Army: 2025 Fenway Bowl Champions

 

BOSTON – Army’s fourth string freshman quarterback with a distinctive first name made a successful conversion to fullback in the fourth annual Wasabi Fenway Bowl.

Army: 2024 Independence Bowl Champions

 

The Independence Bowl has welcomed some significant attendance numbers over the years with schools like LSU, Notre Dame, Texas A&M and Oklahoma casting their lots in the 11th oldest bowl game in the country.

But thanks to heavy rains that fell throughout the Shreveport-Bossier City area on Saturday, an announced crowd of 34,283 hardy souls watched as Army dominated late invitee Louisiana Tech 27-6 in a late game televised on ESPN.

Although the Bulldogs (5-8) have now played in more I-Bowls than any team over the past 48 seasons (6), and defeated Miami in 2019 in their last visit, they were no match for the Black Knights (12-2), who rebounded from a season-ending loss to archrival Navy.

Tech wasn’t supposed to go bowling after coming up short of the necessary six wins, but got a reprieve when Marshall flaked out of coming to Shreveport after losing over two dozen players in the portal.

Tech is now 0-3 all-time versus Army.

Black Knights play keep-away with football

Time was not in Tech’s favor as the Black Knights dominated time of possession in addition to the scoring.

On one first-half drive, Army set an I-Bowl record with 21 plays on a drive that lasted more than 12 minutes. That left a short-handed Tech defense defenseless against the onslaught of the Black Knight offense that ran the ball at will.

The Bulldogs rarely saw the ball in falling behind by three scores and never recovering. In the end, the time of possession favored Army 38:56 to 19:52.

Rumbled on the Red

Playing in a stadium just a few miles from the mighty Red River, site of two Bassmaster Classics, the Bulldogs couldn’t pose a decent run-stop defense with three defensive line starters missing because of the transfer portal.

One of those was Tech’s best defender in David Blay, the No. 2 defensive line prospect in the 2024 portal who is headed to Miami.

A no-star defensive line prospect out of Levittown, Pennsylvania, in 2022, Blay posted 46 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, 12 quarterback pressures and 6.5 sacks this season. His sack total was the third best in Conference USA this season.

Tech's defense finished the season as the No. 11-ranked total defense in the nation, allowing just 301.9 yards per game. Army entered the game averaging 298.9 yards per game and put up a lot on the Bulldogs.

Tech offense given little help in run game

Tech, which was making its 14th bowl appearance in history but first since 2020, had just a couple of backup wide receivers missing from the offense that carried the Bulldogs for most of the season. But you couldn’t tell it with the way the offense sputtered in key situations.

The Bulldogs’ only real chance at a TD came with about 11 minutes remaining when redshirt freshman quarterback Evan Bullock tossed an interception in the end zone from 3 yards out on a fourth-down play.

Now 3-2-1 in I-Bowls, Tech couldn’t get its offense untracked behind Bullock, who received no support from his run game. Tech managed just a single rushing yard in the first half while falling behind 21-3 and finished with 49 yards rushing.

Meanwhile, Army quarterback Bryson Daily set the NCAA single-season rushing TD record with three scores against the Bulldogs giving him 32 on the season.

Army: 2021 Armed Forces Bowl Champions

FORT WORTH, Texas -- — Cole Talley kicked a 41-yard field goal as time expired and Army rallied to beat Missouri 24-22 in the Armed Forces Bowl on Wednesday night.

After the Tigers took a 22-21 lead on a touchdown with 1:11 to play, third-string quarterback Jabari Laws led Army (9-4) downfield to the Missouri 24-yard line, setting up Talley's game-winner.

Talley, who went to high school about 60 miles east of Fort Worth in Rockwall, Texas, said he was thinking about the brotherhood of Army football players when he went out for the final kick.

"I'd do anything for them, and they'd do anything for me," said Talley, who missed his only two previous attempts this season from beyond 40 yards — including a 43-yard try in the first quarter.

"We trust Cole," Army coach Jeff Monken said. "What a great way for the team to end the season and these seniors to end their careers."

One of those seniors was Laws, who was the Black Knights' starting quarterback in 2019 before a knee injury sidelined him. He didn't play at all last season following a second surgery.

