Quarterback

The Black Knights will be led into battle by senior Trent Steelman. Steelman is a dual threat quarterback who is the only player in Army history to have racked up over 2,000 yards both passing and rushing during his career. Despite only throwing for 50 yards in its loss last week against San Diego State, Steelman moved into fourth-place on Army’s all-time passing list, with 4,181 yards. Although Steelman didn’t have a very strong game last week, he has the ability to make dangerous plays.

Running Back

The backfield is where the Black Knights are most dangerous. Last week, Army had two running backs rush over a 100 yards. Junior Raymond Maples led the team with 107 yards rushing on 19 carries while sophomore Terry Baggett hit the century mark with a 100 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries. The Black Knights flex offense is based on primarily on the run and the Huskies will have to contain them if they hope to win.

Wide Receiver

The key for NIU will be to stick to their planned coverage and not allow Army to take advantage of scrambles and breakdowns to find passing opportunities. One weapon that is a viable option at wide receiver is sophomore Chevaughn Lawrence, who caught one pass in their opener for 18 yards. The three sport athlete in high school has good size at 6’3” and could make plays if the coverage breaks down.

Offensive Line

The key for Army will be in their ability to get out and run block. They will be lead by senior center who started against San Diego State, Will Wilson. The line as a whole will have to be able to stop NIU’s defensive front, and be able to go out beyond that and help block downfield against the playmaking ability of the linebackers. In their last game Army ran the ball a whopping 62 times. The pattern is not likely to change for this upcoming game, so the play of the line will be a huge factor for the Black Knights.