WEST POINT, New York -- Army opens its 124th season of competition Friday night against the Morgan State Bears. Kickoff is set for 7:06 p.m. and will be broadcast live by CBS Sports Network. It is the first time the two teams have met on the football field. The Black Knights are starting a season at home for the first time since facing Temple in 2008. That game was played on a Friday night as well, marking the earliest game in Army football history (Aug. 29). Tonight’s contest is just the second time Army has taken the field prior to September.
The Black Knights return 58 letterwinners from last season, including 14 starters. The Army offense, coming off Academy-record performances in both rushing yards and total offense, will have someone other than Trent Steelman under center in the season opener for the first time since 2008. Junior Angel Santiago will take the first snap, but head coach Rich Ellerson has emphasized that both Santiago and sophomore A.J. Schurr could see action against the Bears.No matter who is under center, the Black Knights’ rushing game should remain formidable. Army has led the nation in rushing the last two seasons and returns six of its top eight rushers from 2012. Senior Raymond Maples will be on top of opponents’ scouting reports this season. Maples has rushed for more than 1,000 yards in each of the last two seasons, including 1,215 during his junior season. Junior fullback Larry Dixon is also back after posting 839 yards and six touchdowns. Junior Terry Baggett is healthy after missing most of last season with a knee injury. Baggett was averaging nearly nine yards per carry on 16 attempts before his injury.
Defensively, Army returns three of its top five tacklers, including junior Geoffery Bacon. Bacon racked up 136 tackles last season, the ninth-highest total in Academy history. Bacon produced perhaps the biggest story of the offseason with his move from mike linebacker to free safety. He will make his first start at his new position tonight against the Bears. Sophomore Alex Meier moved to the middle after starting most of last season at rover. Junior Robert Kough is back anchoring the defensive line after recording 9.5 tackles for loss as a yearling.
ARMY IN SEASON OPENERS
Army owns a sterling 93-27-3 record in its previous 123 season-opening games (.768). The Black Knights’ have split their last four season openers after suffering a 12-year drought from 1997-2008. Army started 0-1 in 12 straight seasons from 1997-2008. Army head coach Rich Ellerson is 6-7 in season openers in his previous 13 years as a head coach.
ARMY VERSUS THE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP SUBDIVISON
Since the Division I ranks split in 1978, the Black Knights have played 63 games against the Football Championship Subdivision, accumulating a 51-11-1 record. Lafayette has been Army’s most common FCS opponent. The two teams have played 12 times since 1978 with Army winning 11 times. Army played at least one game against an FCS school from 1978-97. The schedule was solely FBS squads from 1999-2001 before the 2002 team opened against Holy Cross. The Morgan State game will mark the ninth consecutive year the Black Knights have played an FCS squad.
ARMY OFFENSE VS. MORGAN STATE DEFENSE
The Black Knights are the two-time defending national rushing champions. It is the first time since 1944 and 1945 that Army has led the country in rushing in consecutive seasons. In 2012, the Black Knights averaged 369.8 yards per game which not only paced the nation, but also represented an Academy record. Army also broke school records for total rushing yards (4,438), total offense (5,235) and first downs (283). With six of top eight rushers returning, including two-time 1,000-yard man Raymond Maples, the 2013 campaign should not see much decline in production.
Junior Angel Santiago and sophomore A.J. Schurr waged a competition for the starting quarterback position throughout spring practice and preseason camp. While Schurr exited the spring with a slight edge, Santiago won the job and will take the first snap tonight. Santiago played in two games as a backup to Trent Steelman in 2012 and played in four games as a plebe. He has one career start, rushing 30 times for 72 yards against Rutgers in 2011. Schurr also gained experience last season, making five appearances in relief. He led the team with two touchdown passes.
Joining the duo in the backfield will be a bevy of proven players that should ease some of the pressure on the quarterback. It starts with Maples who enters his final season already ranked sixth on Army’s career rushing list with 2,489 yards. Tonight’s game marks the start of his quest to become only the second Army player to ever rush for 1,000 yards three times during their career (Mike Mayweather). Junior Larry Dixon is back for his third season as the Black Knights’ starting fullback. Dixon came up just shy of the 1,000-yard mark last season, running for 839 yards in 11 games. He has averaged better than 6.0 yards per carry for his career. Junior Terry Baggett will line up opposite Maples. In his first two seasons, Baggett has shown flashes of brilliance, but has struggled to stay healthy. He recorded his first 100-yard game in the 2012 opener at San Diego State and averaged more than 9.0 yards per carry before his injury. The receiving corps is made up of a mix of returning veterans and exciting prospects. Junior Chevaughn Lawrence led the team last season with 21 catches for 357 yards. Plebe Xavier Moss, a speedster who had a productive 2012 season at USMAPS, is expected to start at the other wideout. Senior Patrick Laird returns as well after catching 11 passes for 125 yards and a score last season.
