Army will face a team coached by Brian Kelly for the fourth time since 2005 when the Black Knights play at LSU’s Tiger Stadium for the first time ever Saturday night.
The Black Knights are 32.5-point road underdogs at No. 19 LSU in the second meeting between the two schools.
Army is looking for its first win against a Kelly-coached team. The Black Knights lost to Kelly and Central Michigan 14-10 in 2005 and fell to Notre Dame and Kelly 27-3 at Yankee Stadium in 2010 and 44-6 at the Alamodome in 2016.
This may Kelly’s best offensive team that Army has faced. Coach Jeff Monken mentioned during his weekly press conference and radio show that LSU is one of two FBS teams (Oregon) in the top 10 in rushing and passing.
LSU ranks third in the country in scoring offense, averaging 45.3 points per game. The Tigers have scored 49, 49 and 48 points in their last three games.
Prediction time
Sal Interdonato (Black Knight Nation): LSU 45, Army 21. A strong start would help Army’s chances. The Black Knights have scored only one offensive touchdown in the first half (Jakobi Buchanan against Syracuse) of its four losses. Army coach Jeff Monken said on This Week in Army Football that “we got to play good defense by playing good offense.” Time-consuming touchdown scoring drives would be Black Knights’ way to stay close. Army needs to play this game in 20s to have a chance. Only Florida State (season opener) has held LSU to less than 30 points this season.
Seth Mendelson (Black Knight Nation): LSU 48, Army 7. This would be the biggest upset in college football in a decade. But, it is tough to see how Army can get it done. It would require controlling the ball and lots of luck. LSU has talent, size and speed. It could get ugly.
Brendan in Jersey: LSU 42, Army 24. I’ll be at this game, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I hope Army shows up as well. It’s probably a pipe dream to think Army will beat the five-touchdown spread here, especially given the last time the Black Knights faced a Brian Kelly-coached team (Notre Dame 2016), but LSU has had moments of playing down to competition this season, and they do face ‘Bama next (albeit after a bye week). As is always the case, anything’s possible, if not entirely probable.”
Predictions from across the college football universe
Pete Fiutak (College Football News): LSU 41, Army 10
David Kenyon (Bleacher Report): LSU 45, Army 17. Kenyon writes, “Army has been a thorn for ranked opponents several times in the last decade. I find it hard to imagine the Black Knights will manage to contain Heisman Trophy candidate Jayden Daniels, though. LSU’s dual-threat quarterback leads the nation with 2,809 offensive yards.”
Glen West (Geaux247): LSU 49, Army 13
Zack Nagy (LSU Country): LSU 48, Army 10
