It started as a light dusting. By kickoff, Lincoln Financial Field looked like a giant shaken snow globe. If you were looking for a high-flying offensive shootout, you were in the wrong place. The army and navy football game 2017 wasn't about stats or NFL prospects; it was about two teams running headfirst into a white wall of frozen air for sixty minutes.
Snow changed everything.
You could barely see the yard lines. Officials had to keep coming out with shovels and blowers just so the kickers could find a patch of green. It was messy. It was slow. Honestly, it was perfect. This was the 118th meeting between these two academies, and while most people remember the 2016 game for breaking Navy's fourteen-year winning streak, 2017 was the year that proved Army’s resurgence wasn't a fluke.
Jeff Monken had the Black Knights believing they belonged at the top. Ken Niumatalolo, the winningest coach in Navy history, was trying to steer a Midshipmen team that had been reeling from late-season injuries. The atmosphere in Philly that December afternoon felt heavier than usual. Maybe it was the weather, or maybe it was just the realization that Army was finally, truly, a powerhouse again.
The Quarterback Duel That Defined a Decade
Ahmad Bradshaw and Malcolm Perry. You can't talk about the army and navy football game 2017 without mentioning those two names. They were the engines.
Bradshaw wasn't a traditional passer. He finished the game with exactly zero passing yards. Think about that for a second. In a modern era of college football where teams throw forty times a game, Army won the biggest game of their season without completing a single throw. Bradshaw was a magician in the triple option, though. He knew exactly when to pull the ball, when to pitch, and when to just lower his shoulder and take the hit. He finished his career that day as the single-season rushing leader for Army, surpassing the legendary Collin Mooney.
Then there was Malcolm Perry.
Navy had a bit of a crisis at quarterback leading up to the game. Zach Abey had been the guy for most of the year, but Niumatalolo made the gutsy call to start Perry. Perry was lightning. On that slippery, treacherous turf, he looked like he was the only person with actual traction. He ran for 250 yards. It was one of the most incredible individual performances in the history of the rivalry, yet it somehow wasn't enough.
Strategy in a Blizzard
Football coaches love to talk about "controlling the variables." In 2017, the variables went out the window about five minutes after the teams stepped off the buses. The snow meant the ball was a wet, heavy brick. It meant every cut a running back made was a gamble with physics.
✨ Don't miss: The Division 2 National Championship Game: How Ferris State Just Redrew the Record Books
Army played a classic ball-control game. They didn't care about style points. They wanted to grind Navy into the dirt, three yards at a time. It was a heavyweight fight in a freezer. You'd see these long, grueling drives that lasted seven or eight minutes, ending in nothing but a punt because a single slip on third down ruined the momentum.
Navy’s approach was slightly different. They relied on Perry’s explosiveness. They were betting that he could outrun the conditions. For a while, it looked like he would. He had a 68-yard touchdown run in the second quarter that left Army defenders sliding past him like they were on ice skates. It was the kind of play that usually breaks a team's spirit.
But Army didn't break.
The Drive That Changed the Rivalry
Down 13-7 in the fourth quarter, Army needed something special. This is where the army and navy football game 2017 became legendary. They went on a 13-play, 65-yard march. It sounds short, right? In that weather, 65 yards felt like crossing a continent.
Every play was a run.
Every play was a collision.
Ahmad Bradshaw eventually punched it in from the 1-yard line with about five minutes left. The extra point gave Army a 14-13 lead. The stadium was vibrating. You have to remember, for over a decade, Army fans had forgotten what it felt like to be the favorite, to be the team that actually closed out games. Watching them methodically dismantle the Navy defense in the snow felt like a tectonic shift in the rivalry.
A Finish No One Could Breathe Through
Navy got the ball back. They had time.
🔗 Read more: Por qué los partidos de Primera B de Chile son más entretenidos que la división de honor
Malcolm Perry, despite being exhausted, moved them down the field. They got into field goal range. Now, "field goal range" is a relative term when there's an inch of slush on the ground.
