The Army Black Knight travel to New Orleans on Saturday to face Tulane. Here is your first look at the Green Wave.
SEASON SO FAR
Tulane (1-2) opened with a 43-14 victory over FCS Grambling. The following weekend the Green Wave battled Navy close in Annapolis before following 23-21. Last weekend the Wave fell to a top 5 Oklahoma team 56-14. Tulane averages 26 points offensively scored per game while allowing opponents an average of 31 points per game. The Green Wave rushes for 241 yards per contest on average and passes for 103 ypg. Jonathan Banks (6-2, 215, Jr.) is the normal starting quarterback for the Wave but was injured against Navy and sat out the blowout against the Sooners. His status for the Army game is questionable. Running back Dontrell Hilliard has gained 208 yards on 45 carries (4.6 ypc) with two TDs. Senior middle linebacker Rae Juan Marbley leads Tulane in tackles with 20. Linebacker Luke Jackson has 3 1/2 sacks.
INJURIES AND SUSPENSIONS
09/17/17 QB * Jonathan Banks Ribs “?” Saturday vs. Army
09/17/17 S * Roderic Teamer Foot “?” Saturday vs. Army
08/27/17 DE Robert Kennedy Knee out indefinitely
* Starter
Source: donbest.com
CHALLENGES
Very noticeable to Army fans is the 2-point loss to Navy. Navy happens to run an offense very similar to Army’s. As a matter of fact, Tulane runs some option as well. Willie Fritz, the second-year head coach at Tulane, previously coached at Georgia Southern, another option program. Teams which run the option hope to cause problems for opposing defenses because of their unfamiliarity with that scheme. Tulane will not be unfamiliar with Army’s option attack but, conversely, the Black Knight defense will be ready for the Green Wave. The challenge for Army is that Tulane has a passing threat (103 ypg) to go along with their option. Army’s passing attack (12 ypg) is almost nonexistent. Because of this, Tulane can key on the Black Knight’s runners. To counter that dilemma the BKs need to produce some kind of passing threat during the game while also executing their rushing attack to perfection. Most importantly, Army needs to limit turnovers to no more than one.
Saturday’s game in New Orleans begins at Noon ET and can be seen on the CBS Sports Network.
Monken just doesn’t get it…he needs to grow up as a Div I coach. He talks about passing as a sorry excuse for when the triple option isn’t going well. He even makes wise-cracks about it, witness the Ohio State post game interview. “We are a running team and by golly, we ain’t going to change”–and therefore Army under Monken will never do any better than an 8-4 or 9-3 team (I guess above average is okay, but with the rushing potential of the triple option that Army runs, Army could be a top 25 team–WITH a passing game that is part of its game strategy and not as a fall-back tool when the run game isn’t doing the job. Again–passing as a designed strategy so as to realize the full potential of the rushing game. Funny, other notable triple option coaches GET it (Navy, Air Force, Georgia Tech) as they infuse-as a strategy-the passing game as a deliberately used offensive tool in order to stretch out the defensive back field so as to give the running backs more running room. Without a doubt, Tulane will stack the deck against Army’s running game as did Buffalo and Ohio State until Monken can prove his QBs can complete a pass as a deliberate course of action in doing their offensive business. Of course, this course of action requires a QB who can complete passes to wide open receivers…and Bradshaw seems incapable of doing that. Now what, coach? Stick with a QB (Bradshaw) who is effective running the ball but who is desperately weak in the passing game or a QB that is a notch below Bradshaw in the running department but who can complete enough passes to open up the running game? But then, with Monken’s contract extension beyond 2020, he just might have enough time to infuse the passing game into his offense…but don’t hold your breath.