Army, Navy, and Air Force football all notch wins in Week 1

Army, Navy, and Air Force went a combined 3-0 and outscored their opponents 135-18, while rushing for an astonishing 1,506 yards during Week 1. Despite going up against underdog Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) teams, the three service academies performed well on both sides of the ball, averaging 502 rushing yards per game, possessing the ball for a combined 113:38, and allowing no sacks, all while committing zero turnovers.

The quarterbacks were especially effective in their season debuts, racking up big numbers in front of home crowds excited for the return of college football.

Army senior quarterback Cale Hellums rushed for 87 yards and two touchdowns, adding 59 yards through the air on four completions. Liam Szarka of Air Force rushed for 51 yards, adding two touchdowns. Navy’s Braxton Woodson put on the biggest show among his service academy counterparts behind center; the senior rushed for an impressive 200 yards and three touchdowns.

The Bryant Bulldogs, of the FCS Coastal Athletic Association (CAA), traveled to Michie Stadium on the campus of the United States Military Academy at West Point for a noon ET showdown with the Army Black Knights.

Army spirit was on full display before kickoff, from the traditional Corps of Cadets March-On to the cadets filling the stands at Michie Stadium. The Black Knights were also joined for their season opener by the day’s Honored Division, the U.S. Army’s storied 10th Mountain Division.

The 21,538 fans in attendance witnessed an absolute offensive onslaught courtesy of the Black Knights, as Army cruised to a 59-3 victory on Saturday afternoon.

Army’s rushing attack was particularly impressive, piling up 569 yards on the ground, the fourth-highest single-game total in program history.

Hellums’ strong offensive performance was complemented by slotback Zach Mundell’s 105 yards and two touchdowns. The senior from Arlington, Texas, led the team in rushing. His two touchdowns against Bryant were the first of his collegiate career.

In the first quarter, Bryant went three-and-out on each of its first three possessions, including the opening drive. Army responded to all three possessions with touchdowns. The first, Mundell’s 15-yard run at 11:05, was followed by Hellums’ 27-yard rushing touchdown at 7:36 and his 37-yard run with under a minute left in the quarter.

With junior kicker Dawson Jones’ three extra points, the Black Knights led 21-0 at the start of the second quarter.

After the Bulldogs turned the ball over on downs, Army put together a nine-play drive to increase its lead to 28-0. Junior wide receiver Brady Anderson took the ball to the end zone on a 30-yard rushing touchdown.

Bryant junior quarterback Brennan Myer and company drove down the field to set up Nicholas Stoyanovich’s 28-yard field goal attempt, which was good to get the Bulldogs on the scoreboard.

Ahead 28-3, Army answered with a field goal of its own, Jones’ 37-yarder. After going three-and-out and punting for the fourth time, Bryant’s defense allowed Army to get into scoring position again, only this time Jones’ kick was no good as time expired in the half.

Army led 31-3 at halftime.

Army got the ball first in the third quarter and immediately got back to work scoring. On a three-play scoring drive, Mundell rushed 66 yards to the left for a touchdown. With Jones’ extra point, the Cadets led 38-3 at the 13:20 mark of the quarter.

Senior defensive lineman Dillon Stowers’ big sack, his first of the season, on Myer forced Bryant to punt yet again. On Army’s next possession, sophomore running back Godspower Nwawuihe punched the ball into the end zone right down the middle for a two-yard touchdown, his first of the season. With 10:21 remaining in the quarter, the Black Knights led 45-3.

The next three possessions resulted in punts, with Army’s offense in possession as time expired in the third quarter. Led by sophomore backup quarterback Bryson Luter, the eight-play drive culminated in senior running back Carson Smith’s first touchdown of the season, a six-yard run at 10:43.

Down 52-3, Bryant’s offense continued to struggle against Army’s dominant defense. The Bulldogs handed the ball over to the Black Knights again on a punt. The rout also allowed another backup quarterback, sophomore Ethan Washington, to lead the Army offense down the field. After a seven-play drive, Washington rushed the ball up the middle for a one-yard touchdown. The Cadets led the Bulldogs 59-3 with 5:12 left in the ballgame.