Bennett Moehring stepped up for a 48-yard attempt. That's a long kick in a dome. In a snowstorm, at the end of a physical game, it’s a miracle shot. The snap was good. The hold was clean. Moehring struck it well, and for a split second, the Navy sideline started to celebrate. The ball was tracking true. It looked like it was going to sneak over the crossbar.
Then, it just... didn't.
The ball sailed wide left by what felt like inches. The kick had the distance, but the wind or the slick footwork or just the sheer randomness of the weather took it away. Army won 14-13.
The image of Army players diving into the snow in the end zone while the Navy players stood frozen in disappointment is burned into the memory of anyone who watched it. It was the first time Army had won consecutive games against Navy since the mid-90s.
Beyond the Scoreboard: The Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy
Winning this game meant more than just bragging rights. It meant Army secured the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy for the first time since 1996. For twenty-one years, the trophy had bounced between Annapolis and Colorado Springs (Air Force).
People often underestimate how much that hardware matters to these schools. It’s not just a sports trophy; it’s a symbol of service academy dominance. The 2017 season saw Army finish with 10 wins, a feat they hadn't achieved in ages. It validated everything Jeff Monken had been preaching since he arrived at West Point. It proved that you could run the triple option at a high level and win even when the elements were against you.
Why We Still Talk About 2017
Most games fade into a blur of scores and highlights. This one didn't. The army and navy football game 2017 sticks because it was visually iconic. The white jerseys of Navy blending into the white field, the gold helmets of Army popping against the grey sky—it looked like something out of a movie.
💡 You might also like: South Carolina women's basketball schedule: What Most People Get Wrong
It also represented the "new normal" for the rivalry. The days of Navy winning fourteen straight were over. The playing field was level again. Since that game, the rivalry has been a back-and-forth scrap, exactly as it should be.
There’s also the human element. These players aren't going to the NFL. They’re going to lead platoons and serve on ships. Seeing them play with that level of intensity in sub-freezing temperatures reminds you why this is arguably the greatest rivalry in all of sports. There’s no trash talk, no ego, just pure, unadulterated effort.
Misconceptions About the 2017 Game
A lot of people think Army dominated this game because they were the "tougher" team in the snow. That’s not really true. Navy outgained Army 296 yards to 221. Navy had more first downs. If Perry doesn't get tripped up on a couple of those long runs, or if that kick is two feet to the right, we’re talking about a Navy victory.
The difference was discipline. Army had zero turnovers. Navy had zero turnovers. In a game played in a blizzard, that is statistically insane. Usually, games like this are decided by a muffed punt or a fumbled snap. Both teams played "clean" football in the dirtiest conditions imaginable.
Army's success was largely due to their efficiency in the red zone. When they got close, they finished. Navy struggled to turn Perry’s massive yardage into seven-point drives.
Lessons for Future Matchups
If you’re a coach or a player looking back at the army and navy football game 2017, there are a few tactical takeaways that still apply today.
- Ball Security is Everything: You can’t win a cold-weather game if you can't hold onto the rock. Army’s triple-option pitch was crisp despite the moisture.
- The Psychological Edge: Army played like they expected to win. In previous years, they played like they were waiting for something to go wrong.
- Kicking is a Gamble: Relying on a long field goal in a rivalry game is a recipe for heartbreak. You have to find a way to get the ball into the paint.
How to Experience the Rivalry Today
If you want to understand the intensity of 2017, you have to watch the full game replay. Highlights don't do it justice because they don't show the fatigue. You have to see the linemen gasping for air in the fourth quarter, their breath visible in the stadium lights.
- Watch the "All 22" film if you can find it. Seeing the blocking schemes in the snow is a masterclass in leverage.
- Read "A Civil War" by John Feinstein. While it was written years earlier, it provides the essential context for why the 2017 breakthrough was so meaningful for West Point.
- Visit the Academies. If you ever get the chance to go to West Point or Annapolis, you’ll see the 2017 game commemorated. It’s a part of their modern lore.
The army and navy football game 2017 wasn't just a game. It was a weather event, a historical shift, and a testament to what happens when two groups of people refuse to quit. It remains the gold standard for what a service academy clash should look like. No flashy uniforms (though the "Pando Commando" and "Blue Angels" jerseys were cool), no gimmicks—just football in its purest, coldest form.