Brian Hartline's first road test as USF's head coach comes at West Point, where Army's option offense and a veteran offensive line have made life miserable for visitors for over a decade.
Bush’s Picks
USFARMY
USFARMY
OverUnder
Best BetArmy
Army brings back its starting quarterback, its best offensive lineman and a coach in his 13th season running the same scheme — that's a real edge over a USF team still sorting out who starts at quarterback. West Point is never an easy building for a first-time head coach to win in, and the Black Knights should be the sharper team out of the gate.
+Four returning O-line starters, won Fenway Bowl 41-16
−Regressed to 7-6 after a 12-2 season
−Defense lost pieces off a unit that ranked 3rd in AAC scoring D
This one opens AAC play for both sides, and it's the first meeting between these programs since 2003 — USF hasn't set foot at West Point in over 20 years. It's also a matchup of total contrasts: Army is running back the same triple-option machine that's defined the program for a decade, while USF shows up with a first-time head coach and a quarterback competition that's still technically unresolved.
Army's stability starts with senior Cale Hellums, who ran for 1,223 yards and 18 touchdowns behind an offensive line anchored by center Brady Small — a unit considered one of the best in the Group of Five. Add in Godspower Nwawuihe, who ran wild for 171 yards and 2 touchdowns in the Fenway Bowl, and Jeff Monken's 13th team has real continuity on offense even after a step back to 7-6 in 2025.
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USF South Florida
ARMY Army
USF's picture is murkier. Alex Golesh bolted for Auburn after leading the Bulls to their best finish since 2017, and 42-touchdown quarterback Byrum Brown followed him out the door via the transfer portal. Hartline, a longtime Ohio State assistant, has been running an open QB battle all offseason among Michael Van Buren Jr., K.J. Cooper, Jayden Bradford and Luke Kromenhoek, with no clear winner named as of the spring game.
South Florida Bulls
Sep 5?vs Florida International—
Army Black Knights
Sep 5?vs Bryant—
Recent form.
That instability matters more against Army than almost anyone else on the schedule. Army's option attack thrives on long, clock-eating drives that keep an unsettled opposing offense on the sideline, and USF's defense — which returns just one starter in safety Tavin Ward — will need every possession it can get to avoid getting worn down.
South Florida Bulls
(0)
Fully healthy — no injuries on ESPN's report
Army Black Knights
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Fully healthy — no injuries on ESPN's report
Injury report — info via ESPN.
College Football News projects Army as an 8-4 bounce-back team in 2026, and a home opener against a rebuilding AAC newcomer to the series is exactly the kind of spot that supports that projection. USF has genuine long-term upside under Hartline, but asking a new staff and an unresolved quarterback room to go into West Point and beat a program built for exactly this kind of game is a lot to ask early in the season.