Bryant had one more chance to score, but its final possession of the game went three-and-out, ending in a punt. The Cadets’ final possession ran out the clock as Army started the season 1-0 with a dominant 59-3 victory. The Bulldogs are now 1-1.

Next week, the Black Knights will encounter a much greater challenge in the form of the University of South Florida (USF). The Bulls enter their September 12 matchup against Army with a record of 1-0 after winning a close ballgame against in-state rival Florida International University (FIU) of Conference USA (CUSA).

In the Black Knights’ American Conference opener, they will face a USF squad that struggled significantly on offense, managing only 208 total yards compared to FIU’s 381. Led by first-year head coach Brian Hartline, a former NFL wide receiver, the Bulls will need to generate more offensive production when they travel to Michie Stadium.

USF is led on offense by Michael Van Buren Jr., a junior quarterback who previously appeared in games for Mississippi State and LSU. Against FIU, he was 11-for-18 through the air for 100 yards.

Army did exactly what it had to do in its debut game. The team looked like a well-oiled machine on both sides of the ball against an overmatched opponent and managed to get a lot of players across the depth chart valuable playing time at multiple positions. The question now is whether the Black Knights can carry that momentum into next week and deliver a similar performance against a much tougher USF squad.

Saturday’s USF at Army game is scheduled for a noon ET kickoff and will air on CBS Sports Network (CBSSN).

Air Force Shuts Out Duquesne

The Falcons shut out the Duquesne Dukes, 34-0, on Saturday afternoon in front of a rocking crowd of 26,703 fans at Falcon Stadium on the campus of the Air Force Academy.

Air Force also marked the season opener by debuting its “Freedom 250” uniform, celebrating the United States’ 250th anniversary. The patriotic design featured red, white, and blue accents, a “Freedom 250” patch, and 13 stars on the jersey sleeves and pant legs representing the original 13 states. The Falcons also replaced player names on the back of their jerseys with the Air Force core values of “Integrity,” “Service,” and “Excellence.”

In an overwhelming, run-heavy offensive performance, 17 Air Force players combined for 431 rushing yards against Duquesne of the FCS’ Northeast Conference (NEC). In addition to keeping their opponent off the scoreboard, the Air Force defense restricted Duquesne to 107 total yards of offense (53 passing and 54 rushing). Two Dukes quarterbacks saw action in the contest, graduate student Carson Camp and junior Logan Kushner, but neither could solve the puzzle presented by the Air Force defense.

Air Force’s opening possession of the game saw quarterback Liam Szarka and senior backup Kemper Hodges split time behind center. On a drive that included 13 plays and ate up 6:54 of the game clock, Hodges recorded the first touchdown of the 2026 Falcons campaign, a four-yard run. Down 7-0, Duquesne was forced to punt after a six-play possession.

Szarka led the offense down the field on the Falcons’ next scoring drive, a 15-play possession that ate 8:02 off the clock and ended with the quarterback punching the ball into the end zone on a one-yard run at 12:17 of the second quarter.

On Duquesne’s next possession, Camp was picked off by Max Mustell on the third play of the series. The sophomore defensive back returned the ball 26 yards, helping to set his team up for another scoring drive, which ended with a 21-yard Carter Cremascoli field goal. Air Force led 17-0 at 9:33 in the second quarter.

The Dukes went three-and-out on their next possession. Air Force took advantage of the opportunity with a nine-play drive that ended with yet another Cremascoli field goal. This attempt came from 52 yards, putting the Falcons up 20-0 with 4:04 left in the first half.

Duquesne and Air Force exchanged punts on the next two possessions.

The Dukes got the ball back for one more drive before halftime but were thwarted by junior defensive back Korey Johnson, who intercepted Camp.

Air Force led 20-0 going into the half.

