Army Postgame Notes

September 10, 2011 | Football

Sept. 10, 2011

Recap |  Final Stats |  Quotes |  Photo Gallery 

TEAM NOTES
• Army and San Diego State met for the first time on Saturday. The Aztecs were the first team from California to visit Michie Stadium since Cal in 1980.

• Head coach Rich Ellerson dropped to 2-1 all-time against SDSU. Ellerson defeated the Aztecs in 2006 and 2008 during his tenure as head coach at Cal Poly.

• Army has lost four straight home openers, and has now dropped back-to-back games at Michie Stadium (Air Force).

• After 23 players saw their first collegiate action in the opener at Northern Illinois, another three players made their collegiate debut against SDSU. Sophomore slotback Scott Williams, freshman defensive lineman Joe Drummond and freshman cornerback Lamar Johnson-Harris stepped on the field for the first time.

• Freshman Lamar Johnson-Harris (CB) sophomore Jon Crucitti (SB), sophomore Justin Trimble (LB) and junior Will Wilson (C) made their first collegiate starts to run Army's total to 14 first-time starters this season.

• Army is 0-2 for the first time since 2008 when the Black Knights started 0-4.

• The Black Knights have lost 14 straight games when trailing after three quarters.

• Army has now lost five straight games when gaining at least 400 yards of total offense.

• The Black Knights are now 7-37 when losing the turnover battle since the start of 2006. Army is 1-10 in its last 10 games when not forcing a turnover.

OFFENSIVE NOTES
• Junior QB Trent Steelman made his 27th consecutive start on Saturday, the second-longest streak in Army history. Steelman has started every game of his West Point career.

• Steelman ran for a career-high 157 yards and three touchdowns on 21 carries Saturday. It was his third multi-touchdown game of his career, and fourth career 100-yard game. His yardage total was the most by an Army quarterback since Myreon Williams ran for 161 yards against Louisville on Oct. 19, 1991.

• Army rushed for 403 yards on Saturday, its highest total since going for 461 yards versus Rice on Nov. 8, 2008. It was Army's 52nd game all-time with at least 400 yards on the ground. It is the first time Army ran for at least 300 yards in back-to-back games since gonig for 341 versus Eastern Michigan on Oct. 11, 2008 and 320 at Buffalo the following week.

• Army's 77 rushing attempts marked the team's highest since rushing 77 times against Lafayette on Sept. 13, 1997. It tied for the 19th most in Academy history.

• Army held the ball for 42:11, its first 40-minute time of possession game since holding it for 40:05 versus North Texas on Nov. 15, 1997. It is the Black Knights' highest TOP since owning the ball for 43:18 against Miami (Ohio) on Oct. 26, 1996.

• Junior SB Malcolm Brown had his streak of games scoring a touchdown stopped at three.

• Senior WR Davyd Brooks had his streak of games with at least one reception stopped at six.

• Sophomore Anthony Stephens made his first career catch, a 24-yarder that converted a 3rd-and-4 on Army's game-tying touchdown drive in the second quarter.

• Sophomore WR Jared McFarlin has made at least one catch in his first two career games.

DEFENSIVE NOTES
• Senior LB Steven Erzinger has started 27 consecutive games as Army's "rover" linebacker.

• Junior DL Zach Watts' recorded his first career sack, forcing San Diego State quarterback Ryan Lindley into an intentional grounding.

• Freshman SS Hayden Pierce had his first career solo tackle for loss when he brought down Ronnie Hillman on a swing pass to prevent the Aztecs from converting a third down.

• After allowing Northern Illinois to convert on 11-of-13 third-down plays in the opener, the Army defense limited SDSU to only two conversion on eight tries.

• Army dropped to 20-109 since 1996 when allowing opponents to score 18-or-more points.

SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES
• Freshman FB Larry Dixon returned a career-best two kicks for 43 yards with a career-long of 27 yards.

• Sophomore SB Scott Williams made his first collegiate appearance, gaining 29 yards on a kick return on his first play. Williams finished with two returns for 53 yards.

• After making his first 53 career PATs, senior K Alex Carlton is 3-for-6 on extra points in his last three games.