Fourth Quarter Ball Control Guides Football to Win Over Temple

Saturday, November 8

West Point, N.Y.

12 p.m.

Army West Point

5-4 , 3-3

Temple

5-5 , 3-3

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Temple

Army West Point

Photo by: Danny Wild-Imagn Images

Fourth Quarter Ball Control Guides Football to Win Over Temple

November 08, 2025 | Football

Box Score Game Highlights

WEST POINT, N.Y. — Army West Point (5-4, 3-3) hosted the Temple Owls (5-5, 3-3) at Michie Stadium on a picture-perfect 60-degree November day. The weather wasn't the only thing perfect Saturday afternoon, however, as the Black Knights—in prototypical fashion—wound the clock down to zeros in the fourth quarter, killing over nine minutes on the clock with the score in their favor, and walked off the field with a 14-13 American Conference win.

After Temple punted with 9:53 left in the fourth quarter, Army kept the ball out of its opponent's hands for the rest of the contest, advancing just 53 yards but stretching that mileage out over 18 snaps. Twice during the drive, the Black Knights moved the sticks on fourth-and-1 and another time on third-and-1. A three-yard gain inside the two-minute timeout moved the football to the Temple one-yard line and set up victory formation.

The victory moved Army to within one win of bowl eligibility for the second straight season.

Despite being out-gained 268-250 in total yardage, Army was 4-for-5 on fourth down tries, converting all four in the second half, and held the ball for 37 minutes, 38 seconds in the one-point win. Quarterback Cale Hellums completed just one pass but led the way on the ground with 118 rushing yards on 36 carries and a touchdown. Junior running back Jake Rendina, typically a key blocker in the run game, made his presence felt as a ball carrier with nine rushes for 42 yards and a touchdown. He entered the game with just 10 carries on the season.

To begin the game, Temple's offense, led by quarterback Evan Simon, picked up four first downs on the opening drive before Army's defense held on a third-down pass breakup by linebacker Andon Thomas, forcing an Owls punt. However, the punt was downed at the Army 1-yard line, pinning Army up for its first offensive drive.

Backed up deep in its own territory, Army's offense managed one first down before punting back to the Owls, who took over at midfield. Temple running back Jay Ducker broke up the middle for a 20-yard gain, setting up a 45-yard field-goal attempt by kicker Carl Hardin that was no good, as the Army defense held again.

After Jake Rendina opened the ensuing series with a nine-yard run—tying a career-long— the first quarter came to a close scoreless as Army marched inside the Temple 40-yard line. Army's drive totaled 11 plays and 73 yards, lasting 7 minutes, 49 seconds, capped by a seven-yard touchdown run from Jake Rendina — his first score of the season and the second of his career. It was also his longest career touchdown run.

Temple mounted a response on their next drive, with their own seven-minute possession. The Owls moved 75 yards and punched the ball into the end zone on fourth-and-goal from the 2-yard line, tying the game at 7-7 with 4:03 to play in the half.

Taking back over offensively and seeking to strike once more before heading into the locker room, Army crossed midfield in the final minute of the second quarter. However, facing fourth-and-2 from the Temple 44, Hellums was stopped behind the line of scrimmage by Jayvant Brown with 26 ticks on the clock.

The fourth down play opened the door for Temple to instead take the lead before the break, and they did just that, reaching the Army seven-yard line with six seconds left. Army's defense was able to force a Simon incompletion in the back of the end zone with one second left, holding the Owls to a 24-yard field goal as time expired to make it 10-7.

Coming out of the locker room, Army converted a key fourth-and-1 at its own 47 as Hellums used a play-action fake and found tight end Parker Poloskey for a 26-yard gain down the right sideline to the Temple 27 for his only completion of the afternoon. The Black Knights capped the 14-play, 75-yard drive, which lasted 8 minutes, 21 seconds, with Hellums' 12th rushing touchdown of the season, a 3-yard run that put Army back in front, 14-10.

Temple answered on the ensuing possession with a 12-play, 68-yard drive that lasted six minutes, 11 seconds, capped by a 31-yard field goal to cut Army's lead to 14-13 as the third quarter wound down. Both teams scored on long, sustained drives in the period.

The Black Knights punted on their first drive of the ultimate quarter, but needed just the one score after halftime and only three total possessions in the second half to walk away victorious Saturday, after turning the Owls away on just three plays across their only fourth quarter series.

GAME NOTES

Carrying the Flag: S Casey Larkin led the Black Knights onto the field with the Black Flag.

Division of the Game: Army honored the 10th Mountain Division with helmet decals and headset logos. The 10th Mountain Division is a light infantry division in the United States Army based at Fort Drum, New York. Formerly designated as a mountain warfare unit, the division was the only one of its size in the U.S. military to receive specialized training for fighting in mountainous conditions.

Army is 21-6 in its last 27 games dating back to November 2023. Army's .778 winning percentage entering today is T-7th best in the country during that span and the 2nd best of Group of Five schools (Memphis).
Army takes an 8-7 lead in the all-time series with Temple, and Head Coach Jeff Monken moves to 4–0 against the Owls (2016, 2017, 2024), including a 42–14 victory in Philadelphia last season.
Army is 8–1 in games played in November since 2023, with the lone loss coming to Notre Dame last season. The Black Knights' .889 winning percentage entering today over that span is tied for the 8th-best mark in the nation.
Army has recorded two consecutive home sellouts (Charlotte and Temple), marking back-to-back seasons with consecutive home sellouts — after selling out games vs. East Carolina and Air Force last year.
QB Cale Hellums rushed for 100+ yards for the fourth time this season, accounting for 118 yards on the ground.
It was also Hellums third game recording over 30+ carries.
Rendina's 42 rushing yards Saturday represented a career-high for the Kalispel, Mont. native. Rendina scored his second career touchdown, his first since the opening game of the 2024 season vs. Lehigh.
Rendina made his first career start at running back.
Poloskey's 26-yard catch on the second half's opening drive was the longest in his career.
CB Jabril Williams' six total tackles were a career-high.
With one more win, Army will clinch bowl eligibility.
Army's final home game of the 2025 season is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 22, following a bye week. The matchup will serve as Senior Day at Michie Stadium.
The Commander-in-Chief's Trophy is on the line between Army and Navy for back-to-back seasons for only the second time ever in series history, and for just the ninth time since 1972, the Army–Navy Game will be a winner-take-all matchup for the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy (1972, 1977, 1978, 1996, 2005, 2012, 2017, 2024).