The 2011 Army Black Knights football team represented the
United States Military Academy
The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...
as an
independent
Independent or Independents may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups
* Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s
* Independ ...
in the
2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Black Knights were led by third-year head coach
Rich Ellerson
Richard Emmet Ellerson (born January 1, 1953) is a former American football coach. He was the head football coach at Southern Utah University in 1996, at California Polytechnic State University from 2001 to 2008, and the United States Military Ac ...
and played their home games at
Michie Stadium
Michie Stadium is an outdoor football stadium on the campus of the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York. The home field for the Army Black Knights, it opened in 1924 and has a current seating capacity of 38,000.
The stadium sits at t ...
. They finished the season 3–9.
Schedule
Roster
* Malcolm Brown
* Andrew Rodriguez
* Trent Steelman
Game summaries
Northern Illinois
Northern Illinois quarterback Chandler Harnish threw three touchdowns in the first eighteen minutes of the game and would have five passing TD's on the day and one rushing as the Huskies downed Army in the season opener for both teams. The game marked the head coaching debut for NIU's
Dave Doeren
David William Doeren (born December 3, 1971) is an American football coach who is currently the head football coach at North Carolina State University, a position he has held since the 2013 season. Doeren previously served as the head football ...
. Notable performances included Northern Illinois running back Jasmin Hopkins' 138 yards rushing. Army was led by slotback Malcom Brown with 92 yards rushing and a touchdown on 9 carries. The win for NIU was their first ever over a service academy in four tries. The Huskies had previously been defeated by the Black Knights in 1992 and suffered losses to
Navy
A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval warfare, naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral zone, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and ...
in 2007 and 2008.
Scoring summary
''1st quarter''
* 13:43 NIU – Courtney Stephen 16 Yd Return Of Blocked Punt (Mathew Sims Kick) 7–0 NIU
* 2:37 Army – Trenton Turrentine 14 Yd Run (Pat Failed) 7–6 NIU
* 1:36 NIU – Luke Eakes 13 Yd Pass From Chandler Harnish (Mathew Sims Kick) 14–6 NIU
''2nd quarter''
* 14:50 NIU – Nathan Palmer 19 Yd Pass From Chandler Harnish (Mathew Sims Kick) 21–6 NIU
* 12:49 NIU – Akeem Daniels 6 Yd Pass From Chandler Harnish (Mathew Sims Kick) 28–6 NIU
* 7:29 NIU – Chandler Harnish 1 Yd Run (Mathew Sims Kick) 35–6 NIU
''3rd quarter''
* 10:16 NIU – Jamal Womble 58 Yd Pass From Chandler Harnish (Mathew Sims Kick) 42–6 NIU
* 1:20 NIU – Martel Moore 4 Yd Pass From Chandler Harnish (Mathew Sims Kick) 49–6 NIU
''4th quarter''
* 14:35 Army – Trent Steelman 2 Yd Run (Two-Point Conversion Failed) 49–12 NIU
* 8:27 Army – Malcolm Brown 1 Yd Run (Trent Steelman Run For Two-Point Conversion) 49–20 NIU
* 0:12 Army – Jared McFarlin 11 Yd Pass From Max Jenkins (Two-Point Conversion Failed) 49–26 NIU
San Diego State
Ronnie Hillman rushed for 117 yards and two touchdowns as San Diego State held on to defeat Army 23–20. Army dominated the game in terms of total yards (446–292), rushing yards (403–146) and time of possession (42:11–17:49) but the Black Knights committed eight fumbles, losing three of them, allowing SDSU to come away with the victory. Army quarterback Trent Steelman led the Black Knights potent rushing attack with a career-high 157 yards and scored three rushing touchdowns. The game was the first time since 1980 that a team from
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
played at West Point. Despite the close score, the Aztecs never trailed in the game. Army missed an extra point kick for the second time in two games. Last season the Black Knights only missed one PAT the entire year.
