Army Football Three Keys: Louisiana-Monroe

Army Football Three Keys

The Black Knights picked up a comfortable win last weekend against FCS foe Colgate and this week Army (2-4) faces another team with a losing record in UL Monroe (2-5).

By Steve Wright

Here are the three keys to an Army win:

Stop Tyrone Howell

Tyrone Howell had himself quite the game in the Warhawks’ loss one week ago against South Alabama. The 6-foot-2, 202-pound junior wide receiver was a constant menace through the air and did everything he could to singlehandedly win the game. Howell finished with nine receptions for 244 yards and three touchdowns. Two of his three scores went for 75 and 83 yards each. Howell is a deep threat and a playmaker with the ball in his hands. Army will have to keep him quiet.

How Healthy is Army?

Last weekend, the list of missing players for the Black Knights was almost laughable. Army was without its five leading rushers, their All-American defensive end, and a handful of other starters on the offensive line and defensive side of the ball. Two of those missing rushers were the Black Knights’ top two quarterbacks. The hope is that some of the holdouts were precautionary given the team Army faced. This weekend is the time for Army to get some of those players back as they look to step toward bowl eligibility.

Work the Inside Run

Some of this will depend on players being healthy, but Army needs to commit to the run hard against UL Monroe. The Warhawks give 4.33 yards per carry and over 150 yards on the ground per game overall. Army is second in the country in rushing behind Air Force, and the Black Knights need to target the interior of the Warhawks’ defensive line where their run defense is at its weakest. If players like Tyhier Taylor and Jakobi Buchanan are available, then Army needs to double down on its game plan.

Saturday’s game kicks off at 12:00 pm ET. Watch on the CBS Sports Network.

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