Army Black Knights football

The Army Black Knights football program represents the United States Military Academy. They are one of the few NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision independent schools (not in a conference). Army was recognized as the national champions in 1944, 1945 and 1946.

General of the Army Douglas MacArthur wrote, "Upon the fields of friendly strife are sown the seeds that upon other fields, on other days, will bear the fruits of victory."

President of the United States and General of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower and General of the Army Omar Bradley were on the 1912 Army football team.

Three players from Army have won the Heisman Trophy: Doc Blanchard (1945), Glenn Davis (1946), and Pete Dawkins (1958).

History

See also: 1946 Army vs. Notre Dame football game

Army football began in 1890, when Navy challenged the cadets to a game of the relatively new sport. Navy defeated Army at West Point that year, but Army avenged the loss in Annapolis the following year. The academies still clash every December in what is traditionally the last regular-season Division I college-football game. The 2012 football season marked Army's eleventh consecutive loss to Navy. From 1944 to 1950, the Cadets had 57 wins, 3 losses and 4 ties. During this time span, Army won three national championships.

Army's football team reached its pinnacle of success under coach Earl Blaik when Army won three consecutive national championships in 1944, 1945 and 1946, and produced three Heisman trophy winners: Doc Blanchard (1945), Glenn Davis (1946) and Pete Dawkins (1958). Past NFL coaches Vince Lombardi and Bill Parcells were Army assistant coaches early in their careers.

The football team plays its home games at Michie Stadium, where the playing field is named after Earl Blaik. Cadets' attendance is mandatory at football games and the Corps stands for the duration of the game. At all home games, one of the four regiments marches onto the field in formation before the team takes the field and leads the crowd in traditional Army cheers.

Between the 1998 and 2004 seasons, Army's football program was a member of Conference USA, but has since reverted to its former independent status. West Point competes with Navy and Air Force for the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy.

Rivalries

Army-Navy Game

Main article: Army-Navy Game

The annual contest between the Black Knights of Army and the Midshipmen of the Naval Academy at Annapolis (Navy) is among the most storied rivalries in all of college sports.

Others

In much of the early 20th century, Army and Notre Dame were considered football powerhouses, and met 21 times between 1925 and 1946. Many media members considered the 1946 contest to be the "Game of the Century". Army and Notre Dame met for the 50th time on November 20, 2010.

Army and Air Force also maintain a rivalry, and the two in addition to Navy, compete for the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy.

Rutgers

This rivalry stems from Army and Rutgers being two of the only three programs (a third is Navy) to come out of the original, informal "Ivy League" that are still members of the top tier of NCAA college football (currently Division I-FBS). ("See" Before There Was An Ivy League "and" Ivy League#History of the athletic league.) Army is Rutgers' second oldest active rivalry. Rutgers has won the last seven in a row and 11 of the last 13. The all-time series favors Rutgers, which is winning 19 wins to 18. In 2012, Rutgers won this game 28–7.

Logos and uniforms

File:Independent-Uniform-Army-2004-2007,2009.png

Army's uniforms worn from 2004 to 2007 and in 2009

File:Independent-Uniform-Army-Dress Gray.png

Army wore a gray uniform for the 2010 Army-Air Force game

File:Independent-Uniform-Army-2008.png

Army's uniforms worn in 2008

National Championships

Year	Coach	Selector	Record
1944	Earl Blaik	Associated Press	9–0
1945	Earl Blaik	Associated Press	9–0
1946	Earl Blaik	Helms Athletic Foundation	9–0–1

Bowl Games

Season	Bowl	Date	Opponent	Result
1984	Cherry Bowl	December 22, 1984	$3	W 10–6
1985	Peach Bowl	December 31, 1985	Illinois	W 31–29
1988	Sun Bowl	December 24, 1988	Alabama	L 28–29
1996	Independence Bowl	December 31, 1996	Auburn	L 29–32
2010	Armed Forces Bowl	December 30, 2010	SMU	W 16–14

College Football Hall of Famers

Main article: College Football Hall of Fame

• Bob Anderson
• Doc Blanchard
• Paul Bunker
• Chris Cagle
• Bill Carpenter
• Charlie Daly
• Glenn Davis
• Pete Dawkins
• Arnold Galiffa
• Ed Garbisch
• John Green
• Don Holleder
• Harvey Jablonsky
• Doug Kenna
• John McEwan
• Frank Merritt
• Robin Olds
• Elmer Oliphant
• Barney Poole
• Bud Sprague
• Joe Steffy
• Alex Weyand
• Harry Wilson

