WKU Football: Army Q&A with Inside & Outside Army
With Saturday’s game between the Tops and the Black Knights rapidly approaching, we got some inside info on Army from our friend Alex…
With Saturday’s game between the Tops and the Black Knights rapidly approaching, we got some inside info on Army from our friend Alex Funderburke at Inside & Outside Army!
He ran a blog similar to ours for all things Army for a while but still follows the program through Twitter and we appreciate his time answering our questions so you guys (as well as us) can learn more about Army before the big game. Be sure to check him out on Twitter!
So let’s proceed with our questions.
The Towel Rack: The last time these two teams played was in 2019 with the Tops beating the Black Knights in Bowling Green 17–8. Obviously a lot has changed since then but who have been some of the biggest additions to the Black Knights’ roster since then?
Alex Funderburke: Tyrell. Freaking. Robinson. The man is the flash. The slotback made a huge impact last season as a freshman. But his ability doesn’t stop in the run game. He’s Army’s best punt and kick returner as well as one of their most targeted pass catchers. Army dominated last week and didn’t even use him to his full capabilities. He only had three carries for 12 yards. He did catch a TD pass though.
On the defensive side of the ball Marquel Broughton is the key cog to Army’s defense. The DB is only the third junior since 2015 to be named a team captain. He hits HARD. WKU players will want to avoid him on the field on Saturday.
TTR: Army had a strong 43–10 win over Georgia State to start the season. What were some of your biggest takeaways from that game?
AF: How smooth the offense looked. I was expecting a slight drop off due to a rebuilt offensive line but nope. 258 rushing yards and 98 passing yards (Yes. Army threw for nearly 100 yards on only three completions) later Army put up 43 points on a Georgia State defense that is supposed to be pretty good this season.
TTR: WKU will be playing in Michie Stadium this week on the 20th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks. What do you expect the home game environment to be like with this in mind?
AF: 9/11 is a very important day at West Point. It means something to everyone in that stadium. For Army to have a home game on the 20th anniversary is something special. Hearts will be heavy no doubt. Michie Stadium is already steeped in history but it will feel a little more important come Saturday afternoon.
9/11 also means something else for Army football. Saturday will be the fifth anniversary of when Brandon Jackson passed away in a car accident. Jackson was a DB for Army. He was only a sophomore at the time of his passing but was well on his way to being one of the best DB’s Army has ever seen. Not only was he an amazing player, he was an amazing person. One of the nicest people I’ve ever talked to. His smile lit up the room. So, if you see “Forever 28” or “scared money don’t make no money” anywhere on social media, those are tributes to him.
Miss you B Jack.
TTR: Looking at WKU, how do you see the Army defense matching up against Bailey Zappe and this air heavy offense the Tops have now?
AF: I’m not going to lie… Bailey Zappe scares me. I watched him at Houston Baptist. The dude can sling it. Luckily for Army though, this is one of the best secondaries they’ve ever had. All of them fly around the field, go after the ball, and if they don’t pick it off, they all are hard hitters. All of them play like B Jack played. They call themselves “The Takers” and they do that pretty well. Look out for Jabari Moore. If I were Zappe, I’d just look to the opposite side of the field. He makes a play on seemingly everything. He broke on a ball last week to make a pick on a play that looked like a lock to get Georgia State a first down.
TTR: WKU’s defense gave up over 200 rushing yards to UT-Martin in week one. Do you think the Black Knights will have any issues running their offense against the Tops’ defense?
AF: Long story short: No. Army should be able to move the ball with ease. The Black Knights getting tired won’t be a problem either. They have a fullback room that’s five deep, a QB room that is four or five deep, and four slotbacks ready to go at all times. They keep themselves fresh. In the first quarter last week, the first four fullback dives were taken by four different fullbacks. They churn out dudes who are 6’2” 245 lbs. Fullback Anthony Adkins was Army’s fifth fastest player last week, topping out at 20.8 MPH… he’s 6’1” 245 lbs. He’ll run through you and past you.
TTR: What do you think WKU needs to do in order to leave West Point with a win?
AF: If they don’t stop the fullback dive then WKU literally can’t win. The fullback dive starts the triple option. If they can take that away, everything else slows down. If Army is gaining 3–4 yards per fullback dive than WKU is in big trouble.
TTR: Army is currently a one touchdown favorite in Saturday’s game according to ESPN. What is your personal prediction for the game?
AF: Seeing how WKU gave up 201 yards on the ground to UT Martin, I don’t see how this ends well for the Hilltoppers. I think Army’s ground game will get whatever they want and eat clock. They held the ball for 40 mintues last week. Zappe will be able to get some TD’s but if he’s only getting six or seven possessions, it’s kind of irrelevant unless he scores on each drive.
Army hasn’t beaten WKU. But I think being at home, with everything else surrounding the day, they get it done.
Army wins 35–21.
We once again thank Alex for his time! Please be sure to check out his Twitter account and give him some support. If you want to see an Army perspective during the game we definitely recommend giving him a follow.