Army quarterback Trent Steelman gets another shot against Duke this Saturday after the Blue Devils stomped the Black Knights in West Point last year. (AP photo)
Navy has a bye this week, so they made this easier. And it’s tough to call Air Force vs. Wyoming the game of the week after the Falcons nearly upset the 7th-ranked Sooners in Norman, Okla., last weekend. If we at After Action were on top of our game we would have started this weekly special last week with that match-up, but …
Anyway, that leaves Army and their pivotal game against Duke. Stop laughing. Duke is for real. Yes, Alabama steamrolled them last week, making the Blue Devils look like a high school team, which is funny because their stadium with the track around the football field already makes their football program look sad.
Back to the game, though. Army needs this win in its season-long quest to earn its first bowl bid in 14 years. Army has two wins already and really should be 3-0 before choking away the game against Hawaii. It’s still painful.
Duke is still licking their wounds against Alabama and ripe for an upset, while Army is fresh of off rolling over North Texas. Quarterback Trent Steelman will have to remain steady against the Blue Devils as Duke remains potent on offense. They racked up 48 points against Wake Forest and own the 19th-ranked passing offense in the nation. Army will have to keep Duke’s offense off the field with a steady running game.
Comparing Alabama’s rushing offense, which has one running back with a Heisman already in his trophy case and another who is a candidate this year, is not fair. A look at how Duke’s run defense fared against Wake Forest is a more comparable comparison. And lets just say Duke didn’t fare well. The Demon Deacons rolled up 229 yards on 53 carries against Duke.
This is the type of opportunity the Black Knights need to capitalize on.
Prediction: Army 31 Duke 24
