Football Powers Past Rice Behind Daily’s Five Touchdowns

Saturday, September 21

West Point, N.Y.

12:00 PM

Army West Point

3-0 , 2-0

Rice

1-3 , 0-1

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Rice

Army West Point

Football Powers Past Rice Behind Daily’s Five Touchdowns

September 21, 2024 | Football

Box Score Jeff Monken Postgame Transcript Players Postgame Transcript Photo Gallery

WEST POINT, N.Y. --- Army West Point football (3-0, 2-0 AAC) defeated the Rice Owls (1-3, 0-1), in a dominant 37-14 fashion on a beautiful day on the banks of the Hudson.

QB Bryson Daily accounted for four first-half touchdowns (two passing and two rushing) to propel the Black Knights as he rushed for 145 yards and three touchdowns while throwing for 107 yards and two scores.

Army scored touchdowns on all four of its first-half drives to take a 28-0 lead into the locker room.

On the game's first play, slot back Miles Stewart received his first rush of the season for a gain of 18 down the right sideline.

Four plays later, QB Bryson Daily connected with playmaker Noah Short for a 41-yard touchdown pass down the middle. It was Daily's second touchdown pass of the season and the first receiving score of the year for Short.

The Owls gained one first down on their first possession of the game, before punting away after a pair of incompletions by QB EJ Warner, son of Pro Football Hall of Famer, Kurt Warner.

Army started its second possession from its own nine-yard line, with Daily rushing three times for 29 yards to help move Army down the field. The Black Knights eventually faced a fourth-and-one from its own 40-yard line, with Daily converting with ease via an eight-yard gain.

The Black Knights continued to collect first downs on the ground, with Daily eventually hitting WR Casey Reynolds with a 14-yard pass on a critical third-and-eight to set up Army in the red zone. Army outgained Rice 157 yards to 24 in the opening quarter, with the Owls having possession for just five plays and 1:56.

On the second play of the second quarter, Daily used the quarterback keeper for a seven-yard touchdown run. It capped the season's longest drive, marching 17 plays for 90 yards, taking a whopping 10:52 off the game clock. Army used four conversions on third or fourth down to extend the drive.

Rice advanced the ball into Army territory and the red zone for the first time on its second drive, settling for a 36-yard field goal attempt with 7:43 to go in the half. Army's special teams continued to make plays as it has all season, with LB Elo Modozie blocking the kick with a recovery from S Casey Larkin who then returned it 25 yards to the Army 43.

On the ensuing drive, Army got a chunk play with Daily pitching to Short who collected 23 yards on the play down to the Rice 24-yard line. Daily began the day 4-for-4 through the air, connecting with WR Cam Schurr for an 11-yard gain to set up first-and-goal. Facing a fourth-and-goal from the two, Daily went left and dove headfirst for his second rushing score of the day which made it a 21-0 Army lead.

With Rice needing a score before halftime, a tipped ball from Warner on the second play of the drive fell into the hands of LB Andon Thomas for his first career interception which set up Army at midfield with 1:41 left in the half. Daily hit RB Hayden Reed for an 18-yard gain through the air on the drive, before slinging a 17-yard pass to Reynolds in the end zone for Daily's fourth total touchdown of the half, marking back-to-back games Daily and Reynolds have connected for six. It marked the second time in Daily's career that he's accounted for four touchdowns in a single half, becoming the first Army player to do so since at least 1996.

Rice received the second-half kick trailing 28-0 and was forced to punt after a three-and-out with Larkin blowing up a screen pass for a three-yard loss on third down. The long snap for the Owls sailed over Punter Alex Bacchetta's head and into the end zone, resulting in a safety which made it 30-0.

Army then faced third down and sent out its punting unit for the first time, with P James Wagenseller completing a pass to RB Hayden Reed, but the play was stopped for no gain as Army was unable to pull off a successful fake kick for the third straight week.

Rice found paydirt with a 16-yard touchdown pass from Warner to Matt Sykes which marked Army's first points allowed in the second half this season.

