typically always has painted,
you know at the Academy in Annapolis. You know there's you know,
mascot stealing, there's all kinds of stuff. But I thought that one was
pretty creative this week. Yeah, I mean it's cute, you know,
Air Force playing with the with the little bitty ping pong balls. But don't
forget that. But don't forget that Army stole the Navy's superintendent's boat. So
you know, if you want to play with the little ping frog about that
drop in the sky, that's cool. We'll just we'll just take the five
million dollar boat, the three Stars boat. So yeah, it was cute,
good on, Good on Navy again again Navy having to resort to forces
in the air to do their thing. I just we we talked about this
with a uniform. I don't know why Navy can't just stick to the water.
Why why didn't you drive a boat of the Hudson. I mean it's
right there, but you know whatever, it was cute, good on him.
Um, well, we fly because we fly more than the Air Force
does. That's all yeah, Well cute clever. You know that's a west
point grand that's a west pointer telling. Yeah, it was just cute Steve.
All right, well it's not gonna get him Article fifteen. That's that's
for sure. Stealing a three stars boat, all right, our our three
stars stole the boat. So I don't, I don't. You gotta be
you gotta be a pretty big You gotta be a pretty big guy to give
a three star article fifteen. Yeah, you gotta be a four star.
Oh goodness, all right, let's get to some picks. But what else
do we have left to do? I think we've done it all here on
this episode is if there's anything else that we can't do, we're gonna We're
not even gonnattempt to try, but we're gonna give some picks for a Saturday's
Army Navy game presented by USAA, and I thought, Mike this one was
an interesting one because sixteen straight years the under his come in on this game,
going two thousand and six. Starting back then, the total for the
Army Navy game was set at forty nine and Navy got a twenty six to
fourteen victory, cashing the under for betters, and that game was the start
of an incredible streak. Is the Army Navy game has gone under the betting
total in six straight years. As I mentioned at the outset, the over
under thirty two and a half. As of right now, an Armory Army
installed, or at least it's down from four and a half now to a
two and a half point favorite in the game. Who do you want me
is, Mike, Let's start with you, I mean Royalty. Right here
is a west point grad. Which way are you going in this one?
Well? You know, I just I'm concerned with Armi's run defense. I
watched Coastal Carolina put up two sixty three against Army. I watched Georgia State
put up two ninety nine. I watched Wait Force put up two hundred twenty
one yards. I watched Air Force in person bludgeon Army defense for two hundred
and twenty six, and then just a couple of weeks ago, I watched
Yukon run for two fifty four. I'm just, uh, you know that
the Army run defense concerns me in my preview, as you know, it's
it's hard because I always want Army to win, but when you have a
rushing attack against the defense hasn't really shown it's able to stop a run centric
offense. I've got Navy twenty four, Army seventeen, which, for those
doing the math, hits the over. We'll see about that Army's defense is
not as good this year as they have been for the for the entire time
they've been under coach Jeff Mounkin. So I got twenty four seventeen Navy with
all hoping that I am wrong. Wow, twenty four seventeen Navy. I
did not expect expect that one bit. Steven, Yeah, I think that
the big question on Navy's side is going to be the front seven. As
I mentioned against to here Tyler, Um, I'm not concerned so much about
Andrea Carter the second he's gonna get his plays when when he makes them,
I'm sure he's gonna make a bunch of them because he's obviously the most talented
team on either side of the field for both teams, and so he's gonna
you're gonna show, You're gonna see a lot about him. I certainly think
that you're gonna see a lot about Jamie Romo, as as I mentioned with
Lapet Medhurst earlier on today, you know that's gonna be a big boost for
Navy. Um. I actually think that even with the over under at thirty
two, I think it's still it's the under. And I have Navy seventeen
Army fourteen, so that's thirty one and a three point game, and of
course it's gonna be a three point there. Wow. Okay, so we've
got Navy and Navy. So Mike's going Navy twenty four to seventeen. Steve
is going Navy seventeen to fourteen. Wow, Huka, I guess I'm the
might be the dumb one. I'm going with Army. I like Army in
this one, sixteen to ten in a low scoring game, because you know,
I'm gonna play the trend of the under number one number two I think
was Xavier Rline at quarterback for the midshipman. The inability to throw the football
is going is going to be an issue all day. And you know,
I know Army's given up yards, you know, on the ground. I
just when you're that one dimensional and you know what's coming, I just feel
like you're going to have a long afternoon. So I will be the black
sheep in this one. I will go Army sixteen to ten in Saturday's game,
which I did not expect to be the only one. I will just
say this, Michael, I did not think I would be the only one
picking Army. I thought Stephen could, but I thought you definitely would pick
the black nights, But I did not expect to be the loan the lone
guy. I've lost enough money betting that I always try to bet against what
I want that typically works out for me. I like your logic because that's
exactly how I think about things when I bet too. If you're you're gonna
be, if you're gonna have heartbreak on the field, you'll at least want
to feel good in the wallet. That's exactly right, all right, Michael
Steven. Awesome job as we loaded you up, loaded up our listeners who
have again invested their time this week on a lengthy Army Navy preview special here
on Yards and Stripes as we were part of the College Gridar on Coast to
Coast podcast Network. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, wherever it is you
get your podcast. You can listen to us every single week along with a
myriad of shows that we have that are all about college football, because we
have got a lot more to do this season with bowl season right around the
corner. After the Army Navy game on Saturday. We want to thank Pete
Medhurst once again, salth Inner Denado, and of course John Feinstein for joining
us this week Hope everybody's enjoyed it. Hope everybody enjoys America's game on Saturday,
as it sits in its rightful place. Is the only game being played
on Saturday is Army Navy Game one hundred twenty third installment presented by USAA.
Mike Steve enjoyed it this week as always. Can't wait to recap this one
next week as we see what all went down in Philadelphia. Join us again
next time for Yards and Stripes Service Academy Football. To get more on all
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