Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/747744
www.BLUEANDGOLD.com NOV. 14, 2016 37 ARMY RUNNING GAME VS. NOTRE DAME RUN DEFENSE Army head coach Jeff Monken has brought the triple-option offense that Paul Johnson made fa- mous at Navy and Georgia Tech to West Point, and in year three it's starting to click. The Black Knights averaged 244.3 rushing yards per game and scored 24 rushing touchdowns a season ago. Through just eight games this season, Army had already rushed for 28 touchdowns and ranked second nationally with 342.4 rushing yards per game. A triple-option offense needs a strong fullback to make it go. Last season, Army's starting fullback, Aaron Kemper, finished the season with just 544 yards. This past offseason, Monken made the decision to move 6-2, 220-pound sophomore linebacker Andy Davidson to fullback. Davidson has been a major force, rushing for 662 yards and seven touchdowns in just eight games. Getting better production from the fullback has made life easier for Army's quarterbacks. After combining for 981 yards and 3.6 yards per carry a season ago, the Army signal-callers have racked up 888 yards (5.2 per rush) in just eight games. Notre Dame's rushing defense has certainly im- proved since defensive coordinator Brian Van- Gorder was fired Sept. 25 after four games. Notre Dame allowed opponents to rush for 201.0 yards per game under VanGorder, which ranked 98th in the land. In the four games following his dismissal, opponents rushed for just 119.3 yards per game and 2.9 yards per carry. The Irish jumped to 60th in the country in rush- ing defense after those four contests and also ranked 32nd by giving up 3.7 yards per carry. Notre Dame's defensive line has fueled the resur- gence. Fifth-year senior nose guard Jarron Jones was a force during that stretch, and senior end Isaac Rochell has been stout against the run. The veteran linemen combined for 10.5 tackles for loss in the four games following VanGorder's departure. Improved play up front allowed junior Mike line- backer Nyles Morgan to stand out. Morgan led Notre Dame's defense with 67 tackles in eight games, and the junior ranked 25th in the country with 5.5 solo tackles per contest. Advantage: Army ARMY PASSING GAME VS. NOTRE DAME PASS DEFENSE Army does not throw the ball as well as Navy, ranking dead last in the country at just 90.6 pass- ing yards per game through eight contests. Black Knight quarterbacks Ahmad Bradshaw and Chris Carter have passed for just five touchdowns against seven interceptions. Bradshaw is the starter, but Carter comes in dur- ing the third series and will get reps throughout the game. Bradshaw threw for a team-best 474 yards GAME PREVIEW: ARMY On PaPer Junior quarterback Ahmad Bradshaw is the starter, but sophomore Chris Carter — considered the better passer — also is used regularly in Army's triple-option scheme. PHOTO COURTESY ARMY WEST POINT ATHLETICS