The best men’s college team of the fall is West Point.

There is really no argument here. Their only loss was when they fielded a very different lineup from the one they normally fielded. In the rest of their games, including five conference matches, non-conference games against Queens and Air Force, and, tellingly, a 26-17 victory over Lindenwood, they were victorious.

Head Coach Matt Sherman has found a group that is pretty special. Army always plays hard, but they don’t always play smart, and can get caught up in the intensity of a game rather than the chess match. That almost happened with Navy, a team they beat in dramatic style at FedEx Field but a team the Black Knights felt they should have beaten by more.

Until Lindenwood, they dismissed everyone else, save Dartmouth, in convincing fashion, winning those other six games by an average score of 46-16.

Now, we don’t want to completely dismiss the loss to Dartmouth. The Big Green played very well and put their hand up as a high-level team. But it is also fair to say, that when we are talking about overall performances throughout the season, and the prospect of when one team’s front-line players plays another’s, we kind of have to put aside that Dartmouth loss.

Army beat Penn State, St. Bonaventure, Air Force, Notre Dame College, Queens, Kutztown, Navy … and Lindenwood. No one can match that.

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"This is a special group," Sherman told GRR after the fall season was over. "We've been building on the direction set by teams before that. A lot of these guys have been together a long time and that helps. We have a lot of energy, our depth is very strong, and from the first practice we had a lot of guys who could play, but were very unselfish."

It's been than team-first mindset that had set Army apart. Other West Point teams have been like that, but if you don't trust all your teammates, sometimes you take things on yourself that you shouldn't. That usually happens in big games. This year's Army team isn't like that. 

"This team is also insatiable to improve," said Sherman. "And I think we showed that." 

Coming out of the Navy game, the West Point players were unhappy. The win was good and the entire experience, serving as a curtain-raiser to the USA-New Zealand test match, was enjoyable. 

But, said Sherman, "while we did enough to win, we were disappointed. We didn't feel like we'd played well."

So they took that out on their next two opponents. First they scored 72 on Air Force to clinch the Commander-in-Chief Trophy with a 2-0 record against USAFA and USNA. Then they took on Lindenwood, probably the best D1A team of the 2020-21 season, and still a hugely formidable opponent.

Tries from Dominic Tianga, Matt Meehan, and Nolan Green in the first 22 minutes put Lindenwood on their heels, Meehan's second try at 49 minutes made it 26-10, a three-score lead, and then the defense held from there for a 26-17 victory.

"I don't know how long it's been since they lost," said Sherman. "But we wanted to go there and put in a strong performance. We improved a lot in our set piece and credit for that goes to Kyle Sumsion, and all of that showed against Lindenwood."

Sumsion, the former BYU All American and Eagle loose forward, who started coaching as a grad student at Lindenwood-Belleville with Pat Clifton, has emerged as a bright, thoughtful analyst and coach and he and Sherman work well together. Getting the scrum and lineout secure has been huge for Army. So, too, has a little adventure.

"We have a diversity in how we play," said Sherman. "We know the right times to be more expansive and when to be intelligent with the ball. Our play pool had changed and we have changed our tactics as a result. Tactically we are always trying to evolve and I as a coach am trying to evolve."

Sherman's coaching has grown, and how could it not when he works at perhaps the premier leadership institution in the world.

"West Point has taught me a tremendous amount," he said. "Being here you can't help but learn."

And the team continues to learn.

"We are a meritocracy," said Sherman. "Everyone has to earn the jersey. The strength of our team is our depth, and we want to sustain that. It's challenging for our guys, and we talk about it a lot. But we know there's only one name on the trophy [that of the team], and as a team we're committed to embracing what we're working towards."