FORT WORTH, Texas – In what has become typical Army West Point football games, the Black Knights persevered here Saturday afternoon in thrilling fashion to win the 2017 Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl, 42-35, over San Diego State.
In a contest that featured four tie scores and four lead changes, a gutsy two-point conversion call by Army head coach Jeff Monken determined the outcome. After a Darnell Woolfolk one-yard rush pulled Army to within 35-34 with 18 seconds left, SDSU called two timeouts which allowed the Black Knights enough time to draw up the perfect two-point attempt call. With team captain Ahmad Bradshaw under center, the senior stepped back and pitched it to sophomore Kell Walker, who dashed home for the score.
SDSU did have 12 seconds to work with, but after returning the kickoff to the 40-yard line, the Aztecs were sacked for a loss of 10 yards before also being tagged with an intentional grounded call. Senior Alex Aukerman was credited with his seventh sack of the season when he took down Christian Chapman. Timeout San Diego State. On the ensuing play, the designated visiting team tried some laterals before fumbling at the 29-yard line into the hands of Elijah Riley who dashed into the end zone.
Pandemonium ensued, and the entire Black Knights team met the sophomore in the corner of the field to celebrate their second-consecutive bowl victory in as many years. Army has now won back-to-back bowls games for the first time since the 1984 and 1985 seasons (Cherry Bowl and Peach Bowl).
The Black Knights matched their program record for wins with Saturday's outcome (10) and broke last season's rushing touchdown mark with 50 on the year after five in the contest.
Bradshaw led the team in rushing with his 12th 100-yard rushing game after compiling 180 in the contest. He also became the all-time single-season service-academy leading rusher in the contest and wrapped up his senior season with 1,746.
Woolfolk chipped in 87 yards and two touchdowns to register his sixth multi-score game of the year. Andy Davidson muscled key yardage all game and finished with 81 on the day.
Bradshaw did complete a pass with a six-yard connection to Camden Harrison in the third quarter.
Jaylon McClinton racked up a team-best six tackles. He was followed closely by James Nachtigal with five. To go along with his sack, Aukerman also notched his first career interception.
ARMY GAME NOTES AND HIGHLIGHTS
- Army is now 5-2 in bowl games.
- Of the five bowl victories, three have come in the state of Texas.
- Army tied a program record for wins in a season with 10, tying the 1996 squad.
- The Black Knights are winners of seven of their last eight games.
- Army set a new program record for touchdowns in a season with 50.
- Bradshaw now has 3,038 yards in his career and is fifth all-time on the career rushing list at Army.
- Bradshaw ran for his 14th touchdown of the season and 27th of his career and is alone in sixth all-time.
- The senior was named the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl Most Valuable Player.
- Woolfolk scored his 14th touchdown of the year and has a touchdown in nine of 10 games played this year.
- Bradshaw and Woolfolk both tied for fifth all-time in single-season touchdowns with 14 after both players scored two in the game.
- Harrison made his first career reception for six yards on a 3rd down and long to give Army a first down in the third quarter.
- Riley scored the first touchdown of his career after returning a fumble 29 yards on the final play of the game.
- Army intercepted its sixth pass of the year after Aukerman's pick.
- The senior added career sack No. 14.5 in the contest.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- After San Diego State returned the opening kickoff to the 27-yard line, a holding penalty on first down put the Aztecs behind the chains. Army managed to make stops on the first two downs to set up a 3rd-and-18, but Rashaad Penny broke free for an 81-yard touchdown to open the scoring 1:24 into the game.
- Army answered later in the opening frame to pull even with an eight play, 70-yard scoring drive. Davidson and Woolfolk combined for 15 yards on the first two plays to get the Black Knights to midfield. Facing a 3rd-and-2, Bradshaw scampered for 12 yards to become the single-season service academy rushing leader, passing Navy's Napoleon McCallum's mark of 1587 from the 1983 season. Davidson followed that up with a 13-yard carry two plays before Bradshaw rushed in from 19-yards out.
- SDSU retook the lead on the ensuing drive, capped by a 32-yard rush by Perry for his second score of the game.
- Not to be outdone, the Black Knights produced a scoring drive the next time they touched the ball to bring the score to 14-all. After crossing midfield, Davidson carried several Aztec defenders for a 12-yard gain. Bradshaw lost a handle on the ball on the following play, but bounced back with a 13-yard scurry for a first down. Woolfolk then muscled his way into the end zone from seven-yards out to bring the Black Knights even with 7:50 left in the half.
- After a SDSU punt, the Black Knights earned their first lead of the game on their next drive. Army needed 13 plays to travel 53 yards, starting with sequential four-yard carries by Calen Holt, Connor Slomka, Bradshaw and Davidson. The Cadets continued to move the chains the next two times with a pair of critical eight-yard carries on third downs by Bradshaw and Fred Cooper Jr. to keep the drive alive. Davidson came up with the key rush with 18 seconds remaining before the break by diving into the end zone to finish off a four-yard touchdown run.
- Army elected to kick it short on the ensuing kickoff to Juwan Washington, who fielded the ball at his own 22-yard line and cut it across the field down the right sideline for the equalizing score right before the teams broke for halftime.
- The Black Knights opened the third quarter with an Armed Forces Bowl record 20-play drive that lasted 11:19. Unfortunately, the Cadets were unable to produce any points on the play and turned the ball over following a failed fake field goal play. San Diego State then started its first drive of the second half and needed just four plays to retake the lead, capped by Penny's third touchdown of the afternoon, this time from 49-yards out.
- The two sides traded interceptions with Aukerman contributing his first pick of the year in the red zone after McClinton tipped the ball in the air while falling to the ground. The Black Knights took advantage of that opportunity by marching 79 yards down the field on 10 plays. Bradshaw found the end zone for the second time in the contest with 9:25 left in the game after breaking off for a 27-yard rush.
- Penny added his fourth score of the game on the following drive to put the Aztecs back on top, 35-28, with 5:47 remaining.
- The Black Knights capitalized on yet another long drive, closing out the 15-play, 72-yard journey with a one-yard score by Woolfolk to pull Army within one. After back-to-back called timeouts by SDSU, the Black Knights attempted a two-point conversion. On the try, Bradshaw pitched the ball to Walker who scampered in to give the Black Knights a one-point advantage.
- With only 12 ticks left on the clock, San Diego State looked to the passing game to get into field goal range. A sack by Aukerman on an intentional grounding penalty left the Aztecs with seven seconds left. SDSU made a last-ditch effort on the final play with multiple laterals, but had the ball taken away by Riley and returned 29 yards for the final score as time expired to ultimately secure the victory for the Black Knights.