Army 2-1

Army won their game against Ball State University this afternoon, but didn't do themselves any favors giving up 17 points off of 4 turnovers.
Ironically, Army won the game off a 4th quarter Donovan Travis interception that was returned for 18 yards and a touchdow. It really seems like this team is feast and famine - defense and offense. The defense can really make things happen, but the offense sort of gets stuck in some ruts trying to move the ball.

Another thing that I noticed was special teams' struggles returning kicks. It would be great to bring in a decent special teams coach to go over the basics with this team because it really is basic things that are holding the special teams back.

On the bright side, regarding special teams, Alex Carlton kicked a career long 45 yard FG. These things add up over the course of the season, and Carlton will be counted on in close games like this.

Army Insider has some quotes up from players & coaches.

On what it feels to be 2-1

"It's going to feel better to be 3-1. We'll have some time to live this feeling up but when we come in tomorrow it's all about Iowa State. It's feels great to win in front of the home crowd. It feels great to give the Corps of Cadets something to be happy about and Army fans something they have been waiting to see for a while. This is where we turn the corner for this program."

Jameson Carter

Their record isn't ideal considering the way they dropped the game last week vs. Duke, but 2-1 is a launching point for Army football. The thing that bothers me about today's game is that the same miscues and mishandles that sank Army against Duke remained one week later. I promise you, if Army continues to turn the ball over next week, Iowa State will make the Black Knights pay.

Josh McNary earned another sack, as he remains among the NCAA leaders in sacks. LB Stephen Anderson stood out on defense as the Junior had 13 tackes (by my #'s) and a sack in an awesome day on the defensive side of the ball.

Attendance at Michie Stadium was 25, 646
Here's your story, stats (ESPN) and highlights (CBS).

Army plays 2-1 Iowa State next week. The Cyclones mopped up Kent State today 34-14.

Army/Ball State Viewing Options

You came to the right place.

I'll post a free link to live streaming video as soon as I get the feed.

If you want a guaranteed fast linkup visit GoArmySports.com.
Monthly streaming video subscriptions go for $9.95/month and with the one month run you would gain access to the Ball State game plus these featured sporting events.

Date	Sport	vs.	Time
Sunday, Sept. 20	Women's Soccer	Hartford	1 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 3	Football	Tulane	12 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 9	Sprint Football	Penn	7 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 10	Football	Vanderbilt	12 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 16	Volleyball	American	7 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 17	Men's Soccer	Bucknell	1 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 17	Volleyball	Navy	7 p.m.

Three football games, a sprint football game, and two volleyball matches -not a bad deal for ten bucks. Women's soccer is cool and sprint football is alright - but trust me here the Army women's volleyball team is on a hot streak right now. Definitely a bonus if you're a fan of the Black Knights or 6'3" college girls. Check it out if you're inclined - Knight Vision is worth it if you get it.

As for a free video feed for the football game check my radio tag closer to game time. I'll bring the good

Army Legend: Joe Steffy

Joe Steffy's number 61 is being retired at Michie Stadium tomorrow and Army is planning a number of events and giveaways for fans who attend the game. By all accounts there isn't a more deserving football player in America to be immortalized in this way and the halftime ceremony will represent only the third jersey number retired at West Point.

It's a big honor for a true Army legend, any guesses to what might be going through Steffy's mind during the ceremony?

"I grew up wanting to go to Tennessee," said Steffy. "But I never thought they'd have me. They recruited me pretty aggressively, though. And I loved my time there. I still watch them every chance I get. I'll make every effort to see them Saturday against Florida. Army plays at noon. UT's not on until almost 4, so I should be able to watch most of it."

Oh.

There's something to be said for loyalty, as Joe Steffy is a Tennessee guy through and through. His sporting accolades before he came to Army include UT football where he helped the Volunteers to the 1945 Rose Bowl and UT track where he posted a legendary performance in the SEC Track and Field Championship.

Football & Track -- Freshman year at Tennessee: Joe was an excellent track man throwing discus, javelin and shot put. He was sent to SEC track championship meet in May, 1945 as Tennessee's one-man track team competing against other SEC teams most of which had 15 to 35 members. Tennessee (read Joe Steffy) came in third for the whole SEC!

From Tennessee to Army and beyond, Joe Steffy held himself as a class athlete and a class individual. There aren't many college football athletes with the resume of Steffy and if you have a chance to go to tomorrow's game, by all means attend to honor Army's legendary lineman: Joe Steffy.

Joe Steffy
Postion:Guard
Tennessee footall letter winner 1944
Army football letter winner 1945, 1946, 1947
Rose Bowl Participant, Tennessee, 1945
Captain Army football 1946, 1947
First Team All-America 1946, 1947
Army National Champion 1945, 1946
Outland Trophy Winner, 1947
College Football Hall of Fame, Inducted 1986
Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame, Inducted1999
Army Sports Hall of Fame, Inducted 2007
Army Football Assistant Coach, 1952-1955



Update:
Sal Interdonato has a great article up about Joe Steffy. Definitely a must-read.

Ball State Preview

Ball State comes to Michie Stadium tomorrow and tries to right the ship against an Army team hungry for its second win.

Ball State comes in after dropping their first two games this season: a 20-10 setback against North Texas and a 23-16 pillowfight against FCS New Hampshire.

