Crab Bowl Classic The Crab Bowl Classic , also known as the Crab Bowl or the Maryland – Navy rivalry , is an American college football rivalry between the Maryland Terrapins football team of the University of Maryland and the Navy Midshipmen football team of the United States Naval Academy . The two institutions , located in close proximity in the state of Maryland , first met for a football game in 1905 . Since then , the series has often been marked by controversy , with incidents by players and supporters occurring both on and off the field . The winner of the game is awarded the Crab Bowl Trophy . Navy dominated the series early by winning the first eight games , between 1905 and 1930 , which remains the longest streak . Maryland secured its first win in 1931 at a neutral site in Washington , D . C . After two more meetings , the series was suspended in 1934 when the Maryland administration protested a play . The teams met again in 1950 when Navy had a last - minute opening in its schedule . The Terrapins won three consecutive games from 1950 to 1952 , and the Midshipmen won three from 1958 to 1963 . During the 1964 game , a Maryland player twice flashed an obscene gesture , which prompted Navy to cancel the series again . After contractual obligations were fulfilled with the following year ' s game , the series was put on hiatus for 40 years . Maryland and Navy finally resumed the rivalry in 2005 and again in 2010 , with the Terps winning both contests . Background . The Naval Academy and the University of Maryland are separated by about 30 miles in the state of Maryland . The schools by their nature , a Federal service academy and a public university , differ radically in terms of culture and lifestyle . For many years , the University of Maryland possessed the reputation of a blue - collar , working - class school . Some students viewed the Naval Academy , with its strictly regimented culture , as elitist . A former Terrapins linebacker , Jerry Fishman , believed that many Midshipmen " thought they were far superior to the Maryland redneck coal miners . " A former Navy fullback , Pat Donnelly , said that compared to a " public institution , [ the Naval Academy ] was night and day . I think there was a feeling of mutual dislike , but it wasn ’ t personal , it was more institutional . " According to former Maryland head coach ( and former Maryland player ) Ralph Friedgen , the sentiment at Navy has been that beating their archrival " Army is a must , but Maryland is a necessity . " Darryl Hill , who attended both schools and broke the color barrier on each team , said that the Midshipmen " had a saying that beating Army is great , but beating Maryland is a must . " Despite a lopsided start in the early 20th century , the Terps and Midshipmen were evenly matched for most of the history of the series . Between 1931 and 1965 , Navy won six and Maryland five games . In the 2005 season opener , Navy was coming off one of its best seasons in history with a 10 – 2 record the previous year . Maryland struggled later in 2005 , but proved a competitive match for Navy and achieved a last - minute win , 23 – 20 . In addition to proximity and competitiveness , the rivalry was fueled by controversial incidents both on and off the field . Maryland supporters long held that Navy players used unnecessary roughness during play , a charge counter - accused by the Academy after the 1963 game . Some Midshipmen would travel to College Park to meet female students , which served to aggravate the ill feelings . Pranks and vandalism were commonplace on both campuses and exacerbated the already tense situation between Maryland and Navy . Series history . Early Years : 1905 – 1934 . On October 25 , 1905 , the team then known as the Maryland Agricultural " Farmers " ( or " Aggies " ) traveled to Annapolis to meet the Navy " Admirals " for the first time . In the first eight games of the series , Navy outscored the teams of the Maryland Agricultural College , Maryland State College ( 1916 and 1917 ) , and finally , the University of Maryland ( 1930 onwards ) by a combined margin of 256 points to 7 . The 1930 game proved to be the first competitive match of the series . Navy scored the only points with a 65 - yard touchdown run on the second play of the game . The remainder was a defensive struggle , and Navy and Maryland advanced to the opposing one - and nine - yard lines , respectively , before being rebuffed . The 1931 match - up was held for the first time at a neutral site , Griffith Stadium in Washington , D . C . . In the first Maryland win of the series , the Terrapins scored the only points on a trick " triple - pass " play . The Maryland administration put a halt to the series in 1934 amidst claims that Navy scored the winning go - ahead , 16 – 13 , on an illegal play after reviewing game tape . Revival : 1950 – 52 . The series resumed in 1950 after Georgetown unexpectedly canceled a scheduled game with Navy . Maryland agreed to fill in for Georgetown and hosted the Academy for the Byrd Stadium dedication game in front of a then Washington area - record crowd of 43 , 836 fans . The two teams last met in 1934 , and since that time the Terrapins had hired head coach Jim Tatum . Tatum , an innovator of the split - T offense , had brought consistent success to Maryland in the intervening years . Fearing a renewal of post - game mischief , the Midshipmen attending the match were given strict orders : " Behave like gentlemen and go straight home after the Maryland – Navy football game in College Park tomorrow . No midshipmen will enter the goal post activity or other altercation following the game . " Newspapers predicted that Navy would win the 1950 game due to the inexperience of the Maryland quarterback s , who were led by 19 - year old sophomore Jack Scarbath . A week before , Scarbath had his first start in a 27 – 7 loss to Georgia , but he would later become one of Maryland ' s greatest quarterbacks and the 1952 Heisman Trophy runner - up . In the first quarter against Navy , Scarbath scored on a quarterback keeper . Before the half , he completed passes to end s Stan Karnash and Pete Augsburger for 44 - and 59 - yard touchdowns . In the third quarter , the Midshipmen responded with a score of their own . In the final period , Maryland end Elmer Wingate returned an interception 34 yards for another touchdown . Then , 54 seconds later , end Lew Weidensaul recovered a Midshipmen fumble , which allowed Ed Modzelewski to rush five yards for the final score by the Terrapins . Navy scored twice more , but Maryland held on to win , 35 – 21 . In 1951 , pranks soon returned to the two campuses . Midshipmen were caught in the act of painting the letter " N " on various buildings on the Maryland campus and defacing the grass with the Navy emblem . Early in the 1951 game , Navy ' s Frank Brady returned a punt 100 yards to take the lead , 7 – 0 . It was the only time of Maryland ' s undefeated season that they trailed an opponent . The Terrapins responded , and by the end of the third quarter , they had taken the game in hand , 34 – 7 . Against the stubborn Navy line , Scarbath resorted to the pass more than usual , and completed 16 of 34 for 285 yards . Despite a late Midshipmen surge , Maryland held on for the win , 40 – 21 . Navy resurgence : 1958 – 1963 . Maryland struggled after the departure of Jim Tatum , and , in the next meeting in 1958 , Navy routed them , 40 – 14 . In 1959 , Maryland students painted a presumptive final score of " Maryland 59 , Navy 0 " on the statue of Tecumseh in front of Bancroft Hall . The prediction was off the mark , as first - year head coach Wayne Hardin and future Heisman - winning halfback Joe Bellino helped Navy to a victory , 22 – 14 . In the early 1960s , the Terrapins were coached by former Florida State head coach Tom Nugent . While with the Seminoles , Nugent had wanted to recruit a black player , but felt the racial climate there was unsuitable . He said that " the head of the Ku Klux Klan lived in Tallahassee . You ' d come to your car and there ' d be a notice on it announcing a Klan meeting that night . " When he took over at Maryland in 1959 , Nugent saw his opportunity . He instructed the Terrapins ' quarterbacks coach Lee Corso to find a black player who was academically and athletically suited to come to College Park . Corso had been impressed by Roger Staubach ' s preferred receiver , Darryl Hill , during a freshman match between Maryland and Navy , and had also heard a rumor that he was considering leaving the Naval Academy . In 1962 , Corso convinced Hill to transfer to Maryland , a school that had just 32 African - Americans in its 35 , 000 student body , and become the first black player in the Atlantic Coast Conference ( ACC ) . Once there , Hill quickly befriended the team ' s only Jew , linebacker Jerry Fishman . Middle - finger incident : 1964 . Before the 1964 game , Maryland supporters stole the Navy mascot , Bill the Goat , but what happened in the game itself was far more controversial . Terrapin players said they would seek revenge against Navy for roughing up Darryl Hill in 1963 . Roger Staubach , Navy ' s Heisman Trophy quarterback , said that " it was not a friendly game . . . Jerry [ Fishman ] did not have friendliness in his eyes . He had an extra mean streak that day . " After a punt return , Fishman was penalized for a hard hit that injured receiver Skip Orr directly in front of the Navy stands , intensifying the ever - present heckling from the crowd . In response , Fishman approached the Brigade of Midshipmen section and raised an extended middle finger . After Fishman was penalized again for a late hit on Staubach , Fishman gave the obscene gesture for a second time . High - ranking Navy officers noticed Fishman ' s middle finger and became incensed . Staubach later said that Fishman " told the fans he thought Maryland was number one and got his fingers wrong . " Due to Fishman ' s actions , Academy officials allowed their contractual obligation to the series to lapse after the 1965 game . Years later , Bud Thalman , Navy sports information director at the time , said the incident had taken place " when there was still some level of sportsmanship in athletes . . . It was so out of character it was stunning . There was no inclination from Navy to seek out a renewal . That untoward act of sportsmanship created a bad taste among people . " Navy head coach , Wayne Hardin , called Fishman ' s act " a disgrace to college football . " Maryland ' s head coach , Tom Nugent , had a different opinion and said , " Both teams appeared to be just a bunch of red - blooded guys trying to kill each other . " The game itself was closely contested . Staubach completed 25 passes , but also threw two interceptions . Late in the fourth quarter , Navy took the lead , 22 – 21 . With less than three minutes remaining , the Midshipmen kicked off and halfback Ken Ambrusko fielded the ball from the Terrapins ' endzone . Ambrusko returned it 101 yards for a touchdown , and Maryland won the game , 27 – 22 . Another revival : 2005 . In 1997 , Maryland had a new head coach , Ron Vanderlinden , and he immediately saw that Navy was a natural rival for his team , but was unaware of the past history . Vanderlinden attempted to renew the