Army West Point Athletics
Feinstein's Findings: Showing Toughness to Rally
September 10, 2017 | Football
New York Times bestselling author, John Feinstein, is back for another season with the Black Knights and will report in after each football game during the 2017 season. The weekly report will be posted to GoArmyWestPoint.com following each battle on the gridiron.
Absolutely no one connected to the Army football team expected game two of the 2017 season to be the joyride that game one had been against Fordham.
It wasn't just that Buffalo had beaten the Black Knights a year ago—albeit in a game Army should have won—it was that the Bulls had gone to Minnesota for their opener and more than held their own against a Big Ten team that was coming off a 9-4 season and had a highly touted new coach in J.P. Fleck.
But no one expected the rocky ride that 24,017 watched nervously for three quarters inside Michie Stadium on Saturday. Army is better than it was a year ago. So is Buffalo. Which is why the old coach's cliché about needing everyone in uniform was pretty close to true in this game. The Black Knights showed needed toughness and verve to rally in the fourth quarter and escape with a 21-17 victory that was, at times, concerning, but ultimately hugely gratifying.
Army fell behind 17-7 in the second quarter because the defense gave up two big plays, failing to live up to one of the main mantras that Coach Jeff Monken and defensive coordinator Jay Bateman preach. The first was a 75-yard run by quarterback Tyree Jackson that started the quarter, the second was a 48-yard Jackson to K.J. Osborn pass and catch that put Army in a 10-point hole.
The only good thing about that second quarter was Alex Aukerman's recovery of E.J. Reed's fumble with 9:10 left. At that moment, it was beginning to look like Army might get blown out. The defense had given up the two big plays and the offense, thanks to two silly penalties, had been forced to punt from the 8-yard-line. Nick Schrage, who didn't have to punt at all against Fordham, punted the ball out-of-bounds at the Army 32. Not good.
Buffalo was in business, with a chance to put the Black Knights in a very deep hole. But Aukerman picked up Reed's fumble and Army dodged a bullet. Even though their next drive ended with a blocked field goal, the Black Knights were fortunate to get into the locker room only down ten.
Coaches talk all the time about making halftime corrections. Often, there is only so much you can do during what can be a very tense 20 minutes when a team is trailing. This time though, the adjustments Army made turned the game around. It didn't happen quickly or easily but it did happen.
The defense figured out how to take away the big play. But it was aided immeasurably by the fact that the offense refused to give the ball up. First though, the defense had to make a play that changed the momentum of the afternoon.
After Army was forced to punt at the end of its first drive of the half, the Bulls marched to a first down at the Army 15. The defense stiffened there, and on third-and-11 Jackson dropped to pass. Jaylon McClinton came on a blitz and sacked him, forcing a fumble that Andrew McLean jumped on. A week ago, McClinton had an interception and McLean blocked a field goal. This play was about 100 times more important than those plays were.
It was at that point that the Army offense began to click in exactly the way it needed to click. There were no long runs, no massive holes. It was an option offense grinding it out the way only a good option offense can.
The Black Knights went 79 yards in 16 plays, eating up 8:12 seconds on the clock, finally scoring at the start of the fourth quarter when Darnell Woolfolk, who has clearly won the job as the No. 1 fullback plunged into the end zone from a yard out to make it 17-14.
The defense did its thing again, forcing a punt and then it was back to work for the offense against a clearly tiring Buffalo defense. That's what long grinding drives will do for you. This time it was 65 yards, 13 plays, same climax: Woolfolk bulling his way in from the one. This time 7:21 came off the clock, meaning there was just 4:53 left in the game when Army took the lead, 21-17.
After the Bulls went three-and-out, the offense had a chance to put the game away. As with everything else on this day, it wasn't easy. With Buffalo using all its time outs to try to give its offense time for one last drive, it forced Army into a three-and-out at the Army 42.
Or so it seemed.
In came Schrage to punt. His right leg hadn't been especially effective up until that moment—three punts for an average of 31.3 yards—so this time he used BOTH legs, faking the punt and picking up 15 yards and the last first down the Black Knights needed. With the Bulls out of time-outs, it was kneel-down time.
