No. 25 Army looks past loss to Notre Dame to focus on UTSA and other season goals

WEST POINT, N.Y. (AP) — Trey Sofia didn’t spend much time dwelling on Army’s first loss of the season.

Time, instead, is of the essence for the senior defensive end and the Black Knights (9-1, 7-0 American Athletic Conference) after a 49-14 defeat to now No. 5 Notre Dame last weekend, and preparing to host Texas-San Antonio (6-5, 4-3) on Saturday.

There’s too much to play for as No. 25 Army continues its run through a difficult gauntlet of games to complete what could still stand as a historic 2024 season.

With a win, Army can still go undefeated in its first regular season of AAC play and get to 10 wins for the third time under coach Jeff Monken and fourth overall in program history. The Black Knights can host the AAC championship next week with a victory and a Tulane loss to Memphis on Thanksgiving Day.

And there’s still more ahead with Army’s annual battle with Navy on Dec. 14 with the Commander in Chief’s Trophy on the line, followed by the Black Knights’ season ending with a yet-to-be scheduled bowl appearance — their first since 2021.

Add it up and Army is still in position to surpass its single-season win record of 11 set in 2018.

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“Every single game has championship implication,” Sofia said. “We’ve put ourselves in that position based on our work from earlier this season. Everything that I’m doing right now is for the team.”

Army’s motivation goes deeper than the stakes on Saturday, when Sofia and 26 other seniors will play their final regular-season game at Michie Stadium. The Black Knights’ training room was busy Sunday, a day after multiple defensive starters couldn’t finish against Notre Dame. But Monken said no one was lost for the season.

“We are not licking our wounds or feeling sorry for ourselves,” Monken said. “We are trying to get prepared to win a game and put whatever is done behind us. That’s what our team has done so well this year. We have been very mature and professional in that regard.”

UTSA, winners of three in a row, present a familiar and formidable challenge in the teams’ fifth meeting in the last eight years. For UTSA coach Jeff Traylor, Saturday’s game represents a chance for his team to prove it can win away from the Alamodome, where the Roadrunners are 6-0 this season. UTSA is 0-5 on the road.

“I unfortunately cannot hook the Alamodome to our jet and fly it up to West Point and get those guys to play indoors with us,” Traylor said. “We have to go outside in the elements in a hostile environment. If you are a competitor, you live for these moments.”

Breaking Army’s defense

Army entered the game against Notre Dame allowing only three touchdowns of 20 or more yards in its first nine outings. Notre Dame had two TDs of 20-plus yards, including Aneyas Williams’ 58-yard run.

Bowl-bound Roadrunners

UTSA is bowl bound for the fifth straight season under Traylor without playing its preseason projected offense or defense together once this season.

Senior success

Army has a 9-1 Senior Day record under Monken. The Black Knights have won eight straight games when their seniors have been honored. Saturday’s outing will be a rare home game with West Point’s Corps of Cadets on break for Thanksgiving and not required to attend.

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