WEST POINT, N.Y. — Junior quarterback Cale Hellums rushed for a career-high 143 yards and two touchdowns, and the Army West Point defense held Charlotte to just 178 total yards as the Black Knights rolled to a 24-7 victory Saturday afternoon in front of a sellout crowd of 31,172 at Michie Stadium.
Army (3-3, 2-2 American) won its second consecutive game, dominating time of possession (37:54 to 22:06) and outgaining the 49ers 354-178 in total yards—including a commanding 304-68 advantage on the ground.
The victory marked Army’s 19th win in its last 24 games dating back to November 2023, continuing a stretch of dominance under head coach Jeff Monken.
HELLUMS SPARKS OFFENSE WITH EXPLOSIVE PLAYS
Hellums, making his third start of the season, set the tone early with the longest run of his career—a 51-yard burst that set up first-and-goal at the Charlotte 1-yard line. On the next play, he powered into the end zone for a 1-yard touchdown, giving Army a 7-0 lead with 3:40 remaining in the first quarter.
“Coach Worley had a phenomenal play call on a counter, and the defense bid on it, so we got great leverage,” Hellums said. “Guard and tackle pulled, and Teddy Williams made a phenomenal block. I cut off a bit, and then I just tried to push to get in the end zone, but I got caught. Gotta get faster.”
Hellums finished with 21 carries for 143 yards and two touchdowns, while also completing 2-of-4 passes for 50 yards—including a career-long 44-yard strike to Noah Short in the third quarter that set up his second touchdown.
“That pass to Noah was a huge momentum play,” Hellums said. “He ran a great route, and I just put it out there for him.“
Balanced Ground Attack
Army’s triple-option attack was firing on all cylinders, with six different ball carriers recording six or more rushing attempts:
- Hayden Reed: 11 carries, 53 yards
- Carson Smith: 6 carries, 37 yards, 1 TD (first career touchdown)
- Briggs Bartosh: 6 carries, 25 yards
- Noah Short: 8 carries, 20 yards
- Dewayne Coleman: 7 carries, 22 yards
Smith’s 5-yard touchdown run in the second quarter capped a methodical 17-play, 85-yard drive that consumed 10:51 of clock—the longest scoring drive of the season for Army.
“That was huge. That’s Army football right there. That’s Black Flag, that’s Army’s offense,” Hellums said. “That type of drive we need to put together all the time. That was huge; we allowed the defense to get rest on the sideline.”
Smith, who scored his first career touchdown, praised the offensive line’s dominance.
“Those guys are animals. They’re so dominant, and they’re such a great core of dudes who will fight for you,” Smith said. “The line was getting a lot of movement. I mean, the very first few plays we were like, ‘All right, what’s the front?’ And let’s see how the line does, and the line’s moving every single play. That just makes my job so much easier.”
Hellums echoed that sentiment, crediting the offensive line for the success.
“You know, last year they got voted the best O-line in the country, and I wouldn’t put it past them this year as well,” Hellums said. “All five of them are incredible. Our tight ends are incredible, and they just impose their will. When they’re moving the D-line and creating a new line of scrimmage four or three yards off the ball, it’s just an awesome feeling. I love running behind each and every one of them.“
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DEFENSE DOMINATES FROM START TO FINISH
Army’s defense was suffocating, holding Charlotte to just 68 rushing yards and forcing the 49ers (1-5, 0-3 American) into uncomfortable passing situations all afternoon.
Key Defensive Performances:
- Jack Bousum: Recorded a crucial third-down sack on Charlotte’s opening drive, setting the defensive tone early
- Eric Ford: Sack in the third quarter that forced a Charlotte punt from their own end zone
- Deshontez Gray: Tackle for loss in the third quarter
- Kalib Fortner: Forced fumble in the fourth quarter, recovered by Stephen Nnadozie at Army’s 41-yard line
- Casey Larkin: Open-field tackle on fourth-and-2 from the Army 15, forcing a turnover on downs in the first quarter
Charlotte managed just 3 yards of offense in the third quarter and was held scoreless until the final 12 seconds of the game, when quarterback Grayson Loftis connected with KD Hunter-Gibson for a 16-yard touchdown.
