Army Aims for Upset As They Gear Up To Face Big 12 Contender Kansas State – Sports Illustrated

The West Point Army Black Knights football squad is coming off their best season in program history. Head coach Jeff Monken led the Knights to their first-ever 12-win campaign that also featured the first conference title in their 135-year program.
This season, they will have their work cut out for them right off the bat, especially if they want to repeat the success they had last season.
After opening against Tarleton State University, a newer division I program that had 10 wins last year, they take on Big 12 conference contender Kansas State the following weekend.
The Wildcats were unable to reach double-digit wins last season as they finished out the year 9-4, but three of those losses came to top-20 programs at the time of their defeats when they lost to BYU, Iowa State and Arizona State.
More News: Why Army's Jeff Monken Was Named 'Safest College Football Coach'
Army has top returners coming back on the defensive side of the ball, which they will definitely need against Kansas State since they averaged over 30 points per game last season.
The Wildcats have their star quarterback Avery Johnson returning for his junior year, and he's going to be a lot for the Black Knights to handle on the road.
On the bright side for Army, Kansas State will not have their top rusher back after DJ Giddens decided to forgo his senior year and was selected 151st overall in the NFL draft.
More News: EA Sports College Football 26 Predicts Step Back For Army Black Knights
Army has some questions of their own heading into this season, with star quarterback Bryson Daily — who finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy race and won the AAC Offensive Player of the Year Award last season — gone after graduating.
With the upcoming college football campaign nearing, there is anticipation to see how the Black Knight follow up their best season to date.
For more Armed Forces news, head over to Armed Forces Sports On SI.
Maddy Dickens resides in Loveland, Colorado. She grew up with two older brothers, where their lives revolved around sports. She earned a master's degree in business management from Tarleton State University while simultaneously playing basketball and competing in rodeo at the collegiate level. She successfully parlayed a reserve national championship into a professional rodeo career and now stays involved in upper-level athletics by writing for On SI on several different MLB teams' pages, along with some NCAA sites.
© 2025 ABG-SI LLC – SPORTS ILLUSTRATED IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ABG-SI LLC. – All Rights Reserved. The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Sports Illustrated or its affiliates, licensees and related brands. All picks and predictions are suggestions only and not a guarantee of success or profit. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER.

source