Oklahoma football 2018 kickoff preview: Games 1 through 4

The Army Black Knights roll their caissons into Norman

This is another intriguing home game for the Sooners, and one that will feature Army’s run-heavy, triple-option offense. The 2017 Army squad featured the top rushing offense in the nation, piling up 4,710 yards on the ground and averaging six yards per carry and a blistering 50 rushing touchdowns.

Army doesn’t pass the football very much, if at all, which explains the fact that the 2017 Army offense was dead last in the country (129th) in passing offense.

Army cadets may not like the fact that their Midshipmen Navy counterparts did just a tad better passing the football, finishing next to last in the country among FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) teams, at No. 128 in this statistical category.

Offensively, junior Luke Langdon will quarterback the Black Knights’ offense. The bigger task for Army is replacing the production of running backs Ahmad Bradshaw and Darnell Woolfolk, who together produced 54 percent of the Army offense (2,558 yards and 28 TDs).

That unenviable task will fall on the shoulders of junior Kell Walker and senior Jordan Asberry. Asberry was third on the team in 2017 with 629 rushing yards and six TDs, so for the Black Knights’ offense to keep pace in 2018 Asberry’s production will need to increase.

The Black Knights finished 2017 with a strong 10-3 record, including a 42-35 victory over San Diego State in the Armed Forces Bowl. This game will be a great opportunity for the Sooners to sharpen and fine tune their run defense.

Oklahoma’s non-conference 2017 opponents sported a combined 27-13 record. So the Sooner non-conference schedule, with a tough road matchup against Iowa State in Ames sprinkled in for good measure, means the Oklahoma’s first third of the season is certainly not a cake walk and will say a lot about how this team will fare in 2018.

Prediction: Oklahoma 55, Army 10