"I feel like I'm in a movie right now," said Laws, who was 2-of-4 passing on the final drive.

Army backup quarterback Tyhier Tyler came on after starter Christian Anderson injured an ankle late in the third quarter and threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Walters to give the Black Knights their first lead, 21-16. Anderson and JaKobi Buchanan scored on TD runs of 22 and 10 yards, respectively, for Army.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Brady Cook threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Keke Chism with 71 seconds left to put the Tigers (6-7) ahead, but his two-point conversion pass sailed over the head of an open Dawson Downing in the end zone. Cook also ran for a 30-yard score in his first collegiate start.

"I did some good things," Cook said. "Missed the throw when it mattered most."

Missouri played without second-team All-America running back Tyler Badie, who was held out by coach Eliah Drinkwitz in advance of the NFL draft. Starting quarterback Connor Bazelak was sidelined because of a leg injury.

Cook completed 27 of 34 passes for 238 yards and ran for 53 more.

Buchanan led Army in rushing with 68 yards on 21 carries. Elijah Young was the Tigers' top rusher with 75 yards on 13 carries.

In the second half, Missouri was stopped on downs at the Army 43 and lost a fumble by Downing at Army's 48.

"Obviously in the second half the turnover was huge," Drinkwitz said. "Disappointed for our team, especially our seniors. Just a difficult way to lose the game."

THE TAKEAWAY

Missouri: The Tigers were hampered going in by a short-handed secondary that then lost multiple players in the first half. Army threw one pass in the first half, good for 42 yards, and was 5 for 8 in the second half for 53 yards. The Black Knights entered 128th out of 130 FBS teams, averaging 94.8 yards passing per game.

Army: The Black Knights snapped a seven-game losing streak to Power Five teams with their first win since 2017. There were some close calls during the streak, including to Oklahoma (28-21) and Michigan (24-21).

FIVE-TOOL PLAYER?

Army senior linebacker Arik Smith was selected the game's most valuable player with 12 tackles, 2½ for loss, and two sacks. Monken was impressed by Smith's maturity as a recruit, learning on a home visit that Smith finished the family basement.

"Plumbing. Electrical. Finish work. All of it," Monken recalled. "I mean, who does that?"

UP NEXT

Missouri: After the Tigers open at Middle Tennessee State next season, they'll host former conference rival Kansas State. The season finale against Arkansas will also be at Faurot Field.

Army: The Black Knights won't face any Power Five teams next season for the first time since 2004 (except for the reworked 2020 schedule). The first two games will be against Group of Five heavyweights Coastal Carolina and UTSA, and the Army-Navy game will return to Philadelphia.

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Hawaii: The Bane of Army West Point in 2019.

HONOLULU (AP) — The State of Hawaii has virtually claimed responsibility for being rendered the bane of the now-disgraced United States Military Academy football team of West Point, N.Y.

Hawaii—established as the 50th state in the union, an influential province in the Pacific Rim, known for being the formative home of many successful American football players—through the Governor's Office, claimed responsibility for putting the "Black Knights" in "a hole they could never get out of," per a spokesman at an impromptu press conference outside Iolani Palace.

The University of Hawaii Rainbow Warrior football team of Mano'a initiated the two-step operation of drawing the highest of enmity from the Long Grey Line in a complete offensive showcase at the Aloha Stadium proving grounds on 30 November 2019. The Warriors routed Army to a man 52-31, effectively ending Army's fleeting attempt in vain to qualify for a Football Bowl Alliance-sanctioned college bowl game at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), the highest level of collegiate American football in the country.

Intelligence agents were notified via morbidly obese armchair warrior spies attached via eyesight to bleeding-edge devices called high definition (HD) televisions that the United States Naval Academy football team of Annapolis, Md. had completed the second and final step of the two-week cross-country operation at approximately 1315 HST at the Lincoln Financial Field battleground located in Philadelphia, Pa. The battleground is the designated home of the Philadelphia Eagles Football Club of the National Football League (NFL), the USA's professional American football competition. The full time score read: Navy 31, Army 7. Where the Black Knights were felled by the Warriors' aerial attack and the Fortuitous Farmer, Cole McDonald two weeks prior, a superior option attacked employed by the Naval Academy and Commodore Malcolm Perry ensured Army ended their ill-fated campaign on a two-match losing streak.

