WEST POINT, N.Y. — Western Kentucky was able to stop Army’s explosive rushing offense in a 17-8 win back in 2019, but that wasn’t the case in the 2021 meeting between the Hilltoppers and Black Knights.
Army’s offense was red-hot and didn’t miss a beat this time around, as the Black Knights put up 416 total yards — 339 of that coming on the ground — and handed WKU a tough 38-35 loss on Saturday afternoon at Michie Stadium on the campus of the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York.
The Hilltoppers (1-1) battled back-and-forth with Army (2-0) throughout the first half and were down just 21-14 at halftime. WKU trailed 35-14 early into the fourth and battled back to get within three points at 38-35, but it ran out of time to complete a comeback.
Army had six different players finish with double-digit rushing yardage and was led by quarterback Christian Anderson, who rushed for 119 yards on 22 carries and completed 5 of 6 passes for 77 yards and a touchdown.
WKU finished with 477 total yards, with only 42 rushing yards. Quarterback Bailey Zappe threw for 435 yards, three touchdowns and an interception on 28 of 40 passing, while rushing for another TD. Wide receiver Jerreth Sterns finished with 171 yards and two TDs on nine receptions.
The Hilltoppers will have a bye week next Saturday and will return to the field September 25 to host Indiana at Houchens-Smith Stadium.
The two teams exchanged turnovers on their opening drives as Zappe threw an interception on a forced pass intended for Sterns and Army’s Anthony Adkins fumbled on a run up the middle and Jeremy Darvin recovered for WKU.
After a scoreless first quarter, the Black Knights scored on the opening play of the second quarter with Tyrell Robinson’s 24-yard touchdown run, which gave Army a 7-0 lead at the 14:51 mark of the period.
The Black Knights doubled their lead just over three minutes later as Anderson hit Braheam Murphy for a big gain and score. On a play action pass, Anderson fired a 40-yard TD strike to Murphy to make it 14-0 at the 11:30 mark.
WKU scored its first points of the game on Zappe’s 72-yard bomb to Sterns to get within 14-7. After a flea flicker attempt on the previous play went wrong, Zappe received a snap, stepped back and waited for Sterns to get open downfield before launching the pass — which Sterns easily reeled in and then sprinted untouched into the endzone.
Army retook a two-score advantage by putting together a 16-play, 75-yard series that knocked 8:33 off the clock and capped it with Jakobi Buchanan’s one-yard TD run to go up 21-7 with 2:07 remaining in the first half.
Zappe’s second TD of the contest — this one coming on the ground — brought the Hilltoppers back to within seven points. Covering 75 yards with six plays in just 1:37, Zappe kept it himself and used his legs to score from 10 yards out to cut WKU’s deficit to 21-14 at the break.
The Black Knights capped a 10-play, 75-yard drive that lasted 6:03 with a three-yard TD run from Adkins to take a 28-14 lead at the 8:57 mark of the third quarter — and that same score held for the remainder of the frame.
Army extended its advantage to three scores by putting together a 14-play, 71-yard drive that took 9:14 and finishing it off with Buchanan’s 13-yard TD run, which made it 35-14 with 10:31 remaining.
Zappe threw a 21-yard TD pass to Tinsley to trim WKU’s deficit to 35-21 with 8:05 left, and his third scoring pass — a 14-yarder to Sterns — had the Hilltoppers back within seven at 35-28 with 4:58 to go.
Army’s Cole Talley kicked — and made — a 31-yard field goal to push WKU’s deficit to 38-28 with 1:52 left, but running back Adam Cofield scored from two yards out to make it 38-35 with 21.6 seconds on the clock.
The Hilltoppers attempted an onside kick, but the Black Knights recovered it and were able to come away with the win.
