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Army was coming in as a -14.5 favorite versus Louisiana Tech in their Saturday Independence Day Bowl game.
Lopsided Matchup
What matters to Army, though, is a chance to close out a memorable season on a winning note.
“We have an opportunity to get a bad taste our of our mouth," Black Knights quarterback Bryson Daily said. "That’s our goal – fight our tails off and get that last win.”
Army comes into this Independence Bowl having lost just two games during the regular season compared to Louisiana Tech's 5-7 record Straight Up. There were no more bowl eligible teams available to face Army.
Army won its' first nine games and was in the College Football Playoff picture until its 49-14 loss to Notre Dame. But the loss to Navy stung even more.
“It was very difficult to put behind us, certainly for me personally,” said Monken, whose group won the American Athletic Conference championship. “I’m still sorely disappointed and sleep deprived over it. That is the biggest game of the year for us.”
Army has never won 12 games in a season. That could change Saturday.
Louisiana Tech hired Tony Franklin as the new offensive coordinator on Dec. 12, so the surprise bowl berth is a bonus for his 2025 prep.
“It’s an opportunity for him to evaluate our roster, our quarterbacks,” Bulldogs head coach Sonny Cumbie said. “It’s a great opportunity for us offensively to springboard into what we’re going to be doing.”
Key Matchup
The Bulldogs give up 181.8 passing yards per game (22nd in college football). The Black Knights accumulate 81.8 (134th).
Army has the seventh-ranked scoring defense (16.2 points per game). Louisiana Tech’s 113th-ranked scoring offense puts up 22.2 points per game.
Last Game
Army fell to Navy 31-13. Bryson Daily led the Knights with 65 yards on 7-of-16 passing (43.8%) for one touchdown and three interceptions. He also carried the ball 19 times for 52 yards. Kanye Udoh had 53 rushing yards on 14 carries. Hayden Reed had three receptions for 29 yards and one touchdown.
Louisiana Tech defeated Kennesaw State 33-0. Evan Bullock led the Bulldogs with 233 yards on 23-of-30 passing (76.7%) for no touchdowns and no interceptions. Omiri Wiggins carried the ball 17 times for 129 yards and scored three touchdowns, adding one reception for eight yards. Jimmy Holiday had seven receptions for 103 yards.
Players to Watch
Army: Daily has 942 passing yards (78.5 per game) while completing 55.9% of passes (52 for 93), with nine touchdowns and four interceptions. He has 1,526 rushing yards (eighth in CFB) and 29 rushing touchdowns (second in CFB), averaging 127.2 per game. Casey Reynolds has 444 receiving yards (34.2 per game) on 19 catches with three touchdowns.
Louisiana Tech: Bullock has 1,933 passing yards (161.1 per game) while completing 67.3% of passes (185 for 275), with 14 touchdowns and two interceptions. Wiggins has 102 carries for 484 rushing yards (40.3 yards per game) and four touchdowns. He also has 20 catches for 126 yards and two touchdowns. Tru Edwards has 77 receptions for 883 yards (73.6 per game) and has six touchdowns.
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