We should have the best offense that Army has faced, if DJ plays up to his pre-injury capability.
We SHOULD win this easily - - but that will entirely depend I think upon:
1. how well and how quickly we're coached up on defense this week...
2. whether or not we come out into the somewhat cold, gray, early gameday ready to play. We have proven to be a lackadaisical first half team so far (except when playing in front of 70,000 plus)

(10-06-2014 09:23 AM)Antarius Wrote:  In the Bailiff era, we beat them 38-31 in 2008; surprisingly close, given our offensive prowess and Army being a paltry 3-9 on the year.

I remember Army had a fireplug of a FB that had over 200 yards rushing in the game.

(10-05-2014 07:45 PM)owl40 Wrote:  This game lines-up well for us. We are disciplined for assignment football and playing a team without the QB/WR's that we have seen in prior games. I doubt that Army will change what they do (run). We are a respectable #58 in FBS in rushing D.

That statistical ranking is a bit misleading. It's based on yards per game, and because the deep passes have been such easy pickings against us, teams have tended to get more yards there with fewer rushing attempts. In terms of yards per attempt instead of yards per game, we are a not-nearly-so-respectable 89th, at 4.67 yards per attempt. Respectable would be somewhere under 4.00.

Army will get 300+ yards rushing against us. What concerns me is that when wishbone teams throw, they usually throw deep. We can survive 300+ yards rushing if we don't give up the long ball. We will be in serious trouble if 300 turns to 400 or we give up a couple of long balls.

(10-07-2014 06:18 AM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  

(10-05-2014 07:45 PM)owl40 Wrote:  This game lines-up well for us. We are disciplined for assignment football and playing a team without the QB/WR's that we have seen in prior games. I doubt that Army will change what they do (run). We are a respectable #58 in FBS in rushing D.

That statistical ranking is a bit misleading. It's based on yards per game, and because the deep passes have been such easy pickings against us, teams have tended to get more yards there with fewer rushing attempts. In terms of yards per attempt instead of yards per game, we are a not-nearly-so-respectable 89th, at 4.67 yards per attempt. Respectable would be somewhere under 4.00.

Army will get 300+ yards rushing against us. What concerns me is that when wishbone teams throw, they usually throw deep. We can survive 300+ yards rushing if we don't give up the long ball. We will be in serious trouble if 300 turns to 400 or we give up a couple of long balls.

I'm going to forget the Navy debacle in 2009 - that's what happens when Rice doesn't prepare well and then fails to execute even the basics well. That was downright awful.

More recently, and some of the players on this team played there, but the 2012 Armed Forces Bowl against Air Force I think started to show those guys how to handle it. They did a stupendous job in the second half shutting down that attack - both the run and the play actions off those run options. And that's a team that didn't give up its running defense average (though AFA was more effective in the first half).

So hopefully the guys remember what to do. This, too, suggests that maybe Rice should be scheduling at least one academy every 2 years or less, to make sure the defense gets some exposure to having that kind of discipline.

(10-07-2014 08:48 AM)gsloth Wrote:  

(10-07-2014 06:18 AM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  

(10-05-2014 07:45 PM)owl40 Wrote:  This game lines-up well for us. We are disciplined for assignment football and playing a team without the QB/WR's that we have seen in prior games. I doubt that Army will change what they do (run). We are a respectable #58 in FBS in rushing D.

That statistical ranking is a bit misleading. It's based on yards per game, and because the deep passes have been such easy pickings against us, teams have tended to get more yards there with fewer rushing attempts. In terms of yards per attempt instead of yards per game, we are a not-nearly-so-respectable 89th, at 4.67 yards per attempt. Respectable would be somewhere under 4.00.

Army will get 300+ yards rushing against us. What concerns me is that when wishbone teams throw, they usually throw deep. We can survive 300+ yards rushing if we don't give up the long ball. We will be in serious trouble if 300 turns to 400 or we give up a couple of long balls.

I'm going to forget the Navy debacle in 2009 - that's what happens when Rice doesn't prepare well and then fails to execute even the basics well. That was downright awful.

