Regions Greatest Moments - 1950 Army vs. Navy Rivalry Game

December, 13 2023

From 1944 to 1946, the Army Cadets were on a dynastic run rarely seen in the sport of college football. Three seasons all concluding with national championship honors. (Minnesota won from 1934-1936) Fast forward to the 1950 season, the Cadets were on the hunt once more for another championship title. All that stood in their way was archrival Navy.

Army cruised toward their bout with the Midshipmen as the Cadets pummeled their opponents by a combined score of 245-26 while adding to their 28-game win streak dating back to 1947. They were also consistently ranked in the AP top four, never dipping below fourth.

Meanwhile at Annapolis, the Midshipmen season was facing tough seas. Under first year head coach Eddie Erdelatz, Navy arrived at the annual classic with a 2-6 record. Their record did not tell the whole story. Losses to Notre Dame and Princeton were by only nine points or less. In addition to the overall record, the Middies last victory against Army was in 1943. Navy was coming to play spoiler.

Over 101,000 spectators filled Philadelphia Municipal Stadium as the Midshipmen and Cadet brigades paraded into the stadium. At the coin toss, President Harry Truman was flanked by Army captain, Dan Foldberg and Navy captain Tom Bakke. The Middies won the toss and wanted the football. As the first quarter transitioned into the second, something was off. Army did not look like themselves.

The regular season juggernaut was stopped four times throughout the first quarter. Granted the Midshipmen did not have offensive success either until a poor pass by Army QB Bob Blaik in the second quarter. Navy HB Frank Hauff intercepted the pass, and the Middies were in business and QB Bob Zastrow broke the stalemate with the game’s first touchdown. Navy’s second score came on a Zastrow 30-yard throw to Jim Baldinger in the endzone. At halftime, Army’s offense had THREE rushing yards and ONE first down, while Navy’s had 96 total yards. But Navy was up two scores.

Army had no answer to Navy’s defense. Allison Danzig of the New York Times described the Navy defense as “knock[ing] the Army backs loose from the ball with their savage tackling…their secondaries back up the line violently and cover with amazing thoroughness.”

 Army’s lone score of the game came on a safety in the third quarter. The Cadets had plenty of chances to score off Navy turnovers in the fourth quarter as they got the ball on Navy’s 21, 15, 6 and 3-yard line. Navy intercepted three Army passes in the fourth quarter including one as time expired. The final score:14-2. The loss marked the first time Army had not scored a touchdown since 1947.

3,700 Midshipmen poured onto the field filled with tremendous joy as they lifted their head coach and captain on their shoulders. Allison described the win for the academy,

“They had waited seven long years–almost two undergraduate generations—for this day of retribution.”

The feeling of a disappointed season blew away in the chilly Philadelphia weather…at least for the Middies.

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