Your Army Black Knights went down to Denton, Texas, yesterday and they beat a very talented football team in the North Texas Mean Green.
A Texas-sized VICTORY! Your Black Knights are 9-0 ✅ pic.twitter.com/PZtCBTsaXq
— Army Football (@ArmyWP_Football) November 9, 2024
I’m not totally sure what we expected coming into last night’s match-up, but the one thing that nobody expected was an at times plodding defensive struggle. Coming into this game, Army and North Texas both had put together some of the best, most consistent offensive performances in all of college football. But North Texas, coming off a bye and needing exactly one win to earn bowl eligibility, looked fully prepared to face the Black Knights’ triple-option offense. And Army, though arguably out-gunned athletically at every level against UNT’s offensive skill players, maintained a relentless bend-but-don’t break defensive style that held the nation’s top passer, #3 total offense, and #6 scoring offense to just three total points on 283 yards of total offense.
We saw an extremely physical game yesterday. Both teams tried to grind out possessions and thereby maximize their opportunities. Army won because, despite committing two turnovers, they finished drives for touchdowns while allowing North Texas just a single field goal on four red zone opportunities.
WWWWWWWWWWWWWins in a row! pic.twitter.com/zCfCllqAUt
— Army Football (@ArmyWP_Football) November 10, 2024
Indeed, it seemed at times like North Texas wanted to out-Army the Black Knights. The Mean Green attempted a minimal number of deep shots, settling instead for short throws that resulted in a bare 5.8 yards/pass. They also went for it 5 separate times on fourth down, converting 3 attempts in impressive fashion. In taking what Army’s defense gave them, their first drive went a whopping *18* plays in just under seven minutes. That was great in concept, but as noted, Army only gave up a field goal off that first drive. The Black Knights then countered with their own 9-play drive that went for a touchdown, followed by a 14-play drive that netted no points but ate up damn-near the rest of the first half. When the Mean Green’s first possession of the second half went three-and-out, it meant that they’d held the ball for all of 38 seconds in the third quarter.
Their offense sat on the sidelines for over thirty minutes of real time!
North Texas did a nice job countering Army’s triple-option, forcing an interception, a fumble, and a punt. They kept Army’s explosive plays in check, making the Black Knights earn it one play at a time. However, they ultimately gave up 4.6 yards/carry. That final tally didn’t do a lot to get Army off the field. The Black Knights wound up going an outstanding 9/14 on third down and 3/3 on fourth down. With that, they held the ball for almost 42 minutes total.
Time of possession might not be the be-all, end-all of college football, but when the other team is holding the ball, and they’re also scoring touchdowns, it becomes a problem. North Texas couldn’t get off the field on defense, and they also couldn’t score. By comparison, Army’s defense forced exactly one punt, but they stood tall in the red zone three times, once with an amazing goal line stand that started at their own 1-yard-line and twice by generating interceptions from something like 10 yards out.
Donavon Platt halting the North Texas drive with the pick! pic.twitter.com/ejz4BKMiMx
— Army Football (@ArmyWP_Football) November 9, 2024
With that, we saw arguably the best game of the entire year from Army’s defense yesterday, and it came against one of the best offenses in all of college football! The Black Knights won this game by running tough between the tackles and by making the defensive plays they needed to make when the field shortened down by the goal line.
QB Bryson Daily played well in this game if maybe not as explosively as he was playing before his injury. He ran tough, but he probably wouldn’t have thrown that pick if he’s had more than two days of practice over the course of the last two-plus weeks. Still, he carried his team when they needed him. He finished with 36 times for 153 yards (4.3 yards/carry) and 2 touchdowns. He went 2/4 passing with the pick, but he also converted a longish third down through the air and kept Army ahead of the chains with his other short pass. So while two passes might not seem like a big deal, UNT’s coach highlighted them in his post-game press conference as difference-making plays.
FB Kanye Udoh had an excellent day blocking and finished with 13 carries for 65 yards. He might’ve broken one if he’d gotten a few more carries. He looked close at times. SBs Noah Short and Tyrell Robinson combined for 9 carries for 106 yards, including several of their own difference-making plays.
But the day belonged to Army’s defense. That’s where the Black Knights won.
JUSTIN WEAVER WITH THE PICK!!
— Army Football (@ArmyWP_Football) November 9, 2024
📺 ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/72Z2CeKt8J
S Max DiDomenico finished with 9 tackles, 7 solo, and almost had a pick. LB Kalib Fortner had 8 tackles, 5 solo, with 2 tackles-for-loss. NT Kody-Harris Miller also had a tackle-for-loss while DE Kyle Lewis registered the team’s only sack. CBs Justin Weaver and Donovan Platt both registered interceptions in the end zone. In all, Army held North Texas to just 69 yards rushing on 18 carries (3.8 yards/carry), and as noted, the Black Knights stuffed the Mean Green at the goal line three times, starting at their own 1-yard-line. Friends, this North Texas team had been averaging nearly 7 yards/carry coming into this game.
Bend-but-don’t-break works. Had North Texas been able to hit deep shots for long scores, we would have seen a very different outcome. But because the Mean Green had to repeatedly drive the full length of the field and try to push the point on a short field, Army was able to get the stops that secured this victory.
North Texas couldn't get the offense going against Army 👀 pic.twitter.com/QSdUtdcO7O
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) November 9, 2024
Looking Forward
Army has a bye this week. They’ll face Notre Dame at Yankee Stadium in the 100-year anniversary of the Four Horsemen game on November 23rd. That game kicks at 7:00 pm on NBC and will undoubtedly involve an endless cavalcade of nostalgia, hoopla, and historic nonsense alongside a retelling of college football’s ancient history. Back in the real world, however, both the Irish and the Black Knights stand ranked in the college football playoff rankings, and if the Irish will be heavily favored in two weeks, they’ve also shown themselves somewhat susceptible to disciplined power rushing attacks. Notably, Notre Dame forced just two punts from the Midshipmen last month, and that’s a Midshipmen team that punts a lot more often than do the Black Knights.
Irish fans should be scared. The Black Knights are coming for their necks, their reputations, and their place in the national standings. Army wants to host the American Conference Championship, and they want a shot at the title in the College Football Playoff. So don’t worry about the nostalgia. Worry about the game. I sincerely doubt that anyone at Army cares overmuch about the Four Horsemen, but I suppose that if Head Coach Jeff Monken’s squad can right that wrong, too, well, maybe they’ll take that, too.
— Matt Drinkall (@DrinkallCoach) November 10, 2024
Go Army! Beat Notre Dame!!!
Cover image via @ArmyWP_Football.
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