Week eight of the college football season saw two of the service academies in action and one on a bye. Army traveled to the Big Easy, New Orleans, for an American Athletic Conference (AAC) showdown with a strong Tulane squad, while Air Force, clad in Space Force-themed uniforms, hosted Mountain West Conference (MW) rival Wyoming at Falcon Stadium in Colorado Springs. Navy spent the week in Annapolis preparing for its week nine showdown against Florida Atlantic (FAU).
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A major theme this week was the difficulty both Army and Air Force faced in sparking their run-heavy offenses in the first half of play. Army entered halftime tied 3-3 with Tulane, while Air Force trailed Wyoming 7-6. Both defenses held strong early, but in the end, a lack of offensive output doomed the Black Knights, who were edged 24-17, with Air Force recovering after halftime to pull out a 24-21 win.
Army Swept Away Late by the Green Wave
Army entered the game leading all NCAA Division I programs in time of possession, averaging 36:17 minutes per game. In this contest, the Black Knights controlled the ball for nearly 39 minutes. Despite slow offensive starts from both sides, quarterbacks Cale Hellums and Jake Retzlaff ended up with respectable numbers by the end of the game. Hellums carried the ball 39 times for 155 yards, claiming the Black Knights’ two touchdowns. Wide receiver Brady Anderson was Army’s top target, catching four passes for 97 yards. In the second half of play, the 6-foot-1, 210-pound sophomore had a big 39-yard catch that set up a Black Knights touchdown.
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Retzlaff was 22-for-29 passing for 261 yards and two touchdowns. The redshirt senior and former BYU quarterback added 62 rushing yards and a touchdown on the ground. Standout performances by wide receivers Shazz Preston and Bryce Bohanon supported his efforts. In addition to catching the game-winning touchdown, Preston racked up 86 yards on five catches. Bohanon caught five balls for 51 yards, scoring his first career touchdown.
Army’s defense controlled the tempo for much of the ballgame, stifling the Green Wave offense until well into the second half. The Black Knights’ defense contained the Tulane ground game to 141 total yards, a factor that kept the game close. Despite being on the field for an extended period of time, the Green Wave’s defense was excellent in key moments and when defending against the pass.
Army opened up the game with an 18-play possession that ended in Dawson Jones’ missed field goal from 44 yards out. This missed scoring opportunity at 3:16 in the first would come back and haunt the Black Knights down the stretch.
The Green Wave’s first possession of the game ended after 11 plays, when Tulane turned the ball over on downs. On its next possession, Army controlled the ball for over six minutes, eventually punting at 7:31 in the second quarter. The Black Knights had the opportunity to go up seven on this possession, but a wide-open Anderson dropped Hellums’ pass.
The Green Wave offense finally scored at 1:49 on Patrick Durkin’s 30-yard field goal attempt. Tulane led 3-0, until the Black Knights responded on their next possession with a field goal of their own. Anderson redeemed himself by pulling in Hellums’ 39-yard toss to set up the field goal. Jones’ 43-yard field goal attempt was good with 23 seconds remaining in the half. The Green Wave ran one play, a six-yard Javin Gordon run, as time expired.
The score was tied 3-3 at halftime.
Tulane went three-and-out on its first possession of the second half, punting the ball to Army. Around 6:40 in the third, Hellums got stuffed on 2nd & Goal. On the next play, he got a little help from his friends as the Army playcaller was pushed into the endzone to put Army ahead for the first time in the contest. With the extra point, Army led 10-3 at 6:31. Anderson had another big catch to set up this touchdown, a 32-yard reception.
Retzlaff recorded his eighth rushing touchdown of the season on Tulane’s next possession, running for 37 yards. The game was tied 10-10 at 4:52 of the third quarter. Army was forced to punt on its next possession.
An eight-play possession ended in Retzlaff’s pass being intercepted. Army safety Casey Larkin picked off the ball in the end zone during the first minute of the fourth quarter. This huge play led to another Black Knights touchdown. Hellums scored his second rushing touchdown, a one-yarder, at 5:54 in the fourth quarter, putting Army up 17-10.
Tulane responded with a touchdown of its own. Retzlaff connected with Bohanon on a 12-yard toss at 1:54. The game was tied at 17 with under two minutes in regulation. The Green Wave defense shut down Army on its next possession, forcing the visiting squad to punt after going three-and-out.
A six-play scoring drive culminated in a Tulane touchdown late in the fourth. Wide receiver Preston was able to hang onto Retzlaff’s pass that was deflected and bobbled towards the back of the end zone. The Green Wave took the lead and held on to win the ballgame 24-17. On the final possession of the game, Army managed to get into Tulane territory but failed to score as time expired in the affair.
Army falls to 3-4 overall on the season, 2-3 in conference play, while Tulane remains towards the top of the AAC with a record of 6-1, 3-0 against conference opponents. Army heads into a bye week before heading west to square off against service academy foe Air Force at Falcon Stadium on Saturday, November 1st at 12 PM ET.
Air Force Secures Second Win of the Season
After a series of heartbreaking defeats, Air Force won their second game of the season at home against Wyoming in front of 23,401 fans. Quarterback Liam Szarka was 3-for-8 through the air for 33 yards. Following a similar trend in the season, his better numbers came running for 141 yards and a touchdown. This was the sophomore playcaller’s fifth consecutive game with over 100 rushing yards.
