Army Football: 2017 season preview, predictions
By Zach Bigalke
Offense
On their way to winning eight games, the Army offense finished second in the nation in rushing in 2016. By the end, only New Mexico put up more yardage per game on the ground as Army averaged over 335 rushing yards per game. They return nine starters, including leading rushers Andrew Davidson and Darnell Woolfolk.
Four of Army’s five starters on the offensive line are seniors. Left tackle Rick Kurz, a junior, is the youngster of the bunch. Kurz started seven games in 2016 on the left side of the line, and he will likely get the full-time position this season. The unit as a whole has started 77 combined games over the course of their West Point careers.
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While they are not utilized much in Army’s ground-focused offense, the team did lose top receiver Edgar Poe to graduation. His younger brother, Christian, returns for his junior season at West Point. The receiving corps also includes senior Jeff Ejekam. The top two receivers, though, boast just 19 career catches for 243 yards and one touchdown.
Can Ahmad Bradshaw evolve into threat through the air and leader?
The Black Knights have not been much of a passing team in recent years. Like the other service academies, Army relies on a run-based triple option offense. That allows schools with strict physical requirements to narrow the gap against bigger, stronger opposition. As a result, it has been a decade since the Black Knights averaged even 100 passing yards per game. Last year they ranked dead last in the FBS, averaging fewer than 75 yards in the air each time they took the field.
That could change this season with the return of senior quarterback Ahmad Bradshaw. He nearly left the school in the preseason last year ahead of his junior season. Instead he was a key part of the squad that broke the bowl drought. When Army goes back to pass, they usually seek out high-risk plays that stretch the field vertically. If Bradshaw can improve to complete even half of his attempts in 2017, Army could fortify its top-shelf ground game with an improved aerial attack.