Army Football: 2022 Black Knights season preview and prediction

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Dec 22, 2021; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; Missouri Tigers running back Elijah Young (4) breaks through a hole in line against the Army Black Knights during the third quarter of the 2021 Armed Forces Bowl at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Dieb-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Army will have a solid defensive unit once again.

There’s an old saying, “A good defense is a good offense.” One of the reasons the Army’s defense is so good is the offense plays slow. The defense was on the field for an average of 25 minutes per game. Don’t get it twisted; however, this defense can play.

The 70 points they allowed against Wake Forest skewed their numbers last season. Western Michigan was the only other offense to score 30 points or more against Army last season. This defense was a solid group, finishing 15th in total defense last season.

What stands out about how the Knights defend is that they genuinely play as a unit. The defense is reminiscent of the Miami Dolphins’ “No-Name” defense from the 1970s.

However, this defense has a star in the making. Defensive end Andre Carter had 17 tackles for loss; 14.5 of those were sacks. Carter has the ideal size at 6-foot-7 and 260 pounds to play in the NFL.

Oh, and he’ll be back this fall.

The defense loses its leading tackler, Arik Smith, and its size in the middle, nose tackle Nolan Cockrill but there is plenty of veteran talent to fill those two holes. The secondary returns almost everyone, led by safety Marquel Broughton.

You know what you are getting with Army football’s defense. They are disciplined, tackle well, and won’t beat themselves.

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