Saturday, Sept. 25 -- Noon ET
Michie Stadium - West Point, NY
CBSSN
By MIKE SMITH
Unless you've been there in person, it's really hard to totally appreciate a battle against Army. So said Miami Head Coach Chuck Martin, whose RedHawks meet the undefeated Black Knights Saturday at West Point.
Martin was talking football with the media Tuesday and had plenty to offer about facing military academy teams. It is difficult to talk about Army football, he noted, without talking about the big picture of Cadet training -- mental and physical.
"Their kids are trained to win at all costs," Martin said. 'The problem with playing them is that's how they play football. ... There are no excuses. ... It's every single play, 'We're storming the hill.'"
That mindset jumped off the film of an Army-Navy game tape that Miami's coaching staff was viewing Sunday. After one play, a coach remarked on the fact that only two players were left standing when the whistle sounded. Those two were a pitch man who didn't get the ball and a safety on the far side away from the ball.
Of course, Army vs. Navy is arguably one of the biggest rivalries in college football. "You talk about people emptying the (energy) tank," Martin said.
Still, ANY opponent can expect max effort from every opposing player on every play, on any part of the field. Martin noted that while he was at Notre Dame, the Irish were facing Navy for the first time in quite a while. While the players heard words of warning, the real "learning moment" came on the field.
"We were down 35-0 at the half," Martin recalled. "We didn't buy into how hard they were going to play and how tough their teams are. We didn't buy into the challenge."
With the Black Knights still emplying a triple option offense, a great deal of the learning will come on the job - particularly early. The RedHawks faced a pair of tough teams in Cincinnati and Minnesota early, but such experience -- especially on defense -- has very limited value against Army.
""It's hard to prepare for one of their plays, and they've got 40 of them," Martin said. "We can't (simulate) how they run their plays - and particularly their speed, how fast they hit the holes and how fast it gets out to the perimeter, how hard and low their offensive line comes off the ball."
Much of the stress on a Army opponent comes early as it tries to adjust. But with the Black Knights putting together long clock-eating drives, falling behind -- especially by multiple scores -- is often a losing recipe.
In their last meeting (2018), Army led 14-0 before Miami cracked the endzone on a 34-yard Gus Ragland to Kenny Young pass.
Army tallied a third quarter touchdown and carried a 21-7 lead deep into the third quarter. With just 4:23 remaining in the game, Ragland found Dominique Robinson on a short TD pass that finished a 68-yard drive that took just 1:54 off the clock. Robinson, is back this year, but he is now shining as a defensive end. He'll see plenty of action while facing Army from the other side this time.
Nate Becker's five-yard run with 17 seconds left tied the game, sending it to overtime. Both teams kicked field goals on their first possession, and Army scored a TD with its next possession. With the PAT, it led 31-24. Miami equaled the touchdown but went failed on a two-point try.
It was a physically and emotionally eshausting game, and Martin expects more of the same, even as he strives for a different outcome.
"Could we be tougher than Army for 365 days. No, they're trained totally different. ... But can we be tough enough for three hours on a Saturday afternoon? That's the challenge," Martin said. "You've got to right, scratch and claw for every inch, because you know they're gonna."
>> The all-time series between the two schools dates back to 1960 and is tied at 3-3.
>> Army has improved in recent years and is currently undefeated (3-0). The Black Knights were 9-3 last year and won the Commander's Trophy with wins over Navy (15-0) and Air Force (10-7) in their last two regular season games. West Virginia nipped Army 24-21 in the Autozone Liberty Bowl.
>> Army is +3 in turnover margin, while MU is even.
>> The Black Knights opened 2021 with a 43-10 win at Georgia State and edged Western Kentucky 36-35 Sept. 11. Last week, Army Blasted winless UConn 52-21. The Huskies trailed 42-0 at the half.
>> The Black Knights have thrown just 13 passes, completing 11 for 282 yards and four touchdowns. Army has thrown no picks and allowed just one sack. The average completed pass covered 21.7 yards.
-- "They've thrown the ball more effectively,"-- Martin.
>> QB Christian Anderson is also Army's top runner, carrying a team-high 43 times for 195 yards (4.5 ypc) with three TD. Six players have at least 13 carries.
>> Army has run the ball on 92% of its plays. Fourten of its 18 touchdowns have been through the ground game.
>> Miami is coming off a 42-7 win over Long Island.
-- Cincinnati and Minnesota are really physical teams, so hving a less physical team sandwiched in (before Army) was pretty important to us."-- Martin
>> Former walk-on lineback Ryan McWood, who led MU in tackles in 2019 and 2020, appears to be lost for the season. However, tight end Andrew Homer could be back soon. Jack Coldiron has been holding down the spot and had two big catches totaling 80 yards against LIU.
>> The RedHawks again used two quarterbacks against LIU, with both Brett Gabbert (starter) and AJ Mayer contributing significantly.
>> Jaylon Bester and Tyre Shelton have yet to return from injuries, so the RedHawks continue to use a stable of young backs operating behind a young offensive line. Tommy Doyle (NFL) and Danny Godlevske (Oklahoma State) are gone, as is former offensive line coach George Barnett.