Army needs to stitch together 4 quarters against Rutgers

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Just before every game, Army players gather together for a rallying cry.

They remind each other to play on the edge for 60 minutes.

Senior linebacker Chad Thayer sees his teammates playing hard as soon as the first whistle blows. But they need even more intensity.

"Maintaining that effort throughout the game and even increasing that," Thayer said. "We can't sit back."

Time is precious for Army's seniors. Only five games remain in their college careers if the Black Knights don't go to a bowl.

"Five and we're working on a sixth," senior tackle Matt Coulthard said.

Army's bowl hopes are on the edge. Army (3-4) needs to win three of its last five games. A home victory against Rutgers Friday night would help.

"Every game is a must-win," Thayer said. "As a senior, the season is going by really fast. It's getting closer and closer. Each win is crucial. This is the time to change our program. We definitely need this win."

Defeating Rutgers (4-2) isn't going to be easy, especially if Army's offense continues its scoring drought.

Army has scored only one touchdown in four consecutive games.

The Black Knights had scored first in their first six games, but were also shut out five times in the third quarter of those games. Last week, Army scored more points (10) in the third quarter than it had all season (3).

Can Army finally put its first complete game of the season together?

"What we're going to try and do is a little bit of a cut and paste," said Army coach Rich Ellerson. "If we could take that third quarter and this first quarter and put a couple of those together, we have a great chance. Clearly, it is going to take a whole football game, and we want to start fast."

 

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Scouting report: Rutgers

Star-Ledger Rutgers football writer Brendan Prunty and exchanged five questions and answers on Army and Rutgers heading into Friday night's game at Michie Stadium.

1. Is Rutgers' 4-2 record a little misleading?
No question. Think about it: three of the team's four wins are against non-BCS conference opponents with a combined record of 5-13. Two of those programs - Howard and Texas Southern - are 1-AA opponents. And I didn't even mention Maryland, which is 2-5. But we knew this was going to be a cupcake schedule going into the season, which was one of the main reasons why optimism was so high. All Rutgers had to do was take care of business against these creampuffs (it has) and make sure not to stumble in the conference. Well, at least they got one part of the equation right.

2. How has Rutgers true freshman quarterback Tom Savage looked? Is he becoming less of manager and shouldering a heavier load with the offense?

It's still hard to tell. Remember for being the team's starting quarterback, he really hasn't seen that much action. He played the second half in the blowout loss to Cincinnati; played 75 percent of the game against Howard; played another three quarters against Florida International before suffering a concussion; missed Maryland; played the whole Texas Southern game before finally getting a serious test against Pittsburgh. He looked good against the Panthers, showcasing a rifle-like arm across the middle and making passes that Rutgers fans aren't accustomed to seeing their QB make. With that said, he still is a freshman and tends to do freshman things. Personally, I think he holds the ball a little too long in the pocket and increases the risk for not only sacks, but defensive adjustments. We really won't have a complete picture until likely the middle of next month, when he has to play a couple of consistent games in a row.

3. Why hasn't Rutgers run more effectively behind an experience offensive line in two Big East losses?

Everyone keeps asking me this question and I keep giving them the same answer: I have no idea. You'd think that with a future NFL left tackle in Anthony Davis, you would be able to do what you want in terms of running the ball. But the offensive line seems to just be OK and not great, like we all thought they'd be. Still, Joe Martinek is a solid running back, who has made this offensive line look better than it actually has played because of some big games. Now, Martinek has had some nice running lanes in the last few weeks, but hasn't hit them because he has a tendency to go outside way too much, instead of going between the tackles. I think this offensive line's bread-and-butter is best suited towards between-the-tackles running styles. But since they've had to adjust to Martinek's outside style, they've had to play unconventionally.

4. If Rutgers needs a big play from its defense, who is their playmaker?

This is an easy one: CB Devin McCourty. The guy is all over the field, does everything you need and would want him to do. Case in point: last week against Pittsburgh, he absolutely shut down the league's best receiver, Jonathan Baldwin. Baldwin's stat line last Friday? One catch, 17 yards. Oh, and then McCourty blocked a crucial punt late in the third quarter to keep Rutgers' hopes alive. His twin brother - and an equally good player in his own right, Jason - has been forced to start via necessity for the Tennessee Titans. This year, scouts have been showing up weekly to see Devin, who they feel is a first-day selection.

5. Will Rutgers make its fifth straight bowl game?

Yes. I mean, who doesn't make a bowl game these days? Unless Rutgers totally goes in the tank and loses to Army or Syracuse or Louisville, they'll be going to a bowl game. Last year, South Florida - which went 7-5 and 2-5 in the Big East - ended up in the St. Petersburg Bowl. Chances are Rutgers will have that exact same resume.

