Army upset No. 25 Air Force 23-3 on Saturday at Empower Field, ending a 52-game losing streak against AP-ranked teams dating back to 1972. Here’s what you need to know:
- The Black Knights’ last win against an AP-ranked team came on Nov. 4, 1972 against No. 19 Air Force.
- Army’s defense forced six Falcons turnovers, recovering four fumbles and picking off quarterback Zac Larrier twice.
- Black Knights quarterback Bryson Daily rushed for two touchdowns and 170 yards on 36 carries, adding 40 yards through the air.
- Army improves to 3-6, as Air Force falls to 8-1.
DAILY WON'T BE DENIED 💪💪
📺 @CBSSportsNet pic.twitter.com/4t1VDaaIDT
— Army Football (@ArmyWP_Football) November 4, 2023
How surprising was this?
Service academy games are always a bit weird, no matter how good the teams are. Before today, one of Air Force’s closest games this season was Navy, a 17-6 win. These teams practice and prepare for each other’s offenses all season long, and they’re almost always close and they always hit the under. So while a 2-6 team upsetting an 8-0 team feels surprising, Army winning this game doesn’t actually feel that surprising, even if Air Force was a 17.5-point favorite (but the under still hit again). This also means the Army-Navy Game will have Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy ramifications, as Army can win the trophy again with a win in that game.
Advertisement
I like to imagine Army will get a hearty thank you call from AAC commissioner Mike Aresco. Army football is going to join the conference next year, and knocking off the Mountain West’s top New Year’s Six candidate is a nice cap for the league. — Chris Vannini, senior college football writer
Background
The Black Knights’ last win against a CFP-ranked team came against No. 25 Navy on Dec. 10, 2016.
Required reading
(Photo: Danny Wild / USA Today)