Jones’ Game-Winning Kick Gives Football Win at Air Force

Saturday, November 1

USAF Academy, Colo.

12:00 PM ET

Army West Point

4-4 , 2-3

Air Force

2-6 , 1-4

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Army West Point

Air Force

Photo by: Danny Wild-Imagn Images

Jones’ Game-Winning Kick Gives Football Win at Air Force

November 01, 2025 | Football

Box Score Game Highlights Photo Gallery

USAF ACADEMY, Colo. — Army West Point (4-4, 2-3) traveled west to face service academy rival Air Force (2-6, 1-4) on Saturday in the first leg of the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy series — marking the Black Knights' first visit to Falcon Stadium since 2019.

And in front of the 39,441 fans hanging on every play of the service academy rivalry game at Falcon Stadium Saturday, the Black Knights won a barnburner as time expired, as Dawson Jones knocked a 27-yard field goal through the uprights to give Army a 20-17 win.

The closing score came on the heels of an Air Force game-tying touchdown inside two minutes, and a 42-yard pass from quarterback Cale Hellums to wide receiver Brady Anderson on the final offensive drive to set up the kick.

Hellums led Army in rushing with 98 yards across 26 carries, with a touchdown on the ground. He also went 5-for-9 passing with 102 yards passing and a score. Defensively, Collin Matteson's career-high in tackles (10 solo, 11 total) were a team-high Saturday.

The Black Knights will have a chance to win back the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy on December 13 vs. Navy in Baltimore, Md.

Air Force won the toss and deferred, giving Army the ball to start the game. The Black Knights opened with a quick three-and-out, as Hellums made his fifth start of the season at quarterback and running back Hayden Reed returned to the lineup, taking the game's first carry.

Air Force moved the chains twice on its opening drive, but Army's defense held firm and forced a punt near midfield. The Black Knights went three-and-out a second time, and the Falcons responded with another drive into Army territory — highlighted by a 21-yard completion from quarterback Liam Szarka to tight end Brian Fleischmann.

Once again, the Army defense stiffened. Safety Casey Larkin delivered a tackle for loss to halt the march, but Reagan Tubbs converted a 52-yard field goal to put Air Force on the board first, 3–0.

The Black Knights' offense came to life as running back Briggs Bartosh exploded on a 38-yard run to the left sideline to roll into Falcons' territory. Facing third-and-13, Hellums took a deep shot and hit slot back Noah Short on a 40-yard touchdown, giving Army a 7–3 lead as the first quarter came to a close.

Early in the second quarter, Army defensive lineman Jack Bousum burst through for an eight-yard sack of Szarka, forcing another stop and keeping momentum with the Black Knights.

Running back Godspower Nwawuihe made his collegiate debut and received his first carry in the second quarter. While the drive stalled out on the Air Force side of the 50, James Wagenseller's third punt of the game was an effective one, pinning the Falcons at their own 2 with 4:57 left in the half.

With Air Force pinned deep in their own territory, Army's defense answered the call late in the half. While Szarka picked up a third-and-short on drive's first set of downs, Larkin picked him off just two plays later, handing the ball back to Hellums and company at the Falcon 41.

The Black Knights turned the takeaway into three points, with Dawson Jones making a 44-yard field goal with 35 seconds left in the half.

Air Force looked to make the most of the half's final moments, with Szarka completing a trio of passes to get the Falcons into field goal range. However, a 40-yard kick was pulled left and Army took a 10-3 lead into the locker room.

The Falcons opened the second half with an 11-play drive that drained more than six minutes off the clock and pushed into the red zone. But Army's defense again answered the bell, as Gavin Shields intercepted Szarka — the Black Knights' second pick of the game — to deny the Falcons any points.

Air Force put together a 12-play, 65-yard drive that chewed up 7:05 off the third-quarter clock. Liam Szarka capped the march with a 3-yard quarterback keeper into the end zone, tying the game at 10-10. It was the Falcons' first touchdown against the Army defense in 31 possessions dating back to 2022.

Taking possession for just the second time in the second half as the fourth quarter got underway, Army delivered an emphatic answer to re-take the lead, going 75 yards over 13 plays and chewing exactly eight minutes off the clock. One play after Hellums moved the sticks with his legs on third-and-7, the quarterback once again called his own number and found the end zone on a 10-yard run to make it 17-10 Black Knights with 7:00 minutes remaining.

Szarka once again marched the Falcons deep into Army territory, looking to tie the contest. But once again, the Army defense forced a turnover, when Cole Searight stripped Szarka before an attempted pass, with Deshontez Gray falling on the loose ball at the 17 with 3:11 left in the game.

Army however would come up short on a fourth-and-1 on their own 26 with 2:19 to play, after replay review upheld an initial spot of just short. And with just a quarter of the field in front of them, the Falcons would tie the game on a Szarka two-yard rush with 1:26 left in the game, before Army embarked on its game-winning field goal drive.

GAME NOTES

Carrying the Flag: LB Andon Thomas led the Black Knights onto the field with the Black Flag.

Division of the Game: Army honored the 1st Armored Division with helmet decals and headset logos.
The 4th Infantry Division, known as the "Ivy Division," is a prominent unit of the United States Army, based at Fort Carson, Colorado, with a rich history dating back to World War I.

Army has won seven of the last nine meetings against Air Force (2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024 and 2025).
Army defeated Air Force for the third straight season, marking its first three-game streak in the series since 1976-78.
Army's win is its second consecutive over Air Force in the state of Colorado, marking the first time the Black Knights have notched back-to-back wins over the Falcons in their home state in the series' history. The 2023 matchup was held in Denver, a 23-3 Army win.
Noah Short's 40-yard touchdown reception was his first score this season and his first score in 16 games, as his last score before Saturday was Oct. 4, 2024, at Tulsa.
The catch was Short's 51st of his career — the most by any receiver in the Jeff Monken era (2014-present).
Hellums' 40-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter was the longest touchdown pass of his career.
Jack Bousum's sack in the second quarter was his second of the season.
Larkin intercepted a pass for the second consecutive game.
Jones' 44-yard field goal late in the second quarter was one yard short of tying a career-high.
Shields' interception was his second of the season.
Army has outscored Air Force 63-23 in the teams' last three meetings.
Army's defense had not allowed Air Force to score a touchdown in the last two games combined (2023-24), which included 11 consecutive quarters of play before the Falcons found the end zone on the final play of the third quarter Saturday.
Before Air Force's third-quarter touchdown on Saturday, the Falcons had not scored against the Army defense in 31 consecutive possessions, dating back to the third quarter of the 2022 game at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.
Army's defense has forced 12 turnovers in the past three meetings against Air Force (six, 2023, and three, 2024).
This was the third time this season Army's defense forced at least two turnovers (ECU & UAB). They forced three turnovers in a game for the first time since November 30, 2024 vs. UTSA.
Air Force leads the all-time series, 38-21-1.
Army is 5-22 all-time in games played at Air Force. Army's four previous victories in Colorado Springs were in 1967, 1977, 2005, and 2017.
The Black Knights last visited the Air Force Academy in 2019, and their most recent win in Colorado Springs before Saturday came in 2017, a 21-0 victory.
This is the first leg of Army's quest to reclaim the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy, the annual rivalry series contested among the three U.S. service academies. The trophy was introduced in 1972 and is presented by the President of the United States, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. Navy defeated Air Force, 34-31, on Oct. 4 in this year's first CIC Trophy matchup.
Army has captured the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy 10 times in program history, most recently in 2023.
Defensive lineman Kody Harris-Miller returned to the lineup for the first time since Week 1 vs. Tarleton State.