The Other Side of the Wall: Army
One last non-conference test before wrapping up the season. This one’s a wild card, too.
Will we get the full strength of the US military? Or, will the Mighty Trojan Death Machine overwhelm the Knights?
Let’s find out what Troy is up against.
| Team | Army |
|---|---|
| Time, Network | 2:30 pm, NFL Network |
| 2022 Record | 3-5 |
| Best Win | ULM, 48-24 |
| Worst Loss | Georgia State, 31-14 |
| Troy’s Record | First meeting |
| Last Matchup | N/A |
| Preseason Conf. Rank | N/A |
| FPI Rank | 86 |
| FPI Win% (Troy) | 72.1% |
| Spread | -8 |
Troy’s first game against Army is Veterans Day weekend, fittingly. Much like welcoming Navy on the Marines’ birthday, this Military Appreciation game feels a bit more special.
Fort Benning and Fort Rucker have really close ties to Troy, so there will be plenty of service members with eyes on this game. Anyone who can’t be in the stands can catch it on NFL Network, though; it’s Troy’s second game ever broadcast there (The first was Marshall earlier this year.)
That said, Troy is on a losing streak in MA games, especially when you include the Veterans’ Day game last year against Louisiana. The question is, can Troy buck that trend?
Depends on what this matchup looks like.
| Troy | Army | Diff | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passing Offense | 25 | 130 | +105 |
| Rushing Offense | 121 | 2 | -119 |
| Scoring Offense | 104 | 65 | -39 |
| Total Offense | 78 | 67 | -11 |
| Passing Yards Allowed | 46 | 16 | -30 |
| Rushing Defense | 21 | 122 | +101 |
| Scoring Defense | 12 | 80 | +68 |
| Total Defense | 25 | 83 | +56 |
| Turnover Margin | 81 | 95 | +14 |
Troy is the No. 121 rushing offense in the country, but Kimani Vidal and DK Billingsley’s rushing yards combined (971) are more than the No. 16 running back in America. The talent is clearly there, but splitting the load hurts Troy on the stat sheet.
Who cares about stats though? Not us.
We talked about it in the Tuesday Takeaways: Troy’s offense is most effective when it runs the ball. Sure, that’s going to be how this offense operates, but it’s also important from the perspective of beating Army.
As it turns out, getting 200 yards on the ground is one of three key factors in beating Army.
These are the three parts to the strategy:
- Run the ball.
- Keep Army from running the ball too much.
- Don’t turn the ball over. I keep repeating myself here. Troy either has to keep from making turnovers or force Army to make one.
It’s also worth noting UTSA and Wake Forest both passed for more than 200 yards on Army. They’re in the top 15 in passing offenses, above Troy.
It’s not crazy to think a balanced offense could torch this Army defense Saturday. Thing is, that’s not something Troy has done this year: torch an FBS defense.
Here’s Troy’s top-5 scoring games this season:
| Opponent | Points | Storyline |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama A&M | 38 | FCS blowout |
| Western Kentucky | 34 | Shootout win |
| Appalachian State | 28 | Shootout loss |
| Southern Miss | 27 | 20 points off 4 turnovers |
| Louisiana | 23 | Fourth-quarter comeback |
The fifth-highest scoring game out of nine is 23 points, and it happened last week. This offense keeps up with other teams, because the defense keeps the other team in check.
This weekend is an opportunity for the offense to take command and dominate the game.
The defense needs to do its job too, but honestly, there’s a ton of leeway.
Remember this table from Tuesday? Let’s add Army.
| Team | Rush YPG | Nat’l Rank | Rush YPG vs. Troy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ole Miss | 267.4 | 3 | 266 |
| App State | 194.9 | 29 | 155 |
| Marshall | 201.4 | 26 | 96 |
| South Alabama | 169.3 | 54 | 31 |
| Louisiana | 130.8 | 96 | 203 |
| Army | 302.5 | 2 | TBD |
Air Force kept Army to 78 yards, and Louisiana ran for 203 on Troy, so outlier games exist on both sides. But if you look at the stat table for Army opponents, the two most important stats are Army Rushing Yards and Turnovers.
All Troy has to do is keep Army 2.5 yards below its average.
If it forces or picks up a turnover along the way, that will help.
We know both teams will be studying last week’s film for sure. Apart from that, we don’t know much about West Point. It’s their first matchup with Troy.
To learn more about Army, we reached out to the guys at Brigade Review. Here’s what they had to say.
Describe Army like you would a dog that’s up for adoption.
Great at pest* control.
*Pest /pest/ noun a member of the brigade of midshipmen.
I am HERE for this rivalry. Honestly getting me pumped.
What movie title best describes the Knights’ expectations at this point in the season?
Is there a movie called “Beat Navy!” If not, there needs to be.
Something we both have in common: hating The Hunt for Red October because of football.
In one word, describe the ULM win. Why that word?
Relieving. Offense looked like it was supposed to for a full 4 quarters against a quality opponent for the first time.
The word “quality” is doing a lot of heavy lifting. That said, ULM is not to be taken lightly.
In one word, describe the Georgia State loss. Why that word?
Opportunities. There were plenty and we capitalized on one short of a win with multiple chances.
The Panthers have truly come out of nowhere to be one of the best teams in the conference. Don’t feel too bad about that one.
Which Hogwarts house is Jeff Monken in?
Never got into Harry Potter. Ask my wife.
What are three names on defense Troy fans should pay attention to.
- Andre Carter (21 tkls, 11 solo, 2.5 sacks)
- Marquel Broughton (51 tkls, 29 solo, 1 INT, 4 PBUs)
- Kwabena Bonsu (28 tkls, 12 solo, 3 TFLs, 1.5 sacks)
When Army snaps the ball, what is most likely to happen?
If everything goes correctly, nobody knows. Realistically, 260 pounds of fullback plunging through the A gap.
Bro, Carlton Martial is going to FEAST if that’s the case.
If we wake up Sunday and the underdog wins, what happened the day before?
You got Army’d. You probably gave up at least 4.5 yards per carry. You probably let a pass or two go for 40+ yards. And it all started by not controlling the O-Line. On the other side of the ball, Army made just enough plays, especially in the red zone, maybe a turnover or two, to keep you at bay.
That’s nearly what happened against the Cajuns honestly.
What do fans expect the Knights to be doing in December?
See above (future) movie title.
I honestly forgot that game is in December.
What’s the best place to get BBQ in town (even if Troy is at home)?
Brothers in Cornwall, hands down.
Is West Point a Coke or Pepsi school?
Whichever brand sells Navy tears. I think Coke.
Nice. Troy is 0-1 against Pepsi schools and 7-1 against Coke schools.
What’s one question you have for us about Troy, if you have one (we’ll answer in the article)?
Take me inside the fan’s mind when you know your defense is preparing for the triple option!
Between Coastal Carolina and Georgia Southern the last few years, we’re more than familiar with the shiftiness of the triple option attack. We also know how you prepare for it matters.
Personally, I’m a big fan of the moving parts.
Fortunately, this. defense cut its teeth on the triple option. Unfortunately, Louisiana exposed a lot of defensive holes last week.
Regardless of the outcome, this game will definitely help Troy prepare for what will likely be a matchup with the Chanticleers in the Sun Belt title game.
Preparation is everything against the triple option.
I think Troy expected a heavier passing attack last week from Louisiana, so maybe the run-heavy offense with Army will allow for a more focused approach.
Troy is the king of defensive slugfests this season, and Army’s run game is the biggest test this front seven might face all year.
I think they handle it well though.
Final prediction: 30-21 Troy.
Again, special thanks to Brigade Review. You can follow them on Twitter here.