Black Knights Look to Pummel Pirates in West Point

Oct 17, 20242 min read

After cracking the AP Top 25 at No. 23, the Army Black Knights (6-0, 5-0 American Athletic Conference) host the East Carolina Pirates (3-3, 1-1) at noon EST on Oct. 19 at Michie Stadium on the campus of the United States Military Academy in West Point, N.Y.

This will be the ninth all-time meeting between the Cadets and the Pirates. East Carolina has won all eight previous games. Nevertheless, the Black Knights are favored by 15.5 points in this matchup.

High Stakes for Black Knights

As the undefeated Black Knights move into the second half of the 2024 season, much is on the line. Army is in contention for the AAC conference title, the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy and a berth in the College Football Playoff. The Pirates from Greenville, N.C. look to derail the Cadets' hopes.

Prominent Pirates

East Carolina's offense is remarkably balanced. The Pirates have thrown 213 passes this season and run the ball 209 times. Running back Rahjai Harris is a workhorse for ECU, with 416 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns. Junior quarterback Jake Garcia transferred to East Carolina from Missouri in the offseason and has struggled with the turnover bug this year, throwing 12 interceptions and only 8 TDs. Three ECU wide receivers—sophomore Chase Sowell, senior Anthony Smith and graduate student Winston Wright Jr.—have over 280 yards receiving yards each.

Army Black Knights vs. East Carolina Pirates — © James Guillory-Imagn Images

Defensive leaders for the Pirates are safety Omar Rogers and linebacker Zakye Barker, who have 42 and 40 tackles, respectively. Additionally, Rogers has 1 INT and Barker has 1 forced fumble.

Army's Aces

Dual-threat QB Bryson Daily leads the Black Knights' potent offense. In the first half of the season, he rushed for 738 yards and 14 TDs, while passing for 482 yards and 6TDs with no INTs. Talented sophomore RB Kanye Udoh complements Daily well in the Army rushing attack. He has amassed 531 yards and 7 TDs, and averages an impressive 7.2 yards per carry. Daily's favorite targets in the passing game are senior Casey Reynolds and junior Noah Short, both of whom have over 200 receiving yards and 3 TDs.

While Army has not thrown any interceptions this year, its stout defense has snagged 8. Junior nickleback Casey Larkin and sophomore cornerback Jaydan Mayes both have 2 INTs.