Army's last loss a year ago was to Notre Dame on November 12th. Since then, the Cadets have won five straight games beginning with an expected rout of Morgan State. The next four have all been sweet because they represented not so much revenge as vindication for past failures.
First—foremost—was the win over Navy that ended 14 years of horrific December memories against the Midshipmen. Then came the bowl win over North Texas, a rare postseason chance to make up for an embarrassing regular season loss.
This season has started with wins over teams that inflicted wounds in recent years: the thrashing of Fordham after the season-opening loss two years ago and now, the hard-fought win over Buffalo.
That's not to say there isn't a lot of work and a lot of improvement needed if this team wants to reach its goals—a first CIC Trophy since 1996; another trip to a bowl and, of course, within the context of the CIC, another win over Navy—which is also now 2-0.
Ahmad Bradshaw ran the ball extremely well again on Saturday and looks very much in control of his offense. He also completed his first two passes of the season, but is going to have to be better than 2-of-8 as the weather gets cooler. The defense is going to have to learn from the mistakes it made Saturday and not allow big plays.
And then there is the matter of this coming Saturday's trip to Ohio State. The game represents an opportunity for the Black Knights to see how they match up with one of the best teams—and programs—in the country. Urban Meyer's WORST record in his first six seasons coaching the Buckeyes was 11-2. Saturday's loss to Oklahoma dropped his overall record to 62-7.
You never want to face a great team coming off a loss—a home loss no less. In the grand scheme of things this is a game you play to give your players the chance to tell their kids and grandkids that they played at Ohio State and also to put a lot of money into the athletic department's coffers. There is just one thing you don't want to have happen: injuries to key players.
A lot of the Buckeyes will play on Sundays when they leave school. They are big, they are strong and they are FAST. Army's players will be doing something a lot more important than that but that isn't going to be the issue next Saturday: football will be the issue.
Based on Tulane's near miss in Annapolis (23-21 loss) on Saturday, the Green Wave will be a very tough out in New Orleans in two weeks. The key to Army's chances in that game may be coming out of Columbus with everyone healthy.
For now though, 2-0 is worthy of some celebration. Because it certainly wasn't easy.
Absolutely no one connected to the Army football team expected game two of the 2017 season to be the joyride that game one had been against Fordham.
It wasn't just that Buffalo had beaten the Black Knights a year ago—albeit in a game Army should have won—it was that the Bulls had gone to Minnesota for their opener and more than held their own against a Big Ten team that was coming off a 9-4 season and had a highly touted new coach in J.P. Fleck.
But no one expected the rocky ride that 24,017 watched nervously for three quarters inside Michie Stadium on Saturday. Army is better than it was a year ago. So is Buffalo. Which is why the old coach's cliché about needing everyone in uniform was pretty close to true in this game. The Black Knights showed needed toughness and verve to rally in the fourth quarter and escape with a 21-17 victory that was, at times, concerning, but ultimately hugely gratifying.
Army fell behind 17-7 in the second quarter because the defense gave up two big plays, failing to live up to one of the main mantras that Coach Jeff Monken and defensive coordinator Jay Bateman preach. The first was a 75-yard run by quarterback Tyree Jackson that started the quarter, the second was a 48-yard Jackson to K.J. Osborn pass and catch that put Army in a 10-point hole.
The only good thing about that second quarter was Alex Aukerman's recovery of E.J. Reed's fumble with 9:10 left. At that moment, it was beginning to look like Army might get blown out. The defense had given up the two big plays and the offense, thanks to two silly penalties, had been forced to punt from the 8-yard-line. Nick Schrage, who didn't have to punt at all against Fordham, punted the ball out-of-bounds at the Army 32. Not good.
Buffalo was in business, with a chance to put the Black Knights in a very deep hole. But Aukerman picked up Reed's fumble and Army dodged a bullet. Even though their next drive ended with a blocked field goal, the Black Knights were fortunate to get into the locker room only down ten.