Seasons

Year	Coach	Overall	Conference	Standing	Bowl/playoffs	Coaches#	AP°
1890	Dennis Michie	0–1
1891	Dr. Harry Williams	4–1–1
1892	Dennis Michie	3–1–1
1893	Laurie Bliss	4–5
1894	Harmon Graves	3–2
1895	Harmon Graves	5–2
1896	George Dyer	3–2–1
1897	Herman Koehler	6–1–1
1898	Herman Koehler	3–2–1
1899	Herman Koehler	4–5
1900	Herman Koehler	7–3–1
1901	Leon Kromer	5–1–2
1902	Dennis Nolan	6–1–1
1903	Edward King	6–2–1
1904	Robert Boyers	7–2
1905	Robert Boyers	4–4–1
1906	Henry Smither Ernest Graves	3–5–1
1907	Henry Smither	6–2–1
1908	Harry Nelly	6–1–2
1909	Harry Nelly	3–2
1910	Harry Nelly	6–2
1911	Joseph Beacham	6–1–1
1912	Ernest Graves	5–3
1913	Charles Daly	8–1
1914	Charles Daly	9–0
1915	Charles Daly	5–3–1
1916	Charles Daly	9–0
1917	Geoffrey Keyes	7–1
1918	Hugh Mitchell	1–0
1919	Charles Daly	6–3
1920	Charles Daly	7–2
1921	Charles Daly	6–4
1922	Charles Daly	8–0–2
1923	John McEwan	6–2–1
1924	John McEwan	5–1–2
1925	John McEwan	7–2
1926	Biff Jones	7–1–1
1927	Biff Jones	9–1
1928	Biff Jones	8–2
1929	Biff Jones	6–4–1
1930	Ralph Sasse	9–1–1
1931	Ralph Sasse	8–2–1
1932	Ralph Sasse	8–2
1933	Gar Davidson	9–1
1934	Gar Davidson	7–3
1935	Gar Davidson	6–2–1
1936	Gar Davidson	6–3
1937	Gar Davidson	7–2
1938	William Wood	8–2
1939	William Wood	3–4–2
1940	William Wood	1–7–1
1941	Earl Blaik	5–3–1
1942	Earl Blaik	6–3
1943	Earl Blaik	7–2–1
1944	Earl Blaik	9–0
1945	Earl Blaik	9–0
1946	Earl Blaik	9–0–1
1947	Earl Blaik	5–2–2
1948	Earl Blaik	8–0–1
1949	Earl Blaik	9–0
1950	Earl Blaik	8–1
1951	Earl Blaik	2–7
1952	Earl Blaik	4–4–1
1953	Earl Blaik	7–1–1
1954	Earl Blaik	7–2
1955	Earl Blaik	6–3
1956	Earl Blaik	5–3–1
1957	Earl Blaik	7–2
1958	Earl Blaik	8–0–1
1959	Dale Hall	4–4–1
1960	Dale Hall	6–3–1
1961	Dale Hall	6–4
1962	Paul Dietzel	6–4
1963	Paul Dietzel	7–3
1964	Paul Dietzel	4–6
1965	Paul Dietzel	4–5–1
1966	Tom Cahill	8–2
1967	Tom Cahill	8–2
1968	Tom Cahill	7–3
1969	Tom Cahill	4–5–1
1970	Tom Cahill	1–9–1
1971	Tom Cahill	6–4
1972	Tom Cahill	6–4
1973	Tom Cahill	0–10
1974	Homer Smith	3–8
1975	Homer Smith	2–9
1976	Homer Smith	5–6
1977	Homer Smith	7–4
1978	Homer Smith	4–6–1
1979	Lou Saban	2–8–1
1980	Ed Cavanaugh	3–7–1
1981	Ed Cavanugh	3–7–1
1982	Ed Cavanaugh	4–7
1983	Jim Young	2–9
1984	Jim Young	8–3–1
1985	Jim Young	9–3
1986	Jim Young	6–5
1987	Jim Young	5–6
1988	Jim Young	9–3
1989	Jim Young	6–5
1990	Jim Young	6–5
1991	Bob Sutton	4–7
1992	Bob Sutton	5–6
1993	Bob Sutton	6–5
1994	Bob Sutton	4–7
1995	Bob Sutton	5–5–1
1996	Bob Sutton	10–2
1997	Bob Sutton	4–7
1998	Bob Sutton	3–8
1999	Bob Sutton	3–8
2000	Todd Berry	1–10
2001	Todd Berry	3–8
2002	Todd Berry	1–11
2003	Todd Berry John Mumford	0–13
2004	Bobby Ross	2–9
2005	Bobby Ross	4–7
2006	Bobby Ross	3–9
2007	Stan Brock	3–9
2008	Stan Brock	3–9
2009	Rich Ellerson	5–7
2010	Rich Ellerson	7–6
2011	Rich Ellerson	3–9
2012	Rich Ellerson	2–10
2013	Rich Ellerson
Total:		654–481–51
National championship         Conference title         Conference division title
†Indicates Bowl Coalition, Bowl Alliance, BCS, or CFP / New Years' Six bowl. #Rankings from final Coaches Poll.

