Fourteen years.
That is how long the streak lived. For nearly a decade and a half, West Point lived in a shadow cast by Annapolis. Every December, the same story played out. The Black Knights would show up, they’d fight, and they’d lose. Sometimes it was a blowout, sometimes a heartbreaker. But by the time the 2016 Army Navy game kicked off in Baltimore, the weight of that history felt almost insurmountable.
You could feel it in M&T Bank Stadium. The air was cold, damp, and heavy with the kind of tension that only exists when a generation of players has never known a specific victory. Army wasn't just playing against the Midshipmen; they were playing against the ghost of 2001—the last time they had actually won this thing.
Honestly, if you weren't there or watching it live, it’s hard to describe how much of a "monkey on the back" situation this was for Jeff Monken’s squad. They were the underdogs, even though they had a winning record. Navy was ranked No. 25 in the nation. They had Will Worth, a quarterback who had been tearing through defenses all year before getting hurt in the AAC title game. People expected the streak to hit fifteen.
Instead, we got a defensive masterpiece and a culture-shifting win that basically reset the rivalry for the modern era.
The Day the Streak Finally Died
The 2016 Army Navy game wasn't a high-flying offensive clinic. It was a grind. If you like the triple option, it was beautiful. If you like 50-point shootouts, you probably found it stressful and ugly.
Army came out swinging early. They didn't look like a team scared of their own history. Ahmad Bradshaw—the quarterback, not the former Giants running back—was the engine. He wasn't a prolific passer; he only threw four passes the entire game. Think about that for a second. In a modern era of football, a team won a major rivalry game by completing two passes for 35 yards.
It was all about the ground game. Andy Davidson and Xavier Moss were hitting holes, but it was Bradshaw’s legs that really broke the spirit of the Navy defense. By halftime, Army was up 14-0. The stadium was buzzing because, frankly, nobody knew how to react. We had seen Army leads evaporate before.
The third quarter felt like the nightmare returning. Navy started chipping away. Zach Abey, filling in for the injured Worth, started finding a rhythm. When Navy took a 17-14 lead in the fourth quarter after a couple of Army turnovers, you could almost hear the collective "here we go again" from the Black Knights' sideline.
✨ Don't miss: What Time Did the Cubs Game End Today? The Truth About the Off-Season
But this 2016 team was different. They didn't fold.
Ahmad Bradshaw and the Drive of a Lifetime
When people talk about the 2016 Army Navy game, they usually skip to the celebration, but you have to look at that final scoring drive. It was a 12-play, 80-yard march that took over six minutes off the clock. It was clinical. It was the triple option in its purest, most punishing form.
Bradshaw capped it off with a 9-yard touchdown run with about six minutes left.
The defense then had to hold. And they did. When the final whistle blew and the scoreboard read 21-17, the field wasn't just a field anymore. It was a sea of gray. Cadets poured over the railings. It wasn't just a win; it was an exorcism.
I remember seeing the seniors on that team. Guys who had lost three times already. They weren't just happy; they looked relieved. Like a physical weight had been lifted off their shoulders. Jeff Monken, who had been building this program brick by brick, finally had the proof of concept he needed.
Breaking Down the Statistical Oddities
The box score for this game is a fever dream for football purists.
Army finished with 316 total yards, 281 of which were on the ground. Navy, usually a juggernaut in the run game, was held to just 112 rushing yards. That was the game right there. Army beat Navy at their own game. They out-muscled them.
- Total First Downs: Army 23, Navy 8.
- Time of Possession: Army had the ball for 40 minutes and 32 seconds.
- Turnovers: Army actually had four turnovers to Navy's three.
Usually, when you lose the turnover battle -1, you lose the game. Especially in a low-scoring affair. But Army was so dominant on the line of scrimmage that it didn't matter. They were getting 4 and 5 yards a pop, keeping the chains moving, and keeping the Navy offense off the field. It was the ultimate "keep-away" strategy.
