Army West Point Black Knights College Football Pregame Quote, 12/15/2020

It was certainly a great win on Saturday. It was an exciting game and really just a physical and hard-fought game. I thought our guys played particularly well on defense. The goal-line stand was the turning point of the game. What really turned there was field position. They obviously gained a lot of field position to get it down there to the six-inch line and we couldn’t get a first down and we had to punt. There were actually four punts that exchanged hands, but finally we were able to flip the field position back down to the other end and it made a huge difference. It made it more difficult for them to go the distance without a big chunk play like they had with the quarterback on the 52-yard run. We were very fortunate to get that stop. Our guys played really hard and it was just a determined effort there. I think there was a great determination all game to try to get the victory. Obviously, we have a lot of guys on our team that experienced that loss a year ago and it hurts to lose in that game. They got the best of us a year ago, so it was nice to be able to come out victorious. Obviously, a little bit different having another game to decide the CIC after the Army-Navy Game. I think around here we’ve played games after the Army-Navy Game well in our history, but never a CIC game after the Army-Navy Game. It makes it different and forces us to refocus our efforts this week and get ready for a huge football game here at Michie Stadium this weekend.

On the challenge of moving past the Navy game to prepare for Air Force:

I think our players were very conscious of the fact that, even very soon after that game on Saturday night, that we have another game that we were going to have to get ready for and regroup. I think they have really had a good attitude about it. We had a good workout the next day and were able to put the whole thing behind us for right now and focus on this next ballgame. We are going to face a good team that we are going to have to play very well against to have a chance to win.

On what it means to have the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy on the line:

It’s a source of pride for everybody that plays for it. I’m certain of that. All three schools that play for it covet that trophy. It’s the most important goal that we have as a program and I’m sure that is shared by our counterparts. It’s a big game and we’re excited for this opportunity to play. We didn’t know that as the season went along if we were going to have a chance to do that. We’re fortunate to be here and excited that we’ll have an opportunity to compete for it.

On Air Force’s offense:

They’ve got a lot of guys that are carrying the ball for them. They’ve got (Kadin) Remsberg back, (Timothy) Jackson who plays at b-back, (Haaziq) Daniels their quarterback and a lot of guys that carry the ball and they’re good at what they do. They’ve been doing it a long time. Over the years, even when they’ve played us, just tweaks and changes and things that they’ve added. Basically, it’s challenging to defend them. They’ve done a nice job. They lost a couple games to two teams that are undefeated in their league and are having really good years. So, it’s a team that’s going to be a challenge for us. We’re going to have to play really great on defense and perform better on offense than we did on Saturday night. We managed three points there through three quarters and that’s typically not enough to win a football game. So, we’re going to have to find a way to move the ball and score some points. Hopefully, we’ll do that.

On what needs to happen in the run game:

There wasn’t much going inside on Saturday. We had to get Tyhier (Tyler) to the edge a little bit to gain some of those yards. We obviously lined up under center and in the shotgun, just trying to find a way to move the ball. The perimeter, to get the ball out there and toss it, or run option plays where we pitch the ball, that’s the one play where the ball was on the ground, was one of our triple option plays. The end got up the field and (Tyhier) probably should have handed the ball off and he didn’t and the ball ended up on the ground. In a game like that, where it’s just a defensive battle, I think the best thing that we could do was not screw it up — not take unnecessary chances and risks. Just try to keep slugging and keep the field position in our favor. Let our defense play and get them off the field. We didn’t try to necessarily stretch the field a bunch with the slotbacks, we would’ve liked to have gotten the defensive backs going better, but give Navy credit. They did a good job of bottling us up and stopping us and forcing us to punt. We’d like to get those guys going, they’ve been a big part of the offense. I think they’re very capable runners. We’re just going to need to do a good job blocking and create some seams for them.

On if there were some guys that took their next step in Saturday’s game:

I don’t know if I’d say they took the next step, but I thought some guys made some plays that really made a difference in the football game and they’re not guys that we normally are calling the names of. Obviously, Daryan McDonald and the play that he made on the reverse to get the safety. He wasn’t scheduled to be the starter and he started and played the whole game ‚Äì just really proud of him. Zach Harding — I think he’s having a great year. I think he is a terrific punter. I nominated him for an All-American award and I think he’s deserving. He has a really strong leg. On Saturday night, five punts were downed inside the 20-yard line, which is a huge statistic and was really important in the field position in the game on Saturday. Guys like Ay’Jaun Marshall, who were playing on special teams and Kemonte Yow covering kicks and the things that they do for our team and the plays they made. I think there’s a spirit on this team that these guys are really unselfish and everybody is trying to find a way to do something for this team and help this team win. It’s not always the guys that carry the ball most of the time or they guys that make most of the tackles ‚Äì you hear their names all the time. But there’s other guys that are showing up and making plays and getting in the game and making a difference. Nick Stokes getting in there and playing nose guard and stuffing in the middle. He’s just a tough, hard-nosed kid that’s never started a game and he’s a senior, but he cares about this team and works really hard to prepare and be ready. Guys like Kyle O’Connor — who ever calls out the long snappers name? It was a foggy, wet day. The ball was wet on almost every play and his snaps were right on the money every time. Even the one that was dropped, it maybe was a little bit inside but I think Brooks Hosea, the holder, was giving him a target right where the ball hit him. I think he’s done a great job and you don’t ever hear his name. Some of the guys who protect those kicks, whether it be on the punt team or on the PAT field goal team ‚Äì most of those guys are backups and don’t get their name called most of the time. But a lot of those guys showed up. That’s what makes me really proud is that we’ve got a football team that’s not concerned about who’s getting the individual accolades, but they enjoy winning together and accomplishing the things like we did on Saturday night as a team.