Navy kicked off a new era of football Saturday, but it was same old grand atmosphere in Annapolis.
After 134 years as an independent, the Midshipmen are playing their first season in the American Athletic Conference. The new affiliation was on full display at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium with the AAC emblem on the field turf.
It was Navy's first season-opener played in Annapolis in four years, attracting a decent crowd of 28,015 on Labor Day weekend. And the Mids didn't disappoint the home faithful, coasting to a 48-10 triumph.
The game featured all of the elements of a typical afternoon of football in Annapolis with the pageantry of the Brigade of Midshipmen festooned in their dress whites, an impressive array of tailgating paraphernalia and kids frolicking on the hill near the west end zone throughout the game.