🔗 Read more: Jake Ehlinger Sign: The Real Story Behind the College GameDay Controversy
The Cultural Impact on West Point
Success in the 2016 Army Navy game changed the trajectory of the Army football program. Before this win, Army was struggling to find its identity in the 21st century. After this? They went on a tear.
They won the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy the following year. They started winning bowl games. They became a team that Power 5 schools actually feared scheduling.
It also changed the recruiting pitch. Suddenly, Monken could point to a ring and a victory over the biggest rival. You weren't just signing up to serve your country and play some football; you were signing up to be part of a winning tradition. The "Sing Second" mantra—referring to the tradition where the winning team sings their alma mater second—became a reality rather than an aspiration.
Why 2016 Stands Out Among Other Years
If you look at the 2012 game or the 2015 game, Army was close. In 2012, they lost 17-13. In 2015, it was 21-17. The margins were razor-thin.
What made 2016 special was the mental toughness. In previous years, when Navy took the lead in the fourth quarter, Army tended to press. They’d make the catastrophic mistake. In 2016, they just kept grinding.
There's also the venue factor. Baltimore's M&T Bank Stadium always feels a bit more "pro" than the games in Philly. The crowd of 71,600 was split perfectly down the middle, creating this incredible wall of sound that alternated between "Go Army" and "Go Navy" chants.
And let’s not forget the uniforms. This was the year Army wore the "Beat Navy" uniforms inspired by the 82nd Airborne Division. The paratrooper theme was everywhere. There’s something about those matte black helmets with the lattice design that just looked like they meant business.
The Zach Abey Factor
It’s only fair to mention the Navy side of this. Navy was in a tough spot. Losing Will Worth the week before was devastating. Worth was a Heisman-caliber player for that specific system.
💡 You might also like: What Really Happened With Nick Chubb: The Injury, The Recovery, and The Houston Twist
Zach Abey was a sophomore thrust into the biggest spotlight imaginable with almost no preparation. He threw two interceptions and struggled early, but he also showed incredible heart. His 41-yard touchdown run in the third quarter was what gave Navy the lead.
Navy fans often wonder "what if" regarding Worth's injury. If Worth plays, does the streak continue? Maybe. But football is a game of attrition, and Army’s defense, led by guys like Jeremy Timpf and Andrew King, was playing at an elite level. They were gap-disciplined and didn't fall for the usual Navy misdirection.
A Legacy of Grit
Looking back, the 2016 Army Navy game represents the end of an era and the start of a new one. It ended the 14-year drought, yes. But it also proved that the triple option wasn't dead. It proved that discipline could overcome a talent gap.
For the players on that field, it wasn't about "the landscape of college football." It was about the guy standing next to them. It was about the seniors who had endured years of "maybe next year."
If you're a fan of the rivalry, you go back and watch the highlights of the 2016 game because it reminds you why we watch sports in the first place. It’s the raw emotion of the post-game. It’s the sight of the Corps of Cadets storming the field. It’s the realization that no streak, no matter how long, is permanent.
How to Value This History Today
If you're looking to dive deeper into why this specific game mattered, or if you're a student of the game wanting to learn more about the mechanics of that win, here is what you should do next:
- Watch the "Drive": Go to YouTube and find the full fourth-quarter broadcast. Skip the highlights and watch the full 12-play drive by Army. Pay attention to the offensive line’s pad level and how they moved the pile.
- Read "A Civil War" by John Feinstein: While it was written years before 2016, it provides the essential context of why the 14-year streak was so psychologically damaging to West Point. It makes the 2016 victory taste that much sweeter.
- Study Jeff Monken's Post-Game Presser: Listen to the way he talks about his seniors. It explains more about the culture of Army football than any X's and O's breakdown ever could.
- Analyze the Defensive Front: Look at how Army played the "pitch" versus the "dive." Their discipline in 2016 became the blueprint for how they’ve played Navy ever since, leading to a much more balanced win-loss record over the last decade.
The 2016 Army Navy game wasn't just a Saturday in December. It was the day the balance of power shifted in one of the greatest rivalries in all of sports. It was the day the streak died, and a program was reborn.