BOSTON, MA. – Army West Point football delivered a commanding performance Saturday afternoon at historic Fenway Park, overpowering UConn 41–16 in the Wasabi Fenway Bowl behind a dominant rushing attack, stifling defense, and record-setting individual efforts.
The Black Knights (7–6, 4–4) rushed for 368 yards, controlled the ball for more than 36 minutes, and held UConn to just 1-for-9 on third-down attempts to secure their third consecutive bowl victory (2021, 2024, 2025). The 41 points marked a Fenway Bowl record and Army’s highest single-game scoring output of the 2025 season.
Freshman running back Godspower Nwawuihe starred in the victory, earning Fenway Bowl Offensive MVP honorsafter rushing for 171 yards and two touchdowns on just 12 carries. His performance made him the first Army freshman to record at least 100 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns in a game since at least 1995. His 70-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter was the longest touchdown run in Fenway Bowl history.
Senior captain linebacker Kalib Fortner was named Defensive MVP, recording six tackles and half a sack as part of an Army defense that limited UConn (9–4) to 267 total yards.
Army head coach Jeff Monken improved to 6–1 in bowl games with the Black Knights, who are now 9–3 all-time in bowl appearances. The win also marked Army’s fifth consecutive bowl victory following a loss to Navy.
After winning the coin toss and deferring, Army’s defense set the tone early by forcing a three-and-out. UConn struck first, however, when running back Cam Edwards capped a drive with a 12-yard touchdown run to give the Huskies a 7–0 lead midway through the first quarter.
Army responded quickly. Quarterback Cade Hellums connected with Noah Short on a 40-yard touchdown pass to tie the game 7–7. The score was the longest touchdown pass in Fenway Bowl history and tied Hellums’ career-long completion.
Following a second-quarter Army fumble, the Black Knights’ defense again stood tall, forcing a punt. Pinned at their own 10-yard line, Army marched 90 yards, its longest touchdown drive by yardage this season ,capped by Nwawuihe’s 43-yard touchdown run with 3:04 remaining in the first half to give Army a 14–7 lead.
UConn closed the gap late in the half with a 49-yard field goal from Chris Freeman, cutting the deficit to 14–10 at the break.
Army seized full control early in the second half. On the second play from scrimmage, Nwawuihe raced 70 yards down the sideline for his second touchdown of the day, extending the lead to 20–10. After another defensive stop, Army capitalized on favorable field position as Hellums punched in a one-yard touchdown run to make it 27–10 late in the third quarter.
Nwawuihe, who won Offensive MVP Honors, has had a remarkable developmental path for his freshman season, as he came into West Point originally recruited as a Quarterback, and had gone through preseason and fall camp practicing at the QB position before being ultimately moved to the RB position, he had seen some play time this season, but this game was the most time he had spent on the field and he made the most of it.
UConn mounted a deep drive to the Army 11 on its next possession, but the Black Knights’ defense forced a turnover on downs to preserve the three-score lead.
As the third quarter gave way to the fourth, Army set a Fenway Bowl scoring record when Hellums capped an 89-yard drive with a six-yard touchdown run, pushing the lead to 34–10. UConn later scored on a quarterback keeper by Ksaan Farrar, but Army answered once more with a late touchdown drive led by backup quarterback Dewayne Coleman, finished by a six-yard scoring run from Carson Smith with 1:20 remaining. Moments later, “Dirty Water” echoed through Fenway Park as the Black Knights celebrated.
Hellums accounted for three total touchdowns, rushing for two and throwing for one. He finished 7-of-8 passing for 108 yards, setting a career-high completion percentage, and eclipsed 1,200 rushing yards on the season. His 18 rushing touchdowns rank second in program history for a single season. All of this while battling the flu and was almost scratched from even playing the game.
Short recorded seven receptions for 108 yards and a touchdown, becoming the first player in Army history to surpass 1,000 career yards both rushing and receiving. Jake Rendina added a career-high 87 rushing yards, while Smith chipped in 49 yards and a touchdown as Army outgained UConn 476–267 overall.
UConn entered the game without star quarterback Joe Fagnano, who opted out to prepare for the NFL Draft after throwing for 3,448 yards and 28 touchdowns during the season. The Huskies started freshman Ksaan Farrar, who made his first collegiate start. Farrar finished 11-of-17 passing for 84 yards and added a rushing touchdown.
Interim head coach Gordon Sammis acknowledged the challenge postgame.
“We didn’t do enough to win the game,” Sammis said. “We could have executed a lot better on offense for sure. We kind of got ground down a little bit late on defense.”
Despite the loss, UConn concluded its season at 9–4 after missing a chance to set a program record for wins in the FBS era.
Saturday’s game was played in 23-degree weather, the coldest postseason contest in Army program history. It marked the fourth Fenway Bowl and Army’s fifth game in a baseball stadium since 2021, including appearances at Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park in back-to-back seasons.
For Army, the result capped another postseason triumph, and reinforced the Black Knights’ growing reputation as one of college football’s most consistent bowl programs under Monken.
