On Dec. 9, 2017, cadets from West Point will clash against midshipmen from the Naval Academy on the gridiron, marking over 120 years of epic football rivalry.
The historic contest was born after Army Cadet Dennis Michie accepted a Naval Academy challenge to a game of football in 1890. On Nov. 19, the two teams battled it out for the first time.
Year after year, these two teams continued to go head-to-head, making for showdowns fueled by high energy and unbelievable plays.
Related: Navy just dropped its new 2017 smack talk video
As we warm up our tailgating grills for the match-up, let’s take a look at a few difference-makers you should watch for during the game:
Army
6. Ahmad Bradshaw — QB
The Illinois native has racked up a passer rating of 84.8 and has already rushed for an impressive 1472 yards, including 11 rushing touchdowns.
This athletic QB stands at 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighs 205 pounds, making this senior a force to be reckoned with. The Navy’s D-line will to have to step their game up.
5. Andy Davidson — RB
This talented junior from Pennsylvania has tallied up impressive rushing yards since he put up 130 against Tulane University earlier in the year.
So far in 2017, number 40 has rushed for 517 yards on only 94 carries — 42 of those yards came in a single run against Tulane.
4. James Nachtigal — LB
This Wisconsin native is no stranger to stopping the pigskin dead in its tracks. In 2017, this talented linebacker has a total of 87 tackles and five sacks, accounting for 46 negative yards against some talented offenses.
The Black Knights are looking to this defensive anchor to put some serious hurt on the offensive line during the Dec. 9 game.
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Navy
3. Zach Abey — QB
This Navy midshipman is competing at a high level during his junior year. This tough QB isn’t afraid to put his shoulder down and take some hits, as he’s tallied over 1,200 yards and 14 rushing touchdowns so far this season on just 278 carries.
Expect Navy to rely on Abey’s running game for some serious gains during the game.
2. Tyler Carmona – WR
This powerful 6-foot-4-inch target has pulled down 381-yards receiving yards and 4 TDs in 2017. Hailing from Florida, Carmona is averaging over 27 yards per catch.
Look for Abey to target Carmona while Navy is trying to mix up their passing and running game.
1. Malcolm Perry — RB
Standing at 5 feet 9 inches tall, this sophomore speedster has racked up over 800-yards on just 92 carries, scoring 8 TDs in the process.
Perry broke out with a 92-yard TD run against SMU back in week 11 and looks to continue his productive year against Army on Dec. 9.
