Speaker 1: Need to get your football fixed on all things Army,
Navy and Air Force. This is Yarns and Stripes Service
Academy Football. Now Here are your hosts, Brice Atkinson and
Steve Carney.
Speaker 2: We are back the college football season twenty twenty four.
It is underway. I am Pryce Atkinson and he is
more importantly Stephen Carney, my co host on Yards and Stripes.
Your home for Service Academy Football is. We are part
of the Last Word on Sports podcast Network. Check it
out online, last Word on sports dot Com Forwards Last Podcast,
or download us wherever you get your college football sports podcast, Apple, Spotify,
wherever it is. Just search Yards and Stripes and you
will get us because we are all about three things, Army, Navy,
and Air Force, service academies. That is what we do here. Steven,
it has been a long off season, but here we
are on the precipice of another kickoff with Army set
to take set to take the field on Friday night.
We will get to all that previewing all three teams,
looking ahead to all three games this weekend our Travis
Manian Foundation Honor Roll segment. But let's get started. Most importantly,
how are you friend, it has been a minute.
Speaker 3: It certainly has.
Speaker 4: I was saying before we started recording the show that
it you know, being able to talk service academy football
with you every week is always a highlight for me.
And to not be able to do it for the
last you know, eight and a half months has been
it's been torture because you and I have talked a
little bit off, you know, back and forth during the
off season. But being able to hang out with you
every week talking about you know, whether it's the Black Knights,
whether it's the midship and the Falcons, it's always so
much fun. And I absolutely love the fact that we're here.
College football is here. There's been so many changes, but
yet still some things never change. And it's the fact that,
you know, the service academies are always going to be
the groups that are overlooked. But you know what, they
may be overlooked now, but come the end of the season,
there's usually one of them that is the talk of
the town.
Speaker 2: Well, and especially now when a twelve team college football playoff,
the door has opened ever so slightly a little bit
more for possibly one of these three teams to get
into that playoff. It's a new era. Like you said,
a lot of changes. One of those big changes is
happening with one of our Service Academy teams, and that
would be the Army Black Knights. They have joined the
American Athletic Conference the first time, or it would be
the first time since what two thousand and four are
believes that they were in a conference what six years
in CUSA. That's the only time in that short little
window that Army has been a member of a conference.
But they are back there in the in the American
Athletic Conference this year taking the feel for the first time.
We got a lot to cover. Steven, I agree with you.
It has been a it has been a minute. It's
been a long time. Better late, better late than ever.
They say, Were we sure we were gonna get off
the ground, Well, it was in doubt for a little bit.
But here we are. And I think the biggest thing
is I miss you, You miss me, And we just
had to do this every week, so.
Speaker 4: And we missed, and we missed the listeners. I I
certainly I missed. You know. We got a lot of
a lot of feedback, a lot of great messages on
social media, especially from the families of the Service Academy
members who take the time to listen to this, to
this podcast, to this show every single week.
Speaker 3: We love you.
Speaker 4: We appreciate your your children's uh you know, their their
commitment to service and the fact that they have uh
you know, uh given the pledge of their lives UH
to go and and support and defend UH this country
is absolutely incredible and get an opportunity to get some
of the best educations in the in the country from
some of the best teachers in some of the best
uh in some of the best job corps, you know,
job fields in the world. So congratulations to everybody, and
and thank you to of course the family members of
these Service Academy members.
Speaker 2: One hundred percent. If you're a former player, if you're
a current player, if you're a parent of a player,
if you're an alumni one of the three academies, if
you're just simply a fan of one of the academies,
hell if you're just a fan of college football, welcome
into Yards and Stripes, because this is as pure as
it gets. Steven. These three prestige institutions when it comes
to academics, athletics, and everything, especially on the military side,
and that's what makes Archs and stripes so special as
we give the attention to the three teams that they
deserve that they may not be getting in a lot
of places because college football is blown up. But the
purity that you get on a Saturday afternoon with these
three schools, teams, institutions, it's just unlike anything else you'll find.
So let's get into let's just kind of take a look, Stephen,
because you know, like you said, it's been a little
bit of time. I just mentioned Army. Let's start with them, Steve,
because you know it's it's been a little bit of
time since we've seen Army in a conference. What it
was the Conference USA, the last time that we've seen
them in a league nineteen ninety eight to twenty twenty four.
They will be making their American Athletic Conference debut. But
the Black Knights last year six and six won the
Commander in Chief Trophy again a thrilling seventeen to eleven
win over the Naval Academy. And you know that the
head scratcher probably of the whole season last year for
US was when they went to Denver and just absolutely
drubbed an undefeated Air Force team for the first time
they went in there and just absolutely own them. And
then of course, obviously the win over Navy gives him
the Commander Chief Trophy. Stopping ty Lavati the Navy quarterback
inches from the end zone was seconds remaining to win
the CIC But six and six the last two seasons.
You know, after a nine to four campaign in twenty
twenty one, the Black Knights eleven starters returning, including the
top four rushers from last year, which averaged two hundred
and eight rushing yards per game. And certainly it always
helps when you've got starting quarterback and Bryson Daily pulling
the strings that he is back under center Steve for
another season for the Black Knights.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 4: Absolutely, I think you could say that Bryson Daily is
probably when it comes to the Service academies this year,
I would say he is probably the number one player
in all three of these teams because you look at it,
and we'll get to Air Force in just a little bit,
but just so you know, air Force is completely different
this year than what you saw in twenty and twenty three.
Maybe of course struggled last year, and we'll get to
the Midshipman and what we think Brian Newberry is going
to have moving forward. But really, Bryson Daily is the
man when it comes to Service Academy football this year,
he is going to be the one guy that everybody
is going to have their focus on. Every time Army
takes the field on offense, all eleven players will know
exactly where he is on the field because more than
likely he's going to have the football with him.
Speaker 3: The way that.
Speaker 4: Army is going to be playing this year, and it
really is, it's put up her, shut up time for Bryson.
I mean you look at it six and six last year,
six and six in two thousand and twenty two, and
now going into the American Athletic Conference, so there's not
going to be a whole lot of umasses on their
schedule here this season. They're going to get a full
American Athletic Conference. Uh, you know football season. You're gonna
get Memphis, You're gonna get Tulane, You're gonna get UTSA.
