In my most recent article, I addressed both Army and Tulane’s respective seasons, Tulane’s new head coach, and the history of the games between these two conference rivals.
Due to that fact, this piece will focus solely on analyzing and scouting Army football and Tulane. The coaches, the players, the numbers, and the stats will be scrutinized.
Without further ado, here is the skinny on the Black Knights and the Green Wave.
To the astonishment of absolutely no one, West Point has the most prolific ground game in the country. It’s not particularly close, either. Army averages 53 more rushing yards per game than the next-best program, which is Liberty.
As has been the case for decades, the Black Knights attack opposing defenses with a vast array of counters, traps, misdirection plays, power runs, and aren’t afraid to ask Bryson Daily to drop back in the pocket.
Utilizing the patented flexbone triple option, Army has five players who have hit the century mark in rushing yardage this season. Their vaunted scoring unit ranks 14th in ESPN’s offensive efficiency metric.
Situational football has been head coach Jeff Monken’s strength for a very long time, and that is no different this year. Army has the eighth-best red zone offense in the country, and they are the ninth-best third-down offense.
Not to be outdone, Army has also converted 73.08% of its fourth-down attempts. Their average time of possession per game, not surprisingly, is number one in the country at 36 minutes and six seconds.
Army’s juggernaut ground assault is led by quarterback Bryson Daily, who had a historic regular season and even found himself in Heisman Trophy rumblings.
Daily is the first Army player with nine 100-yard rushing games in a single season. That’s just the tip of the iceberg for the senior signal caller, though.
Daily also set the academy record for the most total offense by any Black Knight in one season, with 2,208 total yards. That figure surpassed Kelvin Hopkins Jr’s previous record set in 2018. Keep in mind that Bryson Daily missed a game, too.
Seen enough yet? Not quite.
Back on Saturday, November 30th, in the regular season finale, Daily produced 337 yards of total offense, the second-most in a single game in program history. Only Leamon Hall’s 378 yards of total offense in a 1976 game against North Carolina is better.
Only five other players in program history have produced more total offense in their careers than Bryson Daily, too. Zac Dahman, Trent Steelman, the aforementioned Leamon Hall, Ahmad Bradshaw, and Mike Mayweather are those players.
If that wasn’t enough, then here’s a little more before putting the cherry on top.
Daily’s 25 rushing touchdowns this year are the most ever by any Army player in a single season. He even tied the program’s single-game record, with five ground scores back in October against East Carolina.
With 1,348 rushing yards this year, Daily trails only Ahmad Bradshaw’s program record of 1,746 yards, which was set back in 2017. He even set the American Athletic Conference record for single-season rushing touchdowns, and ranks 10th and second in the FBS in rushing yards and touchdowns, respectively.
Excellent question! The esteemed quarterback has some spectacular teammates who have made dazzling contributions of their own. Bruising running back Kanye Udoh, a sophomore from Mays Landing, New Jersey, is the team’s second-leading rusher, with 906 yards.
Udoh has ran for over 100 yards four different times this season. His constituents in Army’s deep backfield include Noah Short, Dewayne Coleman, and Samari Howard. That trio has combined for 747 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
Receivers on a triple option team almost never get their names mentioned – but when they do, big things happen. Senior Casey Reynolds, who is a rare in-state cadet from Cold Spring Harbor, New York, is their best pass catcher.
Reynolds has 417 yards on just 17 catches – an astronomical 24.5 yards per reception. He’s caught three touchdown passes. The previously mentioned Noah Short, a junior slotback from San Jose, California, has 305 receiving yards, and has been used as their sparkplug for explosive plays on the ground and in the air.
Guided by veteran defensive coordinator Nate Woody, Army’s defense has been sensational all year. They are eighth and ninth in scoring and total defense, respectively. Army is also 11th against the run – a factoid that could prove to be vital against Tulane.
The stopping unit for the Black Knights owes its dominance not only to Nate Woody, but also to senior safety Max DiDomenico, sophomore cornerback Jaydan Mayes, and sophomore defensive end Elo Modozie.
Senior Kyle Lewis deserves his praise, too. His four sacks are second on the team. Unfortunately, Lewis sustained a likely season-ending injury. His teammates have praised his work ethic, character, and grit.
West Point’s defense will face another huge test against Tulane on Friday night. Speaking of which…
Like many FBS teams, Tulane operates its own variation of the spread option. Under the tutelage of first-year head coach Jon Sumrall and offensive coordinator Joe Craddock, Tulane has accentuated increased involvement of tight ends and pre-snap motion.
The results have been superb. Tulane averages 429.3 yards of total offense per game, and has the sixth-best scoring offense in the nation. The Green Wave own the 12th-best rushing attack in college football, in addition to ranking 27th in ESPN’s offensive efficiency metric.
At the helm of the Green Wave’s diverse attack is a redshirt freshman quarterback by the name of Darian Mensah.
Mensah has been one of the most efficient passers in America. He has tossed 20 touchdown passes, and has been picked off just five times. He has also completed 65.6% of his passes. Pro Football Focus has him as the 59th-best quarterback out of 307.
Makhi Hughes, a sophomore running back from Birmingham, Alabama, is also one of the finest players at his position. After sitting out 2022, he redshirted. Last year, Hughes became the first freshman in school history to rush for over 1,000 yards.
Pro Football Focus ranks Hughes as the 14th-best running back in the entire country. He himself has rushed for 1,306 yards, 12th-best in America.
Topping out Tulane’s receivers is Mario Williams, a junior from Tampa, Florida. The two-time transfer has accrued 831 yards and four touchdowns. Despite his five-foot, nine-inch stature, Williams averages 17.3 yards per catch.
Needless to say, Army’s defense will have its hands full.
Tulane has two stalwart defensive ends who are both ranked in PFF’s top 80 at their position. Adin Huntington, a senior, is ranked 34th out of 878 defensive ends. His opposite, Matthew Fobbs-White, is a sophomore who is ranked 79th.
Senior defensive tackle Patrick Jenkins finished fourth in the American Athletic Conference in sacks. Clearly, defensive coordinator Greg Gasparato accentuates on rushing the passer and getting home.
Tulane allows just 18.4 points per game, and surrenders only 304 total yards per game. Their run defense relinquishes just 123.5 yards per game. Army did not rush efficiently against a stout UTSA rush defense, so this should be an intriguing matchup.
For Army, this is their chance to win their first-ever conference title. Making it all the more impressive is the fact that Army had not been in a conference since 2004.
Tulane will be playing in its third straight AAC Conference Championship Game. They won in 2022, and came up short last year.
While the Green Wave does have recent history on its side – Army hasn’t beaten Tulane since 2011 – they have not faced a team like this yet this year. Yes, Tulane did demolish Navy, but Navy’s starting quarterback was knocked out very early. They did not face a triple option team all full strength.
Defeating Tulane is a tall order for Army. To win, they have to force Darian Mensah to make a rare mistake, and contain one of the best running backs in the nation in Makhi Hughes. No easy task. Friday night will answer any and all questions about these new conference rivals.
Army has much more at stake in the coming weeks, too. After this game, they will go for their third straight win against Navy, their second straight Commander-in-Chief’s trophy, and will then play in a bowl game.
For now, though, Jeff Monken and Army have the ability to earn another milestone against a formidable adversary.
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