Army and one-score games.
The two are an inseparable pair. Prior to Saturday, nine of the Black Knights’ last 10 FBS matchups were decided by one-score and eight of the last nine were decided by four points or fewer. Thus, Saturday’s matchup against Tulane was going to come down to which team could execute in the final two minutes.
Army had Cale Hellums and Dawson Jones, and that proved to be the difference.
Hellums rushed for a career-high 223 yards, while Jones sunk a 25-yard field goal as time expired,
allowing Army to prevail in yet another game decided by the thinnest of margins. All four of the Black Knights’ FBS games this season featured a margin of four points or fewer, and both Army wins involved lead changes in the final two minutes.
Saturday was the Hellums show. He had 38 carries for 163 yards against Tulane a season ago, but his 38 carries in the rematch traveled 60 yards further. The quarterback put Army on the board with a 7-0 lead in the late first quarter. Then in the fourth quarter, he had his defining moment of the game. Two plays after Tulane claimed a 17-10 lead on a Jaylin Lucas swing pass that resulted in a 39-yard touchdowns, Hellums answered the bell. The reigning FBS leading rusher among quarterbacks took matters into his own hands, knotting the game with a 58-yard touchdown scamper.
Tulane still had a chance for the win, reaching as far as the Army 33-yard line on its final drive. With roughly four minutes left, the Green Wave sidelined their kicker and attempted a 4th-and-8 from the 33. Quarterback Kadin Semonza escaped pressure and lobbed the ball toward the end zone, but it fell incomplete.
Army’s No. 1 ranked rushing offense then controlled the final 3:55 of clock, ensuring Tulane would not receive another chance. The Black Knights perfectly positioned Jones for a 25-yard chip shot for the winner, and the kicker delivered. It was just the second buzzer-beating game-winning field goal of the 2026 season (Oklahoma kicker Tate Sandell had one later in the day), following Ole Miss kicker Lucas Carneiro’s Week 1 field goal to defeat Louisville.
It was a typical Army game, not just by the close nature of the finish but by the style. The Black Knights controlled 35:34 of possession and only needed 19 passing yards on three completions to eke out the victory. While Tulane posted 158 passing yards through Semonza — who got the starting nod over true freshman Trace Johnson — the Green Wave couldn’t move the ball on the ground at their usual success rate, finishing with 122 rushing yards in the defeat. Tulane’s 2025 starting running back Jamauri McClure returned from a fall camp foot injury, but he only had five touches for 25 yards in his season debut.
Tulane (2-3, 0-1 American) has already tied its highest regular season loss total and highest conference loss total since 2022. The Green Wave participated in each of the last four American Championship Games — and hosted three — but now start behind the sticks with an 0-1 record. Tulane also fell to 0-3 on the road this year. The Green Wave return home next week, but that conference championship streak is certainly in jeopardy. They’ll look to make amends Friday when they host Memphis in a budding rivalry that has been won by the road team in each of the past three seasons.
Army (3-2, 2-1 American) has now seen a lead change in the final two minutes of all three of its conference matchups. The Black Knights came out victorious for a second time behind Hellums’ career performance. Jeff Monken’s team has now won two straight in the American, aiming for a third next Saturday against an improved Florida Atlantic squad.