Those are those are the top three teams the listed
by just about everybody, uh for predictions in the conference.
I can tell you that Army is right now uh
slated to finish. Uh. Let's see Bill Connolly of ESPN
has them slated sixth to finish sixth in the conference.
Phil Steel of his college his college Football pre you
actually has Army finishing tenth out of fourteen.
Speaker 3: That's not good. Uh. But College Football News has Army
tied for seventh. Uh.
Speaker 4: So, you know, it's a team that a lot of
people think is going to be in the middle of
the pack. And I think that's not a bad thing
for Army coming into its first year inside of a conference.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's gonna be interesting to see how Army handles
the schedule because you know, Navy enter in the American
Athletic there were a lot of questions about whether the
vid shipman can handle it. Then they go to what
won two conference championship games right out of the gate
ball eligible. But you know, Army has played there's no
other way to put it. They played a pretty you know,
cupcake schedule the last few years and and typically have,
especially as independent, where you can schedule the way you
need to and want to to get yourself postseason eligible.
You know, they've just had some ups and downs, and
you know, but Jeff Bunkins team is you know, with
you know, Kanye Udo, they found that really a kind
of a bruising fullback, and then Tyroll Robinson should be
back fully healthy on the outside at slot back, so
it'll be interesting. Obviously, Isaiah Austin maybe the most talented
player on the entire team wide receiver, you know, big
six to four wide receiver. You know, it's hurting been
last year, but he's out. He's transferred. Hit the portal,
went to Iowa State. Kind of left me scratching my
head on that one, but.
Speaker 4: Well, that's because he wants to play with my buddy,
Anthony Beck's son who is the quarterback at Iowa State,
rock O Beck, who is a sophomore quarterback there. If
I'm if I'm Isaiah, also I want to play with
him too. Uh, because you're gonna get a whole lot
more targets in Aimes than you are at West Point.
And taking a look at at Army's schedule, Uh, you
know they actually don't have either Memphis or Tulane this year,
which is actually a huge boost uh for them.
Speaker 3: Uh.
Speaker 4: They the only the really the tough games that they
have in conference UTSA is at Mikey Stadium and then
UAB with uh uh is probably going to be a
tough one as well. That's also at West Point, so
they got very fortunate that. Really the only tough game
that they have on the road this year is they've
got to go to Notre Dame, so uh and Notre
Dame is a top ten team this year. They obviously
kept that one on their schedule from the Independent, but uh,
they they actually do not have, uh a a horrific
schedule this year, and that's probably why some of these
guys like Bill Connelly and the folks at College Football
Needs have them picked as high as they are because
they aren't going to face Memphis.
Speaker 3: They aren't going to face two Lane, at least not
this year.
Speaker 2: Yeah. I think the hardest part of Army or of
Army schedule is basically when they start the month of November,
you know, when they play their first service Academy team
in Air Force and then go to North Texas and
they play Notre Dame at Yankee Stadium, UTSA at home,
and the Navy. To me, that's when that's the hardest
stretch of anything, is their last five games and that
starts in the month of November. That's just my opinion,
but it'll be interesting to see what's going to happen
with Jeff Bunkins team this year joining the American Athletic
Commerce again they have the Commander in Chief trophy? Will
they have it again? At the end of the season,
we will find out. Let's move to the Naval Academy
Steve Brian Newberry in his first season last year being
elevated from defensive coordinator to the head coaching's position after
the abrupt dismissal in the locker room of the Army
Navy game, sending Kenna Montalolo packing. Brian Newberry goes five
and seven last year. They obviously end up, you know,
with the gut wrenching lost Army in the finale stopped
second short or yards and second short you know of
a knocking Army off and getting Basically they would have
been Bowl eligible, but all the Bulls had been decided
by that point, so they would not have gone bowling.
But can the Naval Academy get this thing turned around? Obviously,
fourteen winning season in fifteen years from three to seventeen.
Now it's a run of four losing seasons in a row.
Check Glad Chuck, the athletic director, obviously made the move
and removing Kenny installing Brian Newberry, the defensive coordinator, into
that head coaching spot. Can they get Bowl eligible this
year for the first time since twenty nineteen steep after
they knocked off Kansas State in that exciting Liberty Bowl
Game twenty to seventeen. Will it finally happen getting back
to the postseason for the Meds?
Speaker 4: Yeah, And I think that for for Navy, obviously you've
gotta you've got to look at Alex Tesca, uh you know,
he is back uh again, so I think it. And
then with Blake Horbath and Braxton Woodson under center, I
think that's gonna be the big question for Navy is
you know, with ty Lavitie now gone, uh, you know,
having having having finally graduated from from the Naval Academy,
who's gonna run this thing under center? I think that is.
You know, Blake Horvath was okay, uh you know, I
I don't I he didn't, you know, really show me
enough to say for if I'm Brian Newberry to go, yes,
you are going to be the guy number one. I
mean they've they've figured it out now, but you know,
at the at the start of the of the spring
you know, the question was who's going to be under center?
And that's really gonna be question because I think that
you know, as soon as as soon as a quarterback struggles,
you got to make that move because right now you
don't have enough confidence to say he's our guy and
he's our hang with him.
Speaker 2: Yeah, one hundred percent. Definitely the question at quarterback, it's
not three now, it's down to two. Is a horror bath?
Is at Woodson will find out. You know you mentioned
Braxton Daily, you know at Army, the quarterback maybe the
most important player, talented, whatever you want to call him
in Service Academy football. I might make the case at
Colin Ramos, the senior linebacker out of Wayne, New Jersey
for the Naval Academy, who led Navy and tackles again
last year with one hundred and ten first team preseason
All American Athletic Conference. Again this season, that guy might
be the most important or talented player in the entire
Service Academy. Realm, we will find out. But that guy, boy,
when he hits you, you know it.
Speaker 4: Yeah, he might be the best linebacker in the conference
this Yeah. Again, I thought that Colin Ramos was the
best linebacker in the entire American Athletic Conference last year.
I certainly think that said to you back. You know,
you would have to say, in the words of the
great philosopher Rick Flair, to be the man, you got
to beat the man. So until the linebacker proves that
he's better than Colin Ramos, Ramos is demand.
