WKU Football: Army Q&A with Inside & Outside Army
We’re three days away from WKU’s big nonconference opportunity against the United States Military Academy (Also known as Army). This is a…
We’re three days away from WKU’s big nonconference opportunity against the United States Military Academy (Also known as Army). This is a chance to build on a two-game winning streak and catch the nation's attention against a team that took Michigan to the wire. With that in mind that, we’d thought we’d get an Army perspective on the game. Luckily for us, we got Alex Funderburke from Inside & Outside Army to give us his thoughts on this Army team, the program, the game, and his predictions. Without further adieu, here is our conversation with Alex.
Army is coming off of back to back 10 win seasons and could potentially get there again this season. Are we witnessing the modern peak of Army Football?
I think we are. They finally have a coach who can handle coaching at a Service Academy, they have a QB in Kelvin Hopkins who can both make all the right reads and still make a throw when they need him to, and they have a defense (outside of a few bad outings) that is a top 20 defense.
Do you think that being an Option specialist will help Army keep head coach Jeff Monken for the foreseeable future?
I do, a lot of people like to bring his name up in the Rutgers or Illinois conversation but I can’t see a school taking a chance on a triple-option guy. If Army was running some sort of spread offense and having this kind of success, he’d be at a big name school by now.
WKU finishes this two-game series on September 11th, 2021 in West Point. Please explain to WKU fans how special a game at Michie Stadium is and why they should plan to make the trip in two seasons?
I’ve been to a lot of different stadiums but nowhere compares to a game at Michie Stadium in the fall. You wake up early and go watch the Cadet Review on the Plain, which is a parade featuring all of the Cadets in full dress. Then you head to the stadium. Then once you get to Michie, it is one of the most beautiful stadiums in the country. West Point is full of history, it’s much more than just going for a football game.
Now onto the game….
Senior Quarterback Kelvin Hopkins Jr. just came back from injury during the Tulane game. How much does his presence matter to the Knight’s offense?
Kelvin Hopkins gives something Army hasn’t had in a long time: a passing threat. That’s not to say Army is going to sling it around the field or anything, but they can now catch defenses off guard three or four times a game for a big gain through the air. Hopkins seems to always make the right read when it comes to running the triple-option as well. Going into last season people didn’t know how Army would replace QB Ahmad Bradshaw and Kelvin stepped up to the plate and has become a fan favorite.
Who are some skill position players that WKU should worry about on Saturday?
All of the b-backs. You will see three or four b-backs (what Army calls the fullback) play on Saturday. Connor Slomka, Sandon McCoy, Cade Barnard, and Rashaad Bolton will all see the field and they all present different threats. Slomka is a hammer and will pick up at least three yards but can’t burn you with speed. McCoy is a running back in a fullback’s body, not only will he run through you, he can run past you. Barnard and Bolton are both guys who see the field less than the first two but both are wrecking balls and used to block more than anything.
Lastly, look out for one of the best DB’s in the country, Elijah Riley. He will lock down the best wide receiver on the other team, force turnovers, get sacks, and is one of the hardest hitters I have ever seen.
Much has been made about Army losing defensive coordinator Jay Bateman to North Carolina. How has his loss been felt defensively for the Knights?
I’m sure Jay Bateman is missed by the players, he’s definitely missed by the fans, but the scheme stayed the same for the most part. John Loose was already on the staff and stepped right in when Bateman left.
Who should WKU fans worry about on Army’s defense?
DC John Loose loves to disguise blitzes, often sending a linebacker on a delay or a DB (often Elijah Riley) from the outside.
If they are fully healthy, Army’s secondary of Elijah Riley, Javhari Bourdeau, and Jaylon McClinton is a three-headed monster that few teams want to deal with. They all hit hard and can make plays on the ball. McClinton has been out since the Michigan game so we’ll see if he’s ready to go or not come Saturday.
Up until last week against Tulane, the defense was great at stopping the run as well. Army fans are hoping that game was an outlier, but we will have to see how the rest of the season plays out.
How do you see the game playing out? What is your prediction?
I think this will be a close game but I see the Black Knights winning in the end. I think the Army offense will get back to moving the ball consistently and once the fullback dive gets rolling, there’s no stopping them. Western Kentucky is definitely better than their 3–2 record though, and if Army comes in sleeping on them just because WKU lost to UCA, they’ll get beat. I don’t want to label this game as a must-win for Army, but it’s a must-win. If they can win this one, they have a good chance of being bowl eligible before the showdown in Colorado against Air Force.
28–17 Army
I want to thank Alex for taking the time to do this q&a with us. You can read his work on Inside & Outside Army (Great name for college football history buffs) and follow their official twitter account @InOutArmy for fun analysis and reaction to Saturday’s matchup.