Army football becomes bowl eligible with win over UAB to remain undefeated
Army football is becoming the talk of the nation with a dominating start to the season.
The Black Knights have become bowl eligible with their sixth consecutive victory, a 44-10 rout of UAB on a splendid Saturday afternoon at Michie Stadium. Army now owns the nation's longest win streak at 10 games, dating back to October 2023.
Quarterback Bryson Daily ran for a career-high four scores and threw for another. The nation’s leading quarterback rusher piled up 136 yards on a dozen carries, sparking an offense that amassed over 400 yards for the sixth consecutive game (515 total), the first time that has happened in the 11-year tenure of head coach Jeff Monken.
Army football: Bryson Daily on Heisman radar
Army hasn’t produced a Heisman Trophy winner since Pete Dawkins in 1958, but the play of senior quarterback Daily is going to open some eyes.
The bulked-up Daily is a transformed player this season, showing patience, strength and balance as a runner and precision as a thrower in a run-dominated offense. Earlier in the week, UAB coach Trent Dilfer called Daily “the gnarliest” quarterback he’s seen, and Daily proved that.
Just check out Daily’s carries for the day: 29 yards (TD), 14, 9 (TD), 21, 13 (TD), 9, 4; and, in the second half, 10, 5, 10 6, 6 (TD).
With victory not in doubt, Monken pulled Daily midway through the third quarter. Backup DeWayne Coleman played all but the final series when Cale Hellums was brought in to wrap the contest.
Granted, Army has played a schedule that is one of the easiest in the nation record-wise, but the Black Knights have not played down to their opponents and have thrived behind Daily’s leadership.
Army manhandles Blazers in trenches
The Army offensive line brought good experience to the lineup this season, but no one predicted how good this front five really has become. The Black Knights are getting off the ball for push and pulling players for crushing blocks and opening holes. Throw in the Army running backs adding the next wave of blocks, and that is why Daily and running back Kanye Udoh have been so effective.
Blazers reeling
UAB has dropped five in a row and has suffered two major blowouts the past two weeks, bringing a lot of pressure on head coach Dilfer.
Given the 26½-point underdog status and Army’s penchant to eat up the clock on offense, it’s no wonder Dilfer took an early gamble on a fourth-down call in the game’s opening two minutes. The play got blown up for the turnover on downs; a UAB lineman got called offsides before the first Army snap, and, Daily raced 29 yards off the left side for a score just 82 seconds after the opening whistle.
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Army bids for 7-0 start
At 6-0, Army is still three wins from tying the 9-0 start of the 1996 team (11-2) that went on to play in the Independence Bowl. The Black Knights are in the midst of a three-game homestand with East Carolina visiting next Saturday and Air Force two weeks after that.
X / Twitter: @KenMcMillanTHR
This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: Army football crushes UAB to stay undefeated
