Army Edged by Navy, 17–16, in 126th Army-Navy Game

Saturday, December 13

Baltimore, Md.

3 p.m.

Army West Point

6-6 , 4-4

Navy

10-2 , 7-1

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

Army West Point

Navy

Photo by: Danny Wild-Imagn Images

Army Edged by Navy, 17–16, in 126th Army-Navy Game

December 13, 2025 | Football

Box Score

BALTIMORE – Army West Point football (6-6, 4-4) fell 17-16 in the in the 126th Army-Navy Game presented by USAA to the Navy Midshipmen (10-2, 7-1) on Saturday at M&T Bank Stadium.

While the Black Knights held the lead deep into the game, Navy would punch the ball into the end zone for the go-ahead score with 6:32 to play to take a 17-16 lead that stood until the clock hit zero. The Midshipmen faced a fourth-and-goal from the Army 8-yard line—just two plays after the Black Knights couldn't secure a loose football on second down, which would have been a game-changing turnover—Navy quarterback Blake Horvath connected with Eli Heidenreich for an 8-yard touchdown.

With the win for Navy, Navy has won the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy for consecutive seasons. Horvath rushed 34 times for 107 yards and a touchdown.

While Army had a chance to answer, down just a point, the offense went three-and-out, and had to lean on its defense for one last opportunity to position themselves for a comeback

Navy appeared to give the Black Knights that chance on third-and-3 with 2:15 on the clock when an initial ruling of a Horvath fumble recovered by Army was overturned by a replay review, giving the Mids a fourth-and-1 coming out of the two-minute timeout.

Navy running back Alex Tecza gained two yards on the following play, sealing the result.

70,936 fans witnessed Saturday's battle between the academy rivals. As Army sprinted out of the tunnel in its 250 years of service and sacrifice uniforms behind head coach Jeff Monken, a CH-47F Chinook, two AH-64E Apaches, and a UH-60M Black Hawk from the 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, flew overhead as the Army-Navy Game returned to Baltimore for the first time since 2016.

The 47th President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, flipped the coin for the opening toss, as Army captains Andon Thomas and Kalib Fortner called tails and won, electing to defer to the second half.

Navy opened the scoring on its first possession of the game, taking a 7-0 lead on a 5-yard rushing touchdown by quarterback Blake Horvath after a 75-yard, 13-play drive. Horvath rushed for 45 yards on the drive.

Facing a third down on its opening set of downs, Army quarterback Cale Hellums broke free for a 26-yard run to convert Army's first third down of the game.

The Black Knights later faced a fourth-and-2 on Navy's 23, but Monken did not hesitate to go for it as Hellums reached just beyond the sticks to move the chains to the Navy 21-yard line. The first quarter expired with Army threatening down to the Navy 2 as Hellums rushed for 46 yards in the opening period.

On the first play of the second quarter, Hellums scored on a quarterback sneak for his 16th rushing touchdown of the season and his eighth on a sneak, which leads the country, to tie the game at 7-7. It marked the first time since 2021 that Army and Navy both scored touchdowns on their opening drives. Army's touchdown came on a 13-play, 75-yard drive that consumed 7:21.

Army's defense then adjusted, forcing a three-and-out and quickly getting the ball back after a Navy 32-yard punt.

On third-and-8 on Army's second drive, Hellums took a big hit but completed a 21-yard pass to Noah Short to get to the Navy 31 for a first down.

Monken was faced with another fourth down decision at the Navy 11, where the Black Knights once again needed two yards. Once again, Hellums moved the sticks with his feet, but the offense stalled inside the 10 on its next set of downs. Dawson Jones did give Army a 10-7 lead with a 20-yard field goal with 3:45 remaining in the first half, capping an 8:52 drive.

Army looked to maintain momentum as Navy took the ball back. Eric Ford and Jack Bousum combined to sack Horvath for a six-yard loss, but the Mids picked up a first down two plays later on a 21-yard completion to Eli Heidenreich, prompting the two-minute timeout.

Later in the drive, with Navy threatening at the Army 27 with 27 seconds left in the half, Army made its biggest defensive play of the period. Horvath fumbled under heavy pressure from Kalib Fortner, and Bousum, an Annapolis native, recovered at the Army 45.

One play later, with just 18 seconds remaining, Hellums connected with Brady Anderson along the boundary for a 24-yard gain to the Navy 31. An end zone attempt to Noah Short fell incomplete, and after a short second-down gain, Jones drilled a 45-yard field goal to give Army a 13-7 lead at halftime, matching his career-long kick.

