MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The winningest class in the history of the Army football program will cap their careers later today in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl against West Virginia.
Shortly after bowl bids were announced in mass on December 20, the Black Knights, despite their 9-2 record, were denied a bid. As an FBS independent, the lack of a conference tie-in and the cancellation of their original game in the Independence Bowl left Army on the sidelines while schools like Tennessee (3-7) and South Carolina (2-8) received bids. COVID cases on the UT roster opened the door for Army to face the Mountaineers.
“To be able to find our way into a major event like the Liberty Bowl is really a privilege for us,” Army head coach Jeff Monken said. “We got our team back and reconvened on the practice field (Monday). We obviously won’t have a lot of time to prepare for this game, just (Tuesday and Wednesday) before we travel to Memphis but our guys are excited to be back and having the opportunity to recharge a little bit after a long semester and a long stretch from June 1st.”
“It was kind of a roller coaster of things changing and different situations with what we were hearing about how it could go,” said Army offensive lineman Mike Johnson. “Luckily, things fell in our favor, which we were very grateful for. We are excited to play in the Liberty Bowl. It came with some time with the family after we have been here since our arrival on June 1st as a team. I think it was a great recharge for our guys.”
If the Black Knights defeat the Mountaineers this afternoon, they will post the fifth double-digit win season in program history and third in the last four seasons.
“As we look back upon 2020 as a program, it was a great year, a great season within a very tough year,” Monken said. “I will recall this season fondly for many years to come. This is one of the more memorable seasons because of all we have had to go through to get here. But also it has become one of the most memorable seasons because of what we have been able to accomplish together. This is the best team that I have ever coached. It is the best team I have been a part of and I have been a part of some great groups.”
Monken is 3-0 in bowl games at Army, with victories in the 2016 Heart of Dallas Bowl and the 2017 and 2018 Armed Forces Bowls.
“There’s just not a lot of distractions here,” Monken said. “Our guys do a good job practicing and being intentional with their focus. There’s one thing our guys are focusing on right now while they are here at West Point for these few days. That is playing in this game and playing our very best.”
Army did not face an opponent from a ‘Power 5’ conference this year. They did face American Athletic Conference champion Cincinnati, falling to the undefeated Bearcats 24-10 on September 26. The Black Knights nearly upset Oklahoma and Michigan in 2018 and 2019 respectively, falling in overtime in both contests.
“Finish,” said Army running back Sandon McCoy. “Big 10 and Big 12. We lost to Michigan last year. This team needs to finish. We need to harp on that this week.”
Today’s matchup features two of the best defenses in the nation. Army is second in Division I in yards allowed per game (271.1). West Virginia is fifth (297.2)
“I followed Coach (Neal) Brown when he was at Troy and had so much success. He had huge victories there,” Monken said.
“Defensively, they are as athletic and as talented as any defense we will have faced all year. The Stills kid there (Darius), is a first team All-American. How special is it to be able to play with his brother (Dante) on the defensive line? Watch the people they have to cover in their league and the talent it takes to be able to play in the skill positions in that conference. They are an outstanding defense.”