The service academies went two-for-three during a dramatic Week 4 in which four points or fewer decided all three games.
Army and Air Force earned their first conference victories of the season, while Navy dropped its second consecutive American Conference game. The weekend included a late Army touchdown in Philadelphia, two costly Navy turnovers in Birmingham, Alabama, and an Air Force double-overtime thriller in Reno, Nevada.
Army Prevails in Gritty Battle at Temple
The Black Knights (2-1, 1-1 American) defeated the Temple Owls (1-3, 0-1 American) 21-17 before an announced crowd of 13,449 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
Temple came off a short week while Army had an extra week to recover and address the mistakes that cost them against USF. Coach Jeff Monken emphasized fundamentals and improvement during the lead-up to Friday’s game.
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Decked out in white jerseys with black pants and helmets, the 11th Airborne Division patch was emblazoned on the backs of the Black Knights’ football helmets and the coaches’ headsets. The “Arctic Angels” were Army’s Division of the Game for the matchup in Philadelphia.
The Cadets had to prepare for two Temple quarterbacks this week, but they faced Ajani Sheppard for most of the game. The senior dual-threat playcaller was 11-for-20 for 242 yards and two touchdowns. Sheppard added 48 yards on 10 carries and connected with Samuel Brown V and Colin Chase on touchdown passes of 78 and 67 yards, respectively.
The Black Knights’ offense controlled time of possession. They held the ball for 38 minutes, 1 second and rushed 57 times for 279 yards. Quarterback Cale Hellums led the charge, carrying the ball 22 times for 104 yards. Army attempted only six passes, with Hellums completing three for 36 yards.
Hellums accounted for all three of the Black Knights’ touchdowns on the ground. Army’s opening touchdown drive consumed 7:10, while a 15-play scoring drive to begin the second half took 9:56 off the clock.
The Black Knights’ physical brand of offense was most evident after Carl Hardin’s 29-yard field goal gave Temple a 17-14 lead with 7:38 remaining. Army went back to work on the ground, marching 75 yards in 12 plays. The Black Knights consumed 5:57 before Hellums powered into the end zone from 3 yards out for his third touchdown and an ultimately decisive 21-17 lead with 1:41 remaining.
Senior slotback Samari Howard had eight carries for 69 yards, while running back Carson Smith carried 12 times for 63 yards. Smith was particularly important on Army’s final scoring drive, touching the ball six times as the Black Knights continued to pound Temple’s defense.
Godspower Nwawuihe led Army in receiving with 20 yards on one reception before leaving the game. The running back watched from the sideline during the fourth quarter without his shoulder pads.
Temple finished with 459 yards of offense, but Army’s defense limited the Owls to 17 points and came through with critical stops. Senior safety Stephen Nnadozie led the Black Knights with nine tackles, while defensive lineman Dillon Stowers recorded Army’s lone sack.
The defense also stopped Temple on fourth down twice, including the game’s decisive stop. Temple’s offense quickly moved downfield on its final drive, reaching Army’s 24-yard line. Cornerback Jaydan Mayes broke up Sheppard’s pass on fourth-and-3 with 29 seconds left, ending Temple’s comeback hopes.
Army will travel to Ruston to face Louisiana Tech (1-2) at Joe Aillet Stadium on Saturday, October 3. The 7:30 p.m. ET matchup—which Louisiana Tech has designated as its Military Appreciation Game—will air on ESPN+. The Bulldogs are in their first season in the Sun Belt Conference. They last played Army in the 2024 Independence Bowl, falling 27-6 to a No. 22-ranked Black Knights squad that won the American Conference.
Coming off a bye, the Bulldogs have some uncertainty at quarterback, with senior Trey Kukuk stepping in for starter Blake Baker during a 36-19 loss to Baylor on September 19. Kukuk leads the team in rushing with 127 yards. The senior has also thrown for 283 yards and three touchdowns. Sophomore wide receiver Jalen Mickens has been Louisiana Tech’s leading target, recording 297 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
UAB Stuns Navy
Costly mistakes, including two fourth-quarter fumbles, proved too much for the Midshipmen (1-2, 0-2 American) to overcome in their second straight American Conference defeat. UAB (2-2, 1-0 American) knocked off the Mids 24-20 Friday night in the Blazers’ Salute to Service Game at Protective Stadium.
Navy wore its blue jerseys and pants with gold helmets. The pants featured the eagle, globe, and anchor emblem of the Marine Corps.
