Air Force Rushes Past Utah, 42-38, and Will Play in the Liberty Bowl
SALT LAKE CITY — Greg Johnson rushed for three touchdowns and quarterback Dee Dowis ran for two others as Air Force held off Utah Saturday for a 42-38 victory.
Air Force running back Rodney Lewis rushed for 176 yards in 23 carries and one touchdown as the Falcons improved to 8-3 overall and 5-1 in the Western Athletic Conference.
Air Force will play Mississippi (7-4) in the Liberty Bowl on Dec. 28 at Memphis, Tenn.
Utah tight end Dennis Smith scored four touchdowns, catching seven passes for 139 yards. The performance gave Smith the WAC record for touchdown receptions for a season at 18, breaking the mark of 15 set by BYU’s Clay Brown in 1980.
Air Force built a 42-18 lead with 11:30 remaining in the third quarter when Johnson scored his third touchdown of the day on a nine-yard run.
But Utah backup quarterback Mike Richmond, substituting for injured Scott Mitchell, threw three touchdown passes to pull the Utes to within four points. The Utes, who ended the year at 4-8 and 2-6, gave up the ball on downs as the clock wound down.
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