Cale Hellums showcased his skills on Saturday, rushing for 118 yards and scoring a touchdown, as Army managed to control the game clock and secure a narrow 14-13 victory over Temple at West Point, New York.
The Black Knights improved their record to 5-4 overall and 3-3 in the American Athletic Conference, while the Owls fell to 5-5, also standing at 3-3 in the conference.
Army dominated possession, holding the ball for an impressive 15 minutes more than Temple. The decisive moment came when the Owls punted the ball with 9:53 remaining in the game, and Army ran 18 consecutive plays to run out the clock, starting from their own 42-yard line.
During this critical drive, Army converted two fourth downs, one at the Temple 35-yard line and another at the 14-yard line. Hellums, opting to slide at the Temple 4-yard line to avoid a touchdown, gained three yards on the next play before taking a couple of kneel downs to seal the game.
Earlier in the game, Army initiated the scoring with an 11-play, 73-yard drive, culminating in a 7-yard touchdown run by Jake Rendina early in the second quarter. Although Temple managed to take a 10-7 lead into halftime with a field goal at the end of the first half, Hellums responded by leading an impressive 14-play, 75-yard drive for Army”s final points, which took 8:21 off the clock.
In the third quarter, the only other possession ended with a field goal for Temple, leaving them trailing as the final quarter began. Hellums completed 1 of 3 passes for 26 yards, while Temple quarterback Evan Simon finished with 15 completions on 25 attempts for 157 yards, including a 2-yard touchdown pass to Colin Chase.
This victory not only highlighted Army”s ability to control the game but also underscored the tactical decisions that led to their success against Temple.
