Army football has been in an absolute pressure cooker lately, rolling through four one-possession contests in just the last month alone. That’s a wild ride, and head coach Jeff Monken is straight-up telling everyone to get used to it, saying he fully anticipates they’re “probably going to live in that world.”
Living on the Edge: Army’s Nail-Biter Streak
This isn’t just a recent trend for the Black Knights, either. They’ve played 13 one-possession games since the start of the 2025 season. Their record in those incredibly tight matchups? They’re 2-2 this season and 6-7 overall since 2025. Monken isn’t sugarcoating it, admitting he can’t speak for whether they’ve “turned a corner or not.” But he’s clear on one thing: “We’re going to have close games, and we’re going to have to slug it out and find a way at the end. It’s just who we are.” Talk about an identity!
The Rollercoaster of Finishers
You want drama? Army’s been serving it up. On September 12, South Florida scored two touchdowns in the final four minutes, including the last one with just 19 seconds left, to snatch a 28-24 win from Army. Then on September 25, Army put together a 12-play scoring drive in the final six minutes to beat Temple 21-17, holding off a late rally. A week later, on October 3, they lost at Louisiana Tech 31-29 despite putting up two touchdown drives in the fourth quarter, the second with 1:10 left, but just couldn’t recover the onsides kick. But don’t count them out, ever. On October 10 against Tulane, Army rallied from being down 10-7 and then 17-10 in the fourth quarter, chewing up the final 3:55 of regulation to set up Dawson Jones’ 25-yard game-winning field goal as time expired. That 20-17 decision was pure chaos and exactly what Monken is talking about when he says they “find a way to finish.”
What’s Next for the Black Knights
This team is clearly built for the grind. Next Saturday, Army, with its run-dominant style and a 3-2 overall record (2-1 American), is squaring off against a pass-happy Florida Atlantic squad. FAU is coming in hot at 4-1 overall (1-0 American). Get ready for another slugfest, because that’s just how Army rolls.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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