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Army football will be New Year’s Six bowl threat in 2021

By Dante Pryor

General view as Army Cadets march onto the field before a game between the Army Black Knights and the Navy Midshipmen. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
General view as Army Cadets march onto the field before a game between the Army Black Knights and the Navy Midshipmen. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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After a disappointing 5-8 season in 2019, the Army Black Knights rebounded in 2020, finishing 9-3 with an appearance in the Liberty Bowl. Their rebound season placed head coach Jeff Monken atop many fans’ coaching wish lists.

Monken was rumored to be a candidate at Illinois and Kansas. Whether there was any substance to those rumors is moot since Monken is still the head coach at West Point. This season, Army looks to get back to ten wins, something it did in 2017 and 2018.

That will not be easy to do; their schedule this season does them no favors. Army faces two of the better teams in the MAC, Big Ten West power Wisconsin and the Black Knights end the season against upstart Liberty and quarterback Malik Willis.

The rest of the schedule is manageable, and the Black Knights should find themselves back in the postseason for the fourth time in five years under Monken. Winning ten games will require an upset.

To pull off an upset, Army needs to restock the offensive line and find stability at quarterback. The defense looks to be solid once again after surrendering just 14.8 points per game last season. There is anticipation along the Hudson, and there should be.

Here is a look at the Army’s offense, defense, and a preview of their schedule.

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