Army uses its defense to end 6-game skid against Air Force

WEST POINT, N.Y. -- Army coach Rich Ellerson has been searching for that elusive signature victory. He might just have it now. Trent Steelman rushed for 101 yards and scored twice, the Army defense held Air Force's high-powered offense in check, and the Black Knights beat the Falcons 41-21 on Saturday. How big was that? Army (2-7) stopped a 13-game skid in service academy games and beat an archrival it had defeated just once in the previous 15 games. "That was fun, huh?" Ellerson said afterward with a big smile. "This is a milestone for us. I'm really proud of how the guys prepared. This is a good football team. It doesn't have a good record." Most importantly, Army stayed in the hunt for its first Commander-in-Chief's Trophy since 1996. The coveted hardware goes to the service academy with the best record in the annual round-robin competition between the schools.