Speaker 2: Absolutely let's pivot to air Force our third and final team,
and Steven, this is gonna be interesting, to say the least,
in the Springs this year because if you knew their
name with Air Force football last year, they are basically
replacing anybody who was anybody from that nine to four
team last year. You know, we know that they started
the season, you remember eight, no, they were the talk
of the town. But the Wheels just came off losing
those last four regular season games before they finally righted
the ship against James Madison, the darling of the group
of five last year, a thirty one to twenty one
win over the Dukes and the Lockey Martin Arm Forces Bowl.
You know, last year was the first time they did
not win ten games going back to twenty eighteen. That's
not counting twenty twenty. But you know, Troy Calhoun five
and zero in bowl games over the last eight seasons.
But as I said, pretty much anybody that's everybody is gone.
One starter back on offense, they have three starters back
on defense. You better get a depth chart, you better
get a roster because this is the year to get
to know some new Air Force Falcons names. But one
thing that we do know, while we may not know
all the names that are household yet, Steven, we know
that Troy Calhoun in that system, it's plug and play.
He will find the bodies, he will find the players
to get it done, because there is no question when
you can do what Air Force has done the last
several years, and honestly over Troy Calhoun's tenure, going five
to ohero in bowl games the last eight season, you
know what you're doing. And that's one thing that Troy
Calhoun does know. He knows football and what he's doing
in the Springs.
Speaker 4: Oh absolutely, it is reload and restart the season for
the Falcons. And while most of the starters are gone,
you can still say that there are plenty of guys
that have gotten experience in seasons past that are back
again for Troy Calhoun. And you know that the quarterback
is going to be a big It's going to be
a big issue, and it's going to be the big
key on offense, you know, whether it's handing off to
one of those fullbacks or keeping the ball himself. And
John Busha, the junior quarterback, is going to be the
man under center here to start things. You know, he
got in some work last year. He played in the
unl V game, the he played against Boise State when
we had the injuries going on there, and I really
do think that, you know, he is going to be
the big the big piece for Troy Calhoun at least
being able to keep the continuity going, because that's the
big thing.
Speaker 3: Yes, you've got the the head coach is the key.
Speaker 4: To continuity at air Force, but your quarterback's got to
have some If they were going in with a true freshman,
I would be completely concerned, you know that they would
probably only win four or five games this year. But
now the fact is they've got a junior quarterback, a
guy that got some that did get some uh uh
some work, albeit and losses at the in the last
half or the last quarter of last season. But I
think that's that's great for for Troy Calhoun. It's great
for the Falcons. They know their man is going to
be under center.
Speaker 2: Who is it going to be? Is it gonna be
one of the two super super quick sophomores, Quinton Hayes
or Josh Johnson? Is it going to be? Look, we
all know that Troy Calhoun plays things very very close
to the best. Is it going to be somebody that
nobody is even talking about right now? It would not
surprise me when they tried out on the field Saturday
against Merrimack. But one thing I do know, regardless of
what happens, He's going to find his guy. But he's
also going to play a lot of guys until he
finds who that guy that he trust is to take
care of the football.
Speaker 3: Absolutely.
Speaker 2: On defense, Steven, Look, you know we all talk about
offense when it comes to the three Service Academies, triple option,
run the ball, control the clock, don't make mistakes, and
get off the field on third down defensively when you can.
I'm not sure if I've seen a Service Academy defense.
Maybe that was as good as Air Force was last year.
And you know, playing in that Mount West Conference, the
way some of these teams play and the prolific numbers
they can put up offensively. You know last year, I
know there were only three starters back from that defense
last year that was number six in the country and
yards allowed per game at what just over two hundred
and seventy five, and they were top ten in the nation,
I think, first in the mount West and third down defense,
you know, you've got some continuity, at least a little bit.
Guys that got a taste of it last year. They
were as about as good as you'll find when it
comes to a group of five defense last year. They're
gonna have to replicate it this year too, to some
kind of degree, especially when you've got so many newbies
on offense and you may not be able to control
the clock like they did with so many playmakers on
the outside at widers or slot back at a quarterback.
Speaker 4: Yeah, and not only that, but so many teams the
Mountain West got better this year.
Speaker 2: You know.
Speaker 4: Boise State, obviously is is the cream of the crop.
I was reading the poll that was put out by
the conference. Thirty eight of the forty six people polled
picked Boise State to win the conference. So obviously they
feel like they are the cream of the crop UNLV
is supposed to be extremely improved this year as well
as is Fresno State. But you know, I really think
that from top to bottom, plus the fact that the
Mountain West now has that that agreement to work with
Oregon State, Washington State is also is also going to
be big for the conference to make sure that you
that you have you know, they might be the two
teams that the East Coast conferences didn't want, you know,
they didn't go to the Big Ten, they didn't go
to the Big twelve, they didn't go to the ACC.
But they are still what you would consider to be
Power five conferences, and they are there going to be
some really formidable competition for the Falcons this year.
Speaker 2: Yeah, one hundred percent agree with that. Several stretches in
that Air Force schedule. I'm not even sure really which
one to point at, because I think there's a couple
of gauntlets in there, if you will, especially kind of
in the middle, start with Baylor at Baylor on September fourteenth,
and then going all the way through at New Mexico
on October the twelfth, and then the way they finish
against Fresno State and then Oregon State and then on
the road at Nevada and San Diego State. You know,
look pick your poison there. You know, Air Force is
going to have to step up, you know, especially when
you throw in a Baylor in an Oregon state on
that schedule. But we'll find out. We will find out
in short order because kickoff is coming this weekend and
we've got three games involving all three of our teams,
all at home this weekend against what against FCS opponents,
if you will, at the same time. So I think
we're looking at some big wins for all three teams.
We're going to get into all three of those games
here when we come back on Yards and Stripes, you're
home for Service Academy Football. Is He is Stephen Carney
and I'm Price Akinson, part of the Last Word on
Sports podcast Network. Don't worry, We're coming right back in
to preview this week's three games. And also we have
our Travis Manian Foundation Honorall segment and we'll make some
picks here at the end day tune.
