LANDOVER, Md. — Throughout the season, Bryson Daily and the No. 19 Army Black Knights had become accustomed to maintaining a lead during their games. However, in their latest matchup against Navy, the Black Knights encountered a vastly different scenario. After falling behind on Navy’s opening possession, Army struggled to regain control, ultimately losing 31-13 and relinquishing the Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy.

Daily, who was recognized with a sixth-place finish in the Heisman Trophy voting this year, faced significant challenges as he managed just 53 rushing yards, marking his lowest total for the season. Additionally, he threw a career-high three interceptions in this crucial game for the Black Knights, who had recently celebrated a victory in the American Athletic Conference Championship.

“I turned the ball over too much,” Daily remarked postgame. “That’s how you lose games. Giving the other team the ball and not hitting big plays when you need them.” During the game, Daily entered with only one interception on the season, a testament to his usually strong performance.

As Army trailed 7-0 in the second quarter, Daily’s first interception handed Navy a favorable short field, which they capitalized on by scoring just three plays later. However, Daily managed to narrow the gap to 14-7 with a 23-yard touchdown pass to Hayden Reed with 6:29 remaining in the first half.

Army’s head coach, Jeff Monken, commented on the challenges faced during the matchup, stating, “We had some turnovers. We forced some throws a couple of times, and that’s not Bryson’s fault. He’s just trying to make a play. He missed some opportunities.”

In the second half, Army settled for two field goals while Daily continued to find it difficult to advance the ball through either passing or rushing efforts. Notably, this was the only other instance this season where Daily failed to gain at least 100 rushing yards, the first being their season opener against Lehigh.

Daily completed 7 of 16 passes for 65 yards, an outing that marked the third time he had attempted double-digit passes in a game this season. In the fourth quarter alone, the Black Knights managed three drives, but Daily’s struggles continued as he threw interceptions on two of those attempts.

“I made too many mistakes,” Daily admitted. “Too many bad decisions. Especially late in the game, I felt myself pressing, which led to poor choices. We just can’t put ourselves in a hole early, forcing us to rely on the pass like that.” His third interception came with just 3:35 left, concluding Army’s offense for the evening.