For years, the service academies have been known for running option offenses. Army, Navy and Air Force have run the option out of necessity. A lack of size and an inability to get elite skill players meant the service academies needed an offense that would allow them to compete. That offense was the Flexbone Triple Option. Unfortunately for the service academies and football fans alike, times have changed. 

Thanks to rule changes regarding cut blocking prior to the 2022 season, all three schools have drastically altered the way they play offensively. Army in particular changed the way it plays the most. They moved to more of a gun option style of play at the beginning of this season and went away from the traditional Flexbone triple option attack we have become accustomed to seeing them run. 

The shift in philosophy was partly due to the rule changes but it was also time for a change according to Army Head Coach Jeff Monken who said after Saturday’s game that he was tired of “Ramming his head against the wall” 

“You watch the Air Force game from earlier this year, both of those teams are just ramming their head against the wall. They can’t move it. Air Force is really good at stopping the under-center stuff. Navy is really good at stopping the under-center stuff because we all do it and we all have our ways to execute that under-center offense and ways that we defend it, and I think all three defensive coaches do a good job. I think Woody does a really good job.”

Monken continued. “I got tired of ramming our head against the wall. Just three plays, and it’s 4th and 7 and you punt. So just trying to find a different way to skin the same cat.”

The move to shotgun has not been without growing pains as Army has struggled most of the season offensively according to Monken. The shift in philosophy proved to be beneficial on Saturday however as junior quarterback Bryson Daily was the featured in the offensive game plan, carrying the ball 27 times for 84 yards.

Monken said after the game that in order to win the 124th meeting between the two schools, Army 

“We really just felt like going to this offense particularly for these games was going to help us, and I don’t know if it’s the answer. We scored 10 points on offense today. But I didn’t feel frustrated like we were ramming our head against the wall all day long. We didn’t sustain drives, and we had a couple plays in the passing game that if we hit, maybe it’s a different deal.” 

Monken credited Daily for his toughness and for taking on more of the load in the running game.

“I’m glad we got Bryson Daily. That guy is like a running back. You give him a chance to run the football, he runs through some people and gains positive yards. He’s a tough kid.”

Moving forward, it sounds like Army is going to stick with the gun option but Monken says you can still have elements of the old offense in the gun. 

“But what I found is there’s probably a need to have some of that still — some of those elements in our offense.”

Monken continued: “You saw Navy, they’re doing both. I think they realize the same thing. There’s some difficulties in preparing for that under-center option.”

“But there’s certainly some justification for getting in the gun and being able to be more multiple.”

The move to gun was beneficial on Saturday but long term, Monken wants to see improvement. 

“That’s a long-winded answer, but there’s been some growing pains this year, and I wish we had found a way to score more points, and we didn’t. We lost some games this year to some teams that we boat raced them out of the stadium a year ago under center option, and we’re in a gun and we can’t score.

Obviously there’s some things we’ve got to look at when we go into the off-season.”

Bringing back Daily and talented freshmen running back Kayne Udoh should make the transition easier next season.