Coaches

Coach	Years	#Years	Games	Won	Lost	Tied	Pct.
Dennis M. Michie	1890–1892	2	6	3	2	1	.583
Dr. Harry Williams	1889	1	6	4	1	1	.750
Laurence T. Bliss	1893	1	9	4	5	0	.444
Harmon S. Graves	1894–1895	2	12	8	4	0	.667
George P. Dyer	1896	1	6	3	2	1	.583
Herman J. Koehler	1897–1900	4	34	20	11	3	.632
Leon B. Kromer	1901	1	8	5	1	2	.750
Dennis E. Nolan	1902	1	8	6	1	1	.812
Edward L. King	1903	1	9	6	2	1	.722
Robert E. Boyers	1904–1905	2	18	11	6	1	.639
Henry C. Smither	1906–1907	2	10	7	2	1	.750
Ernest Graves, Sr.	1906–1912	2	16	7	8	1	.469
Harry Nelly	1908–1910	3	22	15	5	2	.727
Joseph Beacham	1911	1	8	6	1	1	.812
Charles Dudley Daly	1913–1922	8	74	58	13	3	.804
Geoffrey Keyes	1917	1	8	7	1	0	.875
Hugh Mitchell (American football)	1918	1	1	1	0	0	1.000
John McEwan	1923–1925	3	26	18	5	3	.750
Biff Jones (Lawrence M. "Biff" Jones)	1926–1929	4	40	30	8	2	.775
Ralph Sasse	1930–1932	3	32	25	5	2	.812
Garrison H. Davidson ("Gar")	1933–1937	5	47	35	11	1	.755
William H. Wood	1938–1940	3	28	12	13	3	.482
Earl Blaik ("Red")	1941–1958	18	164	121	33	10	.768
Dale Hall	1959–1961	3	29	16	11	2	.586
Paul Dietzel	1962–1965	4	40	21	18	1	.537
Tom Cahill (American football)	1966–1973	8	81	40	39	2	.506
Homer Smith (American football)	1974–1978	5	55	21	33	1	.391
Lou Saban	1979	1	11	2	8	1	.227
Ed Cavanaugh	1980–1982	3	33	10	21	2	.333
Jim Young (American football coach)	1983–1990	8	91	51	39	1	.566
Bob Sutton	1991–1999	9	100	44	55	1	.445
Todd Berry	2000–2003	4	41	5	36	0	.122
John Mumford	2003	1	6	0	6	0	.000
Bobby Ross	2004–2006	3	34	9	25	0	.265
Stan Brock	2006–2008	2	24	6	18	0	.250
Rich Ellerson	Present	2	22	11	12	0	.478
Total (36 coaches)		121	1146	642	453	51	.582

Award winners

• Heisman Trophy

Doc Blanchard – 1945

Glenn Davis – 1946

Pete Dawkins – 1958

• AFCA Coach of the Year

Earl Blaik – 1946

Tom Cahill – 1966

• Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year

Tom Cahill – 1966

• Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award

Bob Sutton – 1996

• Maxwell Award

Glenn Davis – 1944

Doc Blanchard – 1945

Pete Dawkins – 1958

• Outland Trophy

Joe Steffy – 1947

• William V. Campbell Trophy

Andrew Rodriguez – 2011

• James E. Sullivan Award

Andrew Rodriguez – 2011

Bibliography

• Anderson, Lars (2007). Carlisle vs. Army: Jim Thorpe, Dwight Eisenhower, Pop Warner, and the Forgotten Story of Football's Greatest Battle. Random House. ISBN 978-1-4000-6600-1. 

External links

• Official website