The Midshipmen, as they are referred to as, are managed by Kenneth Va'a Niumatalolo, a graduate of the University of Hawai'i in 1989. Niumatalolo is also a longstanding member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, or the LDS (Mormon) Church. The Church's designated university, the Brigham Young University of Provo, Utah, is Hawaii's designated opponent in the 2019 Social Finance, Inc. (SoFi) Hawai'i Bowl.

As for the Midshipmen, their final opponent to close out their productive 2019 campaign are the Wildcat football team of Kansas State University of Manhattan, Kan., in the 2019 AutoZone Liberty Bowl at the game's namesake stadium in Memphis, Tenn. The Wildcats team manager, Christopher Paul Klieman, was formerly the manager of the Bison football team of North Dakota State University in Fargo, N.D., an established multiple champion at the second-tier NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).

A full report on the endlessly expansive amounts of a so-called odorless, tasteless, mindlessly senseless gas called "shade" inflicted on the regressing legacy of Army West Point Football against the State of Hawaii will be disclosed at an unspecified date. Preliminary reports have indicated that the date is listed as...never.

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J.R. Salazar is a former association football writer and current photographer, blogger and Final Fantasy XIV gamer. Visit him on Instagram at @joryansalazar and on Tumblr at @bongaboi.

#GoBows.

Army: 2018 Armed Forces Bowl Champions

FORT WORTH, Texas -- Army quarterback Kelvin Hopkins Jr. initially ran right before cutting back the other way and eluding a tackler. He sent two other defenders sliding to the ground when he switched directions again and took off toward the end zone.

That nifty 77-yard run was one of his Armed Forces Bowl-record five rushing touchdowns as the No. 22 Black Knights overwhelmed Houston 70-14 on Saturday to reach 11 wins for the first time in program history.

"Just trying to get back to the line of scrimmage," Hopkins said. "There was this huge convoy of guys right there when I was running in. ... I just felt like people were on me. I thought it was Houston, and I realized it was gray jerseys. It was a really good team win."

The Black Knights' (11-2) 56-point win tied the FBS record for largest margin of victory in a bowl game, set by Tulsa in its 63-7 win over Bowling Green in the 2008 GMAC Bowl.

Army scored 70 points in a game for the first time since 1955, when it scored 81 against Furman, according to ESPN Stats & Information. The win was its ninth straight since an overtime loss at playoff team Oklahoma exactly three months earlier.

"Great, great finish to a terrific season," coach Jeff Monken said.

Houston (8-5) lost for the fourth time in five games since starting 7-1 and getting into the AP Top 25 poll for one week in late October. The injury-plagued Cougars suffered their most-lopsided loss in their 27 bowl games, and their biggest loss overall since a 66-10 loss at UCLA during the 1997 regular season.

"That's the hardest part to swallow, you're 7-1," second-year coach Major Applewhite said. "I'm proud of the way our kids fought. I'm not proud of losing the games at the end of the season the way we lost them."

Hopkins ran 11 times for 170 yards before coming out of the game midway through the third quarter when it was 49-7. He also completed the first 1,000-yard passing season for Army since 2007. He was 3-of-3 passing for 70 yards, including a 54-yarder that set up one of his three 1-yard TD plunges. He also had a 2-yard TD run.

Army got 507 of its 592 total yards on the ground in its highest-scoring game this season -- and the most points in the program's nine bowl appearances. The Black Knights won a bowl for the third consecutive year, including last year's Armed Force Bowl over San Diego State.

On the first play of the second quarter, on Houston's first snap after Hopkins' long TD run, Cameron Jones had a 23-yard fumble return for a score after James Nachtigal forced the turnover when he sacked Clayton Tune.

While Hopkins had his left arm in a sling after the game, he said he was "a little banged up" and that it was just a precaution. The junior quarterback's 77-yarder on the last play of the first quarter made it 14-0.

"He did a really good job of finding an initial opening because it was almost a busted play," Monken said. "It was not designed to go back that direction and he kind of skipped out of the way of a guy."

