http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/09/sports/ncaafootball/army-returns-interception-99-yards-to-end-uconn-late-charge-in-the-bronx-.html 2014-11-09 02:55:02 Army Returns Interception 99 Yards to End UConn’s Late Charge in the Bronx Chris Carnegie of Army returned the ball 99 yards for a touchdown with 28 seconds left that secured the victory at Yankee Stadium. === It is not easy being a Connecticut football player in November, when the calendar flips to college basketball season and you are battling for attention on your own campus with not just one national championship team, but two: the men’s and the women’s programs. All that success in April had not had the trickle-down effect that Huskies fans desired for their new football coach, Bob Diaco, in autumn. Then, in front of an announced crowd of 27,453 in the Bronx, the Huskies were 6 yards from Army’s end zone, and a dramatic comeback in the closing minutes appeared to be in progress. But instead of scoring a game-altering touchdown, quarterback Chandler Whitmer threw into traffic, and his pass was intercepted by Chris Carnegie, a junior defensive back, who returned the ball 99 yards for a touchdown with 28 seconds left that secured Army’s 35-21 victory. The return, with almost no Husky close to stopping Carnegie over the last 70 yards, set off pandemonium on the Army sideline as the Black Knights began to celebrate their first win at Yankee Stadium since 1960. “I just stayed tight on my man, saw the ball go up and saw an opportunity,” Carnegie said. “It was really exciting. It was really tiring, but it was exciting.” Not much earlier, things were looking precarious for Army. Whitmer connected with Noel Thomas from 1 yard out to trim Army’s lead to 7 with a little more than two minutes remaining, and then UConn recovered an onside kick. Whitmer’s scrambling ability was proving difficult for Army to stop. The Black Knights (3-6), who had lost three in a row, were on their heels. To that point, Army had maintained momentum. Temperatures were in the mid-40s, and a steady wind blew in over the right-field bleachers, directly into the faces of the Huskies, who were driving first. The wind was barely a factor for Army, however. The Black Knights hardly passed the ball. UConn had not played Army since 2006, so it could be slightly forgiven for forgetting how punishing and relentless the Army triple-option rushing attack could be. A week after the Black Knights were held to a season-low 122 rushing yards in a 23-6 loss to Air Force, they returned Saturday looking to make up for lost ground, and they succeeded, racking up 325 yards on the ground. Here, there was barely a pretense of passing. Army’s first drive lasted 16 plays (all rushes) for 89 yards, ending in a 2-yard touchdown run by quarterback Angel Santiago. It was the team’s longest scoring drive of the season. Army then intercepted a pass by Whitmer to retake possession at its own 15. The Black Knights spent the next 5 minutes 39 seconds running the ball, again and again, until Joe Walker carried the ball into the end zone from 4 yards out, making it 14-0. Army rushed 30 times before trying its first pass, with 3:35 left in the first half. But that pass was effective, too, good for 16 yards and putting the Black Knights in Huskies territory for the third time in three drives. On a scramble to his right, though, Santiago lost control of the ball as he was brought down by linebacker Jefferson Ashiru. UConn’s Junior Joseph recovered the fumble, giving the Huskies some much-needed momentum just before the half. It took little more than a minute for them to trim the lead to 14-7 after a 2-yard touchdown rush by Whitmer, who rushed for 68 yards to go with 19-for-31 passing for 170 yards. After Army extended its lead to 21-7 early in the third quarter, Whitmer, gambling on fourth down, connected with tight end Sean McQuillan for a 16-yard touchdown pass. With 8:57 remaining, Jhavon Williams appeared to rip the ball from Army running back Larry Dixon for a critical fumble, but after a review, the referees determined Dixon’s forward progress had stopped. UConn fans expressed their displeasure, but Army kept the ball — and the clock — moving in its favor. With third down and a yard to go for the goal line, Army Coach Jeff Monken raced down the sideline in a frantic attempt to call timeout. At the last moment, it was granted, and the Black Knights regrouped, allowing Santiago, who rushed for 97 yards on 25 carries, to keep the ball and slip, just barely, into the end zone for his second touchdown of the game with 4:22 left. The extra point put Army ahead by two touchdowns. All of this seemed about to be whitewashed with Whitmer and UConn on the 6 and threatening to score for the second time in less than two minutes. But on second down, Whitmer was flushed backward out of the pocket, and his attempt to force a throw into the end zone backfired. “I’m just so, so happy to see our guys make some plays when it counted,” Monken said.