Friends, your Army Black Knights might not have been quite as dominant as they were in the 2018 Armed Forces Bowl, nor was the ending as thrilling as either the 2017 or 2021 editions of that same bowl. Nevertheless, Army left little doubt as to the state of their program following an impressive 27-6 win over Louisiana Tech. Though the bad taste from the loss to Navy two weeks ago still lingers, we saw our team end their historic, first-ever twelve win season on a decidedly high note.
I’ll be honest, I personally wanted the Independence Bowl. Opportunities to play in a bowl with the history of the Independence Bowl and in a stadium as vintage as Independence Stadium do not come often.
With that in mind, I found myself in some of a celebratory mood throughout this contest. Sure, it would have been exciting to see Army cement its place among the all-time great teams in program history by beating an opponent with a stronger resume. Had Marshall come to play this week, pitting the honor of the Sun Belt against the honor of the American Athletic Conference, we’d have gotten that. But at the end of the day, the Black Knights can only control their own actions and their own decisions.
You play the teams on your schedule. Those are the only teams you get to play.
This game’s biggest storyline proved to be Army QB Bryson Daily’s pursuit of Navy great Keenan Reynolds’s single-season quarterback rushing touchdown record. When watching the 2013 Armed Forces Bowl in my living room, I wondered how thrilling it must have been for Navy fans to see their quarterback set the rushing touchdowns record for the position. Eleven years later, I found out and it was as enthralling as I imagined.
Additionally, we had some unfinished business heading into this game. The Armed Forces Bowl? Been there, done that. But everyone knows about the 1996 team falling just short in Shreveport. I didn’t care if it was 5-7 Louisiana Tech, the Black Knights needed to etch their names in the 48-year history of this bowl.
This year’s Independence Bowl proved to be the highest attended such bowl since 2014. Army outdrew games that featured national brands such as Florida State, Miami, and BYU in this same stadium. Similarly, more than two million people watched Army win the American Conference Championship on ABC a few weeks ago while more than nine million tuned in for Army-Navy. All of which just goes to show that Army remains an incredibly strong national draw even as the line between the pro game and college football blurs. Moreover, the crowd in this game seemed like a 50-50 split. Though the stadium wasn’t full, the atmosphere remained lively throughout with both fanbases representing their schools well.
The way this game played out, it was one for the team’s unsung heroes. FB Hayden Reed got to run wild in the absence of RB Kanye Udoh, who abandoned the Brotherhood for money. Reed delivered the second 100-yard rushing game of his career and his first since 2023’s win over UTSA. SB Tyrell Robinson also showed some excitement off the edge one last time. Robinson struggled in his single previous bowl appearance back in 2021, gaining just six yards on six carries. However, a six-yard-per-carry performance this week provided a more fitting ending for one of Army’s most exciting players. Similarly, SB Miles Stewart, recipient of three carries this year, and just 24 in his four years at the Academy, got to run the ball. Seeing a selfless contributor like Stewart get to carry the ball in a bowl game makes a win like this special.
Finally, Army actually hit that big pass to a tight end that we’ve been waiting for all season. Firstie TE David Crossan took a dig route and ran 52 yards to set up Daily’s record-breaking score. This was the first catch of Crossan’s entire career! We know Army’s tight ends can block, but making them more of a threat in the passing game could make the offense even more lethal in 2025.
Despite being without two of their best defensive linemen for this game, the Army defense played at least as dominantly as they were through the first half of the year. La. Tech drove down to the goal line one time, but as they have for much fo the season, Army’s defense held and eventually forced a turnover. Moreover, the Black Knights forced Tech to play out of its element. The Bulldogs ran a lot of H-Back-led Power, something we don’t see very often from air raid teams.
Waking up @IndyBowl Champions! pic.twitter.com/6HDITkUHHA
— Army Football (@ArmyWP_Football) December 29, 2024
This game personified Bowl Season. Both teams wanted to be there, and that’s not just a cliche. Coach Monken and Louisiana Tech Head Coach Sonny Cumbie booth spoke at length about the hospitality they received in Shreveport. Coach Monken noted what an honor it is to play in a bowl with so much history, remarking in wonder about the Independence Bowl’s past multiple times.
Everyone knew Army was all-in on this bowl, but Louisiana Tech bucked recent trends in college football. Senior Bulldog LB Zach Zimos nearly cried at the podium about the end of his football career, reminiscing on the end of his high school career when he didn’t take his pads off on the way home. Moreover, Louisiana Tech’s leading receiver, WR Tru Edwards, played in this game despite having entered the portal, putting the Bulldogs very near full strength. On a day when a Heisman Trophy finalist removed himself from a bowl game at halftime, scenes like this all but saved bowl season for any college football purist.
Twelve wins, Bryson Day setting the single-season rushing touchdown record for a quarterback, and a win in a historic bowl. Danno’s remark about “finding his place in the Long Gray Line” in his Navy “quick thoughts” hit home for me. Days like this seemed impossible when I started watching Army football back in 2005. We all saw the lows of the Bobby Ross, Stan Brock, and the Rich Ellerson years.
Maybe I needed to see this win more than anything to recapture my own youthful passion for Army Football. The loss to Navy was tough, sure, but this past Saturday reminded me of why we love our teams.
And hey. There’s always next year.
Go Army! Beat Tarleton State!!!
