Recent History: Michigan vs. Army

Unlike last week, Michigan does have a history with its week two opponent, Army. And not only that, but the results may surprise you.

The Wolverines and Black Knights have played each other nine times, but the most recent matchup came back in 1962 when Michigan beat Army 17-7 in Ann Arbor.

In fact, Michigan has won each of the last four meetings, all of which were played in Ann Arbor. In 1961, U-M won 38-8. In 1956, Michigan won 48-14. And in 1955, Michigan won 26-2.

Army leads the overall series against Michigan, however, 5-4.

The Black Knights won each of the first five games between the two teams, starting in 1945. They then beat the Wolverines in 1946, 1949, 1950 and 1954. The 1945 and 1950 games were both in New York, and were also both 21-point victories for Army.

Coming back to modern times, Army kicked off its season last week with a 14-7 win over Rice. It was a bit closer than most people anticipated. Army ran the ball 56 times and passed just eight times. Kelvin Hopkins Jr., the team’s quarterback, completed three passes for 53 yards and a touchdown. He also was the team’s leading rusher, with 21 carries for 80 yards and a score.

Army was outstanding in 2018, finishing with an 11-2 record and a No. 19 ranking in the final AP Poll. It beat Navy in the Army-Navy game and then obliterated Houston in the Armed Forces Bowl, 70-14.

Last year, Army played two Power Five schools, both on the road. In week one, the Black Knights fell to Duke 34-14. Then in week four, they lost in overtime to Oklahoma 28-21.

In another game of note, Army also beat Buffalo on the road, which went 10-4 last year, by a score of 42-13.

Side note: there are no embarrassing Michigan State losses to report this time around, unlike with MTSU last week.

This should be a significant test for the Wolverines, especially their defensive front. Army is going to run the heck out of the ball and U-M will need to shut that down. Give us your thoughts on the matchup below in the comments.