game , but it was not until after his relief that the idea materialized . In 2001 , Ralph Friedgen was hired as his successor and spearheaded efforts to reinvigorate the team ' s old rivalries , including that against Navy . Friedgen , who played for Maryland as an offensive guard , was at the 1964 game as a recruit . He had also coached for nine years as Georgia Tech ' s offensive coordinator , and he harbored nostalgic feelings for a rivalry with the passion of Clean , Old - Fashioned Hate . Friedgen stated that , in addition to the rivalries with West Virginia and Virginia , a renewed in - state series would be even more meaningful . In 2002 , the two schools agreed to meet for the first Crab Bowl Classic in forty years , scheduled for 2005 . The 2005 game was played at the M & T Bank Stadium in Baltimore and attended by 67 , 809 fans . The game was a close contest marked by costly Maryland turnovers and Navy penalties . A Sam Hollenbach interception helped Navy to end the first quarter with a 14 – 3 lead . Immediately before halftime , Maryland kicked a field goal and another third quarter field goal narrowed the deficit to 14 – 9 . Both Maryland and Navy rushed for touchdowns and failed to make two - point conversion s in the final quarter . Maryland took over on their own 18 - yard line after the Navy kick , trailing 20 – 15 with 4 : 37 left on the clock . Hollenbach then engineered a 12 - play , 82 - yard drive capped by an 11 - yard touchdown pass and a two - point conversion . Navy took over with one minute left , and completed a first down on their 33 - yard line before an interception sealed the game for the Terps 23 – 20 . Bowl game snubs : 2006 – 08 . In the next postseason , Maryland declined an invitation to face Navy in the Meineke Car Care Bowl in Charlotte , North Carolina . Instead , the Terps had their sights on the Champs Sports Bowl , to play Purdue in Orlando . According to Maryland athletic director Deborah Yow and coach Friedgen , the decision was based on the players ' preference , a bigger school pay - out , warmer weather , a Big Ten opponent , and more media exposure . Also , the Champs Sports Bowl was deemed to be the fourth - most prestigious non - BCS bowl while the Meineke game was number - six . Navy athletic director Chet Gladchuk stated that Maryland ' s snub was the basis for their rejection of Maryland offers to renew the series in 2010 : " The stage was set for everything we had talked about , and all the good things that could have happened for fans — a big rematch , a bowl setting , a great city . . . It would have been a sellout in Charlotte , and they decided to do something else . That has caused us to pause a little bit and think through the whole relationship . " Ralph Friedgen responded by saying " He ' s gotta get over it , " and that the Navy rivalry never entered into the decision - making process . In 2008 , Navy accepted a bid to play an ACC team in the inaugural EagleBank Bowl at Washington D . C . ' s RFK Stadium . Maryland officials said they could not accept an invitation to the game due to it conflicting with the school ' s final exams . Gladchuk said , " We have exams that week , too , but we ' re going to show up . . . Everybody has an excuse why they can ' t do this or can ' t do that . We ' re finding a way to accommodate the bowl ' s situation . " The Maryland staff reevaluated the EagleBank Bowl but determined it was impossible as many players had an exam on the game date . Yow said , " There are people who are at [ academic ] risk and need every moment of that week to prepare for the exams . " As a result , Navy played Wake Forest for the second time of the season in the EagleBank Bowl and Maryland traveled to Boise , Idaho to play Nevada in the Humanitarian Bowl . Future of the series : 2010 – . In 2007 , the two teams agreed to schedule a rematch for September 6 , 2010 . Deborah Yow stated that , " The citizens of Maryland have made it clear they want this game . " Alluding to the Navy athletic staff ' s perceived reticence , she added , " We got past the Charlotte situation . " The delay in scheduling was attributed to the need for a three - way contract between Maryland , Navy , and the stadium tenants , the Baltimore Ravens . For this reason , a renewal as far off as 2014 was not seriously discussed . Ralph Friedgen said , " I would like to see it as an annual game , but that ' s not for me to decide . " The 2010 game would be the first to award the Crab Bowl Trophy to the winner . 69 , 348 fans turned out to see the game at M & T Bank Stadium in Baltimore , which was considered a home game for Maryland . Navy dominated the game statistically , controlling the ball for nearly 40 minutes and gaining 485 yards . The Midshipmen also converted 10 of 18 third - down chances . But their errors and failure to convert near the goal line cost them dearly . Navy kicker Joe Buckley missed a 32 - yard field goal attempt , quarterback Ricky Dobbs lost a fumble at the Maryland 1 - yard line , and Maryland eventually walked away with a 17 - 14 victory . As of 2011 , there are no future football games scheduled between Navy and Maryland . Trophy . In 2010 , the Touchdown Club of Annapolis created the Crab Bowl Trophy . The trophy is " a large pewter bowl overflowing with pewter replicas of the Chesapeake Bay blue crab " which " sits atop an ebony - colored mahogony base . . . engraved with the results of 20 previous Maryland - Navy games . " It was designed by Tilghman Company , a family - owned jewelry store in Annapolis , Maryland . Game results . " Maryland victories are shaded in red . Navy victories are shaded in blue . "