Army Black Knights take down the Kansas State Wildcats on the road, 24-21
As the final whistle blew of Friday’s Army-Kansas State game, the Wildcats’ fanbase at Bill Snyder Family Stadium in Manhattan (KS) were probably just as surprised at the Black Knights’ fans were last Friday when the were beaten in double-overtime by visiting Tarleton State.
The Jeff Monken lead Black Knights entered the game as 17.5-point underdog status and to be honest, not too many onlookers question the point spread.
But pre-game chatter … let’s look at the facts, which is the game itself … which had several contest changing narratives for 4 quarters.
However, even before the game itself, the most notable factor was that Cale Hellums would start under center for injured Dwayne Coleman.
The Game Itself
Kansas State opened the contest with a methodical drive, capping it with a 34-yard field goal at the 11:46 mark to take an early 3-0 lead.
On Army’s first possession, the Wildcats’ “assignment defense” stifled the Black Knights, leaving the offense looking much like it did in last week’s loss — struggling to find consistency. By the end of the first quarter, both defenses had settled in, keeping the game in check.
Kansas State struck again early in the second quarter when QB Avery Johnson led an efficient drive that ended in the end zone, extending the Wildcats’ lead to 10-0 with 11:47 left. Army’s offensive struggles continued, with slotback Noah Short providing the only real spark. Defensively, co-captain linebackers Andon Thomas and Kalib Fortner, along with safety Casey Larkin, were active and disruptive, though K-State managed to tack on another 38-yard field goal for a 13-0 lead late in the half.
With just 2:25 left before halftime, Army’s offense finally came alive. Driving into Wildcats’ territory for the first time, the Black Knights faced a 4th-and-goal from the 2-yard line with eight seconds remaining. Rather than settling for a field goal, Head Coach Jeff Monken rolled the dice. QB Cade Nellums connected with Brady Anderson for the touchdown, trimming the deficit to 13-7 heading into halftime.
3rd Quarter
Both teams opened the second half with punts, but Army struck next. On their second possession, Nellums pitched to Short, who delivered a highlight-reel 52-yard pass to Anderson at the K-State 34-yard line. Eleven plays later, Nellums finished the drive himself with a 1-yard score, chewing up eight minutes of clock and giving Army a 14-13 lead with 3:20 left in the third.
Momentum was short-lived. On the ensuing kickoff, the Wildcats returned it 99 yards to regain the lead, 21-14.
Army answered right back. Behind strong O-line play and downfield blocking, Nellums powered into the end zone again, giving the Black Knights a 24-21 edge.
The Matteson Show
With 2:30 remaining and Kansas State driving, it was time for the Army defense to step up — and senior safety Collin Matteson delivered.
- On 1st-and-10 at the Wildcats’ 38, he laid a huge hit that was initially ruled a fumble before being overturned to an incompletion.
- Two plays later, Matteson broke up a pass.
- And on the very next snap, he sealed the game with an interception.
Army’s offense ran out the clock, securing their first win of the 2025 season — and it was a big one, knocking off a tough Kansas State team.
Brief Summary
Army’s offense was outstanding in the second half and the defense looked good the latter part of the week in their practice sessions. The Black Knights played with confidence against an offense that is very hard to defend with all their different formations and the QB’s ability to run. What was asked of our linebackers, who all did a great job … was pretty obvious.
SCORING SUMMARY
Qtr Time Scoring Play
1st 11:21 KSTATE – #43 L.Rodriguez 34 yd FG, 8-33, 03:31 (0-3)
2nd 11:47 KSTATE – #12 J.Tibbs 32 yd pass from #2 A.Johnson (#43 L.Rodriguez kick), 6-47, 02:33 (0-10)
2nd 02:25 KSTATE – #43 L.Rodriguez 38 yd FG, 12-68, 07:03 (0-13)
2nd 00:00 ARMY – #84 B.Anderson 2 yd pass from #3 C.Hellums (#95 D.Jones kick), 16-75, 02:25 (7-13)
3rd 03:20 ARMY – #3 C.Hellums 1 yd rush (#95 D.Jones kick), 14-89, 07:58 (14-13)
3rd 03:08 KSTATE – #21 B.Noernberg 99 yd kickoff return (#12 J.Tibbs pass from #2 A.Johnson), 00:00 (14-21)
4th 10:46 ARMY – #95 D.Jones 35 yd FG, 13-57, 07:22 (17-21)
4th 02:52 ARMY – #3 C.Hellums 14 yd rush (#95 D.Jones kick), 14-56, 07:51 (24-21)
4th 02:52 ARMY – #3 C.Hellums 14 yd rush (#95 D.Jones kick), 14-56, 07:51 24-21
Now, here’s GBK’s Joe Iacono with his full postgame thoughts and breakdown.
Post-Game (Army-Kansas State) – Head Coach Jeff Monken (9/6)
Post-Game (Army-Kansas State) – QB Cale Hellums & RB Noah Short
Post-Game (Army-Kansas State) – LB Andon Thomas & S Collin Matteson (9/6)
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