Army at Air Force Line

The service academies are back at one another this week, competing for the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy.

Air Force took the first step toward winning another trophy, while Army plays its first game in this competition this Saturday when it visits Colorado Springs.

Do you want to see a football game be finished in less than 2 ½ hours? You just might this week, as two of the three best running teams in the country go head-to-head. The clock should run – often.

Army has not won the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy – given to the winner of the annual football competition between Army, Navy and Air Force – since 1996, while Air Force won last year’s trophy and defeated Navy earlier this season. Air Force has won the last five meetings overall, with the last Army win coming in 2005 at Air Force. The Falcons won last year, 44-22, at Army for its 31st win in 45 all-time meetings.

Our latest college football odds show Air Force favored by 17 points and the total is posted at 59 point.

Army

The Black Knights are coming off a 55-0 home win over FCS Fordham last week to snap a two-game losing streak. The team is 3-1 at home but 0-4 on the road, giving up 35 or more points in all four of those contests.

Army’s offense is geared around the option, and it leads the nation in rushing at 369 rushing yards per game while ranking 53rd in scoring (30 points per game). Overall, the team produces 419 yards of offense per outing. As with an option team, the quarterback is a leader. Trent Steelman is second in rushing with 576 yards and 11 touchdowns (4.9 yards per carry) while completing 51 percent of his passes for 347 and two TDs with two interceptions. The top runner on the squad is Raymond Maples with 759 yards and four scores (7.9 ypc). The offensive line has given up just nine sacks/ When Steelman throws, his top target is Jared McFarlin with seven catches for 74 yards and a TD.

On defense, Army ranks 68th in scoring at 27 points per game, and allows 372 total yards per contest (195 passing, 177 rushing). The unit has posted 13 sacks and forced 11 turnovers, two of those returned for scores (Geoffrey Bacon, INT; Nate Combs, fumble). Steve Erzinger leads the platoon with 73 total tackles – 30 more than anyone else – and three sacks. Andrew Rodriguez has two fumble recoveries along with an INT.

Air Force

The Falcons are also basking in the glow of a shutout, as they went on the road to top New Mexico, 42-0, to break a three-game losing streak. The team started 3-1 after a 35-34 OT win at Navy, but then lost to Notre Dame, San Diego State and Boise State. A win this week will clinch the Falcons’ 18th CIC trophy in the 40-year history of the competition (the most among the service academies).

The Falcon offense is very similar to Army’s, in that it ranks third in the nation in rushing at 327 ypg and overall ranks 27th in scoring at 35 points per game with 476 total yards per contest. Asher Clark leads this vaunted rushing attack with 654 yards and four TDs (7.3 ypc), with Mike DeWitt adding 410 yards and six scores (5.8 ypc) and quarterback Tim Jefferson 288 yards and seven TDs (3.0 ypc). Jefferson completes 61 percent of his passes for 1,007 yards and eight scores with six INTs. The offensive line has allowed just eight sacks. When Jefferson throws, his top receiver is Jonathan Warzeka with 22 catches for 275 yards and three TDs.

The defense has been tested often with a relatively tough schedule, ranking 88th in scoring defense (31 ppg) while allowing 407 yards per contest (204 rushing, 203 passing). The unit has posted 12 sacks and forced 12 turnovers. The top tackler in the squadron is Brady Amack with 80 stops (24 more than anyone else on the team), who adds a sack and a team-high two forced fumbles. Alex Means has three sacks, and Jon Davis has two INTs.

Davis and Mikel Hunter combine to average 17 yards per punt return this year.

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