Air Force defeated Navy 14-9 on Saturday to seize the early lead in the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy race, holding the Midshipmen to 1 of 11 third-down conversions in Colorado Springs.
Liam Szarka ran for two first-half touchdowns as the Falcons improved to 3-1. Navy, now 1-3 and winless in FBS play outside its season-opening victory against Towson, saw its bid for momentum stall after consecutive narrow conference losses.
The shape of the trophy race
The Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy is awarded each year to the winner of a round-robin competition among Air Force, Navy and Army. Air Force’s 14-9 victory marks the opening contest of the 2026 tournament, and the Falcons’ win gives them an early advantage with one decisive matchup still to play.
Air Force plays at Army Nov. 7. Navy takes on Army on Dec. 12 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The title will be decided by the best record in those three games.
The Falcons have won the trophy 21 times, most recently in 2022. Navy has claimed it 18 times and Army 10. Air Force leads the all-time series with Navy 35-24.
How the Falcons controlled the game
The Falcons never trailed. Szarka scored on a 1-yard run to cap a 14-play, 65-yard drive that consumed nearly eight minutes midway through the first half. He added an 8-yard touchdown in the final minute of the half, set up by his 23-yard pass to Simon Kibbee on fourth down, giving Air Force a 14-3 halftime lead.
Szarka finished with 81 rushing yards and 82 passing yards while being intercepted twice, according to Yahoo Sports. Navy quarterback Jackson Gutierrez threw for 140 yards and rushed for 33 more.
Navy’s offense could not sustain drives. The Midshipmen converted just 1 of 11 third downs and fumbled once late in the game. Their final four possessions produced a fumble and three drives totaling 19 yards combined.
Navy scored on a field goal by Nolan Bartley and a 68-yard passing touchdown from Jackson Gutierrez to Truman Brasfield early in the third quarter. A failed 2-point conversion left Navy down 14-9, where the score remained.
What’s next
- Air Force: at Northern Illinois, Oct. 10, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Navy: at Tulsa, Oct. 10; vs. Army, Dec. 12
Reporting from Yahoo Sports, CBS Sports and ESPN contributed to this story.