 

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Inside Army ... with beat writer Sal Interdonato of the Times Herald-Record

1. More than ever Army seems to have embraced the triple-option. What's different this year as opposed to last year?

Army is running more pitches and option plays to the outside. Last year, Army?s triple option was more of a double-option with the quarterback and fullback. Army has received less production from the fullback this season and is still looking for a breakout game from its slotbacks. Army is also committing itself to the pass more this season. Having a 6-foot-10 wide receiver in Alejandro Villanueva helps. They like to throw jump balls up to Villanueva to use his height advantage over smaller corners.

2. Al Golden said Army is the best defense Temple's seen since Penn State. Greg Schiano said they remind him of the early-90s Arizona "Desert Swarm" defense. What's made them so good?

Army?s front seven. Junior defensive end Josh McNary is tied for second in the nation with 9.5 sacks. Defensive tackles Victor Ugenyi and Mike Gann are knocking offensive linemen into the backfield and disrupting runs. Senior defensive end Brad Marren has brought a lot of energy to the pass rush. Middle linebacker Stephen Anderson is a ballhawk. Sophomore linebacker Andrew Rodriguez, a first-year starter, has a nose for the football and might be the biggest surprise of the team. Sophomore linebacker Steve Erzinger is a steady and sure tackler.

3. DE Josh McNary seems to be quite the sack artist- what's his secret?

Speed. Once McNary gets a half-step over the offensive tackle, he?s hard to stop because of strength and how he uses leverage to his advantage. McNary has great instincts too. He stayed home on a quarterback rollout play and dropped Temple?s quarterback for a big loss last week. Teams have loaded a running back as an extra blocker against McNary and that hasn?t worked. He?s undersized at 6-foot and 225 pounds but he plays much bigger. I?m looking for to his matchup with Anthony Davis. McNary missed the Rutgers game last season with a shoulder injury.

4. True freshman QB Trent Steelman has been trust into things much like Tom Savage - how has he progressed?

Steelman has grown into a true option quarterback. Steelman?s decision-making and toughness are his biggest strengths. He?s making all the right reads and he?s one of the few Army ball carriers, who can break tackles with any consistency. Steelman?s passing is still a work-in progress but he?s improving. He?s completed 18 of his last 31 passes

5. How has Rich Ellerson changed the mindset of this team?

Ellerson?s schemes ? the triple-option and the double-eagle flex of defense, have made football fun again for the players. Both systems are not made for all-Americans. They need all 11 players doing their job correctly to work and it?s brought the team together. Every players feels like they are a big part of turning around the program from the scout-team lineman to the starting quarterback.

 

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WHEN RUTGERS HAS THE BALL

This game plan should be fairly simple: run the football. Last Friday against Pittsburgh, Rutgers threw the ball 41 times and ran it only 20 times. Expect that script to be flipped. Last season against Army, Rutgers uncharacteristically threw the ball 34 times against the Black Knights, while running it only 30 times. With Tom Savage still easing into this offense, expect Greg Schiano to lean on the running game much like he did back in 2007, when Rutgers ran the ball 72 times. This should certainly be a game when Schiano pounds the ball with Joe Martinek, Jourdan Brooks, Kordell Young and ? who knows? ? maybe even freshman De?Antwan Williams. When Rutgers does ask Savage to pass, this would be a good game for Mohamed Sanu to get back into a rhythm receiving. He hauled in eight balls against Pittsburgh, and Rutgers could really use his momentum going into Connecticut next week.

WHEN ARMY HAS THE BALL

Army?s a service academy so they of course, run the vaunted triple-option. Defending it requires an all-hands-on-deck mentality as the ball can be pitched, thrown or run in any number of directions. It all starts with quarterback Trent Steelman. A true freshman himself, from Kentucky, Steelman is averaging 3.5 yards per carry when he keeps it and 5.4 yards per pass. But as Schiano has said all week, slotback Patrick Mealy is Army?s main weapon. While only rushing for one touchdown so far this season, Mealy is averaging 6.9 yards per run and at 5-8, 203 pounds, is a load to bring down. The Black Knights don?t throw the ball much, but when they do, the target is usually Alejandro Villanueva, who?s caught four touchdowns this season. Villanueva, a converted offensive tackle, is a nightmare matchup, checking in at a whopping 6-10, 283 pounds.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Want to talk about Rutgers? Achilles? heel? It?s would almost certainly have to be the return game. The Scarlet Knights are getting next to no production in either punt or kick returns this season. Against Pittsburgh, it was especially bad, with kick returner Joe Lefeged muffing two punts and accidentally downing one at his own 1-yard line.

 

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"When Rutgers does ask Savage to pass, this would be a good game for Mohamed Sanu to get back into a rhythm receiving. He hauled in eight balls against Pittsburgh, and Rutgers could really use his momentum going into Connecticut next week."



playing at bejamaica:


523 Mohamed Sanu Receiving Yards in game
Fri 10/23 8:00PM (EST)


523 Over 48.5 Rec Yrds +110