Army Football: 2022 Black Knights season preview and prediction
By Dante Pryor
3. You know what you will get from the Army offense.
When one talks about Army football, one talks about option football. Unlike some of the newer spread option and zone-read offenses, the Black Knights want you in a phone booth. Army runs the purest form of the option in FBS. The Knights finished second in the country in rushing yards per game (280.6).
Quarterback Christian Anderson ran the show, leading the Knights in passing and rushing. Anderson was one of three ball carriers with at least 100 carries in 2021. Jakobi Buchanan and Tyhier Tyler also had over 100 carries. Anderson gave the Knights something they hadn’t had at quarterback, a legitimate passer.
Anderson threw for 713 yards and five touchdowns last season. That might not seem like a lot but consider that Anderson had just 13 fewer pass attempts than the team had in 2020 and threw for more than 200 more yards than the team in 2020.
Anderson is gone, but the three quarterbacks behind him, Tyler, Cade Ballard, and Jemel Jones, are all seniors. Monken’s system usually plays more than one quarterback; expect the same this fall. Tyler is the best runner, and Jones is the best passer.
Quarterback is not the only position where there are upperclassmen. Buchanan and fellow fullback Tyson Riley are not only hefty (260 and 250 pounds, respectively) but also juniors who have seen significant reps.
The Black Knights are also four deep at slot back, with juniors Tyrell Robinson (who led Army in touchdown catches) and Ay’Juan Marshall leading the way. Their leading receiver Isaiah Alston also returns.
Connor Bishop anchors an offensive line that will be solid but needs to replace a few starters from last year. Those replacements, however, are upperclassmen who have been in the program for at least three years.