Army West Point Athletics
Army West Point
1-3 , 0-2
East Carolina
3-2 , 1-0
Football Falls at ECU in Primetime
September 25, 2025 | Football
GREENVILLE, N.C. — Army West Point (1-3, 0-2 American) hit the road for a primetime Thursday night game on ESPN at East Carolina (3-2, 1-0), in a matchup of contrasting offensive styles. The Black Knights entered ranked third nationally in time of possession, while the Pirates averaged the third-fastest tempo in seconds per play.
As fast as ECU's offense operated heading into the game, they quickly jumped on the Black Knights at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium, going ahead 21-0 in the first quarter and needing just one more score afterwards to pull away from Army in Thursday's American Conference matchup, 28-6.
Army was outgained 431-290 across the evening, performed just 2-for-15 on third downs and turned the ball over on downs five times.
After Army won the toss and deferred, East Carolina wasted no time on the opening drive as quarterback Katin Houser hit wide receiver Anthony Smith for a 41-yard gain to the Army 14. Several plays later, after a replay review, the Pirates got on the board first by virtue of a 3-yard touchdown run by Houser.
Under center again for the Black Knights was senior QB Dewayne Coleman, making his first start since the opener and only his third career start. Army went three and out on its first drive, failing to convert on third down.
Coleman finished the night 5-for-9 through the air for 36 yards, while rushing for 51 yards on 22 carries.
Houser and the Pirates struck again on their next possession, with Houser finding Smith again deep for a 40-yard touchdown that made it 14-0 in the first quarter.
Army responded as slot back Noah Short rattled off a 15-yard rush, and then on fourth-and-5, Coleman hit tight end Parker Poloskey in traffic along the right sideline for a 10-yard gain to move to the East Carolina 34.
Army faced another fourth-and-5 at the ECU 29 when Coleman found running back Hayden Reed wide open, but Reed dropped what would have been a sure touchdown and Army turned it over on downs.
East Carolina scored on its third straight possession as Houser threw his second touchdown of the night, a 20-yard pass to tight end Jayvontay Conner, for a 21-0 first-quarter lead.
Army has fallen behind by 21 points in the first quarter in back-to-back weeks. ECU outgained Army in the opening 15 minutes, 216 yards to 53, and converted four of four third downs.
Early in the second quarter, Short broke a 30-yard run to spark the Black Knights' offense and move into ECU territory. But the drive stalled when Coleman fumbled on a rush that would have picked up a first down inside the ECU 25, that the East Carolina defense recovered.
The Black Knight defense did respond with its first stop of the evening, turning away the Pirates on three plays.
Army was forced to punt after picking up just 17 yards on its ensuing possession, but the defense once again stepped up on ECU's next series, with a Stephen Nnadozie interception giving the ball back to Army at its 17-yard line with 3:58 left in the half.
The offense did little to capitalize on the takeaway, quickly giving the ball back to ECU after failing to move the sticks on a Coleman fourth-and-1 rush.
The Black Knights overcame poor defensive field position and an untimely third-down penalty to force their second turnover of the half, as Eric Ford deflected a Howser pitch in the backfield and fell on the football at the 18-yard line with 37 seconds remaining in the half.
Army allowed the clock to run out after two offensive plays, going into the locker room down 21-0 as a steady rain began falling over the Greenville venue.
Coming out of halftime, Short broke free for a 60-yard run to the ECU 4-yard line, putting him over 100 yards rushing. Coleman capped the drive with a 2-yard touchdown run to get the Black Knights on the board, but the two-point conversion failed, and Army trailed 21-6.
Army's defense continued to play tough, forcing two straight turnovers on downs in the third quarter, the second one coming at its own 16-yard line as ECU threatened to score, to give the Black Knights' offense possession again. It marked five straight drives Army's defense held the Pirates at bay, going back to the two forced turnovers to end the first half.
Army punter James Wagenseller boomed a 69-yard punt to pin ECU at their own one-yard line late in the fourth quarter. Army's defense continued to stand tall, making its sixth consecutive stop, forcing a punt as the third quarter gave way to the fourth.
Once again, however, when regaining possession, the Black Knights were unable to put points on the board, despite taking over with good field position at the ECU 42. A fourth-and-12 four plays into the series saw Coleman's pass to Short come up one yard shy of moving the sticks, handing the ball back to ECU with 12:07 to play.
Taking over at their own 33, the home team would put an end to their scoring drought, marching 67 yards on seven plays, emphasized by a 32-yard fake field goal run for a touchdown by ECU's Kyler Pearson, making it 28-6 with 8:14 left on the clock.
QB Cale Hellums took over at quarterback from that point onward, representing his fourth game played in 2025. The junior led Army for 58 yards on 15 snaps, but the drive stalled on downs at the ECU 17-yard line with 1:15 to go, and the Pirates subsequently ran the clock out.
GAME NOTES
Carrying the Flag: Cornerback Justin Weaver led the Black Knights onto the field with the Black Flag.
Division of the Game: Army honored the 82nd Airborne Division with helmet decals and headset logos. The 82nd Airborne Division is an airborne infantry division of the United States Army specializing in parachute assault operations into hostile areas with a US Department of War mandate to be "on-call to fight any time, anywhere" at "the knife's edge of technology and readiness."
- Coleman made his second start of the season.
- Tonight's game marked Army's first time playing at East Carolina since Oct. 30, 2004, a 38-28 Pirates win.
- Army is 17-5 in its last 22 games dating back to November 2023.
- Army had won its last five contests broadcast on ESPN before Thursday, most recently coming at K-State three weeks ago. Army's record on ESPN since 2016 is 8-3.
- Short rushed for 127 yards on 11 carries. It was his second career 100-yard rushing performance, and the second-best of his career (160 yards at Florida Atlantic, 2024).
- Short's 11.5 yards per rush average was tied for 14th best in a game in program history, with Ahmad Bradshaw's 265-yard, 23-carry showing at Air Force in 2017.
- Short's 60-yard run was the second longest of his career (61-yarder at Temple, 2024).
- Coleman scored on the ground from two yards out, his third rushing score of the season.
Team Stats
ARM 0, ECU 7
ECU - Houser,Katin 3 yd run (Mazzie,Nick kick), 9 plays, 75 yards, TOP 02:55
ARM 0, ECU 14
ECU - Smith,Anthony 40 yd pass from Houser,Katin (Mazzie,Nick kick) 6 plays, 70 yards, TOP 02:12
ARM 0, ECU 21
ECU - Conner,Jayvontay 20 yd pass from Houser,Katin (Mazzie,Nick kick) 9 plays, 71 yards, TOP 02:37
ARM 6, ECU 21
ARM - Coleman,Dewayne 2 yd run (), 8 plays, 75 yards, TOP 04:28
ARM 6, ECU 28
ECU - Pearson,Kyler 32 yd run (Mazzie,Nick kick), 7 plays, 67 yards, TOP 02:33
