Army Football 2024 Preview

Much like 2022, Army football experienced an equally adversarial and exalting 2023 campaign that culminated in the program's third win against Navy in four seasons - in addition to its tenth Commander-in-Chief's Trophy.

After starting off 2-6 last year, which included a five-game losing streak and abysmal defeats to perennial underachievers Louisiana-Monroe and Massachusetts, West Point's gridiron gladiators embarked on a resurgent four-game winning streak that included a 23-3 dismantling against then-17th-ranked rival academy Air Force, an impressive 28-21 win against a Coastal Carolina squad that has won 39 games and two Sun Belt Conference championships since 2020, and, as aforementioned, head coach Jeff Monken's sixth win against Navy.

A New Era Begins For Army Football

In addition to a new season, Army will also be playing in a conference for the first time since 2004, as athletic director Mike Buddie announced back in October that the Black Knights will join the American Athletic Conference - the same conference that arch nemesis Navy has been in since 2015. Despite the potential for the conference championship to feature both of the service academies, the sanctity of the annual game between the two academies will be preserved, as college football's annual final regular season game will remain a non-conference matchup.

Other changes for the United States Military Academy's football program include the abrupt departure of former offensive coordinator Drew Thatcher, who lasted just one season with the team, and the highly anticipated, $170 million Michie Stadium Preservation Project.

Thatcher was offered a chance to remain on the staff as a position coach, but the venerable former offensive coordinator from Division II Nebraska-Kearney elected to leave West Point, and has since been hired by Division II New Mexico Highlands as their offensive coordinator. Thatcher was demoted from his play-calling role midway through last season after Army had been shut out two consecutive weeks, and scored just 54 points in a five-week stretch from October 14th-November 11th.

Cody Worley, who was the quarterbacks coach last year, returns to Coach Monken's staff as the new full-time offensive coordinator; like late last season, it seems Monken and Worley will revert to the ways of the patented flexbone triple option, in hopes of generating far more production for an offense that averaged just 20.5 points per game last year that also finished 107th in offensive efficiency among all Division I programs.

Key Players Who Are Returning

Starting quarterback Bryson Daily returns for his final season. Daily finished as the team's leading rusher, with 901 yards and seven touchdowns, and became just the second Army quarterback in program history to rush and pass for over 900 yards in a season last year.

In his last four games in 2023, Daily rushed for 431 yards and three touchdowns; in those games, Daily accrued no less than 84 yards. His primary backfield constituents, senior Tyrell Robinson and sophomore Kanye Udoh, will lead the charge behind a deep crop of versatile running backs and slot backs.

Defensively, linebacker Kalib Fortner, a junior who was second on the team in tackles last year, and fellow cow (West Point's moniker for juniors) Jack Latore, a defensive lineman who had four-and-a-half sacks and two fumble recoveries last year, will be the two biggest wrecking balls on fifth-year defensive coordinator Nate Woody's unit.

During Army's four-game winning streak last year that catapulted the team to the CIC Trophy, Woody's stoic unit allowed just 12.25 points per game, and held Navy and Air Force to 11 points or fewer - a feat that had been accomplished only three times before in academy history.

Examining The Schedule

Army will open its 2024 season against Lehigh on Friday, August 30th at Michie Stadium. After that, the team will not have a home game for three weeks, as the Black Knights will go on the road the following week to play Florida Atlantic; the next week will be a bye week.

A noontime clash against Rice at Michie Stadium will follow the team's bye week, coupled with two straight road games - Temple, which will close out the September slate, and Tulsa - the latter of which will begin a very manageable October trifecta that also has the team back at home against Trent Dilfer's University of Alabama-Birmingham Blazers and East Carolina.

On Saturday, November 2nd, Army will clash with Air Force for the 59th time, with Army looking to get a leg up in the hunt for the CIC Trophy. Army's last road game will be against a familiar foe in North Texas, and they will then play against Notre Dame at Yankee Stadium.

The team then has its final home tilt against University of Texas San Antonio, and then comes the AAC Conference Championship Game, should Army find its way there. Finally, the 121st game against Navy will be on December 14th.

What Can We Expect?

Army must avoid the bad starts that have plagued the team since 2022. That year, Jeff Monken and the cadets started 1-4. Last year, the team lost six of its first eight games and posted zero points in two straight games during that span.

Army benefits from not having to face SMU, Memphis, and Tulane - three programs that won a combined 32 games last year. The overall schedule for the Black Knights is one of the easiest in the entire country, as the Black Knights only face three opponents that had a winning record last year - and none of those games will be played until they square off against Air Force on November 2nd. ESPN ranks Army's schedule as the 97th-hardest in the nation.

You get the idea. After going 12-12 the past two seasons and no bowl game appearances since Army's 24-22 Armed Forces Bowl win against Missouri in 2021, it is time for Army to return to a bowl game and win the CIC Trophy outright yet again, something not accomplished by the program since 2018.

Army is returning an experienced corps of players, they have an excellent coaching staff, and they have a schedule that does not come close to being difficult until after Halloween. While playing in a conference for the first time since many current college football players were even alive seems daunting, Coach Monken will not be dealing with the turmoil at offensive coordinator that disrupted the team last year, and this team should be able to capitalize on a weak early schedule. Look for the Black Knights to get to seven or more wins this year.

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