Week 1 - Tarleton State Texans @ Army Black Nights: Preview, Storylines

Army and head coach Jeff Monken begin the post-Bryson Daily era with a Friday night matchup against FCS Tarleton State, who are coming off a dominant 42-0 victory over Portland State. The Black Knights aim for another run at the AAC title, and the UAC favorite Texans look to play spoiler in a primetime game.

Here's everything you need to know about Friday night's game:

Tarleton State Texans (1-0, 0-0 UAC) vs Army Black Knights (0-0, 0-0 AAC)

Date: Friday, August 29

Time: 6 PM ET // 3 PM PT

Location: Michie Stadium - West Point, NY

TV: CBS Sports Network

Radio: TuneIn Radio

Betting Line: Army -16.5 on FanDuel

Army's Plan After Daily

The Black Knights' excellent 2024 season was largely fueled by the electric play of quarterback Bryson Daily and his 41 total touchdowns. After his graduation, Army has continued to search for a viable successor at the QB position. Early preseason candidate Ethan Washington suffered a season-ending injury in the weeks leading up to the regular season, leaving even more questions than answers. Senior signal caller DeWayne Coleman secured the starting role with strong scrimmage performance, but his extreme lack of previous playing time could lead to a longer-than-expected learning period.

Encore To The Noah Short Show

With Daily and former star running back Kanye Udoh both out of the picture, Army's most formidable remaining playmaker is RB/WR Noah Short, who is coming off a solid 2024 campaign himself. He tallied 887 all-purpose yards and five scores, and his versatility and explosiveness were on full display with multiple game-changing plays. His skill set will likely be the main focal point of the Black Knights' offense, and continuing to build on his 2024 production will be an important indicator of the team's season direction.

Will Experience Play A Role?

While it was only a single contest, Tarleton State's 42-0 victory over Portland State in Week 0 included an utterly unstoppable showing in the second half. Army remains the overwhelming favorite over its FCS opponent, but the Texans' advantage of having in-game experience could be a factor, especially early on. TSU running back Tre Page III and linebacker Ty Rawls both put on a show in their season-opening win, and they looked like a much more complete unit against PSU than most teams do to start the season. A win over the Black Knights would be a major upset, but if Army begins the game with more rust than expected, nothing is guaranteed.