More recently, and some of the players on this team played there, but the 2012 Armed Forces Bowl against Air Force I think started to show those guys how to handle it. They did a stupendous job in the second half shutting down that attack - both the run and the play actions off those run options. And that's a team that didn't give up its running defense average (though AFA was more effective in the first half).

So hopefully the guys remember what to do. This, too, suggests that maybe Rice should be scheduling at least one academy every 2 years or less, to make sure the defense gets some exposure to having that kind of discipline.

The big difference is that it is much easier to stop a wishbone/flexbone attack when one has MORE than one week to prepare. Also, it won't help that Rice has mid-terms this week.

(10-07-2014 08:55 AM)WRCisforgotten79 Wrote:  

(10-07-2014 08:48 AM)gsloth Wrote:  

(10-07-2014 06:18 AM)Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:  

(10-05-2014 07:45 PM)owl40 Wrote:  This game lines-up well for us. We are disciplined for assignment football and playing a team without the QB/WR's that we have seen in prior games. I doubt that Army will change what they do (run). We are a respectable #58 in FBS in rushing D.

That statistical ranking is a bit misleading. It's based on yards per game, and because the deep passes have been such easy pickings against us, teams have tended to get more yards there with fewer rushing attempts. In terms of yards per attempt instead of yards per game, we are a not-nearly-so-respectable 89th, at 4.67 yards per attempt. Respectable would be somewhere under 4.00.

Army will get 300+ yards rushing against us. What concerns me is that when wishbone teams throw, they usually throw deep. We can survive 300+ yards rushing if we don't give up the long ball. We will be in serious trouble if 300 turns to 400 or we give up a couple of long balls.

I'm going to forget the Navy debacle in 2009 - that's what happens when Rice doesn't prepare well and then fails to execute even the basics well. That was downright awful.

More recently, and some of the players on this team played there, but the 2012 Armed Forces Bowl against Air Force I think started to show those guys how to handle it. They did a stupendous job in the second half shutting down that attack - both the run and the play actions off those run options. And that's a team that didn't give up its running defense average (though AFA was more effective in the first half).

So hopefully the guys remember what to do. This, too, suggests that maybe Rice should be scheduling at least one academy every 2 years or less, to make sure the defense gets some exposure to having that kind of discipline.

The big difference is that it is much easier to stop a wishbone/flexbone attack when one has MORE than one week to prepare. Also, it won't help that Rice has mid-terms this week.

Please don't be Navy '09. Please don't be Navy '09. Please don't be Navy '09.

Could we outscore them with a balanced rushing/passing game? That's what Yale did.

BTW, the Army-Yale official attendance was 34000.

Where is the Rice section going to be in Michie Stadium?

This is the first of four games in a row versus Army, to the person who said we should schedule a service academy every year.

(10-07-2014 09:13 AM)07owl Wrote:  Where is the Rice section going to be in Michie Stadium?

When I called Army a couple of weeks ago to inquire about tickets, they said the visitors were allocated Sections 2-4 which is in the end zone (which blows). I thought about buying tickets elsewhere to be able to have a respectable view of the field, but what's the fun in that? For those of you who purchased the tickets/tailgate package, I'm guessing those tickets are in Section 4 since it wasn't available for purchase online. Below is a link to the seating chart.
http://ev12.evenue.net/evenue/linkID=arm...harts.html

(10-07-2014 10:21 AM)TJS_NYC Wrote:  

(10-07-2014 09:13 AM)07owl Wrote:  Where is the Rice section going to be in Michie Stadium?

When I called Army a couple of weeks ago to inquire about tickets, they said the visitors were allocated Sections 2-4 which is in the end zone (which blows). I thought about buying tickets elsewhere to be able to have a respectable view of the field, but what's the fun in that? For those of you who purchased the tickets/tailgate package, I'm guessing those tickets are in Section 4 since it wasn't available for purchase online. Below is a link to the seating chart.
http://ev12.evenue.net/evenue/linkID=arm...harts.html

Thanks very much! Not sure I want to be in the end zone, but I'll think about it

(10-07-2014 10:21 AM)TJS_NYC Wrote:  

(10-07-2014 09:13 AM)07owl Wrote:  Where is the Rice section going to be in Michie Stadium?

