Army's ground attack hands Buffalo its first loss, 42-13

AMHERST, N.Y. -- Army didn't allow the disappointment from its overtime loss to No. 5 Oklahoma linger into the next week.

"We couldn't let that beat us twice," cornerback Elijah Riley said.

The Black Knights mixed in a few big scoring plays with its ground-control offense to defeat previously unbeaten Buffalo 42-13 on Saturday and get back on track toward bowl eligibility.

Riley returned a blocked field goal 80 yards for a touchdown and Kevin Hopkins threw a 25-yard touchdown to Jordan Asberry to bolster Army's triple-option offense that gained 281 yards and scored four times on the ground while running up 37:34 in time-of-possession.

"When you can get a big chunk play in there it makes it a lot easier," Army coach Jeff Monken said. "It gives you a little breathing room. You don't feel like you've got to go 16 plays, 19 plays, hammering it 3 or 4 yards all the way down the field. It's hard to do."

Army (3-2) was still able to put together four scoring drives of at least 10 plays and 74 yards, which helped to limit a Buffalo offense that had averaged 40.2 points and 428.8 yards over its first four wins.

"We knew they have an explosive offense, so we just wanted to stay on the field as much as possible," Hopkins said.

Hopkins led the Black Knights with 89 yards on 19 carries. He also completed 4 of 5 passes for 91 yards and a touchdown after being intercepted on his first attempt. Calen Holt, Connor Slomka, Darnell Woolfolk and Luke Langdon had rushing touchdowns.

Read more: Army's ground attack hands Buffalo its first loss, 42-13

Column: Buffalo vs. Army is the game of the week!

Army 21, Oklahoma 28

If you were actually able to watch this game last weekend, congrats! You were lucky enough to either have paid $54.99 for the privilege to watch Oklahoma as a 30-plus point favorite over The Troops, or you logged on to a shady Twitch stream with alternate commentary provided by a man with a very heavy Oklahoma accent.

That’s because this game was broadcast exclusively on pay-per-view: each team in the Big 12 gets to sell one non-conference game a season to the highest bidder (this is the result of Texas getting their own television network).

Oklahoma’s distributor for this game just happens to use the same format used only by MMA and boxing - professional wrestling doesn’t even use it anymore!

It’s a real shame, because this was certainly one of the more entertaining games this year so far. Army slowed the game down to a veritable crawl with their weird, wonderful pseudo-flexbone option, controlling the ball with 44 minutes of total possession and scoring on drives of 8:54, 9:31 (!) and 10:47 (!!) in length.

They almost scored again on a 10:06 minute long drive at the end of the game, but got bit on the behind when they strayed from their roots and attempted their eighth pass of the game, which was intercepted to send the game to overtime, where Oklahoma would eventually win.

Army vs Oklahoma

The Game This Weekend Is Pay Per View Only - We will not be watching the game at Gator's This Weekend.

NORMAN — Oklahoma and Army West Point will meet for just fourth time in the history of the two football programs Saturday at 6 p.m. at Gaylord Family — Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, and for the first time since 1961. To celebrate the occasion, the OU Athletics Department has announced several special activities surrounding the game.

Following is a list of special events planned for Saturday, some of them weather permitting:

• The Black Daggers — the official U.S. Army Special Operations Command Parachute Demonstration Team — are scheduled to deliver the game ball by landing in the stadium before the Pride of Oklahoma's pre-game show at approximately 5:45 p.m.
• A giant American flag approximately 85 yards long is scheduled to be held by 350 cadets, soldiers and alumni during the National Anthem.
• An Oklahoma Air National Guard flyover featuring Blackhawk, Chinook and Lakota helicopters is scheduled to occur at the end of the National Anthem.
• The Army Silent Drill Team, 145th Army Band and the Pride of Oklahoma will all perform on the field at halftime. A pyro show is also scheduled for intermission.
• Additionally, an array of large-scale military equipment from Fort Sill will be on display on Brooks Mall, north of Gaylord Family — Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, throughout Saturday.

  Read more: Army vs Oklahoma

Duke Avenges 2017 Loss To Army

DURHAM, N.C. -- Daniel Jones was a more efficient passer than Army's quarterback -- and that's more impressive than it might seem.

Jones threw for one touchdown and rushed for another score, helping Duke open with a 34-14 victory over Army on Friday night.

Jones was 13 of 17 for 197 yards with a 1-yard touchdown run and a 25-yard scoring pass to Aaron Young.

"It started with a strong running game. ... The offensive line and their ability to impose their will and open up lanes for the running backs was big," Jones said. "Only 17 pass attempts but when we did, we were efficient with it, and it was good to see."

The biggest surprise of the night was how well his counterpart -- Kelvin Hopkins Jr., a junior making his first career start -- threw the ball. The passing game has largely been an afterthought at Army, which for years has been known for a triple-option offense that led the nation in rushing last year.

Hopkins also threw for 197 yards -- on 10-of-21 passing -- with a 45-yard touchdown pass to Cam Harrison. It was the most yards passing for Army since 2015.

Read more: Duke Avenges 2017 Loss To Army