Daily’s Five Touchdowns Powers Army Past Rice

WEST POINT – 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.