Army Beats Navy In Baltimore As Trump Watches Game

For the first time in 15 years, Army beat Navy 21-17, in the 117th annual Army-Navy football game.

A sellout crowd of more than 71,000 watched the game that included an appearance by President-elect Donald Trump.

Trump was greeted with cheers as he arrived after kickoff.

The incoming president waved to the crowd from outside a private box as he arrived at the stadium during the first quarter of the storied rivalry.

Trump, in an interview with CBS Sports announcers Verne Lundquist and Gary Danielson, said he was "totally neutral" on the outcome of the game and quipped that he might make Lundquist, who was retiring from the play-by-play booth, his ambassador to Sweden.



"I just love the armed forces, love the folks. The spirit is so incredible. I mean, I don't know if it's necessarily the best football, but it's very good. But boy do they have spirit," Trump said. Navy has won 14 straight contests in the rivalry, but Army's underdog Black Knights led at halftime, 14-0, hoping for an upset comparable to Trump's unlikely victory in last month's election over Hillary Clinton.



Trump spent the first half of the game in the box of David Urban, a West Point graduate and one of his Republican advisers in battleground Pennsylvania, and the second half in the box of retired Marine Lt. Col. Oliver North, a graduate of Annapolis. During the Ronald Reagan administration, North was the National Security Council aide most directly involved in covertly selling arms to Iran and providing military assistance to the Contras, a group seeking to overthrow Nicaragua's left-leaning government.



Taking a break from his deliberations for his Cabinet, Trump was joined at the game by several top advisers, including incoming White House chief of staff Reince Priebus, senior adviser Steve Bannon, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Gen. Mike Flynn, Trump's choice for National Security Adviser. Former Veterans Affairs Secretary Jim Nicholson was also spotted inside the box.



Trump did not formally switch sides at halftime in the traditional symbol of commander in chief neutrality - which President Barack Obama did most recently during the 2011 game - because Trump is not the sitting president. The incoming president is a 1964 graduate of the New York Military Academy, a private prep school near West Point.

Many fans snapped pictures of Trump.

Trump left the stadium before 6 p.m. as the game was in the fourth quarter.

Trump's presence led to heightened security around the stadium.

Around 50 people held a demonstration at the Inner Harbor to protest Trump's visit. The group marched to M&T Bank Stadium but left at around 1:30, and returned to the Inner Harbor.

Participants held signs that said "resist" and chanted, "We reject the president-elect."

Baltimore City Police reported no arrests before the game, related to the protests or anything else.

Mayor Catherine Pugh was among those who greeted Trump as he arrived at the stadium just before kickoff.

The mayor delivered a letter to Trump asking him to make good on his promise to increase infrastructure funds and award those funds to Baltimore City.

Pugh mentioned the letter in her inaugural address earlier this week.

Pugh spokesman Anthony McCarthy told WBAL NewsRadio 1090, " the Mayor greeted and welcomed President-elect to Baltimore. She delivered her letter to the President-elect touting Baltimore City as a perfect place for his investments in urban America’s infrastructure. The Mayor is looking forward to working with the President and his administration on these very important matters."

Game Recap

Army ended a 14-year run of frustration against Navy, using an overpowering running game and opportunistic defense to carve out a long overdue 21-17 victory Saturday.



With future commander in chief Donald Trump looking on, the Black Knights blew a 14-point lead before quarterback Ahmad Bradshaw scored on a 9-yard run with 6:42 left to give Army the win it had been waiting for since 2001.



The Black Knights' 14-game losing streak was the longest by either academy in a series that began in 1890. Army (7-5) now trails 60-50-7 in one of the nation's historic rivalries.



Navy (9-4) was coming off a physical 34-10 loss to Temple in the American Athletic Conference title game and had only one week to prepare for Army with a new quarterback, sophomore Zach Abey, who was making his first college start. Abey took over Will Worth, who broke his foot against Temple.



Abey ran for two touchdowns but passed for only 89 yards and was intercepted twice. Navy had four turnovers, three in the first half.



By halftime, Army led 14-0 and owned a 14-1 advantage in first downs.



After watching from the Navy side of the field before halftime, Trump visited the TV booth on the Army side in the third quarter. The interview with the president-elect coincided with a big shift in momentum.



Andy Davidson lost a fumble on the Black Knights' first possession of the second half and the Midshipmen recovered at the Army 32. A screen pass for 16 yards set up a 1-yard touchdown run by Abey to get Navy to 14-7.



Minutes later, the Midshipmen got a field goal after a replay overturned a lost fumble by Abey at the Army 11.



A 41-yard touchdown run by Abey gave Navy the lead with 12:42 remaining. But Army wasn't done.



The Black Knights put together a 12-play, 80-yard drive that lasted nearly seven minutes and ended with Bradshaw's TD with 6:42 remaining.



Bradshaw went 2 for 4 for 35 yards and an interception in Army's first win in Baltimore since 1944.



Davidson ran for 87 yards and two first-half scores, and Kell Walker carried 16 times for 94 yards.



FAREWELL VERNE



This was the final game in the broadcasting career of 76-year-old Verne Lundquist. He was cheered by the crowd during a live shot on the scoreboard.



THE TAKEAWAY



Army: The Black Knights appear to be on the upswing under third-year coach Jeff Monken. They're headed to a bowl game and now have a victory over Navy to celebrate.



Navy: The Midshipmen are staggering to the end of the season after a 9-2 start. The loss to Temple was tough to take, but this was much, much worse.



UP NEXT



Army: The Black Knights meet North Texas in the Heart of Dallas Bowl, Army's first postseason action since 2010.



Navy: The Midshipmen face Louisiana Tech in the Armed Forces Bowl on Dec. 23. It will be Navy's 13th bowl appearance in the last 14 years.

