FORT WORTH, Texas — Army coach Jeff Monken was able to joke afterward.
“We had ‘em all the way,” Monken deadpanned.
It wasn’t quite that easy for the Black Knights.
Darnell Woolfolk scored on a 1-yard run with 18 seconds left, Kell Walker converted a go-ahead 2-point run and Army added a last-play defensive touchdown for a 42-35 victory over San Diego State on Saturday in the Armed Forces Bowl.
After Rashaad Penny’s fourth touchdown run of the game gave San Diego State (10-3) a 35-28 lead with 5:47 to play, Army (10-3) drove 72 yards for the tying score and winning conversion.
“It was tough, but we were confident we’d move the ball,” Army quarterback Ahmad Bradshaw said.
On the Aztecs’ final play, they made multiple laterals from their 40. The final lateral was grabbed by Army’s Elijah Riley, who returned it 29 yards for a touchdown.
The Black Knights tied a school record for wins set by the 1996 team.
Penny ran for 221 yards, his fifth straight game of at least 200 yards. His scores came on runs of 81, on his first carry, 31, 49 and 4 yards.
Juwan Washington added the Aztecs’ other touchdown on a 78-yard kickoff return in the first half’s closing seconds.
“Obviously, Rashaad and Juwan had a great night,” Aztecs coach Rocky Long said. “Our defense played really, really poorly. And that’s coaching. So, that’s my fault.”
Army dominated the time of possession. The Black Knights ran 91 plays to the Aztecs’ 30 and held the ball for 46:00 to San Diego State’s 13:53.
“That’s our brand of football,” Monken said. “We don’t have anybody like they have — when you break through the line, it’s six points.”
Woolfolk ran for two touchdowns, and Bradshaw and Andy Davidson ran for one each.
Monken said there was no doubt the Black Knights would go for two points if they pulled within one in the closing minutes with a touchdown.
“That No. 20, Rashaad Penny — if we went into overtime, he’s going to get the ball in his hands again,” Monken said. “There’s no way I wanted to watch that anymore.”
Walker took the pitch and raced toward the right corner of the end zone.
“Our O-line did a tremendous job,” Walker said. “All I had to do was catch it and run.”
NO. 23 S. FLORIDA 38, TEXAS TECH 34
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Tyre McCants caught a 26-yard touchdown pass from Quinton Flowers with 16 seconds left to lift South Florida past Texas Tech in the Birmingham Bowl.
Flowers lifted the Bulls (10-2) to a second straight dramatic victory in the bowl game at Legion Field, throwing for a pair of touchdowns in the final 4:26.
The Red Raiders (6-7) had taken the lead back with Nic Shimonek’s 25-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open T.J. Vasher with 1:31 remaining. That left Flowers with plenty of time to work, it turns out.
He ran 13 and 21 yards for first downs, the latter coming on a third-and-10 play. Then he found McCants on their second scoring connection.
The Bulls had won last year’s Birmingham Bowl on Flowers’ 25-yard touchdown pass in overtime against South Carolina. The senior passed for 311 yards and four touchdowns in this one. He also ran 14 times for 106 yards and a fifth score. Marquez Valdes-Scantling gained 133 yards on three catches.
Shimonek took Texas Tech across midfield in the final seconds but his desperation pass on the run was well short of the end zone.
Shimonek, who had led a fourth-quarter comeback in the regular-season finale against Texas, completed 32 of 59 passes for 416 yards. He threw for three touchdowns and was intercepted twice on deflected balls. Keke Coutee had 11 catches for 187 yards and a touchdown.
APPALACHIAN St. 34, TOLEDO 0
MOBILE, Ala. — Jalin Moore ran for 125 yards and a career-high three touchdowns and Appalachian State beat Toledo 34-0 on Saturday night in the Dollar General Bowl.
Appalachian State (9-4) won its third straight bowl game since making the complete transition to the Football Bowl Subdivision in 2015. Moore’s big night and the Mountaineers’ impressive defense were the biggest reasons the streak continues.
Appalachian State ran for 327 yards. Senior quarterback Taylor Lamb, who was starting his 49th straight game, threw for 131 yards.
It was the second straight year the two programs had met in the postseason. Appalachian State beat Toledo in a hard-fought 31-28 victory in the Camellia Bowl in 2016 just a few hours up the interstate in Montgomery, Alabama.
The rematch in Mobile turned out to be a dud.
Toledo’s offense was averaging nearly 40 points per game this season, but looked lost against Appalachian State’s swarming defense. The Rockets (11-3) were also hurt by four turnovers.
Toledo’s Logan Woodside threw for 124 yards and three interceptions. The Rockets finished with just 146 yards of total offense.