Speaker 3: We're coming right back.
Speaker 1: The latest with Navy, Army and Air Force on Yards
and Stripes Service Academy Football.
Speaker 2: All right, Welcome back in the Yards and stripes your
home for Service Academy Football Episode one of the twenty
twenty four college football season. He is my man, Stephen
Carney I and Price Atkinson, and we are honored to
have you back with us for another campaign. Army, Navy
and air Force. That's what we do, and that's what
we're going to do right here, because boy, we got
three games this weekend. All of our three teams are
at home against FCS opponents, and we're going to start
with Lehigh and Army on Friday night. The season opener
is going to be on CBS Sports Network. You got
a triple header basically all weekend starting Friday night, and
it's all on the CBS Sports Network. Lehigh and Army,
the Black Knight's a thirty three point favorite at home
over under forty seven and a half. It's a Black Knights,
as we told you earlier, making their AAC debut. Army
playing an eight game American Athletic Conference schedule with CIC
matchups against air Force and Navy, which ironically that Navy
game will be a non conference game when they play.
It is kind of strange. Yes, we know it, but
that's the deal. Army leads this series against Lehigh eight
two and one, with every single game in this series
played at West Point. But ironically, the last time this
game was played between the two teams, it was back
in nineteen ninety five Steve forty two to nine win
for the Black Knights. Is Jeff Monkin the head coach
now in his eleventh season at the helm of the
Black Knights, seventy and fifty five, his fifteenth season overall
as a college head coach. And you know they're four
and two and Friday night games under Jeff Monkin. I
don't think there's any question that they're going to go
to five and two and Friday night games under Monkin
against lee High that was two to nine last year
Steve and Kevin Cahill's first season against Lehigh out of
the Patriot League.
Speaker 4: Yeah, and you look at it is this is obviously,
you know, a return to form for a lot of people,
and I certainly think that for Jeff Monkin, this is
the way to get your to get your team off
to a great start. I mean, you're playing a team
one FCS in the in the Patriot League. You know
it's not a it's not going to be a team
that should give you a whole lot of trouble, missus.
You know, you look at it. They are you know,
they've they've played plenty of service academies over the years.
Speaker 3: They played I believe they played Navy.
Speaker 4: Back in like twenty eighteen ye and and the Midshipman
dispatched them by thirty points. So they're they're they're a
group that you know is going to be feisty. They're
they're definitely going to be up for this game. You know,
when you're playing Lafayette and holy Cross and the likes
for for your football championship, you get an opportunity to
get a team like Army to come down or to
play or I should say, go up to West Point
to play a team like Army. You get that opportunity,
you certainly want to take advantage of it. I don't
think that they're going to have much of when when
I say they, I mean Army, of course. I don't
think they're going to have a whole lot of trouble
dispatching this group. And this is probably going to be
a really nice start for the Black Knights and one
that they certainly are going to need.
Speaker 2: Yeah, the Mountain Hawks have not won steven. They have
not won a non conference game. Get this, going back
to twenty eighteen when they beat Saint Francis in their
season opener. Twenty one to nineteen, they have dropped twenty
four straight games outside of the Patriot League. And if
that helped, if that doesn't give you a little idea
what we're dealing with two to nine last year. Yeah,
but they were picked to finish six in the Patriot
League this year the preseason and vote by the media.
Speaker 4: By the way, that Saint Francis team is in the
Northeast Conference. So you're not talking about this is not
going to be you know, a team. This is not Rutgers,
this is not pitt or Penn State. You know, Saint
francis Is is a one FCS team as well. So
you can tell it's going to be a long long time. Uh,
it's been a while since they've since they've had that
that non conference road wind, and it certainly is not
coming this week by any stretch of the imagination.
Speaker 2: At Mike Stadium to where those renovation the preservation project
Steve it's underway, those views are going to be a
little bit different this year.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I was telling you I was I was telling
you about this.
Speaker 4: I really was kind of uh shocked when when I
saw that it was actually going to happen.
Speaker 2: Uh.
Speaker 4: You know, there's been talk for years that that they
were going to make reserve renovations, they were going to
do uh work to preserve uh historic Mikey Stadium. Uh
one of those places that I have been dying to
go to to watch a football game. I will always
wanted to sit in the West stands and be able
to look out above the East stands and be able
to see the Hudson River as I'm watching a football game.
And that's not going to happen anymore, because they're basically
tearing down the East stands and they're going to build
another version of the West stands, the west side stands
on the East side with a whole bunch of club seating.
And but the one thing that I don't like about
it is the fact that it's going to take away
what what is always been the best part about Mikey
Stadium by all accounts.
Speaker 3: It's the view.
Speaker 2: Well you know what they say that, you know, people
always thinking bigger is better. You know, I'm going to
fundamentally disagree with that. Especially in this case when you're
taking away that view, because it is one of the
most majestic views in all of college Football's Yes, Tennessee.
I'm telling you it's more majestic than looking at that
Dagum River going past Niland Stadium.
Speaker 4: In I will say I will say this that that
Mikey Stadium is on the bucket list for me. You know,
if I say that there are going to be places
that I want to go to watch to watch a
football game and I want that view, there's only two
places that I know where you're going to get that
that sort of view, and that's at Mikey Stadium without
the renovated stands. Yeah, and in Boone, North Carolina. I
think when you go when you go to app State
and go play a game and go watch a game
at kid Brewers Stadium with the leaves changing and you're.
Speaker 3: Up on the mountain in Boone, I'm dying to do
that as well.
Speaker 2: I am too. It's only three and a half hours
roughly from here at Boon from where I sit in Greenville,
South Carolina. So yeah, that one's actually on my bucket list.
Is I actually never went up there over the years
when Furman would play up there. But I am going
to make it there, and you and I need to
do it together. That's all I'm gonna say.
Speaker 4: Well, I've got the hook up. My buddy Mark is
the radio engineer for app State, so.
Speaker 3: Just say the word. I think I can get his tickets.
Speaker 2: We should be radio guests. Steven, all right.
Speaker 3: We should do on the pregame show.
Speaker 2: Let us do it, Man, we won't let you down.
