Nearly a Heisman finalist, Bryson Daily couldn’t find a groove in No. 19 Army’s loss to Navy

LANDOVER, Md. (AP) — Bryson Daily and No. 19 Army spent a lot of time this season playing with a lead.

In Saturday’s lopsided loss to Navy, the Black Knights found themselves in unfamiliar territory as they trailed after the first possession and never recovered in a 31-13 loss that cost them the Commander-In-Chief’s Trophy.

Daily, who finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy vote this year, was held to a season-low 53 yards rushing and threw a career-high three interceptions for the Black Knights (11-2), who a week earlier won the American Athletic Conference title game.

“I turned the ball over too much,” Daily said. “That’s how you lose games. Giving the other team the ball and not hitting big plays when you need them.”

The senior quarterback had thrown one interception on the season coming into the day.

Trailing 7-0 in the second quarter, Daily’s first interception of the game set up a short field for Navy, which scored three plays later.

Daily, who had rushed for 1,480 yards and 29 touchdowns in 11 games, trimmed Army’s deficit to 14-7 with a 23-yard touchdown pass to Hayden Reed with 6:29 left in the first half.

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“We had some turnovers,” Army coach Jeff Monken said. “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.”

Army was forced to settle for two second-half field goals while Daily continued to struggle to move the ball, both through the air and on the ground. The only other time this season that Daily failed to rush for at least 100 yards happened back in August in a season-opening win over Lehigh.

Daily finished 7 of 16 for 65 yards. It was the third time this season that Daily attempted double-digit passes.

Army had three drives in the fourth quarter. Daily threw interceptions on two of them.

“I made too many mistakes,” Daily said. “Too many bad decisions especially late in the game I felt myself pressing. That led to bad decisions. We just can’t put ourselves in a hole early to where we have to rely on the pass like that.”

Daily’s third interception with 3:35 left was Army’s final offensive play.

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