Scoring summary
''1st quarter''
* 14:27 SDSU – Colin Lockett 68 Yd Pass From Ryan Lindley (Abelardo Perez Kick) 7–0 SDSU
* 5:33 SDSU – Ronnie Hillman 16 Yd Run (Abelardo Perez Kick) 14–0 SDSU
* 0:44 Army – Trent Steelman 1 Yd Run (Alex Carlton Kick) 14–7 SDSU
''2nd quarter''
* 6:53 Army – Trent Steelman 11 Yd Run (Alex Carlton Kick) 14–14
''3rd quarter''
* 1:56 SDSU – Ronnie Hillman 20 Yd Run (PAT Failed) 20–14 SDSU
''4th quarter''
* 12:37 Army – Trent Steelman 17 Yd Run (PAT Failed) 20–20
* 9:29 SDSU – Abelardo Perez 42 Yd FG 23–20 SDSU
Northwestern
For the second straight week Army quarterback Trent Steelman rushed for three touchdowns to lead the Black Knights to their first victory of the season. Steelman led Army in rushing for a second straight week with 108 yards on the ground. The win for the Black Knights marked the third season in a row that they have defeated a team from an AQ conference (Vanderbilt 2009 and Duke 2010). Jeremy Ebert was the leading gainer on offense for the Wildcats, posting 108 yards receiving and two touchdown grabs. Once again Army dominated the time of possession battle, doubling up Northwestern at 40:19–19:41. Army's defense held strong all game, as the Wildcats only converted 3 of 12 third downs after averaging 50 percent their first two games.
Ball State
Ball State marched down the field and scored a touchdown on their opening possession and never looked back. The Cardinals took a commanding 31–0 lead by halftime and went on to defeat the Black Knights 48–21. Ball State quarterback
Keith Wenning
Keith Wenning (born February 14, 1991) is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He played college football at Ball State Cardinals football, Ball State.
High sch ...
was nearly perfect on the day going 24–30 with a career-high 324 yards, three touchdown passes and no interceptions. Wideout,
Willie Snead IV
Willie Lee Snead IV (born October 17, 1992) is an American football wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He was signed by the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent in 2014 and has been a member o ...
added 10 catches for 180 yards and a touchdown. Raymond Maples and Jared Hassin paced Army with 125 yards and 111 yards respectively. Army quarterbacks did not complete a pass to a Black Knights receiver throughout the course of the game.
Ball State improved their record to 3–1, 1995 was the last time they started a season with a 3–1 record. For the first time in the 2011 season Army did not win the time of possession battle, losing that statistic by a time of 31:12–28:48.
Scoring summary
''1st quarter''
* 10:01 Ball St. –
Jahwan Edwards
Jahwan Edwards (born July 27, 1992) is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He played college football at Ball State. He is Ball State's all-time leader in career rushing yards with 4,558 yards and rushing touchdown ...
3 Yd Run (Steven Schott Kick) 7–0 BSU
''2nd quarter''
* 12:38 Ball St. –
Jahwan Edwards
Jahwan Edwards (born July 27, 1992) is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He played college football at Ball State. He is Ball State's all-time leader in career rushing yards with 4,558 yards and rushing touchdown ...
12 Yd Run (Steven Schott Kick) 14–0 BSU
* 4:39 Ball St. –
Jamill Smith
Jamill Amin Smith (born February 23, 1991) is an American football wide receiver, who is currently a free agent. He played college football at Ball State.
Early years
Smith played high school football for the Southside High School Rebels of ...
2 Yd Pass From
Keith Wenning
Keith Wenning (born February 14, 1991) is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He played college football at Ball State Cardinals football, Ball State.
High sch ...
(Steven Schott Kick) 21–0 BSU
* 2:38 Ball St. –
Willie Snead IV
Willie Lee Snead IV (born October 17, 1992) is an American football wide receiver for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He was signed by the Cleveland Browns as an undrafted free agent in 2014 and has been a member o ...
21 Yd Pass From
Keith Wenning
Keith Wenning (born February 14, 1991) is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He played college football at Ball State Cardinals football, Ball State.
High sch ...
(Steven Schott Kick) 28–0 BSU
* 0:00 Ball St. – Steven Schott 21 Yd FG 31–0 BSU
''3rd quarter''
* 8:12 Ball St. –
Jahwan Edwards
Jahwan Edwards (born July 27, 1992) is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He played college football at Ball State. He is Ball State's all-time leader in career rushing yards with 4,558 yards and rushing touchdown ...
1 Yd Run (Steven Schott Kick) 38–0 BSU
* 4:11 Army – Raymond Maples 1 Yd Run (Alex Carlton Kick) 38–7 BSU
* 1:47 Ball St. – David Schneider 51 Yd Pass From
Keith Wenning
Keith Wenning (born February 14, 1991) is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round of the 2014 NFL Draft. He played college football at Ball State Cardinals football, Ball State.
High sch ...
