Sunday, September 30, 2018

Quick Thoughts: Army Lays a Whuppin' on Buffalo

Very satisfying game yesterday.  Big game on the road in front of a near sold-out crowd, and Army really needed to win.  They did.  They brought their best stuff for the most part, and they made it happen.

The team now heads into its bye week with a winning record against the toughest part of its schedule.  Commander-in-Chief's play lies ahead, as do a bunch of games against dangerous, under-performing teams, but at least right now, all is right with Black Knights Nation.


Some quick thoughts are below.

1.  The team, and especially the defense, came out a little tight or maybe a little nervous.  For the first two series, it looked like we were maybe in for a long day.  The defense just missed a couple of big plays against Buffalo's offense on the first series, but then they missed a tackle, and the Bulls went up 7-0.  Not the start we were looking for, especially when the offense turned around and gave up a 3-and-out.

The Bulls drove again, but Army eventually got them into 3rd- and then 4th-and-long, and then Army forced a turnover on downs.  That was really the turning point, though obviously the blocked punt was also a dramatic turn, and it gave the Black Knights a two-score lead.  

But Army's defense got dialed in after Buffalo's second series.  Even the Color Analyst on CBS Sports Network noticed it.  After two series, whatever the Bulls ran, Army was ready for it.  The players had obviously seen it in practice and knew exactly what to do.



2. Still talking about defense: CB Mike Reynolds is an upgrade opposite CB Elijah Riley.  He's got good speed, he plays the ball well, and with those two on the field, Army's no longer giving up a bunch of plays over the top.  That's a big deal, especially against a quick-strike offense like Buffalo's.


3. QB Kelvin Hopkins played another good game yesterday.  He was very efficient with the football, going 4/5 passing for 91 yards, a touchdown, and an interception.  He also had 19 carries for 89 yards (4.7 yards/carry).  Honestly, he looks better every single week, especially running in traffic.  He may never be the kind of heavy pounder that Bradshaw was at times, but Hopkins is decisive with the ball, and he makes better plays pitching and passing, and that more than compensates for the lesser emphasis on Quarterback Power plays.


4.  We also finally saw some of the backup quarterbacks yesterday.  I was yelling at poor Luke Langdon, but then he broke off a 30-yard touchdown run to quiet the noise coming from Connecticut.  Good for him.  I continue to think that current 3rd stringer Cam Thomas has more pure athleticism and should therefore get more work, but what do I know?  Langdon clearly understands the offense, and he made a great play yesterday.  That counts.

Still, my man Thomas carried twice for 13 yards (6.5 yards/carry), and that's not too bad.  He looks like he's got another gear out there, and I sincerely hope we get to see it at San Jose State.


5.  It's been tough sledding at the fullback position for a couple of weeks in a row.  FB Darnell Woolfolk led the team in carries with 14 for 58 yards (4.1 yards/carry).  Interestingly, FB Connor Slomka came next with 13 for 52 yards (4.0 yards/carry).  Slomka's Army's short yardage back, which just goes to show how often the offense was pounding for tough yards.  It was practically every play.

Things finally opened up in the middle in the fourth quarter, but by the time that happened, Coach Monken had started putting in some of the reserves.  So there was maybe an opportunity to run up some stats this week, but it's hard to argue with the decision to get out of the game healthy and get some of the backups some playing time.  FB Sandon McCoy had 3 carries for 12 yards (4.0 yards/carry) as well as the key block to spring Langdon for his touchdown.


6.  Four receivers caught balls yesterday.  For once, none of them was SB Kell Walker, who actually had a quiet game.  Walker and SB Jordan Asberry are both good receivers out of the backfield, though, and that's an awesome addition to the team.

Army P(Wins) vs. the schedule: headed into the Bye Week.  More on this later in the week.

Folks, that's all I've got time for today.  There's probably more, but you'll have to look it up yourselves.

Go Army!  Beat San Jose State!!!
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