WEST POINT, N.Y. (AP) — Bryson Daily tied the American Athletic Conference record for single-season touchdowns and threw for a season-high 186 yards and a score to lift No. 25 Army to a 29-24 win over UTSA.
Army (10-1) finished the regular season 8-0 in the AAC and earned the right to host the championship game on Friday.
Daily rushed for 147 yards, his academy-record ninth straight 100-yard game, and two touchdowns.
Casey Larkin sealed Army’s 10th victory of the season, picking off Owen McCown at the Black Knights’ 10 with 1:14 left.
Kalib Fortner and Chance Keith combined to stop Brandon High short on 4th-and-1 from UTSA’s 16 on the first play of the fourth quarter.
Five plays later, Bryson Daily scored his 24th touchdown of the season from one yard out to give Army a 22-17 lead.
Collin Matteson picked Owen McCown for his first career interception with 11:17 left in the game.
Daily scored his conference-tying 25th rushing touchdown, a 42-yard run on the second play following Matteson’s pick with 10:26 remaining in the game
Army finished its regular-season home schedule with a perfect 6-0 record. UTSA fell to 0-6 away from the Alamodome.
UTSA (6-6) opened the second half with McCown’s 23-yard touchdown pass to Devin McCuin on fourth down to take 17-13 lead with 10:13 left in the third quarter.
Army senior kicker Trey Gronotte made a career-high three field goals. Gronotte’s 35-yard kick tied the game at 10-10 as time expired in the first half.
Daily capped a 13-play, 75-yard drive with a 41-yard touchdown pass to running back Tyrell Robinson on the game’s opening drive with 7:30 remaining in the first quarter. Robinson, a fifth-year senior, scored his first touchdown of the season and 14th in his career.
UTSA answered with a touchdown on its first possession, a 10-yard run by Brandon High. High added a 6-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
Fourth down fever
Army converted on all three fourth downs on its opening touchdown drive. Noah Short caught a 6-yard pass and ran for four yards to move the chains.
Henry sidelined
UTSA leading rusher Robert Henry missed the game with an undisclosed injury. Henry had a team-best 706 rushing yards and seven touchdowns.
Up next
UTSA: Awaits a bowl invitation.
Army: Plays Tulane in the American Athletic Conference championship game.