Blocked punt and missed field goal spark West Point road win over Tulsa.
Tulsa, OK — Dawson Jones kicked three field goals including a game-winning 50-yarder, securing a 38-35 Army victory over the Golden Hurricane on Friday night in a critical swing game for both teams’ seasons. Quarterback Cale Hellums completed seven of 12 passes and carried the ball 30 times for 121 yards and three touchdowns for an Army offense that did enough to be in position to take advantage of costly mistakes by the home team. “[I] thought we had every opportunity to win that game,” Tulsa head coach Tre Lamb said afterwards. “[We] had control with about seven minutes left and didn’t make one play after that in any phase.”
The first half played out just the way the visitors drew it up. Army West Point — along with the other service academies — is known for rarely passing the ball and playing a smashmouth style of football, which emphasizes ball control and physicality. Their triple-option offense marched down the field on the opening possession and scored on a nine play, six-minute drive. Tulsa answered with a touchdown drive of their own, capped by an eight-yard run by junior wide receiver Javon Ross. Army opened up the second possession with a halfback pass, a trick play which worked to perfection, netting 45 yards and setting up the visitors for a field goal after a Tulsa defensive stop. After an Army punt, senior linebacker Chris Thompson Jr. made a terrific play to bottle up Army receiver Zach Mundell on fourth down. Thompson had a career night with 15 tackles, two of which were for a loss, and a sack to boot. His stop at the end of the first quarter set Tulsa up for another three minute touchdown drive which ended with Ross’s second score, this one a 17-yard pass from sophomore quarterback Baylor Hayes. The Black Knights took control, however, on the next drive. A 15-play, 75-yard, nearly 10-minute drive which exemplified Army football swung momentum back to the road team. They ran the ball 13 times during the drive, including a quarterback sneak on fourth and goal which put Army on top 17-14 just before half. They were not done scoring, however, because Hayes was intercepted inside the final minute of the half by defensive back Julian Porter, giving Army a short field and enough time to tack on a field goal before halftime. That three point mistake would prove more costly than Tulsa fans realized at the time.
Tulsa lines up to kick a PAT in the third quarter. Edwin Thorpe | Collegian
It was a bleak start to the third quarter. Tulsa received the ball, went three and out, and then West Point tailback Godspower Nwawuihe broke a 66-yard touchdown run. Army added a two point conversion to take a 28-14 lead just a couple minutes into the second half. Tulsa responded, however, with a 98-yard kickoff return by senior back Trequan Jones for what appeared to be a touchdown on the ensuing kick. The play was overturned after it was found that Jones had stepped out of bounds, but Hayes and company took advantage of the short field to score anyway. A brilliant play call on fourth down resulted in an 11-yard touchdown run by junior receiver David Wells Jr. on a reverse. Then the Tulsa defense showed up, forcing a three and out on the next three Army drives. Jones got his touchdown on a 59-yard run which tied the game, and with 13:25 left to play, Hayes found senior Jimmy Calloway on third and goal to put the Golden Hurricane in front. After getting the ball back, the offense got in position to seal the game with just over seven minutes remaining, but a 40 yard field goal missed right and short for Owen Carey, Tulsa’s freshman kicker. “We flipped all momentum in the third, felt like we were going to win the game by multiple scores,” Lamb said.
Down seven, Army was unable to do anything with the ball, going three and out for a fourth straight time, but the home team followed suit and then suffered a critical special teams failure. Army running back Tim Kloska changed the game by blocking the punt deep in Tulsa territory, and his offense tied the game shortly. Presented with one more chance to drive down and break the tie, the Tulsa offense was able to muster nothing, and left the Black Knights in good field position with 51 seconds. Five plays later, a 16 yard run by Hellums put Army at the Tulsa 33 where Jones drilled a perfect kick to stun the crowd in H.A. Chapman Stadium. “I have to grow to put us in these situations where they don’t have a chance to get a short field and go kick a game-winning field goal,” Hayes said in postgame.
Tulsa players run out at the beginning of the game. Edwin Thorpe | Collegian
The takeaway? The Golden Hurricane had no problem matching West Point’s physicality. The vaunted Army rushing attack racked up 275 yards, but took 51 carries to do so. They were able to control the game in the first half, holding a 12-minute advantage in time of possession, and a 39-22 lead in total plays run, consistently moving the chains on long scoring drives. Tulsa flipped that script in the second half, however, with a jet tempo wore down the Army defense and brought the tally of total plays to just 64-60 in favor of Army. The Golden Hurricane turned a 320-162 yardage deficit into a 410-384 advantage for the game, and actually ran the ball just as effectively, averaging 5.7 yards per carry. Calloway also re-emerged after sustaining an injury against Arkansas, according to Lamb. He was targeted 13 times by Hayes, and caught 10 of them for 88 yards and a touchdown. Calloway now forms a formidable receiving corps around Hayes with Oran Singleton Jr., Ross and Wells.
The physical and talent profile of this Tulsa team is not in question, but their ability to win tight games and make one more winning play when it matters most lacked, something Lamb is well aware of. “We made some crucial, crucial mistakes in the fourth quarter,” he said. “Bottom line is, this program has got to learn how to win. It’s my job to get us there. These one-score games are going to continue to happen.” He is also aware that execution on special teams is essential to winning those games, and improving on those key plays should be a focus as Tulsa chases a bowl game berth with four games remaining. The good news? Tulsa has a team capable of beating anyone in the American Athletic Conference, and they have a bye week to get healthy before a trip to Tulane. “I have a feel that we’ve got a good team, and it makes me happy to coach these guys,” Lamb said. He and the Golden Hurricane will look to get back on track on Nov. 7 at Tulane (3-3).