Defensive captain Kalib Fortner praised the defense’s performance and preparation.
“Defensively, I think we played an outstanding game today,” Fortner said. “We just saw on film that they were kind of rotating quarterbacks, trying to figure out who they wanted to go with. We knew they had some pretty good running backs, and their offensive line was pretty good, so we just had to make sure we could stop the run and kind of hold them to one-dimensional and throw them the ball because that’s not something they do very well. But we just played really good complementary football, and everybody was making the plays.”
Ford, who recorded a key sack late in the second quarter, credited the defensive line’s preparation and execution.
“It was a pretty nice play because the D-line has been working with me in trying to get me better in my pass-rushing skills, and it just finally paid off,” Ford said.
Fortner also highlighted the importance of stopping Charlotte’s opening drive.
“That’s not something we’ve done much this year: stop a team on their first drive. So that was great to stop them on the first drive,” Fortner said. “It was outstanding seeing everybody in every position making their plays, and Jack Bousum and that D-line group as a whole played a really good game.“
Under defensive coordinator Nate Woody (2020–present), Army is now 15-0 when holding opponents to seven points or fewer.
FIRST HALF DOMINANCE
Army controlled the first half from start to finish, building a 17-0 halftime lead while outgaining Charlotte 209-84 in total yards.
First Quarter:
After Bousum’s sack forced a Charlotte punt, Hellums’ 51-yard run and 1-yard touchdown gave Army an early 7-0 lead.
Charlotte recovered a Hayden Reed fumble at the Army 36, but the defense stood tall, with Larkin’s open-field tackle on fourth-and-2 forcing a turnover on downs.
Second Quarter:
Army’s 17-play, 85-yard touchdown drive showcased the triple-option at its best. The Black Knights converted 2-of-3 third downs and picked up a crucial fourth-and-2 from their own 49. Smith’s 5-yard touchdown run made it 14-0 with 3:41 remaining in the half.
“It’s what Army football is. A 17-play long drive like that, it’s what we’re known for; it’s our culture,” Smith said. “So being able to have a drive like that and really set the tone for what was a dominant first half by us was really nice.“
Charlotte converted one fourth down but failed on a second attempt, giving Army the ball near midfield with just over a minute left. Hellums’ 10-yard rush on third-and-5 set up a 38-yard field goal by Dawson Jones as time expired, extending the lead to 17-0.
“Going in at halftime, 17-0 is a great feeling,” Hellums said. “We wanted to score on that first drive; we didn’t. But once the defense got a stop early, and then we were able to score, go up 24-0, that was a great feeling.“
THIRD QUARTER: ARMY EXTENDS LEAD
After Ford’s sack and Gray’s tackle for loss forced a Charlotte punt from their own end zone, Army took over with excellent field position.
Facing third-and-9 from their own 47, Hellums delivered his best throw of the day—a 44-yard strike to Short that set up first-and-goal at the Charlotte 9.
“We got behind the chains, which we don’t need to do. Getting third and long is not the type of offense that we want to see,” Hellums said. “But we had to dial up a good play. We installed that play today, and Noah ran a great route and got separation, and I was able to complete the pass. And then ultimately scoring on that drive coming from third and nine from the 50, and then being able to put six points in the end zone—that was huge.“
It took four plays, but Hellums punched it in from 1 yard out on fourth-and-goal, extending Army’s lead to 24-0 with 4:16 remaining in the third quarter.
COACH MONKEN: DEMANDS IMPROVEMENT
Despite the convincing victory, head coach Jeff Monken was not entirely satisfied with his team’s performance, particularly in the second half.
“I thought we played a much better first half than we did in the second half,” Monken said. “I thought our defense played great, particularly in the first half—all the way up until the end. Offensively, I thought we played pretty well in the first half, the exception being the fumble. We had two touchdown drives and a field goal at the very end of the first half.
“I thought the second half, our offense played very poorly. I voiced my displeasure with them and probably got a pretty crappy look on my face, but I know who we have to be and what we have to do if we’re gonna win and have a chance to beat another opponent on our schedule, any of them.”
Monken emphasized the need for consistency and execution across all four quarters.
