Good stuff here from SB Nation’s Kevin Trahan, who talked with Troy Calhoun, Jeff Monken and Ken Niumatololo about building programs at the three service academies -- Air Force, Army and Navy. Given the height/weight restrictions and difficulty of recruiting, the odds are stacked against these three teams to win. And yet...
-- Navy has made a bowl game in 10 of the last 11 years, a stretch which included a 35-13 stomping of Mizzou in the Texas Bowl.
-- Navy snapped a 43-game losing streak to Notre Dame in 2007 and has beat them two more times since (and came awfully close in 2013, too).
-- Air Force made six consecutive bowl games from 2007-2012 and as recently as 1998 finished in the top 15.
-- Army’s been a different story, only making one bowl game (the 2010 Armed Forces Bowl) since the turn of the millennium.
If you ever wondered why the service academies play option football, look no further than the height and weight restrictions -- Calhoun said he’s never had a player weight 285 pounds, meaning his offensive line is often dwarfed by opposing defensive lines (and some linebackers, too).
Go check out the article, and Happy Memorial Day to all.