Army falls to Tulane in a dug-of-war game, 24-17
Coming into today’s American Conference matchup between Army and Tulane, many within the Black Knights’ fanbase felt that after last Saturday’s win over Charlotte, the team had — to some degree — turned the corner.
Of course, Charlotte is not Tulane, and today’s contest could serve as a true measuring stick to determine how far this Army team has come … or how far it still needs to go.
This game marked the seventh of the season for Army, with the highly anticipated Air Force rivalry looming on November 1st. From this point forward, the Black Knights face arguably the most challenging stretch of their schedule, including matchups against Temple, Tulsa, and Navy.
A Promising Start That Came Up Empty
Tulane won the toss and deferred, giving Army the first possession — and the Black Knights responded with a classic, clock-chewing drive: 18 plays, 48 yards, and 11:44 off the clock.
The downside? No points.
Tulane answered with a long drive of its own, advancing deep into the red zone. Facing 4th & 2 at the Army 8-yard line, MLB Kalib Fortner made a crucial stop on Green Wave QB Jake Retzlaff, keeping the game scoreless.
Army’s next possession showed more promise, but a dropped touchdown pass by WR Brady Anderson on a deep strike from Cale Hellums forced the Black Knights to punt once again.
Finally, Tulane broke through late in the second quarter with a 15-play, 75-yard drive that chewed up 5:41 and ended in a field goal — giving the Green Wave a 3–0 lead with 1:53 left in the half.
But Army wasn’t done. Behind Hellums’ steady play, the Black Knights responded with a 6-play, 49-yard march that set up Dawson Jones for a 33-yard field goal.
At the half, the teams were deadlocked, 3–3.
Turnovers and Missed Opportunities
The third quarter opened with a familiar theme that has plagued Army all season — turnovers.
On the first offensive possession of the half, RB Briggs Bartosh mishandled a pitch from Hellums on 2nd & 7, forcing the Black Knights to punt after failing to recover momentum.
Both defenses tightened, setting up a tense fourth quarter.
Resilience and the Lead
Early in the final period, Tulane appeared poised to take control. But safety Casey Larkin, who played one of his best games of the season, came up with a clutch end-zone interception, keeping Army alive.
The Green Wave Rally
Tulane wasn’t finished. The Green Wave offense marched methodically down the field, and facing 4th & 9 inside the red zone, Retzlaff connected with Bryce Bohanon for a critical touchdown to tie the game 17–17 with 1:54 remaining.
Army’s next possession stalled, giving Tulane one final opportunity — and they made the most of it.
With :34 remaining, Retzlaff fired into tight coverage near the end zone. The pass was deflected but, in heartbreaking fashion, fell right into the hands of a Tulane receiver for the go-ahead score.
Army had no time to respond, accept for a Hail Mary pass to the end zone.
Final score: Tulane 24, Army 17.
The loss drops the Black Knights to 3–4 on the season, as they now turn their focus toward preparing for service academy rival Air Force — and an opportunity to regain momentum heading into the final stretch of the year.
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final | |
| Army | 0 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 17 |
| Tulane | 0 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 24 |
Post-Game (Army-Tulane) with Head Coach Jeff Monken (10/18/25)
Post-Game (Army-Tulane) with Safety, Casey Larkin & QB, Cale Hellums 10/18/25
Let’s turn the overall game analysis to GoBlackKnights.com Football Analyst, Joe Iacono along with special guest & former Army linebacker, Alex Aukerman
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