When I called Army a couple of weeks ago to inquire about tickets, they said the visitors were allocated Sections 2-4 which is in the end zone (which blows). I thought about buying tickets elsewhere to be able to have a respectable view of the field, but what's the fun in that? For those of you who purchased the tickets/tailgate package, I'm guessing those tickets are in Section 4 since it wasn't available for purchase online. Below is a link to the seating chart.
http://ev12.evenue.net/evenue/linkID=arm...harts.html

The seats are awful-- our block is in Section 3, right dab between the uprights in the back of the end zone. I can't imagine worse seats.

(10-06-2014 01:52 PM)Gravy Owl Wrote:  

(10-06-2014 09:13 AM)BeatNavy Wrote:  As for your rushing D ranking, you guys aren't so far removed from your own triple option days that you've forgotten that having a strong rushing D doesn't necessarily equate to have a strong D against the triple option, have you?

We will forget what we want, when we want.

I think the correct way to say that is "we will forget events at at a time, place and manner of our own choosing".

(10-07-2014 11:35 AM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(10-07-2014 10:21 AM)TJS_NYC Wrote:  

(10-07-2014 09:13 AM)07owl Wrote:  Where is the Rice section going to be in Michie Stadium?

When I called Army a couple of weeks ago to inquire about tickets, they said the visitors were allocated Sections 2-4 which is in the end zone (which blows). I thought about buying tickets elsewhere to be able to have a respectable view of the field, but what's the fun in that? For those of you who purchased the tickets/tailgate package, I'm guessing those tickets are in Section 4 since it wasn't available for purchase online. Below is a link to the seating chart.
http://ev12.evenue.net/evenue/linkID=arm...harts.html

The seats are awful-- our block is in Section 3, right dab between the uprights in the back of the end zone. I can't imagine worse seats.

Sec 3 is where I reluctantly bought, too. Maybe we should all move in MOB fashion to the upper deck if its empty.... I remember back in '95 or '96, my seats were in Sec 25 or 26 - but it seems now those have been taken over by the Corps - don't remember where they sat previously.

(10-07-2014 12:13 PM)TJS_NYC Wrote:  Sec 3 is where I reluctantly bought, too. Maybe we should all move in MOB fashion to the upper deck if its empty.... I remember back in '95 or '96, my seats were in Sec 25 or 26 - but it seems now those have been taken over by the Corp - don't remember where they sat previously.

The Corps used to sit in 15-16, maybe also 17. Or maybe 14, but I doubt we were that close to midfield. They moved for tv -- all of our home games are on tv, and since the cameras are on the press box side...

When I had season tickets (pre-two kids), I was in U-12, right on the 45-yard line. Loved those seats -- I opted for upper deck instead of where my class seniority would have put me.

Don't feel too bad about the end zone. My 25-year reunion is the AF game, and my seats are in 32. I'll be staring straight across the end zone. Some in my class got 31, so they'll be way up to the 17-yard line.

Does the Army punter kick rugby style with either leg, or is he the starting QB? If not, we have a chance.

(10-07-2014 04:54 PM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  Does the Army punter kick rugby style with either leg, or is he the starting QB? If not, we have a chance.

I thought he was the starting WR?

(10-07-2014 05:17 PM)Hambone10 Wrote:  

(10-07-2014 04:54 PM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  Does the Army punter kick rugby style with either leg, or is he the starting QB? If not, we have a chance.

I thought he was the starting WR?

I don't even think he was the starter, but I'm not sure.

It's scary how close Rice was to being single-handedly beaten by a punter.

(10-07-2014 05:30 PM)I45owl Wrote:  

(10-07-2014 05:17 PM)Hambone10 Wrote:  

(10-07-2014 04:54 PM)OptimisticOwl Wrote:  Does the Army punter kick rugby style with either leg, or is he the starting QB? If not, we have a chance.

I thought he was the starting WR?

I don't even think he was the starter, but I'm not sure.

It's scary how close Rice was to being single-handedly beaten by a punter.

Starting punter, punt returner and WR. Returned 2 punts, caught 4 balls with 2 being TDs, and punted 7 times.

I feel pretty confident that the Army punter is not from Australia, so that's a plus.