(Steven Schott Kick) 45–7 BSU
''4th quarter''
* 12:49 Army – Raymond Maples 19 Yd Run (Alex Carlton Kick) 45–14 BSU
* 2:50 Ball St. – Steven Schott 22 Yd FG 48–14 BSU
* 1:07 Army – Terry Baggett 7 Yd Run (Alex Carlton Kick) 48–21 BSU
Tulane
Tulane only needed three plays to score its first points of the game, however those would be the only six points they scored all day as Army scored the next 45 points to defeat the Green Wave 45–6. Army quarterback Trent Steelman threw for 70 yards and a touchdown and then ran for another 54 yards and two rushing touchdowns. Army's defense held Tulane to just 199 yards of total offense, their lowest output of the season. Raymond Maples rushed for a career-high 141 yards and a touchdown for the Black Knights. Tulane was led by Orleans Darkwa who rushed for 138 yards and their only touchdown. Army's win evened the all-time series between the one-time
Conference USA
Conference USA (C-USA or CUSA) is an intercollegiate athletic conference whose current member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports. C-USA's offices are l ...
rivals at 9–9–1.
Scoring summary
''1st quarter''
* 13:54 Tulane – Orleans Darkwa 3 Yd Run (Pat Failed) 0–6 Tulane
* 8:35 Army – Larry Dixon 2 Yd Run (Alex Carlton Kick) 7–6 Army
''2nd quarter''
* 14:24 Army – Trent Steelman 2 Yd Run (Alex Carlton Kick) 14–6 Army
* 1:07 Army – Trent Steelman 1 Yd Run (Alex Carlton Kick) 21–6 Army
''3rd quarter''
* 9:54 Army – Davyd Brooks 40 Yd Pass From Trent Steelman (Alex Carlton Kick) 28–6 Army
* 7:47 Army – Alex Carlton 23 Yd FG 31–6 Army
''4th quarter''
* 14:53 Army – Raymond Maples 23 Yd Run (Alex Carlton Kick) 38–6 Army
* 2:46 Army – Kelechi Odocha 14 Yd Run (Alex Carlton Kick) 45–6 Army
Miami (OH)
Miami Quarterback
Zac Dysert
Zac Dysert (born February 8, 1990) is a former American football quarterback. He played college football for the Miami RedHawks. He was selected by the Denver Broncos in the seventh round of the 2013 NFL Draft, and subsequently played for a num ...
threw for 342 yards and four touchdowns, while Nick Harwell caught ten of his passes for 186 yards including two of the TD's as Miami (Ohio) won their first game of the season 35–28 over Army. Harwell's 186 yards in a game was the third highest total in a single game in school history. Trailing 28–14 late in the third quarter, the RedHawks scored three straight touchdowns and then stopped Army in the red-zone with less than a minute left in the contest to preserve the victory. Army Quarterback Trent Steelman posted another solid game with 99 yards rushing and two TD runs. He also was a perfect eight for eight passing for 124 yards and a touchdown pass. Raymond Maples rushed for 111 yards and a touchdown as well to pace the Black Knights potent rushing attack. The victory was the first head coaching win for
Don Treadwell
Don Treadwell (born June 10, 1960) is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the interim head coach at Arkansas-Pine Bluff, having previously served as the offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach on Doc Gamble's inau ...
.
Scoring summary
''1st quarter''
* 13:03 Miami – Nick Harwell 13 Yd Pass From Zac Dysert (Mason Krysinski Kick) 7–0 Miami
* 8:01 Army – Trent Steelman 1 Yd Run (Alex Carlton Kick) 7–7
* 1:14 Army – Raymond Maples 25 Yd Run (Alex Carlton Kick) 7–14 Army
* 0:00 Miami – Zac Dysert 1 Yd Run (Mason Krysinski Kick) 14–14
''2nd quarter''
* 4:00 Army – Malcom Brown 45 Yd Pass From Trent Steelman (Alex Carlton kick) 14–21 Army
''3rd quarter''
* 12:37 Army – Trent Steelman 5 Yd Run (Alex Carlton Kick) 14–28 Army
* 2:30 Miami – Justin Semmes 17 Yd Pass From Zac Dysert (Mason Krysinski Kick) 21–28 Army
''4th quarter''
* 14:56 Miami – Andy Cruse 9 Yd Pass From Zac Dysert (Mason Krysinski Kick) 28–28
* 7:05 Miami – Nick Harwell 20 Yd Pass From Zac Dysert (Mason Krysinski Kick) 35–28 Miami
Vanderbilt
Zac Stacy
Zachary Latrell Stacy (born April 9, 1991) is a former American football running back and domestic abuser. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the fifth round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He played college football at Vanderbilt. He also played ...
had a career-high 198 yards rushing and three touchdowns as Vanderbilt scored a 44–21 victory over Army in
Nashville
Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and the ...
