FORT WORTH, Texas _ Army rushed 87 times for 440 yards against San Diego State in the first 59 minutes, 42 second of the Armed Forces Bowl, so what was one more carry for the win?
Army's Kell Walker took a pitch and went around the right side untouched into the end zone for a two-point conversion with 18 seconds remaining, then the Black Knights returned an SDSU fumble for a touchdown on the game's final play for a 42-35 win over the Aztecs on Saturday afternoon at TCU's Amon G. Carter Stadium.
"I thought they were going to set a world record for yards per play," Army coach Jeff Monken said afterwards. "That Penny kid. What a player. I felt like we needed to win it in regulation. I didn't want him to get the ball back again."
The late scores overshadowed another huge game by SDSU running back Rashaad Penny, who was named MVP of the game. He had more than 100 yards and two touchdowns _ breaking SDSU's single-season rushing record _ after just three carries against the Black Knights.
By game's end, Penny had rushed 14 times for 221 yards and four touchdowns. It boosted Penny's national rushing lead to 2,248 yards, the fifth-highest single-season total in NCAA history.
This was promoted as the nation's leading rushing team against the nation's leading rusher and it lived up to the billing.
Army's 440 yards were well over its 355 yards a game average. Penny went over 200 yards for the fifth straight game, tying an FBS record.
But what a contrast in the way the teams got things done with the run.
The game was tied 21-21 at halftime. SDSU's first-half scoring "drives" required 84 seconds, 133 seconds and 13 seconds. Army's drives were measured in minutes, lasting 4:09, 6:58 and 5:55.
But that was nothing compared to the Black Knights' possession to open the second half. It consumed 11 minutes, 19 seconds of the 15-minute third quarter,
The drive finally ended when Army faked a fourth-down field goal that SDSU cornerback Kameron Kelly sniffed out and tackled the ball carrier for a loss. It was one of the few times the SDSU stopped Army's option offense.
Penny gave SDSU the lead on just the third play of the game, taking an inside handoff from quarterback Christian Chapman on a third-and-18 call from the Aztecs 19-yard line and racing an Armed Forces Bowl-record 81 yards for a touchdown just 84 seconds into the game.
Army answered with an eight-play, 70-yard drive capped by a 19-yard touchdown run by quarterback Ahmad Bradshaw to make it 7-7 with 2:13 remaining in the first quarter.
SDSU went ahead 14-7 on the first play of the second quarter when Penny took a handoff and went 32 yards for a touchdown.
He broke former teammate D.J. Pumphrey's school record (2,133 yards) on the carry.
Army ground out two more drives in the quarter for touchdowns that gave the Black Knights a 21-14 lead with 18 seconds before halftime.
After the go-ahead TD, Army booted the ball short to keep it away from Penny. The ball ended up in the hands of Washington. Penny acted as his escort on a 78-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, obliterating Army kicker Blake Wilson with a block near midfield before screening out Javhari Bourdeau the last 20 yards to the end zone.
Moments later, they watched Penny break loose for a 49-yard touchdown run and a 28-21 lead with 1:49 remaining in the third quarter.
Bradshaw answered again when he scored on a 27-yard run that tied the game again with 9:25 to play.
Army kicked deep to Penny this time and he returned the ball into Black Knights territory. Penny got most of the carries on the drive and capped it with a 4-yard touchdown for a 35-28 lead with less than six minutes remaining before Bradshaw brought Army back one more time.
