Army Football: Black Knights embarrass Houston in 2018 Armed Forces Bowl

Army’s Triple Option, Discipline, and Clock Management

The Army Black Knights found so much of their success through their ability to run the ball, limit their number of penalties and turnovers, and eat up as much of the clock as possible when they have the ball on offense.

Army’s ultimate success stems from them averaging 4.6 yards per carry. With such dominance on the ground, Army quarterback, Kelvin Hopkins Jr has been able to make many wide open passes this season. Additionally, Army led the country in both third down and  fourth down conversion percentage. With limited penalties, the Black Knights found themselves in fourth and very short many times, allowing an extension to their offensive drives. Longer drives lead to longer times of possession, delaying their opponent an opportunity to score.

The Black Knight’s time of possession dominance became especially apparent in their game against Oklahoma earlier in the season when they took the Sooners to overtime.

Finally, Army was second in the country in turnovers with only eight.

Every single one of these qualities culminated against the Houston Cougars in the 2018 Armed Forces Bowl. Army’s first possession took 14 plays, 80 yards and 7:47 off of the clock and concluded with a Hopkins Jr. rushing touchdown.

Coaches talk about the importance of being able to run the ball and limit unforced errors. Many other teams would benefit if they were able to run the ball, and take care of the ball, like Army.