Tune, the true freshman filling in for injured playmaker D'Eriq King, was 21-of-32 passing for 230 yards and was sacked 10 times. He was responsible for both Houston TDs, a 3-yard pass to Romello Brooker in the second quarter and a 6-yard run with 6 1/2 minutes left.

THE TAKEAWAY

Houston: The Cougars didn't have King or NFL-bound defensive tackle Ed Oliver. King, who will be back next season, was responsible for 50 touchdowns in 11 games before knee surgery. Oliver missed four games because of a bruised right knee, then skipped the bowl game to focus on preparing for the NFL draft.

"I love Ed to death, but there were more issues than missing Ed," Applewhite said. "Give credit to Army."

Army: After a 10-loss season as freshmen, the Black Knights senior class won 29 games the past three seasons. They finished with back-to-back seasons of at least 10 wins. Army is an AP Top 25 team for the first time since 1996, the academy's only other 10-win season.

"I knew we had something special going on in our program," Monken said.

UP NEXT

Houston plays its 2019 season opener Aug. 31 at Oklahoma.

Army opens the 2019 season at home against Rice on Aug. 30.

Army: 2017 Armed Forces Bowl Champions

FORT WORTH, Texas -- Army coach Jeff Monken was able to joke afterward.

"We had `em all the way," Monken deadpanned.

It wasn't quite that easy for the Black Knights.

Darnell Woolfolk scored on a 1-yard run with 18 seconds left, Kell Walker converted a go-ahead 2-point run and Army added a last-play defensive touchdown for a 42-35 victory over San Diego State on Saturday in the Armed Forces Bowl.

After Rashaad Penny's fourth touchdown run of the game gave San Diego State (10-3) a 35-28 lead with 5:47 to play, Army (10-3) drove 72 yards for the tying score and winning conversion.

"It was tough, but we were confident we'd move the ball," Army quarterback Ahmad Bradshaw said.

On the Aztecs' final play, they made multiple laterals from their 40. The final lateral was grabbed by Army's Elijah Riley, who returned it 29 yards for a touchdown.

The Black Knights tied a school record for wins set by the 1996 team.

Penny ran for 221 yards, his fifth straight game of at least 200 yards. His scores came on runs of 81, on his first carry, 31, 49 and 4 yards.

Juwan Washington added the Aztecs' other touchdown on a 78-yard kickoff return in the first half's closing seconds.

"Obviously, Rashaad and Juwan had a great night," Aztecs coach Rocky Long said. "Our defense played really, really poorly. And that's coaching. So, that's my fault."

Army dominated the time of possession. The Black Knights ran 91 plays to the Aztecs' 30 and held the ball for 46:00 to San Diego State's 13:53.

"That's our brand of football," Monken said. "We don't have anybody like they have -- when you break through the line, it's six points."

Woolfolk ran for two touchdowns, and Bradshaw and Andy Davidson ran for one each.

Monken said there was no doubt the Black Knights would go for two points if they pulled within one in the closing minutes with a touchdown.

"That No. 20, Rashaad Penny -- if we went into overtime, he's going to get the ball in his hands again," Monken said. "There's no way I wanted to watch that anymore."

Walker took the pitch and raced toward the right corner of the end zone.

"Our O-line did a tremendous job," Walker said. "All I had to do was catch it and run."

THE TAKEAWAY

San Diego State: The Aztecs went into the game ranked ninth in FBS rush defense, allowing 110.4 yards per game. Army ran for 120 in the first quarter and 440 overall.

Army: The Black Knights went into the game ranked last in the FBS averaging 29.6 passing yards per game. They went 1-for-4 passing for 6 yards, including receiver Kjetil Cline throwing an interception.

RUNNING RECORDS FALL

Penny finished with a school-record 2,248 rushing yards this season, breaking the mark set last season by Donnel Pumphrey. He said afterward the record doesn't mean anything since the Aztecs finished with a loss. Penny also became the fourth FBS player ever to run for 200 yards in five straight games.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

Army's seniors progressed from records of 4-8 and 2-10 during their first two seasons to 8-5 and 10-3, with two straight wins over Navy and the school's first Commander-in-Chief's Trophy since 1996.

"We flipped the script last year and built the foundation that we're still building to where 10-win seasons are now the expectation," linebacker Alex Aukerman said.



