Sports
Army-Navy Game 2025: What you need to know for the 126th edition of ‘America’s Game’
Capital Gazette
December 12, 2025
The 126th Army-Navy Game will kick off at 3 p.m. ET Saturday on CBS. Navy leads the series 63-55-7, including a record 14-game winning streak from 2002 to 2015. (Army West Point Football; Navy Football)
(Tribune News Service) — The 126th Army-Navy Game will kick off at 3 p.m. ET Saturday on CBS.
Here’s what you need to know:
This year’s game is being played at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore, home of the Ravens. This is the fifth time the stadium has hosted the game, all since 2000. The most recent time came in 2016 when Army beat Navy, 21-17. Navy had won the previous three meetings at M&T Bank Stadium. Baltimore also hosted the game twice at Municipal Stadium in 1922 and 1944, both Army victories.
Navy leads the series 63-55-7, including a record 14-game winning streak from 2002 to 2015. Army won four of the next five meetings, its best run since the early 1990s. After alternating wins for a few years, Army won back-to-back games before Navy won last year’s game.
Navy won last year’s game, 31-13, at Northwest Stadium in Landover. Quarterback Blake Horvath and nose guard Landon Robinson were the heroes as Navy outplayed Army in all three phases. Horvath accounted for 311 yards of offense and four touchdowns, while Robinson recorded a career-high 13 tackles and helped seal the win by running 29 yards off a fake punt.
Navy opened the game with a 12-play, 65-yard drive that Horvath punctuated with a 1-yard touchdown plunge. In the second quarter, Horvath threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Chatman to make it 14-0. Army cut into the lead to make it 14-7 at halftime, then kicked a field goal on the first drive of the second drive to make it 14-10. However, Navy scored touchdowns on its next two drives to take control.
Navy put together another spectacular season after a 10-win campaign in 2024. The Midshipmen are 9-2 on the season and 7-1 in American Conference play. Navy’s only losses on the season are to Notre Dame and North Texas, and both teams were ranked inside the latest College Football Playoff top 25.
Horvath and Robinson lead the way in 2025, with Robinson winning American Conference Defensive Player of the Year honors. The nose tackle has 54 tackles and 6½ sacks this fall. Horvath, meanwhile, has 23 total touchdowns and 2,400 total yards. He’s the lone Football Bowl Subdivision quarterback with over 1,000 rushing yards this season.
Coach Brian Newberry led his team to a 7-0 start before consecutive defeats to North Texas and Notre Dame. Navy saved its best for last, finishing American Conference play with victories over conference title threats South Florida and Memphis.
Army enters Saturday’s game as an underdog after a decent but unspectacular 6-5 season to date. The Black Knights (4-4 in the American) have been close in their defeats, however, losing four games by just one possession. They nearly beat both Tulane and North Texas, which played for the American Conference Championship. The Black Knights opened the season with a shocking 30-27 defeat to Tarleton State of the Football Championship Subdivision.
The Black Knights are led by junior quarterback Cale Hellums, who has 1,078 rushing yards and 15 rushing touchdowns. Defensively, senior linebacker Andon Thomas leads the team with 96 tackles.
Highlights for Army include wins over Kansas State, Air Force and UTSA. The Black Knights have won three of their past four games, as both programs enter the game playing some of their best football of the season.
The winner of Saturday’s game takes home the trophy, as both Army and Navy defeated Air Force earlier this season. Army won 20-17 behind a plus-three turnover differential. Navy had a similarly challenging fight in its 34-31 win over Air Force. Horvath eclipsed 300 passing yards in the offensive shootout, scoring four total touchdowns and finishing with more than 450 total yards.
Navy won the trophy a season ago.
Navy will face former conference rival Cincinnati in the Autozone Liberty Bowl on Jan. 2. Army will play in the Wasabi Fenway Bowl against UConn on Dec. 27.
The Midshipmen have won three straight bowl games, including last year’s thrilling win over Oklahoma in the Armed Forces Bowl. The Black Knights have won two bowl games in a row, and both programs have won six of their past seven bowl appearances. The programs hope to keep their postseason success going in the coming weeks.
CBS will broadcast the matchup, with Brad Nessler handling play-by-play duties. Gary Danielson is the game’s analyst, while Jenny Dell is the sideline reporter. Gene Steratore is available to provide the broadcast with rule explanations.
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