After snow-filled rivalry win, Army football prepares to head south

The good cheer felt by West Point faithful after Saturday’s Army-Navy victory in Philadelphia (and the resulting Commander in Chief’s Trophy-fueled celebrations) may last through the holidays. But the Black Knights aren’t finished for the year just yet.

Army (9-3) will travel to Fort Worth, Texas, for the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl on Dec. 23 to face San Diego State (10-2). The game will air on ESPN at 3:30 p.m. Eastern, but service members and veterans in the area can score up to four complimentary tickets to see the Black Knights in person.

It’s the second-straight bowl game for Army, and it comes two weeks after the academy’s second-straight win over Navy. It’ll mark the first back-to-back bowl appearances for the team since 1985, when Army bested Illinois in the Peach Bowl after beating Michigan State in the Cherry Bowl the year before.

Last year, the Black Knights also found themselves spending part of their holiday season in the Lone Star State, beating North Texas in overtime to claim the Heart of Dallas Bowl.

Army became the first team to accept a specific bowl bid this season, punching its Armed Forces Bowl ticket with an Oct. 21 overtime win over Temple. As an independent, West Point doesn’t depend on conference tie-ins to determine bowl slotting; the Black Knights were pegged to the Armed Forces Bowl long before the season started, pending a .500 or better record.

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Army's Ahmad Bradshaw holds up the Commander in Chief's Trophy after the Black Knights bested Navy on Saturday in Philadelphia. (Matt Rourke/AP)

The teams have a limited history, with San Diego State winning the only two previous meetings in 2010 and 2011. Both teams beat Air Force this season, with Army notching a 21-0 shutout and SDSU scoring a game-winning touchdown with less than six minutes to play to beat the Falcons 28-24.

Army fans can purchase tickets or donate them to cadets via the school’s athletics website. There’s been no word on uniform choice for the season finale, but it’s unlikely the Black Knights will need their 10th Mountain Division-inspired duds to blend in like they did Saturday ― extended forecasts for Fort Worth call for rain and highs in the 50s on game day.

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