Army’s Second-Straight Undefeated Home Season

WEST POINT – The Army West Point football team extended its winning streak to seven games and capped another undefeated season at Michie Stadium with a 28-14 victory over Colgate Saturday afternoon.

The win marked the Cadets’ 13th-straight at home which is the teams’ longest streak since also recording 13 in a row from Sept. 15, 1984 to Sept. 13, 1986.

Senior fullback Darnell Woolfolk lead the way with a game-high three rushing touchdowns and 89 yards on 23 carries. Quarterback Kelvin Hopkins Jr. turned in a gritty effort on the afternoon as well after suffering an injury scare in the third quarter. The junior signal-caller led Army with 90 rushing yards and a score.

James Nachtigal paced the Army defense with a team-high 11 tackles on the day. Cole Christiansen recorded seven tackles of his own and forced a fumble, while Cam Jones added five tackles and a fumble recovery.

The Black Knights struck first on their opening drive of the game after marching 51 yards on eight plays. The drive took 4:39 off the clock and saw Hopkins Jr. finish things off from three-yards out to give Army an early 7-0 advantage.

Army extended its lead midway through the second quarter when Woolfolk scored his first of three touchdowns. He scampered into the end zone with a two-yard rush to cap a 16 play, 76-yard drive. A highlight from that sequence was a ten-yard rush by Kell Walker that set up Woolfolk’s score.

With just under a minute remaining in the first half, the Black Knight defense stopped the Raiders on fourth down from the Army 31-yard line. Sage Attwood completed a pass to Owen Rockett but Cole Christiansen came in with a big hit to knock the ball loose to force a fumble.

Jones recovered and the Black Knights were able to take their 14-0 advantage into halftime.
Colgate finally got on the board with 5:52 left to play in the third quarter when Alec Wisniewski forced a fumble that was picked up and ran back by Tyler Castillo for the touchdown. Castillo rushed for 35 yards on the play to trim the Black Knights’ advantage to 14-7.

The Cadets quickly responded to make it a two-score game again when they finished off a 10-play, 63-yard drive early in the fourth period. Woolfolk found paydirt for touchdown No. 2 after muscling his way in from one-yard out.

The Raiders would not go away though as they scored on their next possession. Senior James Holland scampered in from the Army 10 to cut the deficit to 21-14. Holland’s score finished off a 10 play, 79-yard drive for the visitors.

Army finally put the game away by using one of its signature drives — a 13-play, 75-yard sequence that lasted 7:20. On a 3rd-and-6 situation from the Colgate 22, Hopkins Jr. gutted out a gritty 19-yard rush that put the Black Knights in prime scoring position. One play later it was Woolfolk who wrapped things up for the three-yard touchdown score.

Army is back in action December 8 when it takes on arch-rival Navy in ‘America’s Game’ from Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pa.