Army outgained Navy 155-117 in the first half, including 102-61 in rushing yards.

Coming out of the locker room break, the Navy defense forced Army to punt as the Black Knights could not capitalize after a 29-yard completion to Short.

Army's defense forced its second turnover of the game, as cornerback Justin Weaver intercepted Horvath at Navy's own 32-yard line to give Army great field position.

That field position would be key, as despite not picking up a first down on the drive, Jones connected on a 48-yard field goal to put the Black Knights ahead by multiple possessions, 16-7, with 9:39 in the third quarter.

The Mids then mounted their best drive at that point since their opening possession, moving 72 yards over 13 plays , but the Army defense held the Midshipmen to three points after a third-down scramble by Blake Horvath was stopped at the Army 3-yard line.

Army avoided a potentially dangerous defensive situation later when Hellums was strip-sacked on third down, but Aden Self recovered the fumble. James Wagenseller's ensuing punt flipped the field for the Black Knights.

Bousum recorded another big play when he sacked Horvath for a 10-yard loss at the Navy 26, with 13:39 remaining in the fourth quarter. Navy would be forced to punt two plays later, but Hellums threw an interception on the second play of Army's drive when Navy defensive back Phillip Hamilton made a game-changing play, leading to Navy's go-ahead touchdown under five minutes later.

GAME NOTES

Carrying the Flag: Team Captain Linebacker Kalib Fortner led the Black Knights onto the field with the Black Flag.

Division of the Game: 250 Years of Service and Sacrifice: Army and Nike teamed up for the 2025 Army-Navy uniform to honor 250 years of service and sacrifice.

For the past 250 years, the United States Army has stood as America's enduring symbol of service and sacrifice. Born in the desperate conditions of the American Revolution, the Army's legacy is one of steadfast commitment to the defense of liberty, reflected in our motto, This we'll defend.

At the core of the Army's service are the seven Army Values: Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage. These values represent the moral compass of every Soldier, bind us in shared purpose, and ensure character and trust are the bedrock of our profession.

Saturday marked the ninth time that the Army-Navy Game has been a winner-take-all affair for the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy, including for the second season in a row. Army dropped to 4-5 when the outright Commander-in-Chief's Trophy title was on the line.
This was Army's first loss to Navy when winning the turnover battle in the Monken era (4-1 record). Army forced two turnovers (a fumble and an interception).
Army is 3-5 in Army-Navy games in Baltimore, including 1-4 at M&T Bank Stadium.
Army has won five of its past seven games vs. Academy rivals, dating back to the Black Knights' 20-17 overtime win over Navy in 2022.
Monken and the Black Knights are 13-6 in their last 19 service academy games dating back to the Army-Navy Game in 2016.
Army only allowed 272 yards of offense to Navy's offense; the seventh fewest yards allowed since 1995 to the Midshipmen and the fourth fewest in Monken era.
Both teams scored on their respective opening possessions Saturday for the first time since 2021.
Hellums rushed for 100 yards, the first 100-yard rusher in the Army-Navy Game for Army since Raymond Maples' 156-yard effort in 2012.
It was only Army's ninth time having a player record 100 rushing yards vs. Navy since 1995.
Noah Short caught three passes for 51 yards, the first time an Army receiver recorded 50+ receiving yards vs. Navy since 2015 (Edgar Poe, 121).
Jones' 45-yard field goal to close the opening half tied a career-long set at UAB on October 4 this season. He would then set a new career-long in the third quarter with his 48-yarder.
Jones' three field goals Saturday were the most he's made in a single game across his career.
Saturday represented just the 11th time since 1995 that the Black Knights forced multiple turnovers in an Army-Navy Game.
Samari Howard's six carries were a career-high.
Army had three players with 10 or more tackles Saturday (Thomas: 11, Matteson: 11, Larkin: 10).
Weaver's interception in the third quarter was his first takeaway since at North Texas, 11/9/2024.
CBS televised the Army-Navy Game for the 42nd time in the series' history, and the 31st consecutive iteration. Brad Nessler and Gary Danielson joined forces in the television broadcast booth for the 11th straight year. 2025 also marked the 19th straight season CBS' utilized its No. 1 college football broadcast pairing for the Army-Navy Game.
The game served as Gary Danielson's final Army-Navy game, with the longtime color commentator set to retire following the 2025 season, calling 17 editions of the Army-Navy Game.