Let's pivot to Saturday, Stephen, our first to two games
on Saturday, doubleheader, back to back CBS Sports Network. Let's
go up to a Napole said Navy Marine Corps Memorial
Stadium where the Navy Midshipmen are going to welcome the
buck Nell Bison for a noon kickoff. Maybe a thirty
two and a half point favorite, the twenty first all
time meeting between these two teams in a series that
started back in eighteen ninety eight, maybe with a nine
to four to one advantage in the series, but they
haven't played since back in nineteen twenty five. Every single
game in this series has been played at the Naval Academy,
and that last meeting was in nineteen twenty five, a
thirteen to seven win for the midshipman again Brian Newberry
in his second season at the Helm, after the mids
were five and seven last year four and four in
the American Athletic Conference, Navy won a fourteen one of
two teams nationally that started four different quarterbacks last season.
I think it's gonna be one of the two you mentioned.
Alex tesca earlier honorable mentioned All Conference last year, rushing
for seven hundred and fifty eight yards five touchdowns, and
a defense led by Colin Ramos. I don't think there's
gonna be any question that the Midshipmen are going to
be not only heavily favored, as we mentioned as they
welcome Bucknell, but a Bucknell team that has struggled the
last several seasons, including a four and seven campaign last year.
Speaker 3: Yeah. Absolutely.
Speaker 4: It's amazing to think that Bucknell has played football for
almost one hundred and forty years. This is the one
hundred and thirty ninth season for Bucknell Bison football, which
I think is an incredible, uh uh you know.
Speaker 3: Statistic to throw out there.
Speaker 4: For for Navy, I have a feeling that what they
do outside the tackles is going to be the most
important part in this game because Bucknell has doesn't have
a whole lot returning, but what they do have is
probably one of the best inside linebackers in the Patriot League.
And Brad Jamison who is back. He was an All
Patriot League linebacker last year.
Speaker 3: He is back. And I think that you know, if
you're if your Navy, you're.
Speaker 4: Gonna you can try running inside early and if you
don't have success, you're gonna have to work your way
on the outside. But I have a feeling that he's
going to be trying to trying to plug one too
many holes. There might be too many holes in front
of him. You only plug one of them. He's only
one person. So I think that's where that's where Navy
is going to have its advantages with the offensive line
being able to make multiple lanes for the fullbacks, whether
it's Alec Teska or or the other guys that are
going to be back there with uh with the with
the Navy quarterback, if you've got multiple holes, you're going
to find yourself with a lot of success.
Speaker 2: Yeah, another guy for the midshipman that not a lot
of people are going to talk about because you don't
usually think of punters right out of you. You know,
one of the first key players out of your mouth
when you talk about a college football team. But Riley Richman,
the punter for the Midshipman, a first team All Conference
pick in the AEC last year average just shy of
forty five yards of punt, tying a program record. You know,
he's a guy that can flip the field. But you know,
the buck Now Bison, they're gonna need to flip the
script pretty quickly because they have not had a winning since.
I believe it's going back go twenty and fourteen when
they went eight and three. You know, the Bison one
in five and the Patriot League last year their preseason
picks to finish seventh in the league, one spot behind Lehigh.
That Army is facing, so not exactly a juggernaut coming
into Annapolis on Saturday. Quarterback Ralph Rucker is back passed
for a program record twenty five hundred yards last year
and twenty one touchdowns after transferring in from Oklahoma. But boy,
it's going to take a mighty big effort by buck Nell.
I think the bigger story for Navy Stephn is mistakes
because time and time again last year, and even going
back to the last three or four seasons, just the
mistakes that Navy would make, they just kept compounding themselves.
They happened at the worst time, they added up. Can
Navy get those mistakes corrected, because that's gonna be the
difference between you know, a team that's Bowl eligible, let's
just say at five and seven last year, and a
team that might go like seven and five this year.
Speaker 3: Absolutely.
Speaker 4: And the other thing is is can they force their
opponents to make more of those mistakes they made? They
made plenty of those mistakes, but they also didn't force
nearly enough of them as well. And this is gonna
be that's gonna be an interesting setup for buck Nell.
They're not going to see a crowd this large the
rest of the year, you know, playing in the Patriot League. Uh,
you know, you're not going to see the size of
the crowd that they're going to get it needed Marine
Course Memorial Stadium, uh, coming up on Saturday, And so
I think that might give them a little bit of pause.
And you know, just a little bit of pause is
all you need for mistakes to happen. And I and
especially if Navy is able to flip the field with
the punting game you get you get buck Nell uh
you know, cramped in inside the five uh and and
with that crowd behind them making it very difficult. You
could see, you could see a turnover leading to a
score in this game.
Speaker 3: Very easy.
Speaker 2: Absolutely Navy and Bucknell on Saturday at twelve noon Eastern
Standard Time, and then second game on Saturday of the
CBS Sports at doubleheader, the Merrimack Warriors heading into Colorado
Springs to take on the Air Force Falcons a three
thirty pm Eastern Standard Time kickoff one thirty pm locally
there in the Springs. The Falcons a thirty and a
half point favor in the first ever meeting between these
two schools. Air Force forty seven, nineteen and two all
time and season openers including forty one and eight and
season openers at home, the Falcons have won seventeen straight
and eighteen to the last twenty season openers, their only
losses coming to a couple of top thirteen teams Tennessee
number eleven in two thousand and six and then California
to thirteenth in the country in two thousand and four,
but Air Force twenty seven to zero all time. Steve
against teams from the FCS, with all twenty seven meetings
coming there in Falcons Stadium, I don't think again, we're
going to have any kind of a problem as Troy
Calhoun beginning his nineteenth season at the helm of the
Falcons one and thirty and seventy eight all time.
Speaker 4: Yeah, and not only that, you know Merrimac, you know,
not only just a one FCS, but now what one
FCS independent as they have decided to leave the Northeast
Conference and move into independent land in one FCS, I
certainly think that, you know, the big question for air
Force is who are they going to be, Who are
they going to be attacking at quarterback? Who are they
going to be trying to put pressure on Gavin McCusker
and Malachi Anthony where there were their two main quarterbacks.
They had not made a decision as of the start
of the week as to who was going to start
this week, and so I really do think that you
know that it really doesn't make a whole lot of difference,
but I I think that once you know who is
going to be under center, you can kind of figure
out ways to combat there the way that they're going.
