Bryson Daily And Army Football Continue To Showcase Their Brilliance
Whether Army quarterback Bryson Daily was going to play or sit against North Texas was the dominant headline for West Point all week long.
Head coach Jeff Monken and his staff were laconic about the health of the nation's ninth-leading rusher for the better part of a month. Their last two opponents, rival academy Air Force, and the Mean Green of North Texas, were left in the precarious state of having to prepare for multiple quarterbacks.
Regardless of the circumstances, Army football found a way to win yet again.
Air Force Is Always Tough, But North Texas Posed A Far Greater Challenge
The Black Knights dispatched Air Force by a 20-3 margin. The real challenge, however, would come against a North Texas offense that was averaging 527.6 yards and 40.8 points per game - third and fifth in the country, respectively.
Army defensive coordinator Nate Woody devised one of the greatest defensive performances by any college team this season, and one of the best in West Point's illustrious history. The effort helped to extend Army's winning streak to 13 games, the longest streak in the nation.
In a previous article, I had also highlighted the prolific production of North Texas' junior signal caller, Chandler Morris. One of the best quarterbacks in the FBS was set to face America's premier defense. Something had to give.
Bryson Daily Did Not Skip A Beat
Fans will probably never know what had really been happening with Army's star quarterback. Whatever the case may be, Bryson Daily participated in a walk-through on Thursday, and also took part in an hour-long session on Friday.
Daily ended up being a game-day decision, and he looked like he had not missed a single snap this season. He had a career-high 36 carries, that correlated to 153 yards, the seventh-consecutive triple-digit rushing game for West Point's field general.
The 153-yard rushing effort from Bryon Daily was the sixth-most by any player in Week 11, and also positioned him as second-leading rusher in the American Athletic Conference. He averaged 4.3 yards per carry against a North Texas run defense that had been susceptible all season long.
With 21 rushing touchdowns so far this season, Daily has found the end zone on the ground more than all but one player in the FBS. Boise State's Ashton Jeanty, one of the Heisman Trophy favorites, has 23 rushing scores.
Once Again, It Was Vintage Army Triple Option Football
When Jeff Monken was hired, there were ample schematic changes to Army's triple option attack. Monken deviated from Rich Ellerson's wishbone system to his patented flexbone approach.
What Monken would not change, however, is Army's basic winning formula - especially against a foe such as North Texas.
Control the clock, fluster opposing defenses to the point of absolute exhaustion, and keep an explosive opposing offense off the field. "Three yards and a cloud of dust", as Hall of Fame coach Woody Hayes used to claim - although Army averages 6.8 yards per play this season, 9th-best in the country.
That's been the Army way since time immemorial, and it was no different on Saturday.
The Black Knights of the Hudson compiled 293 rushing yards and 4.6 yards per rush attempt against the Mean Green. While that still-perdurable output is actually well below Army's season averages, their time of possession surely was not.
West Point came into this game third in the country in average time of possession per game. Against North Texas, the cadets had the football for 41 minutes and 45 seconds.
Army's longest drive of the game took almost an entire quarter - 13 minutes and 54 seconds - off the clock. It was a 94-yard, 21-play possession that culminated in a - you guessed it - Bryson Daily touchdown.
Nate Woody's Defense May Have Had The Best Performance Of Any Defense This Season
Army's stopping unit has been arguably the best in college football in 2024. No team has allowed fewer points per game, and only five other teams have allowed fewer yards per game.
If that wasn't convincing enough, the Black Knights also own the best red zone defense in the entire nation. That was on full display back on Saturday, as Donavon Platt and Justin Weaver picked off Chandler Morris twice in the end zone.
At the beginning of this article, I alluded to the flourishing state of the Mean Green's offense. Army held them to 283 yards of total offense, and three points - effectively 245 yards and 38 points below their season averages.
Nate Woody has been a defensive coordinator since George W. Bush's first term in office, and his experience and sagaciousness has clearly exuded onto his players. Don't forget that Army had the best defense in college football in 2020 as well - Woody's first season with Army.
Army Continues To Ascend In The AP Poll. They Also Keep Climbing The History Ladder.
Army is one of just four remaining undefeated teams in the FBS after Week 11. Even after trailing for the first time in 378 days - a deficit that did not last long - the Black Knights never flinched or blinked. The last time the cadets started a season 9-0 was 1996, when Bob Sutton was in his sixth season as head coach.
In addition to their unblemished record and ownership of longest active winning streak in the country, Army has made even more history. West Point has not had a winning streak of this length since 1949-1950, when the academy had a 17-game winning streak.
In the Associated Press poll, Army soared up to No. 16 in the country. Army has been ranked in the AP poll for four consecutive weeks now - the first time the cadets have attained such a feat since Pete Dawkins's Heisman-winning season in 1958. Overall, it is their highest ranking since Week Three of 1962, when they were ranked No. 10.
Army Has Its Eyes On The Biggest Prizes, Too
Jeff Monken and his staff have their sights set on the American Athletic Conference Championship Game, too. Monken wouldn't ever say so publicly, but it's certainly on his mind.
Monken's team, obviously by virtue of being undefeated overall, is 7-0 in conference play. Tulane, a frequent thorn in Army's side, is the only other AAC team with a perfect conference record. Navy is 5-1 in the conference.
Army does not play Tulane this season, and the annual game against Navy is classified as a non-conference contest. Therefore, only an uncanny tiebreaker could disqualify Army from vying for the conference title.
For that tiebreaker to happen, Navy would have to beat Tulane on November 16th, and Army would have to lose to Texas San Antonio on November 30th. If Tulane beats Navy, then Army would be guaranteed a spot in the AAC Championship.
A current No. 25 ranking in the College Football Playoff Rankings, coupled with Tulane and Navy being unranked, would allow Army to host the conference title game at Michie Stadium. Army's last home loss occurred on October 28th, 2023; they have not lost any games since.
In simple terms, Army controls its own destiny.
A Showdown Against A Historic Opponent Looms
Army and Notre Dame share a rivalry that dates back to 1913. They have played at many historic venues - from the Polo Grounds and Ebbets Field to the original Yankee Stadium and Shea Stadium. This rivalry will be renewed on November 23rd at Yankee Stadium. Notre Dame leads the all-time series, 39-8-4.
In their first game as warring factions in 1913, Notre Dame became credited with revolutionizing the forward pass. The NCAA had become less iron-fisted about restrictions with the forward pass the year prior, and Notre Dame capitalized.
Knute Rockne, the legendary Fighting Irish player and coach, altered the course of history for American football on November 1st, 1913. Against Army, Rockne and quarterback Charlie Dorais astonished West Point, as they connected with each other on a 40-yard pass play.
The rest was history. Dorais completed six consecutive passes in the first quarter alone, unheard of then. Dorais threw multiple long passes, and Notre Dame won, 35-13.
The Fighting Irish did not invent the forward pass, per se, but they were among the earliest teams - college or pro - to comprehend its significance and potential. This was the first major American football game in which either team used the forward pass frequently.
The cadets and Notre Dame have had other ample historic clashes - particularly at the height of World War II - but Notre Dame has won 15 straight games in this series.
Army has not beaten the Irish since 1958. Notre Dame is ranked eighth in the nation. Given the circumstances, this is the biggest game in this series in some time.
If Army performs against Notre Dame, better than Navy did, then the Black Knights' greatest season in decades will remain perfect.