Army Football’s Late Rally Falls Two Points Short

RUSTON, La. – Army West Point football’s late rally fell two points short Saturday night, as the Black Knights scored a touchdown with 1:07 remaining but Louisiana Tech ran out the clock to hold on for a 31-29 win.

For the fourth time in as many games this season, Army won the toss and deferred, putting its defense on the field first.

After the Bulldogs drove down the field to the Army 24-yard line, the Black Knights had the opportunity to get off the field on fourth-and-2. However, LA Tech running back Sergio Snider took the handoff for a 24-yard touchdown to put the home team on the board first, capping a 12-play, 83-yard drive with 8:32 left in the opening quarter.

On Army’s opening series, Hellums connected with Mundell on a 46-yard deep pass for what appeared to be a game-tying score, but a facemask penalty nullified the play. Nonetheless, Army recouped the penalty yards and more with a 30-yard rush from Howard, and Mundell got his touchdown on the drive anyway, on a 21-yard rush to cap a nine-play, 75-yard drive and make it 7-7 with 3:51 left in the first quarter.

After the Bulldogs started the ensuing drive at their 42-yard line thanks to a lengthy kickoff return, Army faced another fourth-and-2 on defense, this time getting the stop thanks to a Jaquavious Moss pass breakup, giving the ball back to its offense at its own 39-yard line.

Army committed a chop block penalty on its next offensive drive and was forced to punt on its second set of downs to open the second quarter. LA Tech took over at its own 20-yard line after a touchback, and it too was stalled. A delay of game penalty on third-and-3 pushed the Bulldogs back to third-and-8, and a 3-yard completion came up short, giving Army’s defense its first three-and-out of the contest with 11:23 left in the first half.

The offense, which appeared to be facing third-and-11 on its next drive, instead gained 30 penalty yards after Bulldogs defender Alonzo Jackson Jr. was ejected for targeting on David Clerk and drew an additional unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. However, even with the ball in LA Tech territory, the drive stalled, though punter James Wagenseller’s 38-yard punt was downed at the LA Tech 4-yard line.

Pinned at its own 4-yard line, LA Tech flipped the field in a hurry, with quarterback Trey Kukuk hitting Eli Finley for a 25-yard gain on third-and-11. Running back Dylone Brooks then burst up the middle on the next play for a 72-yard touchdown run to complete a four-play, 96-yard drive, and Hunter Rioux’s PAT made it 14-7 Bulldogs with 4:15 left in the first half.

Army answered with a methodical, clock-churning drive, starting at its own 25-yard line and moving the chains on a pair of third-down conversions, a 4-yard keeper by Hellums on third-and-1 and a 7-yard run by fullback Jake Rendina on third-and-4, to cross into LA Tech territory. The drive ended when Hellums’ deep pass over the middle intended for Howard was intercepted by Jordan McRae at the LA Tech 5-yard line with 51 seconds left in the first half.

LA Tech took over at its own 6-yard line with 51 seconds left in the half, and Noah Nixon and Dillon Stowers stuffed Andrew Burnette for no gain on the first snap. Kukuk then moved the Bulldogs quickly, hitting Finley twice and Talyn Shettron once to reach the Army 32-yard line. The defense bowed up from there. Two incompletions set up third-and-10, and Stowers brought down Burnette after a 4-yard gain to force a fourth-and-6. Rioux’s 46-yard field goal attempt then sailed wide left as time expired, keeping the score at 14-7 Bulldogs at the break.

Army wasted little time getting back to work out of halftime. After Hellums hit running back Carson Smith for a 20-yard completion down the far sideline on the second play of the half, Howard took a pitch 54 yards for a touchdown just 2 minutes, 2 seconds into the third quarter. Then, an LA Tech illegal substitution penalty on the extra point moved the ball to the 1-yard line, prompting the Black Knights to go for two instead, which Hellums converted with his feet to give Army a 15-14 lead, its first of the game.

The Bulldogs quickly answered, connecting on a double pass from wide receiver Marcus Calwise Jr. to Brooks for a 74-yard score. Jalen Mickens converted the two-point try to regain the lead, 22-15, with 11:47 left in the third quarter.

Army went three-and-out on its next drive, and the Bulldogs quickly raced back down the field on a six-play, 65-yard drive capped by a 7-yard touchdown run by Kukuk. A missed extra point kept the LA Tech lead at 28-15 with 6:07 left in the third quarter.

The Black Knights faced fourth-and-8 at their own 48-yard line on their next drive, but Hellums hit an open Anderson to move the sticks for a gain of 26 yards. As the final quarter began, Army had first-and-10 from the LA Tech 15-yard line and, four plays later, Hellums punched the ball into the end zone from 1 yard out to cap a 14-play, 75-yard drive that took 7:56.

The PAT trimmed the deficit to 28-22 with 13:11 left in the game.

LA Tech answered with a 10-play, 61-yard drive that took 5:43. Kukuk kept the chains moving with completions to Brooks, Mickens and Finley, and the Bulldogs stayed alive when Finley recovered a Kukuk fumble that Tallman had forced at the Army 44-yard line. Brooks then ripped off a 26-yard run to the Army 18, but Walton broke up a third-down pass in the red zone to hold LA Tech to a 32-yard field goal by Rioux, stretching the Bulldogs lead to 31-22 with 7:28 left in the fourth quarter.

Army got the ball back trailing 31-22. Hellums hit Howard for 8 yards, and Howard followed with a 6-yard run that was extended by a 15-yard horse collar penalty on LA Tech, moving the Black Knights to the LA Tech 46-yard line. On fourth-and-10, Hellums’ deep shot to Mundell fell incomplete, but a holding penalty on the Bulldogs gave Army a fresh set of downs at the 36. Hellums then found Mundell for 8 yards on third-and-9, setting up fourth-and-1 at the 27. His pass intended for Howard was then knocked away, and the Bulldogs took over on downs with 3:57 left in the fourth quarter.

Army’s defense forced a punt, and the Black Knights took over at their own 5-yard line with 2:17 remaining. Army needed a score and got one. Hellums hit Anderson for 12 yards, then connected with Mundell for 14 and Anderson again for 10 to move the Black Knights to their own 41-yard line. After two incompletions, Hellums kept it himself for 22 yards on third-and-10 to reach the LA Tech 37. A pass intended for Mundell was broken up and another to Tobi Olawole fell incomplete, but Hellums found Anderson deep to the left for 31 yards on third-and-10 to the LA Tech 6-yard line. On the next play, Hellums hit Poloskey up the middle for a 6-yard touchdown, and Jones’ PAT cut the deficit to 31-29 with 1:07 left in the fourth quarter.

Army’s onside kick attempt went out of bounds, giving LA Tech the ball at the Army 40-yard line, and the Bulldogs took two knees to end the game.