Walking into the Kimsey Athletic Center at West Point, the sign says it all: "Beat Navy."

“Probably one of the most exciting times around this year, not just for us but for the entire corps,” said Jakobi Buchanan, a senior running back for the Army.

He and his fellow Black Knights understand how crucial the objective will be this Saturday.

“It really sets in when you take your first step into the stadium, and you just see the entire corps of cadets,” Buchanan said.

They’re entering the 124th edition of this storied rivalry as winners of five of the last seven meetings with Navy, including last year’s double-overtime victory.

“It’s the only thing that matters to us right now,” said Bo Nicolas-Paul, a senior defensive back for the Black Knights.

Both teams are looking for their sixth win in the season, which would also mark Army head coach Jeff Monken’s sixth career win as Army head coach over Navy. Neither team will play in a bowl game, regardless of the winner.

Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. Saturday in Foxborough, Mass.

“There’s nothing that matches the intensity of this game. So when we get to Saturday, I anticipate both teams are just going to be as excited as two teams could possibly be to square off,” Monken said.

Not only is Army trending in the right direction, winning its last three games of the regular season, but injury-wise, Monken says this is the healthiest the team has been all season heading into Gillette Stadium.

This year, the Black Knights will be wearing the "dogface soldiers" uniform for the game. It will honor the 3rd Infantry Division during the opening phase of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

“I think the best way to win is to do what we do best and try to do the things that we’ve practiced all year long,” Monken said.

With Army already defeating Air Force, Saturday’s matchup is also an opportunity for the Black Knights to outright win the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy for the first time since 2020.

It’s just some extra motivation for an already extremely driven group.

“We’ll definitely get our money’s worth, and it’ll go down to the wire like it does every year,” Nicolas-Paul said.