WEST POINT, N.Y. — For one glorious quarter Saturday night, Army appeared poised to seize control of the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy race.
Instead, Air Force delivered the final blow and will fly away with the hardware.
The Falcons erased a four-point third-quarter deficit with an early fourth-quarter touchdown and then leaned on a relentless ground game and timely defense to secure a 24-21 victory over Army before a season high crowd of 33,575 at Michie Stadium.
Army (5-4) trailed 17-7 at halftime but responded with an impressive third-quarter adjustment. Quarterback Cale Hellumns capped a seven-play, 56-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run to cut the deficit to 17-14. Not to be outdone, Army running back Bryson Luter ignited the Black Knights with a 39-yard burst that set up his own 19-yard touchdown run, giving Army its first lead at 21-17 with 2:40 left in the third quarter.
The momentum shift was dramatic. Army's defense forced consecutive Air Force possessions to end with a pair of punts and a turnover on downs, while the Black Knights churned out 88 rushing yards during the quarter.
However, Air Force wasted no time in answering back.
The Falcons marched 75 yards on seven plays to open the fourth quarter. Quarterback Evan Medders, who attempted only eight passes for the game, made perhaps the biggest throw of the game, finding tight end Simon Kibbee for a 24-yard touchdown with 14:25 remaining. The extra point gave Air Force a 24-21 lead it would never surrender.
Army had their opportunities.
After a promising drive reached its own 39-yard line, an interception by Air Force defensive back Korey Johnson halted the Black Knights’ best fourth quarter threat. The Falcons then embarked on a clock-draining, nine-play drive that consumed more than five minutes before Army's defense produced a goal-line stand on fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line.
The stop gave Army life, but not enough breathing room.
Pinned at its own 1-yard line with just over seven minutes left, the Black Knights managed only two yards before punting. Air Force then methodically drove into Army territory and ran out the final 5:27, earning the victory with three consecutive kneel-downs.
The game was decided largely on the ground, where Air Force controlled the line of scrimmage. The Falcons rushed for 260 net yards on 52 carries, led by Kemper Hodges, who piled up 119 yards and a touchdown. Medders added 59 rushing yards and a score while completing 6 of 8 passes for 84 yards and a touchdown.
Army finished with 182 net rushing yards. Godspower Nwawuihe led the Black Knights with 82 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries, while Luter added 81 yards and a score on just nine attempts. Hellums accounted for Army's third rushing touchdown and completed 5 of 10 passes for 38 yards.
Defensively, Army received eight tackles each from defensive backs Caleb Williams and Kai Woolfolk. The Black Knights also stopped Air Force on both of its fourth-down attempts, including the critical fourth-quarter stand at the goal line.
Yet Air Force’s balance, clock control and fourth quarter poise proved decisive. The Falcons outgained Army 344-220 and held the ball for more than 30 minutes while recording 18 first downs.
One statistic summed up the evening: Army dominated the third quarter and briefly seized control, but Air Force owned the fourth. The Falcons outgained the Black Knights 132-16 in the final quarter and limited Army to a single first down over the final 15 minutes.
The result continued Air Force’s knack for finding a way in a rivalry game and left Army wondering what might have been after a stirring comeback fell just short.
The victory did more than cap a resilient road performance.
By defeating both Navy and Army this season, Air Force captured the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy outright, reclaiming the service academy's most coveted football prize for the first time since 2022.
Air Force’s triumph at Army underscored their ability to deliver in the rivalry’s biggest moments and returned the trophy to Colorado Springs.
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