From LPJ Staff Reports
Bryson Daily and Hayden Reed each rushed for over 100 yards and combined for four scores to lead the No. 22 Army Black Knights to a 27-6 win over Louisiana Tech at the 2024 Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl in Shreveport.
The Black Knights (12-2) set a program record for wins in a season behind a rushing attack that amassed 321 yards on the ground — the most surrendered by Tech this season — as Daily scored on runs on 15, 8 and 3 yards against a Bulldog defense playing without a number of starters.
“I am proud of the way we fought tonight, but we just didn’t do enough especially offensively to give ourselves a chance,” said Tech head coach Sonny Cumbie. “I thought we fought, and I’m disappointed in the outcome of the game.”
After allowing two relatively quick scoring drives to Army on the Black Knight’s first two possessions, the Bulldogs defense settled in. However, after Drew Henderson’s 27-yard field goal with 14:15 to play in the second quarter cut the deficit to 14-3, Army showed why it’s one of the national leaders in time of possession and rushing.
The Black Knights used 21 plays to march 75 yards and took 12:21 off the clock as Daily’s 8-yard TD run made it 21-3 with 1:54 to play before halftime. Tech had multiple opportunities to get off the field on the drive, but Army converted three fourth downs on the drive and capitalized on a dropped interception and an offsides penalty.
“They have one of the best offensive lines in the country,” said Cumbie. “I thought we adapted to the speed of the game after the opening two drives, but they are just so methodical. Against a time like Army, you can’t afford penalties and missed opportunities to get off the field and we had a few of those tonight.”
Offensively, the story of the night like the story of the season for Tech was the Bulldogs inability to score TDs. Tech’s first seven offensive possessions of the game (7 of its 8) saw the Bulldogs move the ball past midfield, including three drives inside the Black Knights 15-yard line.
However, Tech managed just a pair of Henderson field goals (27, 44). Trailing 27-6 early in the fourth quarter, the Bulldogs had a first and goal from the Army 2-yard line after a 26-yard hookup from Evan Bullock to Tru Edwards.
But the Bulldogs couldn’t push it across the goal line as a third down pass was dropped in the endzone and on fourth down Bullock threw just his third interception of the season.
“I hope we will use this as motivation,” said Cumbie. “Our players got a taste of a bowl game, but they also learned that you have to play and execute at a high level in order to win against really good teams in bowl games. Army is a really good team, and they showed why tonight.”
Army had the ball for almost 40 minutes of the contest as Daily finished with 127 yards rushing on 27 carries and Reed added 114 yards on 20 totes. Daily finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting this season.
Tru Edwards caught eight passes for 92 yards for Tech, finishing just 11 yards shy of 1,000 on the season. Bullock completed 14-of-28 passes for 169 yards and one interception.
Zach Zimos and Jacob Fields led Tech with 10 tackles each while former Ruston High stars Jadon Mayfield and Christian Davis each totaled four stops for a Tech defense playing without three starters along its defensive line and minus leading tackle Kobe Fields.
The Bulldogs are now 3-2-1 all-time at the Independence Bowl.