Coaches talk all the time about making halftime corrections. Often, there is only so much you can do during what can be a very tense 20 minutes when a team is trailing. This time though, the adjustments Army made turned the game around. It didn't happen quickly or easily but it did happen.
The defense figured out how to take away the big play. But it was aided immeasurably by the fact that the offense refused to give the ball up. First though, the defense had to make a play that changed the momentum of the afternoon.
After Army was forced to punt at the end of its first drive of the half, the Bulls marched to a first down at the Army 15. The defense stiffened there, and on third-and-11 Jackson dropped to pass. Jaylon McClinton came on a blitz and sacked him, forcing a fumble that Andrew McLean jumped on. A week ago, McClinton had an interception and McLean blocked a field goal. This play was about 100 times more important than those plays were.
It was at that point that the Army offense began to click in exactly the way it needed to click. There were no long runs, no massive holes. It was an option offense grinding it out the way only a good option offense can.
The Black Knights went 79 yards in 16 plays, eating up 8:12 seconds on the clock, finally scoring at the start of the fourth quarter when Darnell Woolfolk, who has clearly won the job as the No. 1 fullback plunged into the end zone from a yard out to make it 17-14.
The defense did its thing again, forcing a punt and then it was back to work for the offense against a clearly tiring Buffalo defense. That's what long grinding drives will do for you. This time it was 65 yards, 13 plays, same climax: Woolfolk bulling his way in from the one. This time 7:21 came off the clock, meaning there was just 4:53 left in the game when Army took the lead, 21-17.
After the Bulls went three-and-out, the offense had a chance to put the game away. As with everything else on this day, it wasn't easy. With Buffalo using all its time outs to try to give its offense time for one last drive, it forced Army into a three-and-out at the Army 42.
Or so it seemed.
In came Schrage to punt. His right leg hadn't been especially effective up until that moment—three punts for an average of 31.3 yards—so this time he used BOTH legs, faking the punt and picking up 15 yards and the last first down the Black Knights needed. With the Bulls out of time-outs, it was kneel-down time.
Army's last loss a year ago was to Notre Dame on November 12th. Since then, the Cadets have won five straight games beginning with an expected rout of Morgan State. The next four have all been sweet because they represented not so much revenge as vindication for past failures.
First—foremost—was the win over Navy that ended 14 years of horrific December memories against the Midshipmen. Then came the bowl win over North Texas, a rare postseason chance to make up for an embarrassing regular season loss.
This season has started with wins over teams that inflicted wounds in recent years: the thrashing of Fordham after the season-opening loss two years ago and now, the hard-fought win over Buffalo.
That's not to say there isn't a lot of work and a lot of improvement needed if this team wants to reach its goals—a first CIC Trophy since 1996; another trip to a bowl and, of course, within the context of the CIC, another win over Navy—which is also now 2-0.
Ahmad Bradshaw ran the ball extremely well again on Saturday and looks very much in control of his offense. He also completed his first two passes of the season, but is going to have to be better than 2-of-8 as the weather gets cooler. The defense is going to have to learn from the mistakes it made Saturday and not allow big plays.
And then there is the matter of this coming Saturday's trip to Ohio State. The game represents an opportunity for the Black Knights to see how they match up with one of the best teams—and programs—in the country. Urban Meyer's WORST record in his first six seasons coaching the Buckeyes was 11-2. Saturday's loss to Oklahoma dropped his overall record to 62-7.
You never want to face a great team coming off a loss—a home loss no less. In the grand scheme of things this is a game you play to give your players the chance to tell their kids and grandkids that they played at Ohio State and also to put a lot of money into the athletic department's coffers. There is just one thing you don't want to have happen: injuries to key players.
A lot of the Buckeyes will play on Sundays when they leave school. They are big, they are strong and they are FAST. Army's players will be doing something a lot more important than that but that isn't going to be the issue next Saturday: football will be the issue.
Based on Tulane's near miss in Annapolis (23-21 loss) on Saturday, the Green Wave will be a very tough out in New Orleans in two weeks. The key to Army's chances in that game may be coming out of Columbus with everyone healthy.
For now though, 2-0 is worthy of some celebration. Because it certainly wasn't easy.
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