WEST POINT, N.Y. -- Out of the blue, Army has emerged from a
long slumber. And in what has become a season of breakthroughs, the
Black Knights are poised to make another.
Riding its first three-game winning streak in nearly a decade,
Army (3-6) hosts Arkansas State (5-4) on Saturday with a chance to
win consecutive games at Michie Stadium for the first time since
1999. It's the last home game of the season, and considering what
the 22 seniors have been through, a win would be oh-so-sweet. Army
has three wins in a season for the first time since 2001.
"They've meant a lot to the program, and you hate to see them
go. They've made a great contribution," said Army coach Bobby
Ross, who is one win shy of 100 in his 16-year collegiate career.
"They can hang their hat on the fact that they've helped to turn
this program around."
The Black Knights' modest winning streak stopped an 11-game skid
that started last season. It began with a 20-0 victory at Akron,
Army's first road shutout since 1968. That was followed by a 27-24
victory at archrival Air Force, Army's first road win in the series
in 28 years. Last week, the Black Knights rallied past
Massachusetts 34-27, despite a series of miscues.
"Their run is a huge concern for us. They've played very well
every game we've looked at," Arkansas State coach Steve Roberts
said. "They've put it all together the last three weeks."
For the Indians, who have won three of their last four and are
seeking to finish with their first winning season in a decade, it's
an important game too -- they're one win shy of becoming
bowl-eligible. Arkansas State has to win its last two games and
hope that Sun Belt Conference leader Louisiana-Monroe loses one
more time.
"We're in a position to have a meaningful end of November. It's
something we've talked about since August," Roberts said. "We've
had a very difficult stretch with three of the last four games on
the road, but we still have a lot to play for."
"I think everyone is focused on the game at hand," Army center
Peter Bier said. "We all know that these guys can't be overlooked.
I think everyone will remain focused for the rest of the week."
One thing is certain. The Black Knights will have to play a lot
better than they did last week against the Division I-AA Minutemen,
who had to drive only 47 yards to score all their points.
UMass scored its first three on a field goal after gaining one
yard following an interception. The Minutemen's first touchdown
came on a drive of 25 yards following a fumbled punt, the second TD
came off a blocked punt, the fourth scoring play was a field goal
that they made after driving just 21 yards, and the last TD came
off a fumble return.
"After the game, my initial reaction was 'Wow, a lot of things
happened during the course of that game," Ross said. "We can't
play giveaway like that. We have to be very careful there."