Army’s Cale Hellums Named to the Davey O’Brien “Great 8” List for Week Two

West Point, NY — After his impressive performance down in Manhattan, Kansas, Army West Point Junior quarterback Cale Hellums was named to the “Davey O’Brien Great 8” list after shocking the Big XII’s Kansas State 24-21 in the Black Knights’ week 2 upset victory.

Ice in His Veins

Hellums, with his back against the wall, threw a two-yard touchdown to Brady Anderson on 4th down as time expired to get Army within six points at halftime. In the second half, Hellums and the Army offense were dominant, scoring on three of its four drives.

With 2:52 on the clock, Hellums was able to cap off a 14-play drive with his second rushing touchdown of the game and send the Black Knights home with a 24-21 victory.

Army West Point News:

• Army’s Cale Hellums Earns Manning Start of the Week Honor for Week Two
• Army Rallies Past Kansas State 24-21 Behind Hellums’ Historic Performance
• Second-Half Meltdown: Dewayne Coleman and the Army Offense Crumbles to FCS Tarleton State

Dominant Performance

Cale Hellums’ ball-carrying skill and ability to lead an offense were on full display against Kansas State. The junior quarterback was able to rush the ball 41 times, a single-game program record, while keeping his composure in a hostile environment in front of ~53,000 fans.

Here’s Hellum’s full stat line from his first career collegiate start under center.

• Passing: 7/11, 43 Yards, 1 TD; 72.5 PFF Passing Grade
• Rushing: 41 Carries, 124 Yards, 2 TD; 66.9 PFF Rushing Grade

Biggest Program Victory in Almost a Decade

This victory for the Black Knights would be one of the biggest the program has seen this millennium. Army’s 24-21 triumph over Kansas State marked their first victory over a Big 12 opponent since 2006, when they defeated Baylor on the road in Waco, Texas, 27-20.

It would also come as head coach Jeff Monken’s second Power Four regular-season win and his first since 2016 when the Black Knights went on the road and beat the ACC’s Wake Forest 21-13.

Award Recognition

Hellums joins Bryson Daily, who won the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback of the Week in week eight last year and made the “Davey O’Brien Great 8” list five times during the 2024 season (Week 4, 6, 7, 8, & 14).

The other quarterbacks on the Great 8 list for week 2 were Byrum Brown (USF), Aidan Chiles (Michigan St.), Anthony Colandrea (UNLV), John Mateer (Oklahoma), Beau Pribula (Missouri), Sawyer Robertson (Baylor), and Blake Shapen (Mississippi State).

With his outstanding performance, Hellums has now officially been added to the Davey O’Brien Award’s Midseason Watch List. With his addition, that list now stands at 46 members. 

The Davey O’Brien Foundation was created in 1977, and the National Quarterback Award, the oldest and most prestigious college quarterback award, was first issued in 1981. Over its time, the Davey O’Brien Foundation has given away more than $1.3 million in scholarships and university grants to help high school and college athletes transform leadership on the field into leadership in life.

Looking Ahead

The Black Knights (1-1, 0-0) are idle this week before hosting North Texas (2-0, 0-0) in their American Conference opener on September 20 at 12:00 pm EST, which will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network.

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