. Vanderbilt Quarterback, and brother to
NFL star
Aaron Rodgers
Aaron Charles Rodgers (born December 2, 1983) is an American football quarterback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). Rodgers began his college football career at Butte College in 2002 before transferring to the ...
,
Jordan Rodgers passed for 186 yards and a touchdown and ran for 96 as well as a rushing touchdown. The Commodores controlled the rushing game and time of possession battle. The game marked the first time in the season that the Black Knights were out-rushed (344–270 yards). Army came into the matchup with the Number 1 rushing offense in the NCAA FBS. Army was led on the ground by Larry Dixon who finished with 92 yards rushing.
Scoring summary
''1st quarter''
* 10:48 Vandy – Zac Stacy 1 Yd Run (Carey Spear Kick) 7–0 Vandy
* 10:03 Vandy – Chris Boyd 43 Yd Pass From Jordan Rodgers (Pat Failed) 13–0 Vandy
* 6:05 Army – Malcolm Brown 11 Yd Run (Pat Failed) 13–6 Vandy
''2nd quarter''
* 4:49 Vandy – Jordan Rodgers 12 Yd Run (Carey Spear Kick) 20–6 Vandy
* 0:37 Vandy – Carey Spear 37 Yd FG 23–6 Vandy
''3rd quarter''
* 6:39 Vandy – Jerron Seymour 5 Yd Run (Carey Spear Kick) 30–6 Vandy
* 5:39 Vandy – Zac Stacy 8 Yd Run (Carey Spear Kick) 37–6 Vandy
* 1:39 Army – Angel Santiago 1 Yd Run (Angel Santiago Pass To Larry Dixon For Two-Point Conversion) 37–14 Vandy
''4th quarter''
* 11:52 Army – Geoffrey Bacon 70 Yd Interception Return (Alex Carlton Kick) 37–21 Vandy
* 6:38 Vandy – Zac Stacy 55 Yd Run (Ryan Fowler Kick) 44–21 Vandy
Fordham
Backup Quarterback Max Jenkins rushed for two touchdowns and threw for one more as Army shut out Fordham in a rare October snow storm at West Point. Raymond Maples, despite only playing in the first half rushed for 159 yards on 10 carries to lead the Black Knight rushing attack, which gained 514 yards on the ground. Army held Fordham's offense to just 86 yards, and the Black Knights defense also scored a touchdown on a fumble recovery by Nate Combs. Fordham was shut out for the first time in six years and allowed 50 points for the first time in more than decade. The game was just the 3rd meeting with Army winning all three games. The first Army win was a historic win in 1891, a 10–6 victory, which was the first one in the program's history. The last meeting between the two squads was in 1949, a legendary chippy game.
Air Force
Air Force came from behind to defeat Army and secure their second straight
Commander-in-Chief's Trophy
The Commander-in-Chief's Trophy is awarded to each season's winner of the American college football series among the teams of the U.S. Military Academy ( Army Black Knights), the U.S. Naval Academy ( Navy Midshipmen), and the U.S. Air Force ...
. The Black Knights went up 14–0 early and looked like they would run away with the game. However, a controversial replay call nullified a potential touchdown run by Quarterback Max Jenkins, and later Army looked to score another touchdown but Scott Williams lost a fumble on the 1-yard line. Air Force Quarterback Tim Jefferson led the comeback with two touchdown runs and kicker Parker Herrington booted three field goals to secure the win. Jefferson finished the day passing for 122 yards and rushing for 66 more. Army was led by Raymond Maples who ran for 132 yards.
Scoring summary
''1st quarter''
* 9:19 Army – Max Jenkins 1 Yd Run (Alex Carlton Kick) 0–7 Army
* 1:58 Army – Larry Dixon 13 Yd Run (Alex Carlton Kick) 0–14 Army
''2nd quarter''
''3rd quarter''
* 11:55 AF – Parker Herrington 37 Yd FG 3–14 Army
* 4:54 AF – Tim Jefferson 2 Yd Run (Asher Clark Run For Two-Point Conversion) 11–14 Army
* 1:39 AF – Parker Herrington 39 Yd FG 14–14
* 0:15 AF – Tim Jefferson 1 Yd Run (Parker Herrington Kick) 21–14 Air Force
''4th quarter''
* 11:49 AF – Parker Herrington 39 Yd FG 24–14 Air Force
Rutgers
Rutgers used a 13 catch, 129 yard receiving day from
Mohamed Sanu
Muhammad was an Islamic prophet and a religious and political leader who preached and established Islam.
