SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Kelvin Hopkins Jr. ran for 99 yards and a season-high three touchdowns and threw for a fourth, and Army beat San Jose State 52-3 on Saturday.
Coming off a bye week and making their first trip to the West Coast in four years, the Black Knights (4-2) trailed 3-0 early in the second quarter before Hopkins and Army's running game got going.
Knocked out of the game briefly on the first series, Hopkins returned to engineer three long scoring drives to put Army comfortably ahead in the first-ever meeting between the teams.
Hopkins threw a 41-yard touchdown pass to running back Jordan Asberry, scored on a one-yard sneak in the second quarter, then added a dazzling 24-yard run on an option keeper.
It's the first time an Army quarterback has scored three rushing touchdowns in one game since A.J. Schurr had four against Hawaii on Nov. 23, 2013.
Darnell Woolfolk and Cam Thomas each had a touchdown run and John Abercrombie made his first career field goal. The Black Knights outgained the Spartans on the ground 341-36.
Army also got a big lift from its defense, which forced three turnovers during a five-play span in the third quarter and had four overall.
Kenneth Brinson, Cameron Jones and James Nachtigal each had a strip-sack deep in Spartans territory. Nachtigal also scored on a 52-yard fumble return.
It was a much different outcome from Army's last trip to California. The Black Knights were shut out 35-0 at Stanford in coach Jeff Monken's first year at West Point.
Bryce Crawford had a 49-yard field goal for San Jose State (0-6). The Spartans entered the day as one of four winless teams in the FBS.
THE TAKEAWAY
Army: Monken's team has responded well with consecutive road wins following the heartbreaking loss at No. 5 Oklahoma earlier in the season. The Black Knights got their first win in California since 1979 with the same pattern they've had all season — a dominant running game and an opportunistic defense that converted four turnovers into 24 points.
San Jose State: The Spartans held their own early and led in the first quarter for the first time this season. It was all downhill after that. Coach Brent Brennan tried rotating quarterbacks in the second half but it didn't make a difference.
UP NEXT
Army: Hosts Miami of Ohio at Michie Stadium on Oct. 20.
San Jose State: Plays at San Diego State on Oct. 20.
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Disclaimer: This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Associated Press (AP) wire.
