By Anthony Caruso III | Publisher
On Tuesday afternoon, the Army Black Knights faces the North Texas Mean Green in the Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl at Cotton Bowl Stadium. The game will be on ESPN at noon EST.
The Black Knights are 7-5, while the Mean Green at 5-7. Army was 3-2 on the road this season, while North Texas was 2-4.
This will be the Mean Green’s first bowl game in three years. It’ll be their second goal game since 2005. In their last bowl game, they defeated the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels 36-14 on Jan. 1, 2014.
The five wins by North Texas were their most since the 2013 season. It’s only the third time in the past 13 seasons that they won five or more games.
“We set a goal of winning a bowl game early on in our work last spring and we are fortunate to have this opportunity,” North Texas first-year head coach Seth Littrell said. “We didn’t feel like we could get in this way, but we did – and we will take it. It gives us another great opportunity to really accomplish this mission.”
In the Black Knights last game, they snapped a 14-game losing streak to the Navy Midshipmen on Dec. 10. The seven wins are the most in six years – and if they defeat North Texas, it would be the first-time in 20-years that they won eight games.
“For anybody who plays football at this level playing in a bowl game is kind of a measure of success and our kids are just thrilled with the sense of accomplishment,” Army head coach Jeff Monken said. “Each of the teams I have been a part of here has had a bowl game as a goal, and I am so glad for our guys that they were able to earn this opportunity.”
This is the sixth meeting between these two teams. They also played during the 2016 regular season with the Mean Green winning 35-18 in West Point, New York.
Army hasn’t defeated North Texas since Sept. 18, 2010 when they won 24-0. The Black Knights also won their previous four meetings, dating back to 1996.
The Black Knights are on a two-game win streak. They haven’t lost since being defeated 44-6 by the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Nov. 12.
The Mean Green lost their last game to the UTEP Roadrunners. They haven’t won a game since Nov. 19 when they defeated the Southern Miss Golden Eagles 29-23.
Ahmad Bradshaw leads the Black Knights attack with 657 passing yards. He has four touchdown passes and nine interceptions.
Andy Davidson has 905 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns. Edgar Poe has 321 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
Mason Fine leads the Mean Green attack with 1,572 passing yards. He has six touchdown passes and five interceptions.
Jeffrey Wilson has 855 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns. Thaddeous Thompson has 524 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
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