2020 Army Black Knights football team

2020 Army Black Knights football
ConferenceIndependent
Record9–3
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorBrent Davis (7th season)
Offensive schemeTriple option
Defensive coordinatorNate Woody (1st season)
Co-defensive coordinatorGreg Gasparato (1st season)
Base defense3–4 multiple
Captains
  • Mike Johnson
  • Sandon McCoy
  • Amadeo West
Home stadiumMichie Stadium
Seasons
← 2019
2021 →
2020 NCAA Division I FBS independents football records
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 11 BYU   –     11 – 1  
No. 17 Liberty   –     10 – 1  
Army   –     9 – 3  
New Mexico State   –     1 – 1  
UMass   –     0 – 4  
  • Note: Due to COVID-19, UConn canceled the 2020 football season; New Mexico State was the only FBS school to play a spring schedule.
Rankings from AP Poll.

The 2020 Army Black Knights football team represented the United States Military Academy as an independent in the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Black Knights were led by seventh-year head coach Jeff Monken and played their home games at Michie Stadium in West Point, New York

In a season impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Black Knights compiled a 9–2 regular season record. They defeated the Midshipmen of Navy and the Air Force Falcons to secure Army's ninth Commander-in-Chief's Trophy, their third in four seasons.

On October 24, the Black Knights became the first team of the 2020 season to accept a bowl invitation, to the Independence Bowl.[1][2] However, that bowl was canceled on December 20, due to a lack of available teams, leaving Army without a bowl game.[3] Athletic director Mike Buddie said that "the team will continue to look for an opponent."[4] On December 21, the Black Knights were named to the Liberty Bowl, after Tennessee had to withdraw due to positive COVID-19 testing within their program.[5] Army went on to lose to West Virginia in the bowl, finishing the season with a 9–3 record.

Following the completion of the season, the Black Knights were awarded the 2020 Lambert Trophy by the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) and Metropolitan New York Football Writers, signifying them as the best team in the East in Division I FBS.[6] This was the ninth overall time the Lambert Trophy had been awarded to Army, and the second in three years (2018).

  1. ^ "Army West Point Accepts Invitation to 2020 Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl". radiancetechnologiesindependencebowl.com (Press release). October 24, 2020. Retrieved October 24, 2020.
  2. ^ "Football Accepts Bid to Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl". USMA Athletic Department. October 24, 2020. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
  3. ^ Graham, Pat (December 20, 2020). "'A long grind': Bowl Day marred by cancellations, opt outs". arklatexhomepage.com. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
  4. ^ Scarborough, Alex (December 20, 2020). "As cancellations and opt-outs swirl, 9-2 Army left without bowl game, opponent". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
  5. ^ Scarborough, Alex (December 21, 2020). "Army to face West Virginia in Liberty Bowl, replacing Tennessee". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
  6. ^ "ECAC Announces 2020 and 2019 Lambert Awards". ECACsports.com. June 18, 2021. Retrieved July 26, 2021.