Running backs Owen Allen and Kade Frew also had strong outings on the ground for Air Force. Allen had 105 yards on ten carries, while Frew had a touchdown and 49 rushing yards. Kicker Regan Tubbs was 3-for-3 on field goal attempts, giving the Falcons nine points with his leg.
Despite being the MW’s worst turnover defense entering the game, Air Force forced two fourth-quarter interceptions, including a crucial pick by freshman defensive back Max Mustell, to help preserve the narrow win down the stretch.
Wyoming’s offense was led by quarterback Kaden Anderson, who was 23-for-29 passing for 211 yards and one touchdown. Running back Terron Kellman led the Cowboys’ rushing attack, running for two touchdowns on 83 yards.
The Falcons used 16 plays to set up a successful field goal attempt at 5:52 of the first. Tubbs’ kick from 32 yards out was good and Air Force led 3-0. Wyoming stormed down the field on its first possession, setting up Kellman’s 23-yard touchdown run at 1:32 in the opening quarter.
Down 7-3, the Falcons went three-and-out on their next possession, punting away the ball with 27 seconds remaining in the first. Wyoming’s next possession ended in a punt. Air Force got within one point of the Cowboys on Tubbs’ 29-yard field goal. The Falcons trailed 7-6 at 6:41 of the second quarter.
The two teams exchanged punts on their next possessions. Wyoming ran nine plays before time expired in the first half. The score was 7-6 as both teams ran into their respective locker rooms for the half.
On the opening drive of the second half, the Cowboys scored on Kellman’s 23-yard touchdown run at 10:30. With the extra point good, Wyoming led 14-6. On Air Force’s next possession, Szarka used his arm and legs to tie up the game. An 18-yard pass to Jonah Dawson and a 27-yard run were two key plays that later set up Szarka’s one-yard rushing touchdown at 6:40 in the third. The Falcons converted the two-point conversion on Szarka’s toss to Frew to even the score 14-14.
On the next two possessions, Wyoming punted, and the Falcons turned the ball over on downs. A costly interception on the Cowboys’ next possession opened the door for Air Force to take the lead. Anderson threw to former quarterback turned tight end Evan Svoboda, who attempted a touchdown pass that Roger Jones Jr. intercepted on 3rd & Goal. Air Force used a nine-play drive to take the lead, 21-14, on Frew’s nine-yard rushing touchdown.
On 3rd & 5 at their own 26-yard line, Anderson was picked off by defensive back Mustell, who arguably made the biggest defensive play of the game. The Falcons took advantage of the break and kicked a field goal to take a 24-14 lead with 3:04 left to play. Tubbs’ attempt from 40 yards out was good.
Wyoming would not roll over as they used nine plays to score a touchdown on Anderson’s 13-yard pass to Michael Fitzgerald at 1:02 of the fourth. Air Force went on to use four plays to preserve their 24-21 lead, run out the clock, and secure their second win of the 2025 campaign.
The Falcons are now 2-5 overall (1-4 MW) as they enter the bye week. Air Force returns to action on November 1st for their Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy battle with Army at Falcon Stadium at 12 PM ET.
Navy Claims Another “Win” During Bye Week
The Mids’ offensive line was named to the Joe Moore Award midseason honor roll, national recognition reserved for the most physical and cohesive offensive line units across college football. This designation is a testament to the trench dominance that has fueled Navy’s undefeated start; a front five that has controlled time of possession, minimized negative plays, and consistently created lanes for the likes of Blake Horvath and Alex Tecza to punish enemy defenses on the ground.
The Mids welcome head coach Zach Kittley’s FAU Owls to Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium on Saturday, October 25th, for a 3:30 PM ET kickoff, streaming on Fubo and YouTube TV. FAU enters the matchup at 3-4 (2-2 AAC) after a 48-13 loss to nationally ranked South Florida, positioning them squarely in the middle of the conference standings.
The Owls have relied heavily on the offensive leadership of quarterback Caden Veltkamp, a transfer from Western Kentucky, who was the 2024 Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year. Through the air, the redshirt junior playcaller is 200-for-303 with 15 touchdowns on 2,025 yards. A physically imposing player, standing at 6-foot-6, 236 pounds, the Kentucky-native also has two touchdowns on 38 rushing yards.
Fellow Western Kentucky transfer wide receiver Easton Messer leads the team in receiving yards with 560 (one touchdown). The redshirt junior has also been a reliable part of FAU’s special teams unit, compiling 188 yards on 10 punt returns. Running back Gemari Sands provides dual-threat versatility out of the backfield, posting 308 rushing yards on 59 carries and 109 receiving yards on 22 catches.
FAU’s defense has struggled to get off the field, allowing opponents to sustain long, clock-draining drives all season. This is a key weakness that the Mids’ run-heavy game is built to exploit. Blake Horvath and his offensive comrades can help win this game by controlling time of possession, protecting the football, and forcing FAU to play frustrated and from behind, something they have not handled well this campaign.
The Road Ahead
Army now enters its bye week before traveling to Colorado Springs for a critical Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy showdown with Air Force on November 1st. The Falcons will also be idle, using the week to regroup and prepare for what may define their season against a fellow service academy rival. Navy returns to action on October 25, when they host FAU in Annapolis, looking to remain perfect and continue their push toward postseason positioning.
