Army Black Knights Unit Has Been Major Surprise During College Football Season

One unit for the Army Black Knights has been clicking on all cylinders, fueling their success this season.

Nov 9, 2024; Denton, Texas, USA; Army Black Knights quarterback Bryson Daily (13) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the North Texas Mean Green during the first half at DATCU Stadium. / Danny Wild-Imagn Images

There aren’t many people who expected the Army Black Knights to be in this position heading into their final bye week of the 2024 college football season.

They are 9-0 and preparing for a massive game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish that will have a major impact on the sport. It is essentially an elimination game for the College Football Playoff; whoever loses can likely kiss their hopes of competing for the title goodbye.

Contending for a spot is something everyone expected from Notre Dame; the same cannot be said about Army. They have come out of nowhere this season, as they have a chance to set the program record with wins.

Double-digit victories have been reached by the Black Knights only three times ever, and this season is shaping up to be the fourth.

What has led to this level of success on the gridiron? The team’s offense production has been through the roof.

Last season, Army was 111th in scoring, 107th in yards per play and 62nd in runs of 10+ yards. This season, they have jumped to 24th in scoring, 13th in yards per play and they currently rank third with runs of 10 or more yards.

That has resulted in Adam Rittenberg of ESPN highlighting the Black Knights’ offense as one of the most improved units in college football in 2024.

“After veering from its traditional schematic structure, Army returned to its option roots this fall and has thrived behind bulldozing quarterback Bryson Daily and an experienced offensive line that has remained intact all season. The Black Knights went from consecutive 6-6 seasons to "getting back to who we are," coach Jeff Monken said. Monken pointed to a line that has had the same starters in each game, including veteran tackles Connor Finucane and Lucas Scott and center Brady Small, who benefited from starting throughout his true freshman season in 2023.”

When running a system such as an option offense, that kind of continuity is key. Everyone knows what is expected and has the nuances of a scheme predicated on timing down pat.

Having a player of Bryson Daily’s caliber under center running the show certainly doesn’t hurt either. He has been incredibly productive this season, as the only thing that has slowed him down in any capacity is an undisclosed injury.

He has been leading the way for a running game that is steamrolling opponents. Daily has handled 174 rushes on the season for 1,062 yards and 21 touchdowns, which is second in the nation.

The star quarterback keeps defenses honest enough with 29-of-51 completions through the air for 644 yards and seven more scores, throwing only one interception. As long as he is healthy, Army is going to be a tough team for any opponent to handle.