Getting the ball back, Army and Daily marched right back down the field for an eight-play, 72-yard touchdown drive just before the end of the third quarter. Daily was pushed out of bounds at the one-yard line on a 36-yard run before the QB kept it on the next play for his career-high third rushing touchdown of the contest. It also marked Daily's fifth total touchdown of the game, as he became the first player since at least 1996 to have multiple five-plus touchdown efforts in an Army uniform. The extra point from K Trey Gronotte made it a 37-7 game entering the fourth.

The Owls drove down into the red zone with Warner hitting Graham Walker for a 33-yard gain, before the Army defense holding once again and forcing a turnover on downs.

Junior Dewayne Coleman came in at quarterback for Army's two drives in the fourth quarter, rushing for 24 yards on six carries while completing two-of-three passes for 13 yards.

LB Baylor Newsom corralled his first career interception from a Warner pass in the fourth quarter.

Rice found the end zone on its final drive with a five-yard pass from Warner to RB Christian Francisco making it a 37-14 final score.

Army outgained the Owls 288-41 on the ground while controlling possession 39:05-20:55, continuing its trends from the wins over Lehigh and Florida Atlantic. Army, once again totaled over 400 yards of total offense with 408 and converted an impressive 9-for-15 on third downs.

GAME NOTES:

Carrying the Flag: Senior LB Josiah Banks led the team out with the Black Flag.

DIVISION OF THE GAME: Army honored the 2nd Infantry Division with a logo decal on the players helmets and coaches' headsets. The 2nd Infantry Division is a formation of the United States Army. Since the 1960s, its primary mission has been the pre-emptive defense of South Korea in the event of an invasion from North Korea.

With the win, Army begins the season 3-0 for the first time since 2021 as it is now the third time in the Coach Monken era the Black Knights have started 3-0 (2016, 2021).
Since 1958, Army has only started 3-0 seven other times (1958, 1960, 1966, 1985, 1996, 2016, and 2021).
Army extended its win streak to seven games, which dates back to last season. It is the second-longest active winning streak nationally.
The all-time series between Army and Rice is now in Army's favor, 5-4-1, as the last meeting occurred in 2019, a 14-7 Army win at Michie Stadium.
This was Army's sixth meeting vs. Rice in the Jeff Monken era, also meeting.
Army has scored a touchdown on its first offensive drive of the game in all three games this season and defensive has forced a punt on the opponents' first drive in all three.
Daily accounted for four first-half touchdowns (two passing and two rushing), which was only the seventh occurrence an Army player accounted for four touchdowns in a single half since 1996 as Daily has two of them (Five touchdowns in the first half vs. Delaware State, 2023).
Daily is also the second player since 1996, joining Ahmad Bradshaw (9/4/15 vs. Fordham) to have each 100 passing and rushing yards and two passing and two rushing touchdowns in the same game.
Daily's five touchdowns accounted for is the sixth occurrence by an Army player since 1996, as Daily has two of those.
It was Daily's second career multi-passing touchdown game and his fourth multi-rushing touchdown game.
Daily has rushed over the century mark in back-to-back games and has four career 100+ yard rushing performances.
The three rushing touchdowns was a new single-game high for Daily as he now has 14 career rushing scores.
Daily now has 10 career touchdown passes.
The touchdown reception was Short's third of his career.
LB Andon Thomas logged his first career interception on what was a great effort to keep his foot in before halftime.
LB Baylor Newsom intercepted his first career pass in the fourth quarter.
LB Adam Cash led the defensive unit in tackles with five.
LB Josiah Banks made his first career start in place of Chance Keith (injury).
Rice's touchdown in the third quarter was the first points Army has allowed in the second half this year.
Army had three different players complete a pass (QB Bryson Daily, QB Dewayne Coleman, P James Wagenseller) for the first time since Oct. 8, 2022 at Wake Forest (QB Tyhier Tyler, QB Cade Ballard, QB Jemel Jones).
Today was Army's first forced safety since 2021 vs. Ball State.
Army will hit the road on a very short week, playing at Temple on Thursday night (9/26). It will be Army's first Thursday night game since hosting Louisville in 1999. In that game, Army won in crazy fashion, double overtime, 59-53, where RB Michael Wallace rushed for 269 yards, the second-best individual game in Army History.
Army's 2010 bowl game vs. SMU and 2020 vs. West Virginia were also Thursdays but were played during the day.