Tony Moore converted a crucial fourth down in overtime and later scored on a 4-yard run to give Army a 27-20 victory over Baylor on Saturday night.
A week after Army’s upset bid against Texas A&M ended 6 yards from the end zone after a run by Moore on the game’s last play, the Black Knights overcame a 10-0 deficit and two botched field goal attempts by Austin Miller.
Army (2-2) had the ball first in the extra period, and facing fourth-and-1 from the 16 called timeout and decided to go for it. Moore appeared to bobble the handoff, but pulled it in and gained 2 yards. He then picked up another first down on a 10-yard screen play _ the same play he scored on earlier in the game _ right before scoring the winner.
Baylor (1-3) failed to get a first down on its possession. The game ended on Shawn Bell’s incomplete pass on fourth-and-6 from the 21.
Miller kicked a 47-yard field goal with 7:29 left in regulation to put Army ahead 20-17.
But Baylor responded by going 73 yards in 14 plays for Ryan Havens’ tying 24-yard field goal with 45 seconds left. Bell completed all six of his passes on the drive.
Bell was 25-of-33 passing for 239 yards, setting Baylor’s career record for completions.
Jeremy Trimble returned a punt 59 yards for a touchdown to tie the game at 10 in the third quarter for the Black Knights, who last had a .500 record this late in a season in 1996. That 10-2 team went to the Independence Bowl, but Army was 0-4 each of the last four years.
Army had lost its last seven games in Texas, including the 28-24 loss to Texas A&M in San Antonio last weekend. The Black Knights had first-and-goal at the 2 against the Aggies before Moore’s final run.
Army’s first three possessions Saturday night ended at the Baylor 19. Miller missed his first two attempts before finally kicking a 36-yarder with 5:23 left in the first half.
The first miss was officially listed as a blocked kick, but Miller’s 37-yarder got only a couple of feet off the ground and went into the belly of a defender. He was wide left on a 36-yard attempt early in the second quarter.
Paul Mosley ran 2 yards for Baylor’s first rushing touchdown of the season and a 17-10 lead late in the third quarter.
That 27-yard scoring drive was set up when Army quarterback David Peveto was blindsided on a blitz by safety Maurice Linguist and lost the ball. Vincent Rhodes recovered.
But Army quickly responded, Peveto throwing a screen pass to Moore for a 21-yard score to get within 17-14.
Trimble’s punt return came five minutes after halftime. After fielding the lined punt with a defender in his face, he shuffled to the right and had a wide-open gap until he got the 20 and had had to stutter-step around punter Daniel Sepulveda and another defender to get into the end zone.