An 0-2 start & revolving door at QB, things aren't going so well for BSU, but there's no need to panick. Right?

Cardinals head coach Stan Parrish doesn't want to play Big Ten schools in back-to-back weeks, and Ball State is scheduled to face Purdue on Sept. 18, followed by Iowa on Sept. 25.

Though the Iowa game is more lucrative for Ball State, which would pocket $450,000 more from Iowa than Purdue, the Purdue contract was finalized in 2005 and includes a three-game basketball series that finishes in December.

Looking back at Ball State 2009, it's clear the cupboard was left bare after their 12-2 bowl season last year, but it looks like new BSU head coach Stan Parrish isn't trying to right the ship, he's trying to bail it out.

Parrish declined an interview request for this story, but the original report said Parrish didn't want to play at Purdue University and Iowa, two Big Ten schools, on back-to-back Saturdays. The Purdue game is scheduled for Sept. 18.

The state of BSU's football program really doesn't matter at all to me other than the point that these distractions and future implications make this game a must-win for Army. The Black Knights would hate to drop this game at home but realistically, Army still has some kinks to work out on offense. The team has to play who's in front of them and I can't help but feel like Ball State is backed into a corner. If you're Army and haven't gone bowling since 1996 there's a lot riding in this game.

Army opens as an 8 point favorite.

USA Today has Ball State's team notes and stats.
Army's team notes are here.

Game notes are here (pdf) - GoArmySports.com

Don't forget to check the radio tab on game day for links to the live Army/Ball State internet gamecast.

Yankee Bowl a Reality in 2010

The Big 12 and the Big East will meet in the postseason next year - Sun Bowl be damned. It's unclear exactly where the new bowl will fall on the Big East and Big 12 bowl landscape, but depending on the payout made available by the Yankee Bowl (snork) it could match the third pick of the Big East's bowl teams against the sixth selection from the Big 12.

My hopes for this big apple bowl to become a big-league bowl were dashed when the Big East rolled out the Big East's Associate Commissioner to talk about the new bowl.

“If you are a college football fan and you could see Rutgers play Kansas or West Virginia play Colorado or Connecticut play Texas Tech, those are teams you don’t see very often,” Big East associate commissioner Nick Carparelli Jr. said.

This new bowl will face the same issues that plagued northern bowls from the beginning : the low prestige of being the newest bowl, its ties with the least renowned BCS conference and the promise of watching a cold weather bowl. The Big East is a fine football conference but outside of WVU the fans just aren't known for attending bowl games. Add to that the madness that consumes NYC during the holidays and there are as many reasons to avoid a New York area bowl game as there are to attend it.

Here's the kicker for me: when a selected team's fans do stay away from the Yankee Bowl there aren't a ton of college football fans in NYC (aside from some conference alumni) that would spend an evening at a Big East/Big 12 game just for kicks. The Sun Bowl became legendary through the involvement of El Paso natives filling the game to near capacity on New Year's Eve. If the new Yankee Bowl is poorly attended the lack of in-town college football interest in New York City will contain this bowl to low exposure or worse: a very short lifespan.

I hate to be so negative about the new bowl, because I really want the new bowls to succeed for the Big East, but there are a lot of drawbacks to holding a bowl game 1) In cold weather 2)in NYC for the holidays 3) in a baseball stadium. If you're the Big East it's almost not worth promoting this as your marquee non-BCS bowl since the chance for failure is so great.

With that said I like that the Big 12 will likely send their 6th or 7th bowl selection to face the Big East's 3d or 4th pick - that is by no means a guaranteed win for either conference's team and it generates interest in two typically unnatural rivals. A better selection to pit against the Big East may have been the Big 10 but I don't think those conferences will ever agree to play in the postseason.

So Yankee Bowl, a toast to a long and prosperous relationship with the Big East: to good games, good friends and good weather; and last but not least, good luck.

Looking Ahead to Ball State

Ball State comes in 0-2 with a full fledged QB controversy.

Speaking at his weekly press conference, Parrish said Justice should have come in during Ball State's 23-16 loss to the University of New Hampshire to give freshman Kelly Page a break.

"Hindsight is 20-20, but I probably should have done that Saturday night," Parrish said.

For a team that struggled in a big, big way against an FCS opponent last week, I'm not sure breaking in a new QB on the road is the best way to go. Add to the mix that Army boasts a statistically top 25 rated defense and signs could point to a good day for the Black Knights. Josh McNary and Victor Ugenyi both remain high on the NCAA sacks list and looking across the line, Ball State is breaking in some young linemen.

After showing a little bit of promise at the end of last week’s game against North Texas, Page struggled mightily – completing 15-of-34 passes for 114 yards.Page never looked comfortable in his second career start. He was jittery and had trouble staying in the pocket – partially due to an inexperienced offensive line and partially due to Page himself being inexperienced.

Jitters aside, the Black Knights bring a load of bad news for the Cardinals... Army's coming off a big loss, the Black Knights defense is the strength of the team, and they run the option. Ball State had trouble with the option two weeks ago against North Texas, and Army is looking to polish their offensive game.

Realistically, this has to be looked at as a must win for both teams, but going into week three Army has a big psychological edge over Ball State, and they have an even bigger tactical edge.

Army opened as an 8 point favorite.