The 2008 Army Black Knights football team represented the United States Military Academy (USMA or "West Point") as an independent during the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was led by second-year head coach Stan Brock, who, amidst pressure from critics, had changed from a pro-style offense to a triple option-like offensive scheme after the previous season. Some pundits dubbed it the "Brock Bone" or "quadruple" option, due to an added passing element.[1] The team finished the season with a disappointing 3–9 record, which culminated in a 34–0 rout by archrival Navy. Brock was subsequently fired and replaced by former Cal Poly head coach, Rich Ellerson.[2] The 2008 Army–Navy Game was the first shut-out of Army by Navy since 1978. One consolation was that in the game's final play, Army fullback Collin Mooney, in the last play of his college football career, broke the school record for single-season rushing by a single yard.[3]
Schedule
| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
|---|
| August 29 | 7:00 p.m. | Temple | | ESPN Classic | L 35–7 | 21,822 |
| September 6 | 1:00 p.m. | No. 15 New Hampshire | - Michie Stadium
- West Point, NY
| ESPN Classic | L 28–10 | 25,762 |
| September 20 | 1:00 p.m. | Akron | - Michie Stadium
- West Point, NY
| ESPN Classic | L 22–3 | 27,040 |
| September 27 | 12:30 p.m. | at Texas A&M | | Versus | L 21–17 | 84,090 |
| October 4 | 3:00 p.m. | at Tulane | | CST | W 44–13 | 23,794 |
| October 11 | 1:00 p.m. | Eastern Michigan | - Michie Stadium
- West Point, NY
| ESPN Classic | W 17–13 | 27,096 |
| October 18 | 2:30 p.m. | at Buffalo | | TWCSN | L 27–24 OT | 21,719 |
| October 25 | 1:00 p.m. | Louisiana Tech | - Michie Stadium
- West Point, NY
| ESPN360 | W 14–7 | 27,383 |
| November 1 | 12:00 p.m. | Air Force | | ESPNU | L 16–7 | 37,409 |
| November 8 | 3:00 p.m. | at Rice | | | L 38–31 | 19,243 |
| November 22 | 12:00 p.m. | at Rutgers | | Big East Network | L 30–3 | 42,212 |
| December 6 | 12:00 p.m. | vs. Navy | | CBS | L 34–0 | 69,144 |
|
Roster
| 2008 Army Black Knights football team roster
|
| Players
|
Coaches
|
Offense
| Pos. |
# |
Name |
Class
|
| RB
|
2
|
Justin Turner
|
Jr
|
| RB
|
3
|
Carlo Sandiego
|
Sr
|
| RB
|
4
|
Geoffrey Hewitt
|
Jr
|
| WR
|
4
|
Joe Leforte
|
Sr
|
| WR
|
8
|
Mike Wright
|
Sr
|
| RB
|
15
|
Jameson Clark
|
Jr
|
| RB
|
23
|
Wesley McMahand
|
Sr
|
| WR
|
25
|
Jamison Maehler
|
Sr
|
| RB
|
28
|
Tony Dace
|
Sr
|
| RB
|
30
|
Collin Mooney
|
Sr
|
| RB
|
33
|
Robert McClary
|
So
|
| RB
|
33
|
Andre Shinda
|
Fr
|
| OL
|
63
|
Mike Lemming
|
Sr
|
| C
|
64
|
Trey Miranne
|
| OL
|
79
|
Brandon Cox
|
Sr
|
| TE
|
88
|
Mike Evans
|
Sr
|
| OL
|
95
|
Jeremy Jonas
|
Jr
|
| WR
|
|
Mark Allen
|
So
|
| OT
|
|
Joe Bailey
|
Fr
|
| WR
|
|
Austin Barr
|
Fr
|
| FB
|
|
Jacob Bohn
|
So
|
| QB
|
|
Chip Bowden
|
So
|
| WR
|
|
Sean Boyle
|
Fr
|
| WR
|
|
Davyd Brooks
|
Fr
|
| FB
|
|
Bryson Carl
|
Jr
|
| TE
|
|
Matt Coulthard
|
Jr
|
| RB
|
|
Kingsley Ehie
|
So
|
| RB
|
|
George Fletcher
|
Fr
|
| C
|
|
Thomas Hagan
|
So
|
| QB
|
|
Taylor Hall
|
Fr
|
| OL
|
|
Patrick Hastings
|
Fr
|
| QB
|
|
Danny Hinkson
|
Fr
|
| WR
|
|
Damion Hunter
|
Jr
|
| QB
|
|
Max Jenkins
