Air Force rides second-half surge to pull away for 35-7 win over Army

Wright returns punt for TD in 35-7 win over Army

AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. — Kevin Fogler caught a 73-yard TD pass and Anthony Wright returned a punt 88 yards for a score, helping Air Force beat Army for a fourth straight time with a 35-7 victory Saturday.

Asher Clark rushed for two second-half scores as the Falcons (6-4, 4-2 Mountain West) broke open a tight game to become bowl eligible.

Before the game, the Air Force Academy held a moment of silence in honor of the shooting victims at Fort Hood. The flags on the campus also were lowered to half mast.

With their quest for the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy already spoiled, the Falcons tarnished Army’s chances as well.

Navy is secured of taking the trophy for a seventh straight season in the annual competition between the service academies. The Midshipmen, who beat Air Force earlier in the season, will either win the trophy outright by beating Army on Dec. 12 or retain it if they lose by virtue of capturing the crown last season.

Trent Steelman rushed for 102 yards and a touchdown for the Black Knights (3-6), who have dropped three straight.

Air Force pulled away in the second half, scoring on four of their five drives.

Clark got the offense rolling right after halftime, finding a hole in Army’s defense and racing 36 yards for his first touchdown of the season. He later added another on an 8-yard burst.

Fogler got behind the Black Knights’ secondary late in the third quarter and Tim Jefferson hit him in stride. Fogler zigzagged his way into the end zone. He had 129 yards receiving on three catches.

Jefferson, who was constantly fleeing from Army’s aggressive defense, added a 2-yard TD plunge in the fourth. He finished with minus-25 yards rushing on eight carries.

In recent years, rarely has the Army-Air Force game been close. Counting Saturday, of the last 15 games between the service academy rivals, only one has been decided by a touchdown or less.

Early on, though, it appeared like this one might stay tight.

Army’s defense bottled up Air Force in the first half, limiting the Falcons to just 39 total yards. The Black Knights had three sacks, nine tackles for loss and limited the fourth-best rushing attack in the nation to only 4 yards on 21 carries.

But it didn’t last. Air Force finished with 160 yards rushing as Jared Tew gained 102 yards and Clark went for 82.

Despite Army’s dominating display on defense in the first half, the game was tied at 7 heading in for halftime.

The Black Knights trailed early, but Steelman used his speed to blaze around the edge for a 42-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter.

Wright returned a punt 88 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter as he followed a wave of blockers all the way to the end zone. Wright’s punt return for a score was the first for a Falcons player in 11 years.

Wright has been turning in big plays all season for Air Force. The sophomore defensive back also has returned two interceptions for scores.