"Top 5 Most Memorable Army Football Games That I Attended"
Contributing Writer: Dave Warns
With Army spring football practice finished and the 2026 football captains announced, Black Knight fans now have a chance to catch our breath as we look forward to a promising 2026 season in the newly renovated Michie Stadium. Anticipation for this season made me reflect on the first Army game I attended as a plebe 40 years ago and all the thrilling games that have followed.
Since this is my initial GoBlackKnights.com article, I’ll give a quick bio on myself as an Army fan. After growing up in northern Ohio as a diehard Cleveland and Ohio State sports fan, I entered West Point in 1986 as a member of the class of 1990 – The Proud and The Mighty! I played a couple years of 150 pound football while simultaneously becoming an Army “big boy football” superfan. I frequently attended Army games, both home and away, over the decades before ratcheting up my fandom when my sons (classes of 2020 & 2022) attended the academy. I’ve been an Army season ticket holder since 2018 despite again living in Ohio.
With that as my background, this article answers the following question, ‘What Are My 5 Most Memorable Army Football Games’ that I’ve attended in person? These games are listed in chronological order.
No. 1 – Army 33 & Syracuse 28 (September 13, 1986, Michie Stadium)
This was my first Army football game at Michie Stadium, so it easily made my list. My frame of reference for college football until then was Ohio State at The Horseshoe, so I wasn’t sure what to expect from an Army game. During Beast Barracks that summer, we were shown a succession of Army football highlight videos and spirit videos, so I was pumped up for the opening game. It was a spectacular late summer day in the Hudson Valley with a near sell-out crowd on hand. Facing a big-name opponent, the Black Knights came out strong. Led by QB Tory Crawford and HB Clarence Jones (3 rushing TDs), Army won 33-28. It was a fantastic display of precision triple-option football. After just 1 game, I was already hooked on Army football!
No. 2 – Army 28 & Navy 24 (December 7, 1996, Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia)
Fast-forward 10 years to my next top 5 game, the 1996 Army-Navy game. Both teams entered the game having had very strong seasons. Many experts were speculating that this might be Army’s finest team since the glory days of the 1940s. The winner of the game was promised a berth in the Independence Bowl. Army had not been to a bowl game since the 1988 Sun Bowl so there was a lot on the line. The weather that day in Philadelphia was brutal – high 30’s with pouring rain. Everyone in attendance was soaked and shivering. Navy quieted a spirited Army crowd early by scoring 3 straight TDs in the 2nd quarter to take a 21-3 lead. However, the Black Knights, led by QB Ronnie McAda who rushed for 134 yards and passed for 116 yards, roared back to take a 4th quarter lead. The game was in doubt to the very end. Army made 2 goal-line stands in the final minutes to clinch the victory, the first 10-win season in Army football history, and reclaim the Commander-in-Chief’s trophy. This game was named the #4 moment in Army football history at the celebration of 125 years (1890-2015) of Army football in 2015.
#No. 3 – Army 21 & Navy 17 (December 10, 2016, M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore)
20 years and quite a few losing seasons passed before my 3rd top 5 game. If you were an Army football fan in 2016, you remember what it was like.
The early Jeff Monken years showed promise, but The Streak had reached 14 straight losses to Navy. The Streak had taken on a life of its own and cast a black cloud over the program and the academy. It had to end eventually, but when? Well, 2016 was the year. The team, led by QB Ahmad Bradshaw, ranked 2nd in the nation in rushing offense and entered the game with a 6-5 record.
After raising the hopes of every heart in grey by taking a 14-0 halftime lead, Army fell behind 17-14. Everyone feared this would be another devastating loss to Navy, but the Army team was determined to not let that happen. Bradshaw plunged into the end zone from the 9-yard line with 6:00 remaining to give Army a 21-17 lead. He then clinched it on a 1st down run with 1:46 on the clock. On the strength of a 316-to-112 yardage advantage in rushing, Army had finally slayed the dragon and ended The Streak. Pandemonium ensued on the field. At 48 years old, I did a dynamite PLF out of the stands onto the turf alongside my youngest son. Somehow, in that mass of humanity on the field, we found my oldest son, then a plebe, celebrating with his classmates. It was a special moment that I will always treasure.
No. 4 – Army 14 & Navy 13 (December 9, 2017, Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia)
No one will every forget the 2017 Army-Navy game played inside a “snow globe” in Philadelphia. The Army, fittingly wearing all-white uniforms to honor the 10th Mountain Division, was looking to extend our new win-streak against Navy. Due to the poor weather conditions and snow-covered field, it was a grinding game.
Army threw 1 pass, a 20-yard completion. Navy attempted 2 passes, completing 1 for 2 yards. Somehow, despite Navy QB Malcolm Perry rushing for 250 yards, the Black Knights held a slim 14-13 lead as the clock wound down. Navy called a time out before the final play to clear snow off the field and improve the footing for their field goal kicker before he attempted a 48-yard FG. The kick swerved wide-left as the clock expired. Another wild on-field celebration followed. This one featured a lot of snow angels and smiling Army faces.
No. 5 – Army 70 & Houston 14 (December 22, 2018, Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth, TX)
Army entered the game ranked #22 with a 9-2 record and a 2nd straight CIC trophy. The only losses were to Duke on the road in the season opener and at Oklahoma in OT. Despite Army’s stellar record, Houston appeared to enter the game over-confident. However, the Cougars were in for a rude awakening. From the opening drive, Army jumped all over them. The Black Knights took a 42-7 lead into halftime and cruised to a 70-14 victory, tying a record for the largest margin of victory in a bowl game (since broken by Georgia vs TCU in the 2023 National Championship game). This bowl was special for me on a personal basis as my brother served as the back judge during the game. My dad and I were able to join him for all the pre-bowl festivities and on the field prior to kickoff.
Those are my top 5 most memorable Army games that I’ve attended.
Let’s get the conversation started on the 12 Knight message board – CLICK HERE to chime in on what great Army game memories do you have?
