The #24 AP-ranked Army Black Knights (11-1, 9-0 AAC) won the American Athletic Conference championship on Friday night, defeating the Tulane Green Wave (9-4, 7-2), 35-14 at Michie Stadium on a cold December night.
The conference championship is Army's first conference title in the program's 134-year history, as the program has been Independent for most of that time.
Army was propelled by quarterback Bryson Daily, who did what he does best, find the endzone. Daily scored four rushing touchdowns, tying the record for most by a player in an AAC Championship game. Daily finished with 126 yards on 25 attempts (5.0 avg.) Daily took home The Mike Aresco Most Outstanding Player award. Daily scored his 26th rushing touchdown of the season in the first quarter, breaking the record for most rushing touchdowns in a season in American Athletic Conference history.
Sophomore Running Back Kanye Udoh rushed for a game-high 158 yards and scored a touchdown on 20 carries (7.9 avg.), including a 72-yard run in the second quarter.
Army became the first time in FBS history to have zero incompletions in a conference title game and only the second in the last 20 years with zero punts and zero penalties in the title game.
Daily passed 2-for-2 for 17 yards.
Tulane QB Darian Mensah hit WR Mario Williams for a pitch and catch of 30 yards to get down to the Army 27-yard line. Army's defense held strong, forcing a field goal attempt in which Tulane's holder and kicker were not on the same page for. Army's Jaydan Mayes ran in off the edge and jumped on the ball as the Tulane holder attempted to get the ball down and the kicker failed to try to get the kick off.
With momentum, Army slot back Noah Short broke off on a run of 17 yards on the first offensive play from scrimmage. Later in the drive, Army faced a fourth-and-one in which QB Bryson Daily put his head down and ran for four tough yards to move the sticks.
Daily put the exclamation mark on the drive with a five-yard touchdown run to take a 7-0 lead. It was Daily's 26th rushing score of the season, which gave him the single-season AAC rushing touchdown record.
The first quarter ended with Tulane on the move. The Green Wave threatened from the Army 11-yard with a fresh set of downs, but a third-down sack by OLB Elo Modozie for a loss of eight on Mensah forced another field goal attempt in which K Patrick Durkin missed from 38 yards to the right as Army's defense came up with a key stop once again.
Two plays later, Army running back Kanye Udoh broke free on a 72-yard run down the right sideline down to the Tulane three-yard line. Daily finished off the run on a bruising three-yard touchdown run as the Black Knights jumped out to a 14-0 lead.
On the ensuing kickoff, K Trey Gronotte raced down on the kickoff coverage and forced a fumble hitting Tulane kick returner Rayshawn Pleasant, forcing the ball out that was recovered by Army's Tommy Zitiello.
Army got down within the Tulane five-yard line, but were stopped on a fourth-and-three pitch attempt right and the Green Wave took over on their own four-yard line with 3:59 remaining in the half.
One the third play of the drive, Mensah was intercepted by LB Andon Thomas at the Tulane 37-yard line as Thomas brought it down to the 21-yard line on the return to set up Army before the half.
Daily then punched in his third rushing touchdown of the half on third down from four yards out at Army took a 21-0 lead.
Getting the ball back with with 1:40 remaining, the Green Wave needed just four plays to find the end zone with Mensah hitting WR Mario Williams for a 42-yard touchdown to give the Green Wave life before the half. The Black Knights took a 21-7 lead into the break.
Coming out of the locker room the Army offense faced a fourth-and-five, which Army went for and converted on a rare pass attempt of the night as Daily found go-to receiver Casey Reynolds for a gain of nine yards to move inside the Tulane 30-yard line.
Daily capped off the drive with his fourth rushing touchdown of the night from seven yards out to give Army a three-possession lead, 28-7, tying the record for the most rushing touchdowns in an AAC Championship game.
The Green Wave took over marched to the Army 16-yard line and faced a fourth-and-eight that CB Donavon Platt broke up a pass to the intended receiver to force a turnover on downs.
Army faced a fourth-and-one from its 25-yard line to begin the fourth quarter. Monken rolled the dice once again on fourth down, with Daily plunging forward for six yards to keep the drive and clock moving.
Army kept the ball on the ground and chewed up over ten minutes of clock overall on the drive, capped by a one-yard touchdown run from Udoh to extend the lead to 35-7.
Tulane drove down for a touchdown on its final possession, but the Black Knights kept the ball in front of them with the score coming with just 1:17 left in the game as Mensah hit Alex Bauman on a two-yard touchdown pass.
Army finished the game with zero penalties and zero punts while outrushing the Green Wave 335-115.