Despite speculation that Braxton Woodson would return against UAB, coach Brian Newberry went with Jackson Gutierrez. Making his first college start, the junior from San Antonio racked up 134 rushing yards and a touchdown. Through the air, he was 4-for-13 for 104 yards.
Woodson dressed for the game and was available, if needed, while continuing to recover from a sprained left ankle. The senior made a brief appearance with just over 13 minutes remaining in the game, taking one snap before Gutierrez returned.
Senior running back Vic Listorti hauled in a 39-yard reception and carried seven times for 29 yards and a touchdown.
Navy kicker Nolan Bartley connected on 34- and 31-yard field goals in the final two minutes of the second quarter. His second field goal cuts the Mids’ deficit to 17-13 at halftime.
UAB quarterback Ryder Burton went 13-for-20, passing for 174 yards and a touchdown. He connected with Ty Mims on a 56-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter. Mims, a redshirt senior wide receiver, finished with 76 receiving yards on three catches.
Redshirt senior Bam McReynolds, a 5-foot-7, 190-pound running back, led the Blazers with 71 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
The game ball goes to UAB’s defense, which recorded six sacks against Navy. Senior linebacker Marlin Dean, in particular, wreaked havoc on the Mids’ offense by pressuring Gutierrez in the backfield. Dean finished with 12 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, and three forced fumbles, including both of Navy’s costly fourth-quarter turnovers. He forced a fumble while sacking Gutierrez for a 15-yard loss with 10:46 remaining, then forced and recovered Michael Barrow’s fumble with just more than three minutes later. Dean fittingly capped his performance with a sack as time expired.
Despite the loss, Navy controlled much of the statistical battle, outgaining UAB 353-290 and outrushing the Blazers 249-116. The Mids recorded 24 first downs to UAB’s 15, ran 17 more offensive plays, and controlled possession for 34:22. However, six sacks and two lost fumbles helped prevent the Midshipmen from turning those advantages into a victory.
Air Force Captures Overtime Thriller
The Falcons (2-1, 1-1 Mountain West) defeated Nevada (1-3, 0-1) in a 36-33 double-overtime victory Saturday night.
Liam Szarka and company took the field in their classic white jerseys with blue helmets and pants. Szarka led the Falcons with 171 rushing yards and two touchdowns. The junior also threw for 92 yards, including a score to Matt Long with 10:24 remaining in the final quarter. Szarka made a late mistake by throwing an interception with 17 seconds left and the score tied at 27.
Senior running back Rocco Conti added 77 yards on 11 carries, including the 7-yard game-winner in the second overtime.
For the Wolf Pack, quarterback Carter Jones went 18-for-30 for 224 yards. Nevada’s three touchdowns came on the ground, with junior running back Herschel Turner rushing for 111 yards and scoring twice. His first was an 8-yarder, while a monster 57-yard touchdown with 1:49 remaining forced overtime. Backup quarterback A.J. Bianco’s 9-yard touchdown run gave the Wolf Pack a 17-13 lead in the third quarter.
Both kickers put on a show. Carter Cremascoli of Air Force made all three of his field-goal attempts, with a long of 43 yards. His 28-yard kick put the Falcons up 30-27 in the first overtime. Nevada’s Joe McFadden, meanwhile, went four–for-four and delivered clutch field goals in the fourth quarter, first and second overtimes. McFadden’s 38-yarder in the second OT gave Nevada a 33-30 lead. The Falcons answered with a five-play, 25-yard drive, concluding with Conti’s 7-yard, game-winning touchdown run.
Air Force controlled the statistical battle with 455 yards of total offense. The Falcons rushed for 363 yards on 70 carries. Air Force recorded 24 first downs, converted all four of its fourth-down attempts, and controlled possession for 36:04.
The Falcons’ defense also generated consistent pressure on Jones, recording four sacks. Linebackers Blake Fletcher and Dallas Daley led Air Force with 13 and 10 tackles, respectively. Jaylin Reese led the pass rush with 1.5 sacks. The Falcons’ defense also came through after Szarka’s late interception. It prevented Nevada from capitalizing on the turnover, sending the game into overtime tied at 27.
Air Force to Host Navy
Air Force will host Navy to open the 2026 Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy series at noon ET on October 3 at Falcon Stadium in Colorado Springs. CBS will televise the game nationally. Last season, the Midshipmen, who went on to capture the trophy, prevailed 34-31 at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, Maryland. The Falcons will wear their 2026 Air Power Legacy Series uniforms, honoring the B-21 Raider stealth bomber for the rivalry game.
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