“It all comes down to assignment, fundamentals, execution of those two things,” Monken said. “At times it was an assignment, at times it was fundamentals, at times it was both, and at times we could have done better jobs as a coaching staff to position our guys. So it’s a combination of all of it, and I’m critical of every bit of it. I’m critical of myself ’cause I’m responsible for all of it.
“Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad we won; sure beats the alternative. But I’ve been doing this a long time, and I’ll tell you sometimes it’s even hard to enjoy the victories, ’cause the standard is so high. My expectations are so high, and the standards to meet those expectations, they have to meet them.“
Hellums acknowledged the need for improvement heading into next week’s matchup with Tulane.
“In the first half, I was very pleased with how we scored on all of our drives. One, we can’t have a turnover we’ll learn from that,” Hellums said. “But then in the second half, we’ve got to be better. We can’t take the foot off the gas because if we do that, then the team can sneak back in. We just need to play really good football all four quarters. But the defense played phenomenal, and that’s what really helped us win today.”
FOURTH QUARTER: DEFENSE HOLDS STRONG
Senior quarterback Dewayne Coleman entered the game late in the third quarter with Army comfortably ahead 24-0.
Charlotte showed signs of life in the fourth quarter, recording its first two first downs of the second half. But Fortner forced a fumble, recovered by Nnadozie at Army’s 41-yard line, snuffing out the threat.
Army chewed up nearly seven minutes on its next drive, moving 31 yards before a 45-yard field goal attempt by Jones was blocked.
Charlotte scored its only points on the final drive of the game, taking over with 1:54 remaining and finding the end zone with 12 seconds left on Loftis’ 16-yard touchdown pass to Hunter-Gibson.
BUILDING MOMENTUM
Both Fortner and Smith emphasized the importance of building momentum heading into a tough stretch of the schedule.
“As a team, I think we played really great in the first half. In the second half, we had to clean up some stuff. But it was great to get our first win at home, and I’m just really proud of the guys,” Fortner said.
Smith echoed that sentiment, highlighting the team’s improved practice habits.
“It’s momentum. Coming off back-to-back wins, you kind of build that confidence back up and just get that momentum to where, you know, you get the middle stretch of the season where teams are starting to get banged up, bodies start to take a toll. I think that’s where we really shine. We just play such a tough, hard-nosed brand of football that I feel like the middle and late season is where you really see us thrive.“
Ford added, “We’re all pretty close with each other, so I feel like we’re very compatible. But we’re just putting more focus. As it is now, we have to turn it around.“
LOOKING AHEAD: TULANE
Army’s next test comes against Tulane in New Orleans on Saturday, October 18, at 12:00 PM. The Black Knights will look to build on their two-game winning streak and continue their push for bowl eligibility.
“Tulane is a great team, and we’ll need to bring our A-game for four quarters,” Hellums said. “This win was a step in the right direction, but we’ve got a lot of work to do. I think it’s gonna be a really hard week of practice and good preparation in order for us to compete against Tulane.”
Monken emphasized the challenge ahead.
“We’re gonna have perhaps the biggest test of the year coming up against Tulane. If you saw that game on Thursday night, East Carolina and Tulane, those are two really good football teams slugging it out to the very finish. We’re gonna need to have improved a whole lot from two weeks ago, when we played East Carolina, to play seven days from now if we’re gonna be competitive in the game. But we’ll work hard; I promise you that our guys will put the effort in. Our coaches will, and I will; I’ll make sure of it. And we’ll give it our very best shot next Saturday in New Orleans.”
Smith summed up the team’s mindset heading into the next game.
“It’s a 1-0 mindset. This game is behind us; we’re on to the next week. It’s 1-0; it’s this next week; nothing before matters. We don’t care if we’re three and three; we don’t care if we’re one and two. It’s on to the next game, on to the next opponent, and just doing our best to win.“
FINAL STATS
| Category | Charlotte | Army |
|---|---|---|
| Total Yards | 178 | 354 |
| Rushing Yards | 68 | 304 |
| Passing Yards | 110 | 50 |
| First Downs | 11 | 20 |
| 3rd Down Conv. | 5-14 | 8-14 |
| 4th Down Conv. | 2-5 | 2-3 |
| Time of Poss. | 22:06 | 37:54 |
| Penalties | 2-20 | 1-15 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 1 |
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