Army's Bryson Daily Named AAC Offensive Player of the Year

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Army quarterback Bryson Daily was named the American Athletic Conference's Offensive Player of the Year on Dec. 3. Head coach Jeff Monken was also selected as the AAC Coach of the Year.

The senior QB has led the No. 24 Black Knights (10-1, 8-0 AAC) to first place in the conference with an opportunity to win the AAC championship this week on Dec. 6 against Tulane (9-3, 7-1 AAC).

Bryson Daily's Performance This Season

Daily has led Army in both passing and rushing yards and touchdowns this year. He is the absolute focal point of the offense. His 1,348 rushing yards are ninth in the entire NCAA. On top of that, he has added 860 passing yards. Daily is also second in the nation in rushing TDs, only behind Boise State's Heisman Trophy contender, running back Ashton Jeanty. Daily has 8 passing TDs to make him the leader in total TDs as well. His statistical output is staggering, to say the least.

As a runner, Daily shows incredible tenacity and patience. Army's option offense has perhaps not been run as well as it has with Daily at the helm. He often almost freezes defenders before finally putting his foot into the ground and accelerating past them. He can also make even the best defenders miss with his agility and change of direction.

As a passer, Daily is also exceptional. He has only thrown a single interception through his 76 passing attempts this year. The Army offense wants to physically drain opponents and control the game through the ground attack. Once offensive coordinator Cody Worley's offense has opponents worn down and feeling like another run must be coming, he calls on Daily to let it fly. Daily and the team's leading wide receiver, Casey Reynolds, have great chemistry and have connected downfield for huge plays numerous times this season.

Perhaps the most impressive part of Daily's game is his selflessness. He is the true, clear leader of the team. One play stands out that could be used to define who Daily is as a player and even as a person. In a game against Florida Atlantic (3-9, 1-7 AAC), he pitched the ball to running back Noah Short. As Short raced down the sideline, Daily got ahead of him and threw a bone-crushing block to make a cutback lane for his teammate. Daily was more than willing to put his body on the line for his teammate.

Daily's Next Challenge

Daily has two games remaining in the regular season to add on to his impressive numbers. Daily and the Black Knights will take on Tulane in the AAC Championship Game before facing Navy the following week. The Green Wave has the 12th-ranked total defense in the country. However, their rushing defense sits at 34th. Army has the NCAA's top-ranked rushing offense, averaging 312.5 rushing yards per game. Daily is responsible for 134.8 of those each game himself. Army could very well could continue that production in this matchup.

Both teams had a real chance to make it into College Football Playoff late in the year. Tulane suffered a difficult loss to No. 25 Memphis (10-2, 6-2 AAC) on Nov. 28. Army lost 49-14 to No. 4 Notre Dame (11-1) in their only loss of the season. Both teams will be looking to climb back up into the rankings with the conference championship win and an appearance in a top bowl game. Daily could very well be the most important player on the field when the two face off on Dec. 6.