Writer - Ryan Musich
Fort Worth, TX - In a day and age where teams seem to be running their offenses out of the shotgun, San Diego State and Army are two programs that prefer to run a ground and pound offense. The two will be facing off on the December 23rd at TCU's Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, Texas, for the 15th annual Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl.
The 10-2 San Diego State Aztecs feature one of the nation's top running backs in senior Rashaad Penny, who leads the country in rushing yards with over 2,000 yards. Army led the nation in rush yards per game, totaling 368 yards a game,
Army bases their offense around the option. The main cog for the Black Knights is quarterback Ahmad Bradshaw. Bradshaw totaled over 1,550 yards and averaged 7.5 yards a run.
The two teams have met only twice before, and San Diego State leads the series 2-0. The last time Army and the Aztecs faced off, San Diego State blew out the Black Knights 42-7 at SDCCU Stadium.
The Aztecs are playing in their 15th major college bowl game and eighth straight. San Diego State also comes into this game, winners of their last four games.
Army, on the other hand, is coming off an impressive win in the annual Army-Navy game to close out their season.
If you like a fast, physical football game, this game will certainly be for you. It will truly be a battle in the trenches. Expect a very fast football game, as there will likely not be more than 20 total passes between these two teams.
While the Aztecs will lean heavily on Penny in the running game, be on the lookout for Aztecs quarterback Christian Chapman to keep the Army defense honest. Chapman totaled 1,847 yards through the air and 13 touchdowns.
The Black Knights know they have a tall task ahead of them when it comes to containing the Aztec offense.
“They have the nation’s leading rusher (Penny), and he doesn’t do it all himself,” Army head coach Jeff Monken said. “They have other guys that run the ball and throw the ball to that are very skilled. There are some mismatches.”
I’m projecting a game that won’t total more than 45 points. Penny and Bradshaw will dominate with the ball in their hands at least 80% of the time, and the clock will rarely stop unless there’s a commercial break during the TV broadcast or a timeout called by one of the coaches. San Diego State will take this one 24-17.
The 10-2 San Diego State Aztecs feature one of the nation's top running backs in senior Rashaad Penny, who leads the country in rushing yards with over 2,000 yards. Army led the nation in rush yards per game, totaling 368 yards a game,
Army bases their offense around the option. The main cog for the Black Knights is quarterback Ahmad Bradshaw. Bradshaw totaled over 1,550 yards and averaged 7.5 yards a run.
The two teams have met only twice before, and San Diego State leads the series 2-0. The last time Army and the Aztecs faced off, San Diego State blew out the Black Knights 42-7 at SDCCU Stadium.
The Aztecs are playing in their 15th major college bowl game and eighth straight. San Diego State also comes into this game, winners of their last four games.
Army, on the other hand, is coming off an impressive win in the annual Army-Navy game to close out their season.
If you like a fast, physical football game, this game will certainly be for you. It will truly be a battle in the trenches. Expect a very fast football game, as there will likely not be more than 20 total passes between these two teams.
While the Aztecs will lean heavily on Penny in the running game, be on the lookout for Aztecs quarterback Christian Chapman to keep the Army defense honest. Chapman totaled 1,847 yards through the air and 13 touchdowns.
The Black Knights know they have a tall task ahead of them when it comes to containing the Aztec offense.
“They have the nation’s leading rusher (Penny), and he doesn’t do it all himself,” Army head coach Jeff Monken said. “They have other guys that run the ball and throw the ball to that are very skilled. There are some mismatches.”
I’m projecting a game that won’t total more than 45 points. Penny and Bradshaw will dominate with the ball in their hands at least 80% of the time, and the clock will rarely stop unless there’s a commercial break during the TV broadcast or a timeout called by one of the coaches. San Diego State will take this one 24-17.