So I think for for Troy Calhoun and especially the
defensive staff. Getting figuring out, you know, who is going
to be under center and being able to exploit their
weaknesses I think is going to be a big key
for this and I really do think that they're going
to be able to pretty easily. You know, Merrimack not
you know, obviously not in the same level of competition
as what the what the Falcons will see in the
Mountain West.
Speaker 3: So this this should be an easy one for that
not at all.
Speaker 2: Air Merrimack five and six last year a four and
three mark in conference play. You mentioned going independent. This year,
they averaged twenty six point eight points per game while
allowing twenty one point four. I don't think the Falcons
are going to have any kind of problems basically playing
every single player that's dressed, if not pulling you know,
cademts from the you know, from the students.
Speaker 4: I think you and I might get it, might get
an opportunity to play in this game. The one the
one name to watch out with Merrimack is is Donovan Wadley,
who is on the watch list for the Walter Payton Award,
which is the Heisman Trophy equivalent at the FCS level.
He's a running back slash wide receiver. He's a hybrid
type of guy. He can line up everywhere. You've got
to be able to make sure that he's accounted for
when you're on defense.
Speaker 2: Absolutely. The Falcons and the Warriors Merrimack at Air Force
Saturday at three thirty Eastern Standard Time on CBS sports Net,
Finishing a big opening weekend of college football. We're gonna
pick some games. I don't think there's gonna be a
whole lot of intrigue on which way Steven and I
go this week. We'll do that coming up Travis Manian
Foundation on a roll segment that's coming up next, and
then we will be back to wrap it up here
on Yards and Stripes, the first episode of the twenty
twenty four edition. As we are part of the Last
Word on Sports podcast Network, check us out online, ww dot,
last Word on sports dot Com, Forward Slash Podcast, or
wherever it is you get your podcast.
Speaker 5: In two thousand and seven, Marine First Lieutenant Travis Mannion
was killed in Iraq after saving his wooted teammates. Travis's
legacy lives on through the words he spoke before his
final deployment. If not me then who. Words that today
fuel the spirit of Travis Manion Foundation and through TMF,
these words can live in you too. Show the world
what you're made of. Because character is invisible until it's not.
Find out how you can strengthen the character of your community.
Alongside empowered veterans, families of the fallen, and inspired civilians
at Travismanion dot Org.
Speaker 2: Welcome back into Yards and Stripes. You're home for service
Academy football.
Speaker 5: And if this is.
Speaker 2: Your first time listening to Yards and Stripes, welcome into
the segment that we call the Travismanian Foundation Honor Roll Segment.
And this is where we honor a fallen hero one
that he has given the ultimate sacrifice because as we
all know, freedom isn't free. And in the words that
Travis himself spoke, if not me than who, first Lieutenant
Travis Mannion gave the ultimate sacrifice in two thousand and seven,
and the Travis Manning Foundation is now carrying on the
legacy of selfless service and leadership and body by Travis
and all those who have served or continue to serve
our nation here at home and abroad. And the Travis
Manning Foundation is doing work incredible work in communities all
across the country as they gear up for their nine
to eleven Heroes runs that you can sign up to walk, run, ruck,
whatever it is however you want to finish to honor
a loved one, and you can find out a lot
more information sign up at Travismanion dot org or you
can make a donation to TMF as they continue to
empower veterans and families of the fallen, and once again
the Travis Manning Foundation empowering individuals to unite communities as
unfortunately some families have lost incredible loved ones to serving
our nation and our freedoms in our democracy here at
home and all across the globe, So we take the
time to remember our fallen heroes on the Travis Manion
Foundation Honor Roll segment, which you will hear in this
spot every single week here on Yards and Stripes. Moving forward,
a new episode coming to you that you can check
out online Travismannion dot org. Find out more information for
ways you can help TMF in communities all across our country.
Speaker 6: Travis Mallon Foundations nine to eleven Heroes Run five k
Ray series unites communities across the country and around the
world to honor the sacrifices of September eleventh and the
war since. Join your community this September and register to run,
Walk or Rock by visiting nine to eleven heroesrun dot org.
Speaker 1: The latest with Navy, Army and Air Force on Yards
and Stripes Service Academy Football.
Speaker 2: All right, welcome back in the Yards and Stripes your
home or Service Academy Football, Episode one of the twenty
twenty four college football season. He is my man's Stephen Carney,
I and Pryce Atkinson, and we are honored to have
you back with us for another campaign. Army, Navy, and
Air Force. That's what we do, and that's what we're
gonna do right here, because boy, we got three games
this weekend. All of our three teams are at home
against FCS opponents, and we're gonna start with Lehigh and
Army on Friday night. The season opener is gonna be
on CBS Sports Network. You got a triple header basically
all weekend starting Friday night, and it's all on the
CBS Sports Network. Lehigh and Army, the Black Knights a
thirty three point favorite at home over under forty seven
and a half it's a Black Knights, which we told
you earlier, making their AAC debut. Army playing an eight
game American Athletic Conference schedule with CIC matchups against air
Force and Navy, which ironically that Navy game will be
a non conference game when they play it is kind
of strange. Yes, we know it, but that's the deal.
Army leads this series against Lehigh eight two and one,
with every single game in this series played at West Point. Ironically,
the last time this game was played between the two teams,
it was back in nineteen ninety five Steve forty two
to nine win for the Black Knights. Is Jeff Monkin
the head coach now in his eleventh season at the
helm of the Black Knights, seventy and fifty five, his
fifteenth season overall as a college head coach. And you
know they're four and two and Friday night games under
Jeff Monkin. I don't think there's any question that they're
going to go to five and two and Friday night
games under Monkin against lee High that was two to
nine last year Steve and Kevin Cahill's first season against
Lehigh out of the Patriot League.
Speaker 3: Yeah, and you look at it is.
Speaker 4: This is obviously, you know, a return to form for
a lot of people, and I certainly think that for
Jeff Monkin, this is the way to get your to
get your team off to a great start. I mean,
you're playing a team of one fcs in the Patriot League.
You know it's not a it's not going to be
a team that should give you a whole lot of trouble.