Muhammad and variations may also refer to:
*Muhammad (name), a given name and surname, and list of people with the name and its variations
...
to knock off Army 27–12 in a game played at
Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium is a baseball stadium located in the Bronx, New York City. It is the home field of the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball, and New York City FC of Major League Soccer.
Opened in April 2009, the stadium replaced the origi ...
. Sanu's 13 catches put him into sole possession of first place on the career high list for receptions in the
Big East Conference
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletic conference that competes in NCAA Division I in ten men's sports and twelve women's sports. Headquartered in New York City, the eleven full-member schools are primarily located in Northeast and M ...
with 93 total. He broke the previous record of 92 set by
Larry Fitzgerald
Larry Darnell Fitzgerald Jr. (born August 31, 1983) is a former American football wide receiver. Fitzgerald played in the National Football League for 17 seasons with the Arizona Cardinals. He played college football at University of Pittsburg ...
in 2003. Rutgers Quarterback
Chas Dodd threw for 196 yards and two touchdowns, however, his two interceptions kept Army in the game. The Black Knights were paced on the ground by Larry Dixon who rushed for 93 yards and a score. However, the nation's leading rushing attack of Army was held to just 228 yards. Former Rutgers player
Eric LeGrand
Eric J. LeGrand (born September 4, 1990) is a former American football defensive tackle who played college football at Rutgers. He became paralyzed while making a tackle in an October 2010 game, but has since regained movement in his shoulders ...
, who was paralyzed in last season's contest between the two teams appeared prior to the game to perform the honorary coin toss.
Scoring summary
''1st quarter''
* 11:28 Army – Alex Carlton 18 Yd FG 0–3 Army
* 2:32 Army – Alex Carlton 19 Yd FG 0–6 Army
''2nd quarter''
* 2:16 RU – Michael Burton 3 Yd Pass From Chas Dodd (Pat Failed) 6–6
''3rd quarter''
* 10:45 RU –
Brandon Coleman
Brandon Coleman (born June 22, 1992) is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at Rutgers Scarlet Knights football, Rutgers. He signed with the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent after the 2014 NFL Draft. ...
38 Yd Pass From Chas Dodd (San San Te Kick) 13–6 Rutgers
''4th quarter''
* 14:02 Army – Larry Dixon 2 Yd Run (Pat Failed) 13–12 Rutgers
* 6:36 RU – Jordan Thomas 32 Yd Return Of Blocked Punt (San San Te Kick) 20–12 Rutgers
* 1:57 RU – Jawan Jamison 56 Yd Run (San San Te Kick) 27–12 Rutgers
Temple
Temple's high-powered rushing attack gained 335 yards and the Owls scored 42 points en route to crushing Army 42–14. The Owls were paced by Bernard Pierce and Matt Brown who rushed for 157 yards and 133 yards respectively. Pierce scored three touchdowns on the day while Brown added two more of his own. Raymond Maples led the Army rushing attack with 93 yards on the ground.
Scoring summary
''1st quarter''
* 12:06 Temple – Matt Brown 22 Yd Run (
Brandon McManus Kick) 7–0 Temple
* 0:26 Temple – Bernard Pierce 11 Yd Run (Brandon Mcmanus Kick) 14–0 Temple
''2nd quarter''
* 4:30 Temple – Bernard Pierce 1 Yd Run (Brandon Mcmanus Kick) 21–0 Temple
* 1:07 Temple – Joe Jones 36 Yd Pass From Chris Coyer (Brandon Mcmanus Kick) 28–0 Temple
''3rd quarter''
* 2:59 Army – Max Jenkins 1 Yd Run (Alex Carlton Kick) 28–7 Temple
''4th quarter''
* 10:37 Temple – Matt Brown 52 Yd Run (Brandon Mcmanus Kick) 35–7 Temple
* 7:30 Army – Larry Dixon 15 Yd Run (Alex Carlton Kick) 35–14 Temple
* 5:11 Temple – Bernard Pierce 49 Yd Run (Brandon Mcmanus Kick) 42–14 Temple
Navy
References
{{Army Black Knights football navbox
Army
An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
Army Black Knights football seasons
Army Black Knights football
The Army Black Knights football team, previously known as the Army Cadets, represents the United States Military Academy in college football. Army is a NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) member o ...