The Army Black Knights host FBS newcomer Liberty on Saturday at Michie Stadium. Here are your three keys to a Black Knight victory over the Flames.
Army running game rolls
Last week at Duke the Black Knights gained just 168 yards rushing. That isn’t Army football. The cadets must get the running game back in order. Army needs players like Darnell Woolfolk, Calen Holt and Kell Walker to put up big numbers. It all starts with quarterback Kelvin Hopkins Jr. He’s the director of the offense and must make the right reads to set himself and his backs up for success. It’s okay to throw a few passes to keep defenses honest- Hopkins appears to have an accurate arm- but let’s not get away from the bread and butter of the option offense.
Stop Kentory Matthews
Liberty has a solid rushing attack led by redshirt senior running back Kentory Matthews. In last week’s lopsided win over Old Dominion Matthews gained 101 yards on 17 carries for a TD. Matthews also has a offensive line that averages 300 pounds and has 66 combined starts under its belt.
Don’t overlook the Flames
That would be a big mistake. These guys knocked off Baylor on the road last season. Virginia is not too far from New York so expect a enthusiastic crowd to be on hand supporting the Flames. Consider that the Liberty players will be bouncing off the wall for Army. Losing to Duke last week was one thing. Losing to Liberty would set the progress of the Army program back a couple years. This can’t happen!
Saturday’s game kicks off at Noon ET. TV: CBS Sports Network.