Speaker 3: Missus. You know, you look at it. It they are.
Speaker 4: You know, they've They've played plenty of Service academies over
the years. They played I believe they've played Navy back
in like twenty eighteen ye and and the Midshipman dispatched
them by thirty points. So they're they're they're a group
that you know is going to be feisty. They're they're
definitely going to be up for this game. You know,
when you're playing Lafayette and holy Cross and the likes
for for your football championship, you get an opportunity to
get a team like Army to come down or to
to play or I should say go up to West
Point to play a team like Army. You get that
opportunity you certainly want to take advantage of it. I
don't think that they're going to have much of when
when I say they, I mean army, of course, I
don't think they're gonna have a whole lot of trouble
dispatching this group. And this is probably going to be
a really nice start for the Black Knights and one
that they certainly are going to need.
Speaker 2: Yeah, the Mountain Hawks have not won steven They have
not won a non conference game. Get this, going back
to twenty eighteen when they beat Saint Francis and their
season opener twenty one to nineteen. They have dropped twenty
four straight games outside of the Patriot League. And if
that helped, if that doesn't give you a little idea
what we're dealing with two to nine last year. Yeah,
but they were picked to finish six in the Patriot
League this year or the preseason and vote by the media.
Speaker 4: By the way, that Saint Francis team is in the
Northeast Conference. So you're not talking about this is not
going to be you know, a team, This is not Rutgers,
this is not pitt or Penn State. You know, Saint
Francis is a is a one FCS team, uh as well,
so you can tell it's gonna be a long long time. Uh,
it's been a while since they've since they've had that
that non conference road wind, and it certainly is not
coming this week by any stretch of the imagination.
Speaker 2: At Mikey Stadium to where those renovation the preservation project
Steve it's underway, those views are going to be a
little bit different this year.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I was telling you, I was, I was telling
you about this. I really was kind of uh shocked
when when I saw that it was actually going to happen.
Speaker 3: Uh.
Speaker 4: You know, there's been talk for years that that they
were going to make reserve renovations, they were going to
do uh work to preserve uh historic Mikey Stadium. Uh,
one of those places that I have been dying to
go to to watch a football game. I will always
wanted to sit in the West stands and be able
to look out above the East stands and be able
to see the Hudson River as a watching a football game.
And that's not going to happen anymore because they're basically
tearing down the East stands and they're going to build
another version of the West stands, the west side stands
on the east side with a whole bunch of club seating.
Speaker 3: And but the one thing.
Speaker 4: That I don't like about it is the fact that
it's going to take away what what has always been
the best part about Mikey Stadium by all accounts, it's
the view.
Speaker 2: Well, you know what they say that, you know, people
always think bigger is better. You know, I'm going to
fundamentally disagree with that, especially in this case when you're
taking away that view, because it is one of the
most majestic views in all of college Football's Yes, Tennessee,
I'm telling you, it's more majestic than looking at that
Dagum River going past Neeland Stadium.
Speaker 4: In I will say, I will say this that that
Mikey Stadium is on the bucket list for me. You know,
if I say that there are going to be places
that I want to go to watch to watch a
football game and I want that, there's only two places
that I know where you're going to get that sort
of view, and that's at Mikey Stadium without the renovated stands. Yeah,
and in Boone, North Carolina. I think when you go
when you go to app State and and go play
a game and go watch a game at kid Brewers
Stadium with the leaves changing, and you're up on the
mountain in Boone. I'm dying to do that as well.
Speaker 2: I am too. It's only three and a half hours
roughly from here at Boon from where I sit in Greenville,
South Carolina. So yeah, that one's actually on my bucket list.
Is I actually never went up there over the years
when Furman would play up there, But I am going
to make it there, and you and I need to
do it together, That's all I'm going to say.
Speaker 4: Well, I've got the hookup my my buddy Mark is
the radio engineer for app State, So.
Speaker 3: Just say the word. I think I can get a stickets.
Speaker 2: We should be radio guests. Steven, all right, we should
do on the pregame show. Let us do it, Man,
we won't let you down. Let's pivot to Saturday, Stephen
our first to two games on Saturday, doubleheader, back to
back CBS Sports Network. Let's go up to Annapolis, said
Navy Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, where the Navy Midshipmen are
going to welcome the Bucknell Bison for a noon kickoff.
Maybe a thirty two and a half point favorite. The
twenty first all time meeting between these two teams in
a series that started back in eighteen ninety eight, maybe
with a nine to four to one advantage in the series,
but they haven't played since back in nineteen twenty five.
Every single game in this series has been played at
the Naval Academy, and that last meeting was in nineteen
twenty five, a thirteen to seven win for the Midshipman
again Brian Newberry in his second season at the Helm,
after the mids were five and seven last year four
and four in the American Athletic Conference, Navy won a
fourteen one of two teams nationally that started four different
quarterbacks last season. I think it's gonna be one of
the two you mentioned Alex tesca earlier honorable mentioned All
Conference last year, rushing for seven hundred and fifty eight
yards five touchdowns, and a defense led by Colin Ramos.
I don't think there's gonna be any question that the
Midshipmen are going to be not only heavily favored, as
we mentioned as they welcome Bucknell, but a Bucknell team
that has struggled the last several seasons, including a four
and seven campaign last year.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 4: Absolutely, It's amazing to think that Bucknell has played football
for almost one hundred and forty years. This is the
one hundred and thirty ninth season for Bucknell Bison football,
which I think is an incredible, uh you know, statistic
to throw out there. For for Navy, I have a
feeling that what they do outside the tackles is going
to be the most important part in this game because
Bucknell has doesn't have a whole lot returning, but what
they do have is probably one of the best inside
linebackers in the Patriot League. And Brad Jamison who is back.
