Once again, the records and season struggles have been rendered meaningless for the respective service academies as they meet in Philadelphia for the 75th time. The game, played at Veterans Stadium, boasts an atmosphere set apart from all other games.

While other schools might will be playing for conference titles or bragging rights over their neighbors, these schools are playing for national pride. Air Force might have won the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy, given to the team with best record in competition between the service academies, but this game means a whole lot more.

Army (3-7) came away with a 34-30 victory last season over Navy (4-7) in a game that was tempered by a freak accident in the stands. Moments after Army took a 31-30 lead on a 70-yard touchdown run by Ty Amey midway through the fourth quarter, a railing behind the end zone gave way as the celebrating students posed for the CBS cameras.

Several Army students sitting in sections 271 and 272 fell roughly 10 feet -- many headfirst -- to the turf behind the end zone emblazoned with Navy's logo. It prompted a 31-minute delay.

Army has won six of the last seven meetings with its archrival and has a 48-44-7 lead in the all-time series. Navy won the 1997 contest, 39-7, its only victory over Army since 1991.

Navy won the first meeting, 24-0 in 1890. According to legend, the series began when a group of midshipmen at Annapolis challenged a group of cadets at West Point. Navy had been playing football for 11 years, but only one cadet, Dennis Mahan Michie, knew anything about the sport, having played in high school.

Army accepted the challenge, only to lose, but the Cadets learned quickly and captured a 32-16 win the next year.

Army's stadium in West Point is named for Michie, the school's first coach.

The five games played from 1992-1996 rate as some of the most dramatic in the storied rivalry, though all are fond memories for the Cadets, who won each by a combined 10 points.

Army recorded a 25-24 victory in 1992 on Patmon Malcolm's 49-yard field goal with 12 seconds left. The Cadets rallied from a 17-point third-quarter deficit and Malcolm had to connect from 49 yards after drilling a 44-yarder that was called back for delay of game.

In 1993, Navy suffered a heartbreaking 16-14 loss when freshman Ryan Bucchianeri missed an 18-yard field goal in the final moments.

The 1994 contest ended 22-20 after Army's Kurt Heiss booted a 52-yard field goal with 6:19 left. It was more of the same in 1995, with Army prevailing 14-13 on a short touchdown run by John Conroy with 63 seconds remaining after Ronnie McAda completed a 28-yard pass on 4th-and-24. Navy failed on 4th-and-goal from the 1 instead of kicking a field goal that would have made it 16-7, and Army reponded with a 19-play, 99-yard drive to victory.

Finally, Army held on for a 28-24 victory in 1996 when Garland Gay picked off Navy quarterback Chris McCoy at the goal line with 10 seconds left. At stake was the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy and a berth in the Independence Bowl.

Army-Navy has been played in the "City of Brotherly Love" all but four years since 1945. The 1983 game was contested in the Rose Bowl, while the 1989, 1993 and 1997 confrontations took place at Giants Stadium.

The rivalry has been renewed every season since 1930 when the series resumed following a two-year layoff. In 1996, Bill Clinton became the first sitting United States president since Gerald Ford in 1974 to attend the classic.

Navy and Army rank first and fourth, respectively, in the nation in rushing -- an exact flip-flop from where they stood in that category heading into last year's game. The game once again will come down to which team runs the option better against a defense that is used to practicing against the scheme.

Army enters the contest with a three-game losing streak, scoring a total of 24 points. Navy has won two out of its last three since a heartbreaking 28-24 loss at Notre Dame on October 30.

NAVY Season schedule and results	ARMY Season schedule and results
Sep. 4 Georgia Tech L 14-49 Sep. 11 @Kent W 48-28 Sep. 18 Boston College L 10-14 Sep. 25 @Rice L 17-20 Oct. 2 @West Virginia W 31-28 Oct. 9 Air Force L 14-19 Oct. 23 Akron L 29-35 Oct. 30 @Notre Dame L 24-28 Nov. 6 @Rutgers W 34-7 Nov. 13 Tulane W 45-21 Nov. 20 @Hawaii L 41-48 Dec. 4 @Army 12:00pm ET	Sep. 11 Wake Forest L 15-34 Sep. 18 @Tulane L 28-48 Sep. 25 Ball State W 41-21 Oct. 2 East Carolina L 14-33 Oct. 7 Louisville W 59-52 Oct. 16 @Southern Mississippi L 0-24 Oct. 23 New Mexico State W 35-18 Nov. 6 @Air Force L 0-28 Nov. 13 @Memphis L 10-14 Nov. 20 Houston L 14-26 Dec. 4 Navy 12:00pm ET