WEST POINT – The Army Black Knights (6-0, 5-0 AAC) continued its hot start, defeating the UAB Blazers (1-5, 0-3), 44-10 on a beautiful sunny autumn day at Michie Stadium.
With the victory, Army has become bowl-game eligible, the earliest in a season ever being eligible.
QB Bryson Daily was sensational again, accounting for five touchdowns (four rushing and one passing) passing for 102 yards and rushing for 136, becoming the first Army rusher with a four rushing touchdown game since Kelvin Hopkins Jr. (2018).
Army has scored 40+ points in three consecutive games for the first time since 1985.
Army’s defense set the tone for the day on the opening series of the game, forcing a turnover on downs. The Blazers went for it on fourth-and-one from their 34-yard line which was stuffed by LB Elo Modozie.
Army’s offense wasted no time with the great field position as QB Bryson Daily took the first offensive snap 29 yards down the left sideline for a touchdown. Army continued its streak of scoring a touchdown on every first drive of the game this season.
UAB got into Army territory for the first time on its next drive with the help of a fourth down conversion, a nine-yard pass from QB Jalen Kitna, son of former NFL quarterback Jon Kitna to WR Amare Thomas. The Army defense would hold as the Blazers settled for a 50-yard field goal converted by Jonah Delange, bringing the score to 7-3.
On the second offensive drive of the day, Daily and the offense marched eight plays, all on the ground for 65 yards for another touchdown drive without facing a third down. Daily and RB Kanye Udoh each had 14-yard rushes to lead the drive, as Daily punched in the score from nine yards out for his fourth consecutive game with multiple rushing touchdowns.
Army’s two-point conversion attempt was unsuccessful on a rush from freshman QB Ethan Washington, as the Black Knights led 13-3.
Two plays after the Black Knights score, Junior S Casey Larkin intercepted a Kitna pass, his first career interception to give Army the ball in good field position again at the UAB 37-yard line.
Daily completed the first-quarter hat trick, rushing for his third touchdown in the game’s opening quarter, from 13 yards out. After an action-packed opening quarter, Army led, 20-3.
Udoh joined the scoring efforts, taking in a touchdown run from 12 yards out as Army scored a touchdown on its first four drives of the contest to take a commanding 27-3 first-half lead.
UAB got down to Army’s goal line after Kitna connected with WR Kam Shanks for gains of 20, 40 and 18 on three consecutive plays. The Blazers were unable to find the end zone as the nation’s top red zone defense flexed its muscle, stopping UAB on three consecutive rushing plays, before LB Eric Ford came up with a sack of Kitna on fourth down.
Backed up on their own five-yard line, Daily hit WR Casey Reynolds for a 34-yard gain on Army’s first pass attempt of the game. After a pair of Udoh runs, Daily hit Reynolds once again for a big play, this time a 50-yard touchdown as Reynolds broke free through the middle of the field.
UAB drove down into the red zone once again, with Larkin coming up with another huge play and his second interception of the game.
Heading into the locker room, Army held a 34-3 lead, racking up 312 yards of offense, 210 of which came on the ground.
Army bled 7:26 of the clock on offense after getting the ball to begin the second half, culminating in Daily’s fourth rushing touchdown of the game which marked a new career-best. Army’s drive totaled 12 plays in total to gain 75 yards and the Black Knights extended the lead to 41-3 as freshman K Dawson Jones knocked in his first career PAT.
In the fourth quarter, K Trey Gronotte made it a 44-3 game, knocking in his second field goal of the season from 23 yards out.
The Blazers found the end zone on their final possession of the game, as Army rotated in many of the younger players on the roster.
Army will be back in action at Michie Stadium this Saturday vs. East Carolina.