WEST POINT, N.Y. (AP) — Noah Short always noticed the national rankings next to teams when he was watching college football as a kid.
That was the case for Army in September 2020, when Short was being recruited by the Black Knights. Four years later, the junior slotback has played a contributing role in helping lead No. 23 Army’s return to the rankings this week.
In having raced to the top of the standings in their inaugural American Athletic Conference season, the Black Knights (6-0, 5-0) are preparing to host conference rival East Carolina (3-3, 1-1) on Saturday in what will be their first home game at Michie Stadium as a ranked team since 1960.
“Everyone was excited,” Short said of the team’s reaction when the rankings were released. “It’s definitely a privilege and something this program hasn’t done in a couple of years. The biggest thing is excitement. We can use it as motivation to continue to get better.”
What also stands out, Short said, is how Army’s best start to a season since 1996 and a 10-game winning streak dating to last year haven't been topics of discussion among coaches, who continue stressing fundamentals and techniques.
“Everybody is super hungry in getting after it and I really love that right now about the program,” said Short, who has seven catches for 201 yards and three touchdowns. “Nobody’s getting complacent or sitting around. You have to take it a game at a time but there’s still a lot that this team can do this season.”
Coach Jeff Monken said there’s a sense of gratification that comes from the rankings, but stressed the Black Knights are playing for something bigger than themselves.
“It’s a source of pride for our academy, the United States Army, for our fans and our players and their families,” Monken said. “I’m proud of the guys for what they have done to this point.”
East Carolina is the first to take aim at Army’s ranking. The Pirates have lost three of four since a 2-0 start, most recently a 55-24 loss at in-state foe Charlotte on Oct. 5 before having an open week. The loss dropped the Pirates to 5-13 dating to the start of the 2023 season.
“None of us were happy with our performance,” coach Mike Houston said of the loss. “I mean Pirate Nation, me, the players, none of us. ... We tried to do a great job this extra bye week correcting things, addressing things, and I think that the team is in a good spot.”
Army senior quarterback Bryson Daily earned the Walter Camp national and AAC offensive player of the week honors for a second straight week after a four-touchdown game in a 44-10 win over UAB. Daily leads all FBS quarterbacks in rushing yards (738) and rushing touchdowns (14).
Army’s No. 1 rushing offense could get even stronger with running back Tyrell Robinson in line to make his season debut. The fifth-year senior, who is coming back from a second serious knee injury, has rushed for 1,541 yards and averaged 7.4 yards per carry in his career.
“He’s a really talented player,” offensive coordinator Cody Worley said. “For him to come back and contribute to this unit is really exciting, not only for us but for him to get back into the mix because of the type of kid he is, the type of teammate he is, and I think he deserves it.”
East Carolina is roughly in the middle of the pack (76th) among FBS schools in allowing 148.5 yards rushing per game. That unit faces the test of Army having the nation’s most productive ground game at 369.8 yards per outing.
“They take advantage of the opponent’s mistakes,” Houston said. “You get out of position ... and they give that quarterback a crease or you give the fullback a crease or you don’t support the perimeter on short, that’s when they have the big plays that really (hurt) you.”
East Carolina has won all eight meetings in the series history, though the teams haven’t met in 20 years. ECU won the first meeting at Army in November 1995, then took a 38-28 win at home in October 2004 in the most recent meeting.
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