Three Big Questions: Army Black Knights
A look at each FBS program for 2023, alphabetically
We’ve already taken a look at one service academy, so how about another? Army is probably the most prominent of the service academy teams, with three Heisman trophy winners, three national championships (all claimed in a three-year stretch from 1944-46), and one half of the iconic regular-season closing Army-Navy Game. As with Air Force, there are certain limitations that keep service academies back, but the Black Knights of West Point haven’t worked within those limitations as well as their airborne cousins in Colorado. But, how do they look for 2023?
Team Information
School: Army Black Knights
Conference: Independent
2022 Record: 6-6
Bowl: N/A
Coaching Staff:
Head Coach: Jeff Monken, 10th season
Offensive Coordinator: Drew Thatcher, first season
Defensive Coordinator: Nate Woody, fourth season
1. Does the switch to the spread offense help the Black Knights?
Every year, we hear about rule changes and how they impact teams and players. Recently, it’s been the changes in the portal. But for Army, this year’s major rule change is different. The Black Knights have to contend with new cut blocking rules.
Service academies are at a disadvantage against other schools because of their stringent entry requirements. At West Point, there are height-to-weight ratio requirements, along with body fat percentages before anyone can be admitted. In fact, the heaviest a 17-20 year old West Point cadet can be is 234 pounds. That makes blocking 300+ pound defensive linemen a tall task.
So, service academies had to adapt, and now exclusively run the triple option. This is an offense built on deception, and its multiple options to pitch or hand off the ball confuse defenses and force them into making snap decisions. By forcing the opposition into making quick decisions, it gives more time for offensive plays to develop. That can take the place of strong blocking.
There is one problem, though: the under center triple option offense requires cut blocks from pulling lineman. New rules prohibit that, so Monken and Thatcher had to adapt.
Thatcher, who was hired from Division-II Nebraska-Kearney, comes from a spread offense. In fact, he was hired to help implement the Army-style in a spread offense.
Now, this change does a lot for the offense. Most high school athletes run a variation of the spread, which allows them to acclimate more to Monken’s offense at West Point. Also, the added distance between the quarterback and various running backs and the offensive line can manufacture more of the decision-making time that they’re desperately looking for.
But, the change could bring new heights to the Army offense. They’re not going to pass the ball that much, but the spread option could open up more creative running lanes. Just take a look at Coastal Carolina’s offense under Jamey Chadwell. The Chanticleers often have tons of open running lanes. Army’s scheme change can open up a lot of those same lanes.
2. Who replaces Andre Carter II?
Last season, the Black Knights had one of the best linebacker/edge rushers in the nation in Andre Carter II. While he didn’t repeat his dominant season from 2022, when he posted 15.5 sacks, he still drew much of opposing offenses’ attention.
Carter II, though, is off to the NFL as a projected Day 2 pick and the second ever Army player drafted in the common era (since 1967). So, who takes his place on the edge of Army’s defense? West Point doesn’t accept transfers, so they have to look inside the building for Carter’s replacement. Junior Leo Lowin started on the opposite side of Carter, but he doesn’t have the same sack numbers as Carter. He was one of the leading tacklers on the Black Knights, and projects more as a run stopper than pass rusher.
After Lowin, there’s senior Fabrice Voyne. The Californian hasn’t played much throughout his four years at West Point. He posted 1.5 sacks last year, which are his only sacks in college. He also only has 32 career tackles after tallying 10 a year ago, so he’s not a known quantity.
Past Voyne and Lowin, there’s not much on the edge that can replace Carter. Either way, Woody needs to find his next impact rusher. Carter gave every opposing offense something to worry about, and wracked havoc even when he wasn’t bringing down the passer. Army’s defense wasn’t that great in 2022, but Carter helped cover up some serious holes.
3. Can Army build a stretch of dominance over Navy?
Let’s be honest here, for a 6-6 team that hasn’t factored into the national championship conversation since the Second World War and isn’t in a conference, there aren’t a lot of lofty goals to reach. But, Army has one major goal year in and year out that defines each season: beating Navy.
The Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy, which is awarded to the service academy with the best record over its contemporaries each year, isn’t the biggest goal for Army. No, it’s the win over the Midshipmen that every cadet aims for.
The game has gone back and forth the past four years, with each team winning two. Army took last season’s iteration in a 20-17 double overtime thriller.
But, Army has its window to establish dominance over its arch rival now. Navy has fired their longtime head coach Ken Niumatalolo, and everything is up in the air in Annapolis. Monken and the Black Knights have the rare chance to utterly dominate their rival over the coming seasons, and they should take it.
What are the expectations for Army?
There isn’t much change on the Black Knights heading into 2023, outside of the offensive scheme and Carter’s departure. Those two may cancel out in the grand scheme of things, and ESPN’s FPI agrees, pegging Army as a 6-win team once again.
I think that’s fair. They have an easy schedule, though, and could easily surpass that six win total. I think they sit more in the seven to nine win range, and should give Air Force a run for the Commander-in-Chief Trophy.