Army place kicker Trey Gronotte (96) celebrates their 20-3 win over Air Force following an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, in West Point, N.Y. (Rich Schultz/AP)
DENTON, Texas — Army’s pursuit of its first perfect season in 75 years doesn’t seem to be causing much of a ripple among the Black Knights.
At least that’s the view of coach Jeff Monken with his No. 18 team on a 12-game winning streak going back to last season, the longest in the nation right now and Army’s best since 1949-50.
“I don’t really know how to put into words the temperament of this team,” said Monken, who has led Army to its highest ranking since 1962. “They seem to be unfazed by the victories, as crazy as that sounds. Sometimes, teams get in this position and you say, ‘Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh.’ There’s almost a pressure that you have to win the next one. I don’t think our guys feel that.”
The next one is Saturday at North Texas, where the Black Knights (8-0, 6-0 American Athletic) will match their No. 5 defense nationally against the third-best offense in the country.
That’s enough for Monken to feel a little angst, even if he’s not aware the Mean Green (5-3, 2-2) had a decisive victory over an undefeated team the last time they hosted a ranked opponent. UTSA was 11-0 when it lost 45-23 in Denton three years ago.
“I’ve just been watching their offense for the last two hours, and I want to throw up in my garbage can,” Monken said. “They are so explosive and talented.”
The Black Knights, who haven’t trailed at any point during their winning streak, have long been methodical with their triple-option offense. Monken says he’s not sure who will be in charge of it.
Bryson Daily missed last week’s 20-3 victory over Air Force with an undisclosed injury and illness. He was leading the nation with 19 touchdowns rushing at the time.
Dewayne Coleman took over at quarterback, but the offensive star against the Falcons was running back Kanye Udoh, who had a career-high 158 yards rushing and scored both touchdowns.
“His health is improving,” Monken said of Daily. “We anticipate that before the end of the week, he’s going to be able to practice and that will allow us to determine his status for the game on Saturday. I’m optimistic because there is a chance.”
Defensive struggles
As good as the North Texas offense has been, a struggling defense is the biggest reason behind consecutive losses with a chance to gain bowl eligibility in coach Eric Morris’ second season.
The Mean Green lost 52-44 at Memphis and 45-37 at home against Tulane before getting two weeks to prepare for Army’s unique offense. UNT is 121st in total defense, allowing 449 yards per game.
“We’re going to have to prepare for both,” Morris said of Daily and Coleman. “That doesn’t make it any easier by any stretch of the imagination. Teams have had trouble figuring them out all year.”
Prolific passing
Chandler Morris of North Texas leads the FBS in passing yards per game at 359.1 and is tied for second with 29 TDs passing.
The former Dallas high school standout who started his career at Oklahoma and transferred to TCU, about 40 miles south of UNT’s Denton campus, has four games of at least 400 yards this season.
Morris’ top target is DT Sheffield, who is tied for second nationally with 10 touchdowns receiving.
“He’s the most explosive player that we have faced this year,” Monken said. “He’s electrifying, dangerous and gets everyone’s attention.”
Nearly perfect
The Black Knights have committed just one turnover, and are on a six-game streak without one. The giveaway was a fumble, which means Army is the only team in the country that hasn’t thrown an interception. The run-based attack is averaging 8.1 passes per game.
While the Black Knights haven’t recovered a fumble, they have 12 interceptions for a plus-11 turnover margin. Morris has eight interceptions, but six came early in the season in consecutive games.
Highs and lows
The Mean Green average 528 yards of offense per game, while the Black Knights allow just 273. UNT is sixth nationally in scoring offense at 40.8 points per game. Army is No. 1 in scoring defense, allowing 11.3 per game.
