Army Takes Care of Lehigh to Open Season

WEST POINT – Army West Point opened a new era of Army Black Knights football on Friday night 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.