SHREVEPORT, La. (AP) — Army coach Jeff Monken says he’s still losing sleep over the Black Knights’ previous game.
A “bad taste” remains in the mouth of quarterback Bryson Daily, who finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting.
Two weeks after a gutting loss to rival Navy, Army (11-2) will take the field Saturday with the opportunity to get right in the Independence Bowl against Louisiana Tech (5-7), the replacement for Sun Belt champion Marshall (10-3).
Because more than two dozen of its players entered the transfer portal, the Thundering Herd backed out on its date with Army five days after accepting an invitation to the nation’s 11th-oldest bowl.
What matters to Army, though, is a chance to close out a memorable season on a winning note.
“We have an opportunity to get a bad taste our of our mouth,” Daily said. “That’s our goal – fight our tails off and get that last win.”
Army won its’ first nine games and was in the College Football Playoff picture until its 49-14 loss to Notre Dame. But the loss to Navy stung even more.
“It was very difficult to put behind us, certainly for me personally,” said Monken, whose group won the American Athletic Conference championship. “I’m still sorely disappointed and sleep deprived over it. That is the biggest game of the year for us.”
Army has never won 12 games in a season. That could change Saturday.
The replacements
When the Black Knights came off the field after the Army-Navy game, they learned their bowl opponent had changed.
With no bowl-eligible teams left in the postseason pool, I-Bowl officials pursued 5-7 programs from the Power 4 conferences, but those teams already had sent players home for holiday break. Louisiana Tech uses the quarter system, and its players were still in Ruston.
“We’ve heard it all,” Bulldogs senior defensive lineman Mykol Clark said upon his team’s arrival in Shreveport on Christmas Day. “You have a Top 25 team with a Heisman candidate and the best O-line in the nation. But then you have 5-7 Louisiana Tech.
“You’ll see we have one of the top defenses in the nation and we’ve played very close games all year,” Clark continued. “We respect everyone, but we fear no one.”
Clark had planned to celebrate Christmas — and the end of his college career — with family in Texas. Instead, he’ll finish Louisiana Tech career in Independence Stadium, where he also helped the Bulldogs blank the University of Miami, 14-0, in the 2019 I-Bowl.
Daily’s Heisman bid
The nine-game winning streak to open the season not only put the squad from West Point on the CFP radar, it lifted Daily into the Heisman mix. In 13 games, he’s thrown for 942 yards and nine touchdowns and run for a team-best 1,532 yards and 29 scores.
“It was an absolute honor just to be named with guys like (Heisman winner) Travis Hunter and Ashton Jeanty,” Daily said. “It was very surprising, all the media attention that came along this year. I’m extremely grateful for my teammates and the reflection it has on them.”
Pete Dawkins in 1958 was the last Army player to win the Heisman.
“I’ve always said the quarterback at Army can be a Heisman Trophy candidate,” Monken said. “We were able to showcase his ability as a runner this year. It was nice to see him get recognized.”
Defensive Bulldogs
The Bulldogs ranked 11th nationally in total defense, allowing just 301.9 yards per game. The unit is among the top 30 in several other categories, including rushing defense (29th), yards passing allowed (22nd) and scoring defense (24th).
Conversely, the offense ranks 105th with 343 yards per game. The Bulldogs are 112th in rushing (114 yards per game) and 122nd in red-zone offense (73%).
Louisiana Tech hired Tony Franklin as the new offensive coordinator on Dec. 12, so the surprise bowl berth is a bonus for his 2025 prep.
“It’s an opportunity for him to evaluate our roster, our quarterbacks,” Bulldogs head coach Sonny Cumbie said. “It’s a great opportunity for us offensively to springboard into what we’re going to be doing.”
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