Army, Air Force Set to Face Off in Lockheed Martin Commanders’ Classic Presented by USAA

WEST POINT, N.Y. – The Army West Point football team is preparing to hit the road this Saturday, Nov. 6 for an 11:30 a.m. EST clash with service academy rival Air Force in the Lockheed Martin Commanders' Classic, presented by USAA. The game, which will factor into the determination of the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy winner, will be played at the Texas Rangers' Globe Life Field in Arlington.

The Black Knights (4-3) and the Falcons (6-2, 3-2 Mountain West) will play on CBS with Rich Waltz and Aaron Taylor on the call. The radio broadcast will be found across 25 different stations in nine different states via the Army Sports Network. Fans can also listen for free via the Varsity Network app.

HOW TO FOLLOW
TELEVISION • CBS
RADIO • Army Sports Network
GAME NOTES • Army Notes • Air Force Notes
LIVE STATS • GoArmyWestPoint.com
TWITTER • @ArmyWP_Football

Setting the Scene

Army is coming off a 70-56 loss to No. 15/16 Wake Forest, which it suffered at home.
During the game against the Demon Deacons, the teams' combined 126 points shattered the previous scoring record at Michie Stadium (111 – vs. Louisville, 1999).
The contest was the team's third this year with 40-or-more points and saw the Black Knights put up a season-high 595 total offensive yards.
On Saturday, Army will look to make progress towards the six-win threshold that dictates Bowl Game eligibility. Air Force achieved the mark earlier this season with its victory over Boise State (Oct. 16).

Commander-in-Chief

The 2021 season marks the 50th year of the CIC Trophy, which is annually awarded to the winning service academy – Army, Air Force and Navy - with the best record in round-robin competition.
The winning team will be invited to the White House to receive the trophy from the President of the United States.
Army currently has the trophy, as the 2020 team captured it for the ninth time in program history after defeating Navy (15-0) and Air Force (10-7) at Michie Stadium.
The Black Knights have won the CIC three times in the past four seasons (2017-18, 2020) and have also brought it home in 1972, 1977, 1984, 1986, 1988 and 1996.
A Cadet victory on Saturday would mean that the CIC Trophy will remain at West Point for another year, as Army could do no worse than tie with Air Force in the round-robin competition. The Falcons defeated the Midshipmen 23-3 earlier this season (Sept. 11).

The Black Knights at a Glance

Despite the recent skid, Army still ranks among the nation's best in numerous statistical categories, checking into the top-10 in areas such as time of possession (first – 38:50), rushing offense (second – 312.3), third down conversion percentage (sixth - .505) and rushing defense (seventh – 92.6).
Army is also well-represented in the individual statistics rankings. Linebacker Andre Carter II is currently fifth in the nation in sacks with 8.5 total sacks and checks in at 11th in TFLs per game (1.4).
Carter is on the cusp of becoming the eighth Cadet with 20-plus tackles, as he enters the week with 19.0 total. Linebacker Arik Smith and defensive back Marquel Broughton are currently tied for the team lead with 39.0.
After his career-setting performance against No. 15/16 Wake Forest, quarterback Jabari Laws was selected to the Military Bowl/DC Touchdown Club's Honors List. He threw the most passing touchdowns in a single game for the Black Knights in 15 years (three).

Series History

Saturday's game will be the 56th in the history between the two teams, which dates back to 1959.
Air Force leads the stretch 37-17-1, though the Cadets have won three of the past four meetings.
Over the last four games between the programs, Army has earned a 61-38 scoring advantage, which includes a 21-0 shutout in 2017.
At neutral sites, the teams are knotted up at 1-1-1. The last time the teams played at a neutral site was in 1965 when the Black Knights and the Falcons faced off in Chicago.

Scouting the Falcons

Air Force is coming off a narrow, 20-14 loss to No. 21/22 San Diego State at home.
The Falcons scored late in the game to bring the Aztecs' lead down to one possession, but were unable to overtake their visitors for the victory.
The loss to the Aztecs snapped a four-game winning streak for Air Force, though the team still maintains its 3-0 record in road games in 2021.
Of the team's eight opening drives this year, the Falcons have scored touchdowns on all but two. During the game against SDSU, Air Force lost the time of possession battle for the first time this season (31:15-28:45).
As a team, the Falcons lead the nation in rushing offense (318.4) thanks in part to the efforts of running back Brad Roberts and quarterback Haaziq Daniels. With 845 rushing yards this season, Roberts checks in at 15th in the nation while Daniels is 25th with nine rushing touchdowns.
Defensively, Corvan Taylor has been having a dominant final season with the Academy. He has recovered a pair of fumbles, recorded three interceptions and broken up four passes.
Taylor is just one of many defensive weapons the team has. Linebacker Vince Sanford leads the Falcons with 36 total tackles and 6.5 sacks for a loss of 66 yards. He has forced three fumbles.

For ticket information, please call 1-877-TIX-ARMY, email odiaticketoffice@westpoint.edu, or visit www.armygameday.com.

FOLLOW ALONG
For complete coverage of Army West Point football, follow the Black Knights on Twitter and Instagram at @ArmyWP_Football and online at www.goarmywestpoint.com.

Army, Air Force Set to Face Off in Lockheed Martin Commanders’ Classic Presented by USAA

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Marquel Broughton

Andre Carter II

Jabari Laws

Arik Smith

Army West Point Athletics

Army, Air Force Set to Face Off in Lockheed Martin Commanders’ Classic Presented by USAA

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Marquel Broughton

Andre Carter II

Jabari Laws

Arik Smith

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