Air Force run game dominant in win against Washington State in Cheez-It Bowl
PHOENIX ā Air Force clung to a three-point lead, the clock showing plenty of time left for one of the nationās most prolific offenses.
A field goal was not going to be good enough. The Falcons needed a touchdown to leave Washington State no chance.
Going for it on fourth down was the only option ā and it worked.
Kadin Remsberg ran for 178 yards and stretched to the pylon for a 3-yard touchdown on a late fourth down, lifting No. 24 Air Force to a 31-21 victory over Washington State in the Cheez-It Bowl on Friday night.
āA tad bit was a gut feeling, but youāre also thinking situationally,ā Air Force coach Troy Calhoun said. āYou see it as was an opportunity to make it a two-score game and Kade made a big-time play.ā
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The Falcons (11-2) had their triple option working to near perfection, grinding out 371 yards rushing while setting a Cheez-It Bowl time of possession record of 43:24.
Donald Hammond III scored two touchdowns and Air Force carried a 10-point lead into the fourth quarter, yet couldnāt shake the high-scoring Cougars.
Anthony Gordon, the FBS passing leader, kept Washington State within reach, throwing for 351 yards and three touchdowns. He hit Brandon Arconado on a 13-yard TD to pull Washington State (6-7) within 24-21 late in the fourth quarter, giving the Cougars a shot at the comeback finish.
Air Force methodically worked the ball down to Washington Stateās 4-yard line, but failed to punch the ball into the end zone on three tries. After a timeout, Hammond ran an option left and pitched the ball to Remsberg, who got the edge and reached the ball to the pylon with a defender draping him. The touchdown was upheld on review.
āI knew I had to score and I was going to do everything I could to get into the end zone,ā Remsberg said. āI felt like I had the touchdown.ā
The 2018 game was dubbed the Cheez-INT Bowl after TCU and California combined for nine interceptions.
A year later, Air Force and Washington State brought philosophical differences to the desert.
The Falcons like to stay grounded, running 57 times a game while finishing third in the FBS at 292.5 yards per game.
The Cougars love to fly, putting it up 56 times a game to lead the nation with nearly 450 yards a game.
Washington State started the Cheez-It Bowl quickly, racing down the field with a series of completions, only to get stuffed by an Air Force goal-line stand.
The Falconsā opening drive was a yard-churning, clock-winding grind, covering 98 yards in 20 plays and 12:23. Hammond capped it with a 1-yard TD run.
Air Forceās next two drives took less time combined than the first, ending in Jake Koehnkeās 28-yard field goal and Taven Birdowās 3-yard run after Gordon lost a fumble at Washington Stateās 23.
āWe just couldnāt get off the field,ā Washington State coach Mike Leach said.
The Cougars had two more quick-hitting drives to pull within 17-14 at halftime on Gordonās two TD passes.
Air Force went right back to the ground to open the second half; 13 plays, 75 yards, capped by Hammondās 7-yard TD run.
Washington State had another fourth-down failure, this one at Air Forceās 5-yard line, but bounced back quickly with Gordonās TD pass to Arconado.
The Cougars just couldnāt stop Air Force and Remsbergās diving TD run capped another long scoring drive to seal it.
āOur whole goal for the defensive front was to collapse the middle to make them bounce it out,ā Washington State defensive lineman Misiona Aiolupotea-Pei said. āWe were unable to to keep our pads low and make plays.ā