The offensive line is anchored by left tackle Michael Kime. Kime, who was voted a team captain by his teammates, started at right tackle 11 times last season before suffering a knee injury. Despite not participating in spring practice, Kime is back at full strength. Junior Ryan Powis is back for his third season as the starter at center, while junior Stephen Shumaker and senior Zach Reichert will start at the guard positions. Sophomore Justin Gilbert will make his first career start at right tackle.
Morgan State’s defense gave up 29.7 points per game last season. The unit is anchored by Chris Robinson who led the team with 13.5 tackles and 8.5 sacks. He ranked 11th and 12th in those categories, respectively, in all of FCS last season. Nose tackle Demarco Bisbee is the team’s leading returning tackler with 41 total stops. He also racked up 7.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. Bisbee and cornerback Joe Rankin were second-team preseason All-MEAC picks. Rankin tied for the MEAC lead with five interceptions.
MORGAN STATE OFFENSE VS. ARMY DEFENSE
The Morgan State offense scored 20.8 points and averaged 292.7 yards per game in 2012. The Bears return both quarterbacks that saw the majority of playing time last season. Junior Seth Higgins is slated to start. Higgins, who has been a regular under center since his freshman year, completed 42 of his 106 passes (.396) for 445 yards. Robert Council played in 11 outings last season, going 98-for-195 (.503) for 1,115 yards and five touchdowns. Council also ran for 302 yards on 80 attempts.
Redshirt freshman Lamont Brown is expected to make his career debut tonight. Brown will try to replace the production of last season’s leading rusher, Travis Davidson. Davidson ran for 958 yards and 12 touchdowns during his final season. Freshman Herb Walker will also see playing time in the backfield for the Bears. Andrew King returns to lead the Morgan State receiving group. King made 25 catches for 334 yards and a team-high two touchdowns in 2012.
(When Morgan State Has The Ball — continued)
The Bears’ massive offensive front will provide interesting match ups for Army’s smaller, quicker front seven. Morgan State’s projected starting offensive linemen average 328 pounds per man. The smallest weights in at 300 pounds, while center Clarence Swain is the biggest of the group at 360 pounds.
Army’s defense allowed 35.3 points and 427.3 yards per game last season. The use of several underclassmen in key spots during the past two seasons should start to pay dividends in 2013. The Black Knights’ top tackler from last season Geoffery Bacon returns, but will be in a different position. Bacon’s 136 stops move from mike linebacker to free safety. The coaches believe that the extra room will better utilize Bacon’s athleticism and make him an even more valuable member of the defense. Army’s defensive backfield has experienced a makeover. In addition to Bacon, the other three starters will also be starting at new positions. Strong safety Shaquille Tolbert did not see any action as a plebe in 2012, and shifted from cornerback to his new job during spring drills. On the corners, plebe Josh Jenkins and junior Hayden Pierce will man the field and boundary spots, respectively. Pierce has been a regular since his first season, but has played mostly strong safety. An injury to last year’s starter, Chris Carnegie, forced the move during preseason camp.
The defensive line boasts three experienced players. Junior Robert Kough, the most productive member of the group last season with 42 tackles and 9.5 tackles for loss, returns, as do nose tackles T.J. Atimalala. and Richard Glover. Atimalala started four times as a plebe, while Glover started six times. Junior Joe Drummond, whio played in 10 games last season, is slated to start at right end.
One of the biggest pieces of improving Army’s defense will be improving the pass rush. Sophomore Dalton Mendenhall will get the nod at the “quick” outside linebacker position, Army’s primary pass rush spot. Mendenhall played in all 12 games last season as a reserve and on special teams. The other outside linebacker position will be manned by James Kelly who forced his way into the lineup as a sophomore last season, making 14 tackles in 11 games. Senior co-captain Jarrett Mackey will also get plenty of playing time at the “whip” linebacker spot.
With Bacon now playing seven yards deeper than last year, the coaches have called on sophomore Alex Meier to man the middle of Army’s double-eagle flex. Meier was Army’s third-leading tackler with 71 takedowns as a plebe last season, playing most at rover. He suffered a knee injury versus Navy, but has made a remarkable recovery to get ready for the 2013 campaign. Senior co-captain Thomas Holloway, who has experience at both rover and free safety, will get the nod at rover.
SPECIAL TEAMS BREAKDOWN
Army will rely on Daniel Grochowski to handle the placekicking and kickoff duties. Grochowski was the Black Knights’ primary placekicker for most of the season as a plebe, hitting 10 of his 16 field goal tries, including a 46-yarder. Sophomore Alex Tardieu will serve as the Black Knights’ punter. He did not see any action in 2012. Julian Crockett returns as the team’s primary kick returner after averaging 19.2 yards per attempt last season. Josh Jenkins or senior Scott Williams will return punts.
Morgan State will be breaking in a new kicker and new punter in redshirt freshman Chris Moller and junior Miguel Bernard, respectively.
Tickets for Friday's game are still available onlineclicking here, or by calling the Army Athletics Ticket Office at 1-877-TIX-ARMY.
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COURTESY U.S. MILITARY ACADEMY AT WEST POINT AND GOARMYSPORTS.COM
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