Army Football: 3 Takeaways from Black Knights’ home opener

3. The Black Knights begin the season 0-2 for the first time since 2015

Watching Army play pitch and catch, throwing for over 300 yards, is surreal. UTSA’s game plan was simple; take away the fullback trap and play solid assignment football. They did just that. Army ran for 179 yards, averaging 3.3 yards per rush attempt. Fullback Jackobi Buchanan had the first negative rushing play in his career at Army.

Army did have a counter, however. Ay’Juan Marshall and Tyrell Robinson combined for seven receptions and 163 yards, and two touchdowns. When UTSA played zero coverage, Army popped a halfback or wide receiver from the formation and took advantage of the one-on-one matchups.

That said, the Black Knights did make some uncharacteristic mistakes. The Knights lost two fumbles and committed some untimely penalties that took away momentum during critical drives. Those penalties kept Army, a run-heavy offense, behind the chains too often.

Defensively, Army was solid most of the game, taking advantage of mistakes and penalties from UTSA. Defensive end Andre Carter had two sacks in the game and was in the backfield often. Because the offense hit so many explosive plays, the defense began to look tired in the fourth quarter.

Their fatigue and the brilliance of Frank Harris kept the Black Knights from being able to close out the game.