Not sure many could have predicted the score of Army’s 14-3 win over North Texas. Many, including Vegas which set the over/under at 67.5, expected a scoring shootout.
Army’s No. 1 scoring defense held up to its ranking against Chandler Morris and the Mean Green’s high-octane attack. Defensive coordinator Nate Woody’s scheme confused Morris, who entered as the FBS leader in passing yards per game, and made the fifth-year senior look pedestrian. Limiting North Texas, which was averaging 41 points per game, to a field goal is ultra impressive. Holding North Texas without a touchdown for the first time since Sept. 2016 is insanity in the best way.
Didn’t look like quarterback Bryson Daily skipped a beat after missing the Air Force game. Daily initiated first contact from the start and left little question about his effectiveness. He took a couple of big hits and smiled after getting back up. Man just loves the game.
Daily set a career high with 36 carries on Army’s 68 plays. Daily became the sixth Army quarterback to have a 1,000-yard rushing season in the process joining Ahmad Bradshaw (school-record 1,746, 2017), Trent Steelman (1,248, 2012), Torey Crawford (1,078, 1986), Kelvin Hopkins (1,017, 2018) and Nate Sassaman (1,002, 1984).
Daily’s 2,126 rushing yards are 13th on Army’s career list. He added to his academy record with his seventh straight 100-yard rushing game. Daily scored his 29th and 30th rushing touchdowns of the season, becoming only the seventh player in academy history to reach 30 or more rushing TDs.
Woody certainly deserves some consideration for the Broyles Award, given to the nation’s top assistant coach. Unreal to think that the defense was a “question mark” at the start of the season with only three defensive starters returning from last year.
Moving Kyle Lewis from nose tackle to defensive end and adding sophomore nose tackle Kody Harris-Miller to the starting lineup has been one of many positives.
Army now has the best red-zone defense in the country (opponents coverting points on only 50 percent of their possession) after holding North Texas to only three points on four possessions inside the 20-yard line.
The Black Knights have 14 interceptions on the season with end-zone picks of Donavon Platt and Justin Weaver. It’s the most interceptions by Army since 2020. Army intercepted 17 passes in 2016. The Black Knights have four, possibly and likely, five games left in the season.
Army now has five players with multiple interceptions this season – Jaydan Mayes and Casey Larkin (3), Platt, Weaver and Max DiDomenico (2). The Black Knights had six players with multiple INTs in 2016.
Safety Casey Larkin is playing at an American Athletic Conference first-team level in pass coverage, containing short passes or screens and run support. Larkin was picked as the team’s defensive player of the game by the coaching staff for the second time this season.
Coach Jeff Monken clarified Army’s decision to run a fake instead of trying a 32-yard field goal at the end of the first half that could have put the Black Knights up 10-3. Monken said North Texas showed a specific look on a previous extra point that Army anticipated to see again on the field goal. When North Texas lined up in a different scheme, the holder, Matthew Rhodes, had the option to check out of fake and kick field goal. Army ended up running the fake with Rhodes running that was stopped well before the end zone. Army had one timeout left and Monken said he regretted not taking it and kicking the field goal.
North Texas tried to beat Army at its own game with time of possession. The Mean Green opened with 18-play drive that ate up 6 minutes and 59 seconds followed by 12-play, 4-minute, 32-second possession in the first quarter. North Texas only ran 25 plays and possessed the ball for 6 minutes and 53 seconds the rest of the way.
Army’s time of possession – 41 minutes, 3 seconds, aided by 21-play, 13-minute and 54-second second-half drive.
