Army West Point Black Knights Defensive Stars To Watch Against Notre Dame

Here are some of the top defensive stars to watch for both the Army West Point Black Knights Notre Dame on Saturday.

Aug 30, 2024; West Point, New York, USA; Army Black Knights linebacker Andon Thomas (51) runs with the ball on a fake punt while Lehigh Mountain Hawks defensive back CJ Wood (48) chases during the first half at Michie Stadium. / Danny Wild-Imagn Images

With both the Army West Point Black Knights and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish boasting two of the best rushing offenses in the country, how each team defends will be key to determining who wins this showdown on Saturday.

The game is set for 7 p.m. eastern at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. The game will be broadcast on NBC and Peacock.

Army is No. 1 in the country in rushing yards per game while the Fighting Irish are No. 12. Theoretically, each defense gets to practice frequently against the run. It shows on the stat sheet.

The Black Knights (9-0, 7-0 in American) are third in the country against the run, giving up just 82.6 yards per game and less than four yards per carry. Their offensive philosophy helps their defense, to be sure. But this unit knows how to stop the run close to the line of scrimmage.

Notre Dame (9-1) isn’t quite as effective, but the Fighting Irish sit at No. 43 and allow 126.2 yards per game. Like Army, they’re allowed less than four yards per game. So Notre Dame forces teams to grind things out.

That should sound familiar to Army fans.   

Here are three defensive players to watch for each team going into Saturday’s contest.

Army West Point

LB Andon Thomas

He is Army’s leading tackler, but he does a little bit of everything based on his numbers through nine games. He has 55 tackles, along with a half-sack, two passes defended and an interception. The junior had six tackles in Army’s last game and has registered 10 tackles in two of his last five contests.

LB Elo Modozie

If anyone is getting to Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard in the passing game, it will be Modozie, who leads the Black Knights with 4.5 sacks (defensive lineman Kyle Lewis is right behind him with four). Modozie is the hot hand in this pass rush, as he’s managed all of his sacks in the last five games.

DB Casey Larkin

The Black Knights may need a big play in the passing game on Saturday and their leading defensive back is Larkin, who has three interceptions so far. The junior, who has 22 tackles this season, is on a hot streak, much like Modozie. He’s registered all three of his picks in the last five games.

Notre Dame

S Xavier Watts

Watts has more interceptions (four) than any other Notre Dame player. But where the safety will be more helpful on Saturday is against the run. He has 38 tackles for the season. In the Fighting Irish’s matchup with Navy he had five tackles (one solo) but didn’t have an interception. If he picks off a pass on Saturday it could be a game-ender.

DL Donovan Hinish

The Fighting Irish don’t have a truly dominant pass rusher, but Hinish leads the team with 3.5 sacks. He has 23 tackles, including 11 solo. Against the Midshipmen he had just two tackles, both of which were assists. Notre Dame hopes that he can have a bigger impact on Saturday night.

LB Jack Kiser

Looking back at Notre Dame’s win over Navy, Kiser’s game sticks out. He had nine tackles (tied for the team lead with Jaylen Sneed), along with a tackle for loss. The Fighting Irish will need a similar performance against Army. Kiser leads the Fighting Irish with 52 tackles, along with a sack and a forced fumble.