WEST POINT, N.Y. -- Army West Point opened a new era of Army Black Knights football on Aug. 30 under the lights at Michie Stadium routing FCS Lehigh, 42-7. Army totaled 432 yards of total offense, 375 on the ground. The Black Knights scored on every offensive possession minus when receiving the ball back before halftime with just a few seconds left. QB Bryson Daily and RB Kanye Udoh each had two touchdowns on the ground.
As the Black Knights took the field it was the same 'Old Army Team' however a new stadium scene was present and felt as the East stands were demolished and a construction wall with Army branded signage was in place along the visiting teams' sideline. Army's uniforms and the 25-yard line at both ends of the field was a block "A" representing the American Athletic Conference, as Army enters its first season with conference affiliation since 2004.
Army won the coin toss and deferred to the second half sending Army's defense out on the field to begin the game. Lehigh QB Dante Perri connected with Mason Humprey on an early 20-yard pitch and catch to push Lehigh into Army territory. Army's defense would hold strong and force a punt.
As Army's offense took the field for the opening drive an experienced offensive line took the field totaling 65 career starts and counting with featured Connor Finucane, Brady Small and Lucas Scott.
Army Head Coach Jeff Monken and Special Teams Coordinator Sean Saturnio dove into their bag of tricks early as it appeared Army was punting on fourth-and-two but a direct snap to the personal protector LB Andon Thomas extended the drive as Thomas raced down the left sideline for 35 yards to ignite the Army sideline.
Several plays later Daily connected with WR Casey Reynolds for 22 yards which brought the Black Knights down to the Mountain Hawks' one-yard line. Daily finished the drive with a one-yard touchdown push up the middle to take a 7-0 lead. The score was Daily's 10th career rushing score.
Lehigh immediately answered Army's score, marching 75 yards on nine plays taking 5:14 off the clock which was capped off by Mountain Hawks RB Luke Yoder's 18-yard scamper into the endzone to knot the score at 7-7 with under a minute to go in the first quarter.
In the second quarter, Daily was back at it punching in another one-yard touchdown run which was set up by his 17-yard run a play before. It was a methodical 13-play, 76-yard drive taking 5:17 off the game clock to put the Black Knights back in front, 14-7.
Army then made it three-for-three on touchdown drives to begin the season, utilizing ten rushing plays for a 79-yard touchdown drive. Sophomore RB Kanye Udoh accounted for seven rushes for 50 yards on the drive, including a bruising 13-yard carry with a full extension at the pylon to score his second career touchdown with 2:52 to go in the half.
Lehigh took the ball into Army territory in the last minute of the half, before sophomore CB Jaydan Mayes made the first turnover of the season for the Black Knights with an interception on a fourth-down Hayden Johnson pass.
Army took a 21-7 lead into the locker room.
Army drove down the field once again to begin the second half, with a 47-yard pitch to Noah Short setting up a first and goal from the Mountain Hawks' nine-yard line. It took four plays to find paydirt, with Short then taking another pitch on fourth-and-three for his first career rushing touchdown. K Trey Gronotte converted his fourth extra point which gave Army a 28-7 advantage.
Lehigh put together a 69-yard drive getting down to the Army six-yard line, but sophomore CB Donavon Platt put the clamps on the drive, intercepting a Lehigh QB Hayden Johnson pass just before the fourth quarter began.
In the fourth quarter, Udoh scored his second touchdown of the night, the second from one yard out and RB Jake Rendina scored his first career touchdown as the game came to a close on a drive led by Junior QB Dewayne Coleman.
GAME NOTES:
Carrying the Flag: Junior OL Will Jeffcoat led the team out with the Black Flag.
DIVISION OF THE GAME: Army honored the 101st Airborne Division with a logo decal on the players helmets and coaches' headsets. The 101st Airborne Division (Screaming Eagles) is an air assault infantry division of the United States Army that specializes in air assault operations. It can plan, coordinate, and execute battalion-sized air assault operations to seize terrain.
- Army is 9-2 in the home opener under Jeff Monken.
- In the last five home openers (2020-24), Army is 4-1 and averaging 43.4 points.
- Army is 76-25 all-time in home openers at Michie Stadium (1924-pres).
- It was Army's first season-opening game at home since 2020.
- Daily's two touchdowns on the ground marked his third-career game with multiple rushing scores, as he also scored a pair against both Delaware State and Air Force in 2023.
- Udoh registered his first career multi-touchdown performance. Udoh now has three career rushing scores to his name.
- CB Jaydan Mayes intercepted a Lehigh pass, his second career interception.
- CB Donavon Platt also recorded an interception, the first of his career.
- SB Noah Short ripped off a 46-yard run on a pitch from Daily in the third quarter. It was the longest rush of his career as he posted career highs in the rushing categories with 83 rushing yards on eight carries with a rushing touchdown.
- Army had three rushers total over 75 rushing yards. Short led the way with 83 yards, Daily 17 times for 78 yards and Udoh 15 times for 75 yards.
- Defensively, LB Kalib Fortner led the way with eight total tackles.
- LB Eric Ford and DL Kody Harris-Miller each had tackles for loss.
- Seeing their first game action slot back Samari Howard carried twice for 25 yards and slot back David Clerk two times for 18 yards.
- Army renewed its series with Lehigh, having last seen the Mountain Hawks in 1995. The Black Knights now have a 9-2-1 edge in the all-time series.
- Army played its first game as a member of the American Athletic Conference, joining the league as the 14th football member. 2024 marks Army's first season in a football conference since 2004, when it competed as part of Conference USA.
- Army will play its first AAC foe next Saturday (9/7) hitting the road to play at FAU.