Army Dominates UConn at Fenway Bowl: Short Makes History, Nwawuihe and Hellums Shine

BOSTON, MA — Army West Point stormed past UConn, 41-16, in front of 22,461 fans at Fenway Park, capping their season with a statement win in the Wasabi Fenway Bowl. The Black Knights (7-6, 4-4) delivered a relentless ground assault, piling up 368 rushing yards and five touchdowns, and notched their ninth bowl victory in program history.

First Quarter: Early Fireworks

The Huskies (9-4) struck first, as Cam Edwards broke free for a 12-yard touchdown run, giving UConn a 7-0 lead. Army responded immediately—after a 15-yard dash from Jake Rendina, quarterback Cale Hellums found Noah Short streaking down the sideline for a 40-yard touchdown. The opening quarter ended tied at 7-7, with both defenses trading blows and momentum up for grabs.

Second Quarter: Army Answers the Call

After a defensive stand and a fumble recovery by UConn’s Matt Hoffman, Army’s offense regrouped. Freshman running back Godspower Nwawuihe electrified the crowd with a 43-yard touchdown sprint, putting Army ahead for good. UConn managed a 49-yard field goal as the half expired, but Army held a 14-10 advantage at the break.

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Third Quarter: Record-Setting Runs

Nwawuihe opened the second half with a highlight-reel 70-yard touchdown run, the second-longest in Army bowl history—trailing only Kelvin Hopkins Jr.’s 77-yarder against Houston in the 2018 Armed Forces Bowl, and tying Tyler Campbell’s 70-yard run in the 2016 Heart of Dallas Bowl. Army’s defense clamped down, and Hellums added a 1-yard touchdown run to extend the lead to 27-10. Army’s offense hummed, with Noah Short closing in on a rare milestone and Hellums surpassing 1,200 rushing yards on the year.

Fourth Quarter: Milestones and a Statement Finish

Hellums punched in his second rushing touchdown of the day early in the fourth, capping a methodical 15-play, 89-yard drive. UConn answered with an 11-yard touchdown by Ksaan Farrar, but Army’s Carson Smith responded with a 6-yard score to seal the 41-16 rout. Noah Short, before the touchdown, picked up the last 10 yards to make history at Army on an 11-yard RAC. Short became the first player in the program’s history to record a career record of 1,000+ rushing yards and 1,000+ receiving yards. Army dominated the time of possession, holding the ball for over 36 minutes and converting 8 of 12 third downs.

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History Made at Fenway

• Noah Short became the first player in Army program history to reach both 1,000 career rushing and 1,000 career receiving yards, after amassing 108 yards receiving in today’s game.
• Godspower Nwawuihe’s 70-yard touchdown run is now the second-longest in Army bowl history, tying Tyler Campbell’s 2016 mark and just behind Kelvin Hopkins Jr.’s 77-yard record in 2018.
• Andon Thomas recorded five tackles, bringing his season total to the third-highest by an Army player in a single season.
• Cale Hellums became the second-most prolific touchdown scorer in a single season for Army, trailing only Bryson Daily’s 32 touchdowns set last year.

Voices from the Field

Head Coach Jeff Monken expressed his gratitude and pride:
“First of all, I want to say thank you to the Wasabi Fenway Bowl, all the folks here at Fenway Park. What an incredible organization and a world-class organization the Red Sox are. The staff here, the team that runs the bowl, is just incredible. They hosted us, they’re gracious, just incredible to our guys. And it was really a first-class trip for our players to have an opportunity to play in a venue like this, where so many great players and great teams have played… Just an incredible experience for our players. We’re very, very, very thankful for that.”

Monken highlighted his team’s response to adversity:
“Our team did a great job today of responding from what was a disappointing loss a couple of weeks ago… For these guys to respond the way they did and to prepare the way they did, I’m really, really proud of them. The guys on either side of me, this kind of represents all the generations of Army football in our program right now.”

On Noah Short’s historic achievement:
“Noah’s a very talented player. He actually came into our program as a defensive player… But we recognized just how well he ran and what a good athlete he is. And so before his sophomore year, we moved him over to offense and put him in the slot receiver position… And it’s amazing to know that we played football for 125 years, and he’s the first guy to do what he did. So really proud of him.”

Army Players Takes

Godspower Nwawuihe credited his teammates:
“Yeah, my team, they played hard, and the offensive line blocked hard. They put me in positions to make plays and just trusted in my guys and went out there and gave them all.”

Senior captain Caleb Fortner reflected on the Fenway experience:
“I can’t speak enough about how awesome it’s been to be a part of two games inside of Major League Baseball stadiums, you know, last year with Yankee Stadium, and this year here at, you know, this beautiful, iconic venue. I mean, it’s pretty awesome. You know, a small guy like myself coming out of Knoxville, Tennessee, could never dream of this, and you know, it’s just a huge honor, a huge blessing to be able to play in the stadium.”

On the team’s mental toughness:
“We, in our minds, were like, we’re going to play our brand of football, and we’re going to make them want to play football with us. Because that’s what we do. We try to be the toughest football team in the world. So that was our mentality.”

UConn’s Perspective

Interim Head Coach Gordon Sammis was candid in defeat:
“Sucks to lose. I guess we can start with that. Didn’t do enough to win the game, thought we had the guys to do it. We weren’t able to get it done… It’s unfortunate with what happened. Wish it could have been better. Which is how it goes.”

Running back Cam Edwards reflected on his journey:
“It just means a lot to be part of UConn. They brought me in, and I had nowhere to go. They just let me become a better man and player, so I’m thankful for that.”

Stat Leaders

• Godspower Nwawuihe: 12 carries, 171 yards, 2 TDs
• Cale Hellums: 15 carries, 45 yards, 2 rushing TDs, 7/8 passing, 108 yards, 1 TD
• Noah Short: 7 receptions, 108 yards, 1 TD
• Army Rushing: 368 yards, 5 TDs on 56 carries

A Historic Win in a Historic Venue

The Black Knights’ victory marks their third straight bowl win following an Army-Navy loss and their first at Fenway Park—a fitting chapter in a season defined by resilience and tradition. Head coach Jeff Monken’s squad finishes 5-1 in bowls under his leadership, and Army now stands 9-3 all-time in postseason play.

That’s the story from Fenway, where Army made history and closed their season in style. For exclusive insights, behind-the-scenes access, and the stories you won’t find anywhere else, subscribe to the Bad Dawg Sports newsletter for just $24/year. Stay ahead of the game—join our community of true fans today!