The Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy isn’t leaving Annapolis anytime soon.
In what turned out to be a game determined on inches, Blake Horvath and No. 25 Navy (10-2) came out with the 17-16 win over Army (6-6) in the 126th edition of the Army-Navy Game on Saturday, Dec. 13 at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore.
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It’s the second consecutive season the Midshipmen have won the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy. Both teams entered Saturday’s rivalry game with the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy on the line for both teams for just the ninth time in history after both programs beat Air Force earlier in the season.
REQUIRED READING: Army vs Navy final score: Highlights from rivalry game in Baltimore
The Black Knights took a 13-7 lead into halftime after Army was able to turn a fumble from Horvath into a 45-yard field goal from Dawson Jones as time expired. Then, with their backs against the wall, Navy was able to cash in Phillip Hamilton’s interception on Army quarterback Cale Hellums with a touchdown at the 6:32 mark of the fourth quarter when Horvath connected with Eli Heidenreich.
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Horvath finished 7-of-14 passing for 82 yards with a touchdown and an interception and ran for 107 yards and a first-quarter touchdown on 34 carries. Hellums was 5-of-10 passing for 82 yards with an interception while running for 100 yards and a score on 25 carries. It was the sixth game this season Hellums ran for at least 100 yards in a game.
Saturday’s game concluded the regular season in college football, with the season now officially in bowl season. That includes both Army and Navy, as both programs earned bowl game invites.
The Midshipmen were selected to play in the Liberty Bowl against Cincinnati on Friday, Jan. 2 at 4:30 p.m. ET in Memphis, Tennessee. The Black Knights will head up I-84 to Fenway Park to take on UConn in the Fenway Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 27 at 2:15 p.m. ET in Boston.
Here’s what you need to know on who won the Army-Navy Game Saturday, including a look at the box score, stats, highlights and series history:
Who won Army-Navy Game today?
Navy pulled out the 17-16 victory in the 126th edition of the Army-Navy Game on Saturday at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore.
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The win for the Midshipmen helped them retain the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy. It’s the 18th overall time that Navy has won the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy since the award — which is handed to the season-long winner among the three military academies, Army, Navy, and Air Force — was created in 1972.
Here’s an updated look at the winner of every Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy since it was first awards in 1972:
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Army: 10 (1972, 1977, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1996, 2017-18, 2020, 2023)
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Navy: 18 (1973, 1975, 1978-79, 1981, 2003-09, 2012-13, 2015, 2019, 2024-25)
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Air Force: 21 (1982-83, 1985, 1987, 1989-92, 1994-95, 1997-2002, 2010-11, 2014, 2016, 2022)
Army-Navy score today
Here’s a look at the box score from Saturday’s Army-Navy Game:
|
TEAMS |
Q1 |
Q2 |
Q3 |
Q4 |
F |
|
Army |
0 |
13 |
3 |
0 |
16 |
|
Navy |
7 |
0 |
3 |
7 |
17 |
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Army-Navy stats
Here’s a breakdown of each team’s stats from Saturday’s Army-Navy Game:
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Total offense yards: Navy 272, Army 202
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Total rushing yards: Navy 190, Army 120
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Total passing yards: Navy 82, Army 82
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First downs: Navy 17, Army 10
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Third down conversions: Navy 11-18, Army 3-10
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Turnovers: Navy 1, Army 2
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Penalties: Navy 2-15, Army 3-20
Army-Navy highlights
Here’s a look at all the scores from Saturday’s Army-Navy Game, including some key plays:
Army-Navy series
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Series record: Navy leads 64-55-7
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Army’s last win: 2023 (17-11 in Foxborough, Mass.)
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Navy’s last win: 2025 (17-16 in Baltimore)
With Saturday’s win over the Black Knights, the Midshipmen improved their all-time series record to 64-55-7.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who won Army-Navy Game? College football rivalry score