WEST POINT, N.Y. — Fullback Darnell Woolfolk rushed for 117 yards and a touchdown, Kelvin Hopkins Jr. scored on a 6-yard run, and Army held off service academy rival Air Force 17-14 on Saturday.

It was the 11th straight victory at Michie Stadium for Army (7-2), which stayed in the running to keep the Commander in Chief’s Trophy, emblematic of supremacy among the three service academies. Army won the trophy last season for the first time since 1996 and can retain it with a victory over Navy next month.

Air Force had won 18 of the previous 21 in the series against the Black Knights, but one of those Army victories was 21-0 last year at Air Force. That loss snapped a school-record, 306-game scoring streak by the Falcons dating to 1992.

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The Falcons were unable to score in the first half with Isaiah Sanders at quarterback, fell behind by two scores, and couldn’t recover despite a late rally. The Black Knights secured the victory when Donald Hammond III was stopped for no gain on a fourth-and-3 play at the Army 40 with under 2 minutes to play.

Hammond had replaced Sanders to start the third quarter and quickly hit Marcus Bennett for 31 yards into Army territory, but the drive ended when the Falcons were called for an illegal block on a fourth-and-3 play and had to punt.

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The Falcons finally caught a break when safety Jeremy Fejedelem got a hand on a punt by Army’s Nick Schrage and it traveled just 4 yards to give Air Force a first down at the Army 34 and they capitalized. Hammond scored from the 1 two plays after converting a fourth-and-1 play to cut the lead to 14-6 with under a minute to play in the third. Jake Koehnke’s point-after try hit the left goalpost and stayed out.

Senior John Abercrombie kicked a 30-yard field goal with 8:35 left to complete a 13-play drive that took 7:19 off the clock on a gusty day and gave Army a 17-6 lead midway through the fourth.

Undaunted, Hammond drove the Falcons 75 yards in 10 plays to pull within a field goal. Joseph Saucier’s 6-yard touchdown run came off a pitch. Saucier also converted on the 2-point try to make it 17-14.

THE TAKEAWAY

Air Force: The Falcons are faltering in the Mountain West Conference at 1-4 and have to win their final three games to qualify for the postseason. At least two of the games are at Falcon Stadium.

Army: The Black Knights have now beaten service academy rivals Air Force and Navy two straight times. Another victory over Navy in December will give Army the upper hand again in the annual three-way series.

NO GAMBLE

Trailing 7-0 early in the second quarter, Air Force coach Troy Calhoun elected to punt on fourth-and-2 just inside Army territory. The Black Knights converted three times on fourth down to up their season total to 29 conversions in 32 attempts.

UP NEXT

Air Force hosts New Mexico next Saturday.

Army hosts FCS foe Lafayette next Saturday.

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