UP NEXT

San Diego State: Having produced 2,000-yard rushers each of the past two seasons, the Aztecs will look to Washington as their primary ball carrier in 2018. The 5-foot-7, 190-pounder ran for 759 yards this season as a sophomore. The Aztecs, with seven starters each returning on offense and defense, will open at Stanford on Sept. 1.

Army: While the academy's public affairs office stated two weeks ago that senior Bradshaw would spend an additional year at West Point, he said following Saturday's play: "This is my last game." The Black Knights will open at Duke on Sept. 1. 

Army West Point: 2016 Heart Of Dallas Bowl Champions

DALLAS -- For Army coach Jeff Monken, there was never really a second thought about what to do on fourth down from the 3 on the opening possession of overtime.

Not with the way the triple-option Black Knights dominate running the ball and struggle kicking it.

Jordan Asberry took a toss and scored Army's sixth rushing touchdown in a 38-31 win over North Texas on Tuesday in a rematch at the Heart of Dallas Bowl.

"One of our goals is not flinch and believe no matter what," said quarterback Ahmad Bradshaw, who ran for 129 yards and a score. "A lot of people say it's a questionable call. ... We were determined to get it in."

The Black Knights (8-5) finished with 480 yards rushing, including 119 yards and two TDs by Darnell Woolfolk. Asberry's score was the 46th rushing touchdown this season, breaking the school record held by the 1945 national championship team that had two Heisman Trophy winners in the backfield.

North Texas (5-8) had its chance in overtime. But after Alec Morris scrambled for 4 yards and Jeffery Wilson lost 3, consecutive incomplete passes followed. The former Alabama graduate transfer threw for 304 yards and three TDs, but his desperation fourth-down throw on the run ended the game.

"We may not have accomplished our mission of winning our bowl game, but these men ... set a solid foundation of brotherhood," first-year coach Seth Littrell said.

North Texas, which lost five of its last six games after winning 35-18 at Army on Oct. 22, was in the bowl based on its Academic Progress Rate.

Army's 1945 team had 45 rushing touchdowns while going 9-0. Doc Blanchard scored 16 of them and won the Heisman that season. Glenn Davis had 15 a year before winning his Heisman Trophy.

The Black Knights have a three-game winning streak, including their first win over Navy since 2001.

"We're a work in a progress. I hope we always will be and be improving," Monken said. "Proud of our guys and how we finished this season."

TAKEAWAY

North Texas showed some positive signs under Littrell despite the tough finish. The Mean Green won only one game in 2015. Wilson, whose 160 yards in October were the most this season against Army, had a 22-yard TD run on the Mean Green's opening drive Tuesday. He finished with 81 yards on 20 carries, and also turned a screen pass into another 22-yard touchdown.

Army: The Black Knights finished with their most wins since going 10-2 in 1996. In the loss to North Texas two months ago, they had seven turnovers (three lost fumbles, four interceptions). They had only one this time, a muffed punt return that immediately led to a North Texas touchdown at the end of the third quarter.

NO CONVERSIONS

Woolfolk had a 5-yard TD on the game's opening possession, a vintage Army drive with six different players carrying on 11 rushing plays, but missed the extra point. North Texas led only after a TD and PAT on its opening drive, but Army then had TD runs on each of its next three drives and led 24-7 after missing 2-point conversions each time.

SEE YOU AGAIN SOON

Army will be in North Texas next Nov. 18 to play the Mean Green again. The Black Knights also have a conditional agreement already to play in next year's Armed Forces Bowl in Fort Worth if they are bowl eligible.

EXTRA POINTS


Tyler Campbell's 70-yard TD run in the first quarter was Army's longest running play this season. ... Bradshaw's 65-yard keeper for a score in the third quarter was his career-long run. ... Army LB Jeremy Timpf had 15 tackles (12 solo), and CB Elijah Riley had two interceptions.

UP NEXT

North Texas: QB Mason Fine, who started nine games as a freshman before a shoulder injury late in the season, should be back with Wilson when the Mean Green host Lamar in their 2017 opener on Sept. 2.

Army: is set to return Bradshaw along with Woolfolk and several other runners, and four starting linemen, for its triple-option offense. The Black Knights open the 2017 season against Fordham on Sept. 1.