Army football dominates UConn for Fenway Bowl victory

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Army football closed the 2025 season with a dominating bowl performance and a bright light toward the future.

In a season that will be remembered for nine one-score decisions, Army was able to post a dominant 41-16 victory over Connecticut in the fourth Fenway Bowl in Boston on December 27. Army put up 27 second-half points as head coach Jeff Monken improved to 6-1 in bowl action.

Afterward, Monken was chased down by three Army players carrying the Gatorade bucket, eventually getting doused. Then the Army players rushed out and played with the snow mounds left by the previous evening's small storm, before singing the Alma Mater one last time in 2025.

Numerous standards were set by the Black Knights (7-6). Junior quarterback Cale Hellums battled a 101-degree fever but still managed to lead five scoring drives, scoring on a pair of runs (1 and 6 yards) to move to second on the all-time, single-season touchdown list with 18. He completed seven of his eight throws to senior Noah Short (108 yards, touchdown), who became the first Army player to post 1,000 receiving yards and rushing yards in a career.

Sophomore Godspower Nwahuihe had a breakout game, rushing for two scores and 171 yards on the way to being named offensive MVP. In his final collegiate game, linebacker Kalib Fortner was named the defensive MVP.

Connecticut broke out on top 7-0. Leading rusher Cam Edwards did not see action on the Huskies' first six snaps of the game, but made an immediate impact upon his insertion. He went 34 yards off the right side on his first carry and scored from 12 yards out, squeezing between two Army tacklers, for his 15th touchdown of the season, with 9:17 left in the first quarter.

Monken was disappointed to come out with no points on two first-half drives, the first ending with a fourth-down call that was stopped and the third series on a fumble by Jake Rendina.

In between, Hellums hit Short on a 40-yard scoring pass, his second TD reception of the season, the first coming at Air Force. In celebration, Hellums pretended to hit a home run out of the ballpark.

Hellums directed Army's longest touchdown drive of the season later in the second quarter, guiding the Black Knights 90 yards on 10 snaps. Hellums converted a pair of third downs, one on an 11-yard scamper and another on an 11-yard swing pass to Short. Nwawuihe squeezed between some great blocks on the line to burst through the middle for a 43-yard score (his first of the season) and 14-7 lead 3:04 before halftime.

The Huskies responded well, moving 51 yards on nine plays. UConn called a timeout with four seconds left, and Chis Freeman booted a 49-yard field goal (his 23rd of the season) to head into the breakdown 14-10.

Nwawuihe posted perhaps the signature moment of the game on the second snap of the second half, breaking three tackles at the line of scrimmage, veering toward the left sideline and slipping through another tackle attempt before completing a 70-yard score for a 20-10 lead.

Army went 11 plays and 57 yards on its next series. Hellums scored from a yard out off the right side, leaping for joy in the end zone for a 27-10 lead.

Bridging the third and fourth quarters, Hellums engineered an 89-yard drive, weaving through the right side of the line for a 6-yard score and 34-10 lead. It was the ninth time this season that Army executed a scoring drive of at least 15 plays.

Army football: On the winning side

With the win, Army (7-6) avoided its first losing season since 2019. Monken opened his 12-year tenure with two losing campaigns before rolling off three consecutive bowl wins (2016-18).

The 58-year-old Monken owns an 89-63 record at West Point, ranking No. 2 all-time in victories behind Hall of Famer Earl 'Red' Blaik. He has won the Armed Forces Bowl three times, the Heart of Dallas and Independence bowls. His lone loss was the 2020 Liberty Bowl.

Up next

Army will open the 2026 season with a Sept. 5 non-league home game against Bryant. UConn will open the season with a Sept 5 non-league home game at Rentschler Field against Lafayette and a Sept. 12 home game with Maryland.

kmcmillan@th-record.com

X / Twitter: @KenMcMillanTHR

This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: Army topples Connecticut in 2025 Fenway Bowl

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