Army Football: Strong Start Not Enough at Syracuse

A week after Army played a near-perfect game on the road, they couldn't overcome a Power Five opponent in addition to their own mistakes. ACC foe Syracuse

© Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports

A week after Army played a near-perfect game on the road, they couldn't overcome a Power Five opponent in addition to their own mistakes. ACC foe Syracuse defeated the Black Knights by a score of 29-16 at the home of the Orange. 

"That's one of the top scoring offenses in the country and one of the top scoring defenses in the country" said Army head coach Jeff Monken of his opponent. "In the first half, our guys were battling and had ourselves positioned to at least have a chance. The bottom line is that in the second half, they just made way too many plays. More than us. "

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The game began with a vintage Army drive: 17 plays, 75 yards for a touchdown, lasting nine and a half minutes. The Black Knights would follow that up with two three-and-outs. On their third possession of the game, Army would drive 64 yards in over nine minutes once again and add a 38-yard field goal by Cole Talley. The Black Knights would take a 10-3 lead into the break.

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The second half was a very different story for Army. The Black Knights scored just six points, punted three times, threw two interceptions, and had a turnover on downs. A Bryson Daily pass to Noah Short for 80 yards for a touchdown was not enough to reestablish momentum.

On a more somber note, Army's Dre Miller was carted off in a neck brace early in the fourth quarter. This happened after a helmet-to-helmet collision with a teammate. Monken confirmed that Miller was awake, conscious, and responsive, but was taken to a local hospital with his family to be evaluated in an effort to take every precaution.

Army fall to 2-2 on the season and will now have two weeks before they host another ACC foe: Boston College.