He was an All Patriot League linebacker last year. He
is back, and I think that, you know, if you're
if your Navy, you're gonna you can try running in
side early and if you don't have success, you're gonna
have to work your way on the outside. But I
have a feeling that he's going to be trying to
trying to plug one too many holes. There may be
too many holes in front of him. You only plug
one of them. He's only one person. So I think
that's where that's where Navy is going to have its
advantages with the offensive line being able to make multiple
lanes for the fullbacks, whether it's alec Teska or or
the other guys that are going to be back there
with uh with the with the Navy quarterback. If you've
got multiple holes, you're gonna find yourself with a lot
of success.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 2: Another guy for the Midshipman that not let a lot
of people are gonna talk about because you don't usually
think of punters right out of you you know, one
of the first key players out of your mouth when
you talk about a college football team. But Riley Rithman,
the punter for the Midshipman, a first team All Conference
pick in the AEC last year average just shy of
forty five yards of punt, tying a program record. You know,
he's a guy that can flip the field. But you
know the buck Now Bison, they're gonna need a flip
the script pretty quickly because they have not had a
winning season since I believe it's going back go twenty
and fourteen when they went eight and three. You know,
the Bison one in five and the Patriot League last
year their preseason picks to finish seventh in the league,
one spot behind Lehigh. That Army is facing, so not
exactly a juggernaut coming into Annapolis on Saturday. Quarterback Ralph
Rucker is back passed for a program record twenty five
hundred yards last year and twenty one touchdowns after transferring
in from Oklahoma. But boy, it's going to take a
mighty big effort by buck Noll. I think the bigger
story for Navy steven is mistakes because time and time
again last year and even going back the last three
or four seasons, just the mistakes that Navy would make,
they just kept compounding themselves. They happened at the worst time.
They added up. Can Navy get those mistakes corrected, because
that's going to be the difference between you know, a
team that's Bowl eligible, let's just say, at five and
seven last year, in a team that might go like
seven and five this year.
Speaker 3: Yeah. Absolutely.
Speaker 4: And the other thing is is can they force their
opponents to make more of those mistakes they made? They
made plenty of those mistakes, but they also didn't force
nearly enough of them as well. And this is gonna
be that's gonna be an interesting setup for Bucknell. They're
not going to see a crowd this large the rest
of the year, you know, playing in the Patriot League.
Speaker 2: Uh.
Speaker 4: You know, you're not going to see the size of
the crowd that they're going to get it needed Marine
Course Memorial Stadium, uh, coming up on Saturday, and so
I think that might give them a.
Speaker 3: Little bit of pause.
Speaker 4: And you know, just a little bit of pause is
all you need for mistakes to happen. And I and
especially if Navy is able to flip the field with
the punting game, you get you get buck Nell, Uh,
you know, cramped in inside the five and and with
that crowd behind them making it very difficult. You could see,
you could see a turnover leading to a score in
this game very easily.
Speaker 2: Absolutely Navy and Bucknell on Saturday at twelve noon Eastern
Standard Time, and then second game on Saturday of the
CBS Sports a doubleheader, the Merrimack Warriors heading into Colorado
Springs to take on the Air Force Falcons a three
thirty pm Eastern Standard time kickoff one thirty pm locally
there in the Springs. The Falcons a thirty and a
half point favor in the first ever meeting between these
two schools. Air Force forty seven nineteen and two all
time and season openers, including forty one and eight and
season openers at home. The Falcons have won seventeen straight
and eighteen to the last twenty season openers. Their only
loss is coming to a couple of top thirteen teams
Tennessee number eleven in two thousand and six and then
California to thirteenth in the country in two thousand and four.
But Air Force twenty seven to zero all time steve
against teams from the f with all twenty seven meetings
coming there in Falcons Stadium. I don't think again we're
going to have any kind of a problem. As Troy
Calhoun beginning his nineteenth season at the helm of the
Falcons one and thirty and seventy eight all time.
Speaker 4: Yeah, and not only that, you know Merrimac, you know
not only just a one FCS, but now what one
FCS independent as they have decided to leave the Northeast
Conference and move into independent land in one FCS. I
certainly think that, you know, the big question for Air
Force is who are they going to be, Who are
they going to be attacking at quarterback? Who are they
going to be trying to put pressure on Gavin McCusker
and Malachi Anthony where there were their two main quarterbacks.
They had not made a decision as of the start
of the week as to who was going to start
this week, and so I really do think that, you
know that it really doesn't make a whole lot of difference,
but I think that once you know who is going
to be under center, you can kind of figure out
ways to combat there the way that they're going. So
I think for for Troy Calhoun and especially the defensive staff,
getting figuring out, you know who is going to be
under center and being able to exploit their weaknesses I
think is going to be a big key for this.
And I really do think that they're going to be
able to pretty easily. You know, Merrimack not you know,
obviously not in the same level of competition as the
what the Falcons will see in the Mountain West, So
this should be an easy one for that.
Speaker 2: Not at all. A Merrimack five and six last year,
a four and three marking conference play you mentioned going independent.
This year, they averaged twenty six point eight points per
game while allowing twenty one point four. I don't think
the Falcons are going to have any kind of problems
basically playing every single player. That's if not pulling you know,
cadets from the you know from the student section.
Speaker 4: I think you and I might get it, might get
an opportunity.
Speaker 3: To play in this game.
Speaker 4: The one the one name to watch out with Merrimack
is is Donovan Wadley, who is on the watch list
for the Walter Payton Award, which is the Heisman Trophy
equivalent at the FCS level. He's a running back slash
wide receiver. He's a hybrid type of guy. He can
line up everywhere. You've got to be able to make
sure that he's accounted for when you're on defense.
Speaker 2: Absolutely, the Falcons and the Warriors. Merrimack att Air Force
Saturday at three thirty Eastern Standard Time on CBS sports Net,
finishing a big opening weekend at college football. We're gonna
pick some games. I don't think there's gonna be a
whole lot of intrigue on which way Steven and I
go this week. We'll do that coming up Travis Mandian
Foundation on a roll segment that's coming up next, and
then we will be back to wrap it up here
on Yards and Stripes, the first episode of the twenty
twenty four edition. As we are part of the Last
Word on Sports podcast Network, check us out online, ww dot,
last Word on sports dot Com, Forward Slash Podcast, or
wherever it is you get your podcast.
Speaker 1: Join us again next time for Yards and Strikes Service
Academy Football. To get more on all things Service Academy Football,
like Yards and Stripes on Facebook and follow them on
Twitter at yards and Stripes and make sure that you're
subscribing to the College Gridiron Coast to Coast podcast feed
on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, and wherever you get your
podcasts