It felt good to get back into the win column last Saturday. More importantly, Army secured the win last week in typical Army fashion, with long, methodical drives and stops when it mattered most.
This season has already been quite the roller coaster ride. It seems a little hard to believe that a win next week would put the Black Knights back at .500. And yet, if the Black Knights can continue to find their groove and work back into their traditional style, all of their goals remain in front of them.
This week’s keys to victory are similar to last week’s against another struggling American Conference school with a solid passing game.
Ready to be back at Michie on Saturday! pic.twitter.com/KYdC57qbuU
— Army Football (@ArmyWP_Football) October 6, 2025
Establish the Fullback (Again)
Army Offensive Coordinator Cody Worley and company must have heard our pleas to establish the fullback against UAB. The position group more than quadrupled its production against the Blazers. After mustering a lackluster 10 attempts for 21 yards against East Carolina, Army’s fullbacks ran for 99 yards on 22 carries this past Saturday. We all saw the difference in the Army’s offense. The Black Knights controlled the game’s flow overall, and they did not have to force the slotback plays on the edge.
Sure, the results on the stat sheet between the East Carolina and UAB games were similar. The Black Knights ran for 241 against East Carolina and 247 against UAB. However, the fullback production led to more manageable third and fourth down situations. Army converted five of 13 third downs and three of four fourth downs. This shows a stark contrast with the atrocious 2-for-15 third-down and 4-for-9 fourth-down rates against East Carolina.
All of this came because of strong fullback play.
This week, Army faces one of the worst run defenses in the country in Charlotte. The 49ers allow an average of 208 yards per game and over five yards per carry. Last week, USF ran for 407 yards against them. Rice’s shotgun offense ran seamlessly against Charlotte. The Owls established their own dive back and used it to control the game on offense. The Black Knights must do the same thing this week.
Closing out the drive with 6 from Hayden Reed 🫡 https://t.co/3y6A0dIJFa pic.twitter.com/g63Z6KmT2h
— Army Football (@ArmyWP_Football) October 4, 2025
Force Charlotte to Run the Ball
Army’s run defense has improved in the last two weeks after North Texas had its way. The Black Knights made East Carolina earn every yard, allowing just 3.6 yards per carry. Despite a tough first quarter, the Black Knights defense played well in that game down the stretch. They then played so well against UAB that the Blazers abandoned the run completely in the second half.
Charlotte might have the weakest running game that Army will face all year. The 49ers average just 97 yards per game rushing. Their top three backs have a combined 109 carries for 378 yards, an average of just 3.5 yards per carry.
Consistent chunk plays in the passing game hurt Army against East Carolina and North Texas. Army Defensive Coordinator Nate Woody should give Charlotte looks that encourage them to run the ball and let the Black Knights’ linebackers do their thing. Charlotte has not proven that they can consistently move the chains on the ground. If Charlotte chooses to run, Army’s patented “bend-but-don’t break” style ought to thrive.
Preventing big plays in the passing game and forcing Charlotte to draw out drives works in conjunction with establishing the fullback. It gives Army control of the game via complementary football.
The Black Knights play better when they are dictating the pace. This remains true on both sides of the ball. Early stops in the ground game will help the Black Knights win this week.
Gavin Shields steps in front for this first career INT! pic.twitter.com/HlgEbZYsc0
— Army Football (@ArmyWP_Football) October 4, 2025
Get to the Quarterback
The losses of former Army Rush LB Elo Modozie to the Transfer Portal and of DL Kyle Lewis to graduation both hurt the Army defense. The team’s pass rush has been an almost total non-factor this season. Even with last week’s improvement, the Black Knights have just four sacks in five games. The last two weeks, they have only been able to muster one sack per game.
It’s hard to believe that Army got just one sack and seven quarterback hurries in 46 dropbacks against UAB. The fact that UAB QG Jalen Kitna threw for just 259 yards and had a meager 6.2 yards per attempt seems hard to credit given how ineffective Army’s pass rush was. Really, those stats show the strength of Army’s secondary.
Army’s pass rush must do more to help.
The Black Knights’s pass rushers should build some confidence against a subpar Charlotte offensive line. Rice sacked Charlotte QBs Grayson Loftis and Conner Harrell six times. Getting Charlotte in 3rd-and-long situations and/or notching a sack to get the defense off the field will continue to aid the theme of dictating the pace of this game
Charlotte trotting out a third quarterback this week should also aid the pass rush. In fact, it may even be necessary. Charlotte third-string QB Zach Wilcke proved efficient in relief work against USF last week. He completed 14 of his 18 passes. Still, he is unproven and relatively inexperienced. After spending a year at junior college, the USF game was Wilcke’s first FBS contest since 2022. Army can take advantage of this. Nate Woody needs to get creative with the team’s pass rush looks and bring this unit back to life.
Final Thoughts
Through the fire, through the limits, through the overall walls that this season has thrown up so far, this team can still revive its season and get to 3-3 with a win this weekend. Bottom line, Army needs to play their brand of football. The Black Knights were not the flashiest against UAB, but they got the job done. They held onto the ball for 36 minutes and forced UAB into desperation. With that, the Blazers all but crumpled, putting forth their worst offensive performance of the season.
Here's a rundown of events leading into kickoff!
— Army Football (@ArmyWP_Football) October 9, 2025
A reminder that Saturday's game at Michie Stadium is SOLD OUT. We strongly encourage fans to arrive early. pic.twitter.com/D9BJ3SXEa0
The same formula will work against this struggling Charlotte team. The Black Knights must prolong drives and force 3rd-and -long situations to put the 49ers in a hole. If the Black Knights do this, they can put the struggles of the North Texas and East Carolina games firmly into the rearview.
Go Army! Beat Charlotte!!!
