2015-16 Football Previews – (Independent) – Knights
Army’s 2014 season was something to be forgotten, once again failing to reach a bowl game since 1996. And with so many departing starters, a postseason might once again seem to be a stretch for newly-named Cadets in 2015.
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2015-2016 College Football Preview – Army Black Knights
NCAA Division I FBS American Independent Schools
Head Coach: Jeff Monken
2014-15 Record: 4-8
Army Cadets odds to win the 2016 FBS Championship 20/1
Team Strengths
Despite the loss of so many key starters on both sides of the ball, the Cadets will get back a pair of key players in kicker Daniel Grochowski and punter Alex Tardieu.
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Grochowski’s 52-yard field goal against Navy last season was the program’s longest in 20 years, and the difference between a win and a loss in 2015, could come down to as little as three points.
Hopefully, however, it won’t come down to a field goal, if Army’s offense can rise to its potential, starting with a pair of quarterbacks that includes Ahmad Bradshaw and senior A.J. Schurr, who could find themselves sharing the position this season.
Schurr started two games in 2014, and is the Cadets’ leading returning rusher. Bradshaw also has explosive speed, and between them both, they very well could replicate Army’s running attack from just a year ago, which ranked fifth-best in the country.
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If they don’t, it certainly won’t be because of the Cadets’ offensive line, which is anchored by senior center Matt Hugenberg and 2013 starter Justin Gilbert, who returns at right tackle after missing last season with a torn ACL.
The quarterbacks will also have some decent receiving options in junior Edgar Poe, who started nine games last season, sophomore Jeff Ejekam and senior tight end Kelvin White.
Team Weakness
With only six starters returning, Army’s defense will fill the biggest blow, with five of its front seven having graduated, including all four linemen.
Among the returners are junior linebackers Andrew King, who led the team with five sacks, and Jeremy Timpf, who led the team with 117 tackles in 2014.
The pair will line up alongside of sophomore end John Voit, who appeared in 11 games as a reserve last season, as well as senior T.J. Atimalala, who will likely be the starting nose tackle.
More new faces will be former receiver Xavier Moss, who switched to safety during the spring, and Steven Johnson, who could find himself at corner in the Cadets’ nickel packages after filling in for six game last season for injured senior Chris Carnegie.
The Cadets will also have new faces on special teams, which was already in need of improvement after finishing 117th nationally in punt returns and 123rd on kick returns last season.
Two freshman will be given an opportunity to breathe life into that return game.
Army Cadets 2015 Prediction: (5-7)
There are a lot of holes to fill on this year’s Army squad, and despite some solid returners and some very good young players to fill those holes, this season will be littered with growing pains.
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Nevertheless, there are many indicators that the Cadets’ football program is headed in an upward direction under Monken, who has recruited faster and more athletic players, than another coach at West Point ever has.
Could this be the year that Army ends its 13-game losing streak to rival Navy?
We’ll have to wait and see.
ARMY 2015 FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Sept. 4 Fordham 6:00 pm
Sept. 12 at Connecticut 11:00 am
Sept. 19 Wake Forest 11:00 am
Sept. 26 at Eastern Michigan
Oct. 3, at Penn State TBA
Oct. 10 Duke 11:00 am
Oct. 17 Bucknell11:00 am
Oct. 24 at RiceTBA
Nov. 7 at Air Force TBA
Nov. 14 Tulane 11:00 am
Nov. 21, Rutgers 11:00 am
Dec. 12, at Navy 2:00 pm
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