|
Fr
|
| OT
|
|
Jason Johnson
|
Jr
|
| QB
|
|
Josh Jones
|
Fr
|
| TE
|
|
Brad Kelly
|
Fr
|
| FB
|
|
John King
|
Fr
|
| QB
|
|
Desmond Lamb
|
So
|
| FB
|
|
Chad Littlejohn
|
Fr
|
| OL
|
|
Mike McDermott
|
Fr
|
| WR
|
|
Brian McSween
|
Jr
|
| RB
|
|
Patrick Mealy
|
So
|
| OT
|
|
Anees Merzi
|
So
|
| TE
|
|
Todd Miller
|
So
|
| C
|
|
Zach Peterson
|
So
|
| OL
|
|
Jordan Pleasants
|
Fr
|
| QB
|
|
Chase Prasnicki
|
Jr
|
| OL
|
|
Tyson Quink
|
| QB
|
|
Jimmy Reitter
|
Fr
|
| RB
|
|
Nelson Simmons
|
So
|
| RB
|
|
Ian Smith
|
Jr
|
| OT
|
|
David Sprague
|
Jr
|
| QB
|
|
Trent Steelman
|
| C
|
|
Karl Thompson
|
Jr
|
| WR
|
|
Matt Vane
|
So
|
| TE
|
|
Ali Villanueva
|
| RB
|
|
Justin Volk
|
Fr
|
| RB
|
|
Melvin Walker
|
So
|
| OT
|
|
Mikel Weich
|
So
|
| QB
|
|
Carson Williams
|
Jr
|
| RB
|
|
CeDarius Williams
|
Fr
|
|
Defense
| Pos. |
# |
Name |
Class
|
| DB
|
2
|
Richard King
|
So
|
| LB
|
3
|
Steven Erzinger
|
Fr
|
| LB
|
5
|
Rod Murray
|
So
|
| DB
|
9
|
Markenson Pierre
|
Sr
|
| DB
|
20
|
Lowell Garthwaite
|
Sr
|
| DB
|
22
|
T.J. Walker
|
Sr
|
| DB
|
26
|
David Black
|
Sr
|
| CB
|
31
|
Lawrence Brown
|
| DL
|
39
|
Joe Paolini
|
Sr
|
| LB
|
42
|
John Plumstead
|
Sr
|
| LB
|
43
|
Matt Eason
|
Sr
|
| LB
|
46
|
Frank Scappaticci
|
Sr
|
| LB
|
48
|
Peter Anderson
|
Sr
|
| DE
|
49
|
Nick Emmons
|
Jr
|
| LB
|
50
|
Stephen Anderson
|
So
|
| DL
|
99
|
Ted Bentler
|
Jr
|
| CB
|
|
Antuan Aaron
|
Fr
|
| LB
|
|
Kyle Bates
|
Jr
|
| DE
|
|
Fritz Bentler
|
Jr
|
| DB
|
|
L.B. Brown
|
So
|
| LB
|
|
Broghan Carnes
|
Fr
|
| DE
|
|
Emmett Cosgrove
|
Fr
|
| LB
|
|
Andrew DiEugenio
|
Jr
|
| DB
|
|
Donnie Dixon
|
So
|
| DE
|
|
Derek Eling
|
Fr
|
| DB
|
|
Jack Finan
|
Fr
|
| LB
|
|
David Ford
|
Fr
|
| DB
|
|
Johnny Franco IV
|
Fr
|
| DT
|
|
Mike Gann
|
Jr
|
| DB
|
|
Mario Hill
|
Jr
|
| DE
|
|
Marcus Hilton
|
So
|
| DE
|
|
Carson Homme
|
So
|
| DB
|
|
Eric Jones
|
Fr
|
| DL
|
|
Robert Kava
|
Fr
|
| DB
|
|
Dean Lisante
|
Jr
|
| LB
|
|
Brad Marren
|
Jr
|
| LB
|
|
Josh McNary
|
So
|
| DB
|
|
Jamal Olatunde
|
So
|
| LB
|
|
Bill Prosko
|
Fr
|
| DB
|
|
Joseph Puttmann
|
Jr
|
| DT
|
|
Seth Reed
|
So
|
| DE
|
|
Erik Robichaud
|
Fr
|
| LB
|
|
Andrew Rodriguez
|
Fr
|
| DE
|
|
Jason Rothamel
|
Fr
|
| LB
|
|
Justin Schaaf
|
Fr
|
| DE
|
|
Phillip Smith
|
Jr
|
| DT
|
|
Greg Spencer
|
Jr
|
| DT
|
|
Christopher Swain
|
Fr
|
| LB
|
|
Chad Thayer
|
Jr
|
| DB
|
|
Donovan Travis
|
So
|
| DB
|
|
Jordan Trimble
|
So
|
| DE
|
|
Victor Ugenyi
|
Jr
|
| DB
|
|
Sean Westphal
|
So
|
| DE
|
|
Adam Wilde
|
Fr
|
|
Special teams
| Pos. |
# |
Name |
Class
|
| K
|
4
|
Adam Demarco
|
Sr
|
| P
|
18
|
Andrew Rinehart
|
Sr
|
| K
|
|
Tom Balough
|
Fr
|
| P
|
|
Jonathan Bulls
|
So
|
| K
|
|
Matthew Campbell
|
So
|
| K
|
|
Alex Carlton
|
Fr
|
| LS
|
|
Frank Ceva
|
Fr
|
| P
|
|
Kolin Walk
|
Fr
|
|
- Head coach
- Coordinators/assistant coaches
- Legend
- (C) Team captain
- (S) Suspended
- (I) Ineligible
Roster
|
References
- ^ Getting offensive, Times Herald-Record, September 19, 2008. Accessed March 12, 2009. May 21, 2009.
- ^ Ellerson leaves Cal Poly to take over at Army, ESPN, December 26, 2008.
- ^ Victory at sea, ESPN, December 6, 2008.
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