NCAAF Game Preview - Army at Michigan
Sat Sep 7, 2019 12:00 PM EDT

TxAM
10
Clem
24
F
NMS
10
Bama
62
F
Murr
17
UGA
63
F
SD
14
Okla
70
F
Cin
0
OSU
42
F
LSU
45
Tex
38
F
Army
21
Mich
24
F(1OT)
Tul
6
Aub
24
F
UT-M
0
Fla
45
F
NIU
17
Utah
35
F
Cal
20
Wash
19
F
Buff
13
PSU
45
F
NEV
6
Oreg
77
F
C Mi
0
Wisc
61
F
UCF
48
FlAtl
14
F
WestMI
17
MSU
51
F
Rut
0
Iowa
30
F
Syr
20
MD
63
F
NoCol
17
WaSt
59
F
Stan
20
USC
45
F
Marsh
7
Boise
14
F
Neb
31
Colo
34
F OT
Wake
41
Rice
21
F
W&M
17
UVA
52
F
SacSt
7
AzSt
19
F
Ohio
10
Pitt
20
F
(N/A)
23
Kent
26
F
WVU
7
MIZ
38
F
Sou
24
Mem
55
F
BGSU
0
K St
52
F
OD
17
VaTec
31
F
ChaSo
10
SCar
72
F
Vand
24
Purd
42
F
UAB
31
Akr
20
F
WCU
0
NCSt
41
F
SoFL
10
GATec
14
F
Ford
29
Ball
57
F
TnTec
17
MiaOH
48
F
SMiss
15
MissSt
38
F
Gram
14
LT
20
F
SIU
45
UMass
20
F
E Il
0
Ind
52
F
Ill
31
UConn
23
F
Rich
13
BC
45
F
UNCC
41
App
56
F
WIl
13
ColSt
38
F
UTSA
14
Bayl
63
F
SDSU
23
UCLA
14
F
ULMon
44
FlaSt
45
F OT
StFPA
7
JMU
44
F
Maine
18
GaSo
26
F
GWebb
9
ECU
48
F
NCAT
13
Duke
45
F
(N/A)
0
SamHu
77
F
Furm
42
GASt
48
F
Chat
20
JacSt
41
F
Wyo
23
TxSt
14
F
JacSt
14
SoAl
37
F
NorTx
27
SMU
49
F
McNee
14
OkSt
56
F
TnSt
26
MidTN
45
F
CoCar
12
Kans
7
F
BYU
29
Tenn
26
F(1OT)
E Ky
0
Lou
42
F
W Ky
20
FLInt
14
F
Stony
7
UtSt
62
F
Ark
17
Miss
31
F
Lib
14
ULLaf
35
F
E Mi
17
KY
38
F
UTEP
3
TxTch
38
F
PVAM
17
Hou
37
F
MiaFL
25
UNC
28
F
Tuls
34
SJSU
16
F
ArkSt
43
UNLV
17
F
MIN
38
Fres
35
F(1OT)
NoAZ
41
Ariz
65
F
OreSt
28
Hawaii
31
F
Army-Michigan Preview
Fri Sep 6, 2019 3:00 AM

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) No. 7 Michigan is facing a team it has been preparing to play since spring practice, when defensive coordinator Don Brown carved out extra time to study a scheme rarely seen in modern college football.

Army, which runs a triple option, is coming to the Big House to resume a series that has been idle for more than a half-century.

"They have a unique style on offense which is very, very effective," Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh said. "We kind of decided to play the game for the challenge of it.

"Historically, they're 5-4 ahead of us, so we'd like to even that up."

Army won the first five meetings and the Wolverines won the next four with the last matchup coming in 1962.

Michigan is a heavy favorite to even the all-time series, but the Black Knights should have plenty of confidence Saturday after winning set a program-record 11 games last season. They have won 10 straight, trailing only Clemson's current run, since losing at Oklahoma in overtime.

Army is facing a top-10 team for a third straight year.

"I don't know that we need to play games like that every single week, but to play a game like that each year is really important to this program," coach Jeff Monken said. "It certainly is to the guys that play here, but it's also important to the legacy of the guys who play here to play those kind of games and challenge the very best teams in America."

Here are some other things to watch:

SEE HOW THEY RUN

Army averaged more than 300 yards rushing per game last season, trailing only Georgia Tech, and led the nation with 63-plus rushing attempts a game.

It wasn't a fluke.

The Black Knights led major college football in rushing two years ago and ranked second in 2016.

Senior Kelvin Hopkins ran for 1,017 yards and 17 touchdowns last season. He averaged fewer than eight passes per game, totaling 1,026 yards passing with six touchdowns and three interceptions. Hopkins ran for a touchdown and threw for a score on one of three passes he completed in eight attempts in last week's 14-7 win against Rice.

"The biggest thing about going into a game like this is just eye discipline and just not being lulled to sleep by their run game," Michigan cornerback Vincent Gray said. "And, knowing they can still break out any type of pass whenever they want to."

QUITE A COMEBACK

The Wolverines weren't sure a month ago when or if cornerback Ambry Thomas would return from a bout with a colitis diagnosis that landed him in the hospital. He was able to practice about a week before the season began and clearly was ready to play, intercepting a pass and recovering a fumble in his first career start.

"Everybody was just thrilled for Ambry," Harbaugh said.

GOING FOR IT

Army led the nation in fourth-down conversions last season, successfully going for it 31 of 36 times. The 86-percent success rate validated Monken's penchant for gambling when most coaches would choose to punt.

"If the analytics book says go for it on fourth-and-1, most people wouldn't do that even if that's what the book says," Hopkins said. "Coach Monken believes in what we do here and he believes in us as a team. We've got to come through on that. More times than not, that's something we want. We're begging him to let us go for it. We've just got to capitalize."

INJURY REPORT

Michigan might have wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones, left tackle Jon Runyan and defensive lineman Donovan Jeter back after each was held out of the opener with injuries.

Army fullback Connor Slomka didn't play in the opener, but he practiced this week to move a step closer to playing at Michigan.

"Having Connor back is awesome," Hopkins said. "He does some things you don't commonly see. He's very gifted."

HE SAID IT

Michigan offensive coordinator Josh Gattis called plays for the first time in last week's 40-21 win over Middle Tennessee and Harbaugh said he was impressed.

"I thought it was really good, practically flawless," he said. "Decisive in the play-calling. Clear. Clean."

---

Follow Larry Lage on Twitter at www.twitter.com/larrylage

---

More AP college football: https://apnews.com/tag/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25

Team Record Comparison

Army Michigan
Standings
Rec
Away/Home
Streak
--%>