A win over Navy tops Army's wish list

Army obviously set out on its 2010 football season to end three negative streaks, and wiped out the first one last month by becoming bowl-eligible for the first time in 14 years.

Now that they've officially received an invitation to the Armed Forces Bowl on Dec. 30 in Dallas against an opponent to be named, the Black Knights (6-5) would like to gain their first postseason win since defeating Illinois in the 1985 Peach Bowl.

But it's that third streak that not only presents the most immediacy but also carries the most ardent wishes of active and retired military men alike - breaking an eight-game run of losing to Navy.

"I would argue that beating Navy is certainly at the top of our list at the moment and will stay there for a while," Army coach Rich Ellerson said Wednesday at Lincoln Financial Field during the annual luncheon touting the Dec. 11 Army-Navy clash.

"I think our guys expect to compete. We know it's going to be hard. We know it's an uphill fight and we expect it to be hard, but we expect to win. I know our guys think they belong, but they also have a lot of respect for who we're playing."

For the 111th battle of the two rivals, Navy (8-3) comes to the Linc with another bowl bid firmly in hand. The Midshipmen will play in the Dec. 23 Poinsettia Bowl in San Diego, their academy-record eighth consecutive season of postseason play.

But the Cadets, who are among the national leaders in turnover margin at plus-11, believe they are on a par with their brethren in the service academies. This marks the first time that Army, Navy, and Air Force are playing in bowls in the same season.

"That's beautiful - all three of us bowl-eligible," Ellerson said. "We reflect positively on that; we're all in the game. Certainly we're still the newcomer, but the good news is we're in the game. We've got our hat in there, and let's have at it."

The Falcons have taken some of the luster off the game by already claiming the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy, ending Navy's seven-year hold. But that won't make this year's game any less intense.

Slot back Patrick Mealy said Army's turnaround goes back to last season's battle, when the Cadets left the field after a 17-3 defeat.

"It was just our response in the locker room," Mealy said. "Guys weren't satisfied, and we've been hungry from that day on. The [2010] season started for us after that loss. We've never looked back. We've been playing hard, playing hungry, and wanting to bring a winning tradition back to our school."

Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo said he is not surprised by Army's season.

"It's not like all of a sudden this year they're better," he said. "They were making steps last year. They've played with a lot of swagger and confidence because they believe in their coaches and the systems they've put in."

That should make the Dec. 11 game an interesting one. Not only has Navy's current senior class never lost to the Black Knights, it hasn't allowed them a touchdown in the last three games.

But the Mids could see a new attitude from their longtime rivals.

"I definitely see a chip on their shoulder coming into the game," Navy quarterback Ricky Dobbs said. "They're riding an emotional high from the season. I think they're going to be coming in amped up, and we're just going to have to be able to weather the storm."