Duquesne got the ball back first in the second half but was forced to punt after a six-play possession. The Falcons and Dukes exchanged punts on the next two drives before Air Force strung together a 10-play series that culminated in Szarka’s second rushing touchdown of the day, a two-yard run to the left that put his team up 27-0 with just over a minute left in the third quarter.

Duquesne punted the ball back to Air Force after two incomplete passes by Camp. The Falcons, with the ball back at 14:37 in the fourth, again punished the Dukes with a 14-play scoring drive that ate up 6:24 of the game clock. Evan Medders, the third Air Force quarterback to see action, capped the drive with a four-yard rushing touchdown to the right at 8:19. With Cremascoli’s extra point, the Falcons led 34-0.

Duquesne’s final six-play possession ended with a punt, and the Falcons’ offense ran out the clock to start the season with a 1-0 record.

With the victory, the Falcons also extended their season-opening winning streak to 20 straight contests. They are also 31-0 all-time against FCS opponents.

Air Force begins Mountain West (MW) conference play on September 12 when they host North Dakota State at Falcon Stadium for a 10 PM ET showdown on FS1. A conference newcomer, the Bison are already 2-0 on the season, securing victories over Jacksonville State of CUSA, 33-7, and FCS opponent Fordham, 38-0.

In the first two games of the season, the Bison have received strong play on offense by senior quarterback Nathan Hayes. Hayes has completed 32 of 44 passes for 370 yards and four touchdowns through two games. He has also spread the ball among a deep group of targets, including wide receivers Jordan McCants, Chris Kiel, and Mekhi Collins, as well as tight end Reis Kessel, all of whom have recorded receiving touchdowns this season. In the matchup against Fordham, junior running back DJ Scott emerged as a strong option on the ground, recording two touchdowns and 60 yards.

In Air Force’s matchup against Duquesne, the Falcons methodically controlled possession and wore down their overmatched opponent. The Falcons will face their first real test of the season this weekend against a North Dakota State team looking to make a statement in their first season in the MW. The Air Force offense will look to employ that same strategy, keeping their adversary’s offense off the field against a Bison team that has already demonstrated an efficient and balanced passing attack through the first two games of the season.

Navy Dominates All-Maryland Battle

The Navy Midshipmen defeated the Towson Tigers of the CAA of the FCS at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis on September 5, 42-15.

Emotions ran high in Annapolis during the season opener, as the program honored an old friend, longtime voice of Navy Athletics Pete Medhurst, before the game by dedicating its home radio broadcast booth in his memory. The booth will now be known as the Pete Medhurst-Navy Radio Network Broadcast Booth.

Navy’s unique traditions were on display before kickoff, with a “yellow shirt” directing the Midshipmen onto the field in a nod to the flight-deck personnel who direct aircraft aboard U.S. Navy aircraft carriers.

Navy dominated nearly every major offensive category in the victory, outgaining Towson 527-246 in total offense and piling up 506 yards on the ground compared to just 39 for the Tigers. The Midshipmen ran 79 plays to Towson’s 39, recorded 30 first downs, and controlled the ball for 39:50, nearly twice as long as their opponent.

Leading Navy’s dominant rushing attack was senior quarterback Braxton Woodson, who ran for 200 yards and three touchdowns. Fellow quarterback Jackson Gutierrez added two rushing touchdowns and 31 yards on the ground as the pair accounted for five of the Midshipmen’s six touchdowns in the victory.

Towson had the first possession of the game, going three-and-out and punting. On Navy’s ensuing possession, Woodson electrified the home crowd by ending a six-play series with a monster 38-yard run for a touchdown. After Nolan Bartley’s extra point, Navy led 7-0 at the 10:21 mark of the first quarter.

Towson’s sophomore quarterback Andrew Indorf again couldn’t get the Tigers offense moving, as the visiting team was forced to punt after two incomplete passes.

The Mids ended their next possession with yet another huge touchdown run. Senior running back Vic Listorti scored the first touchdown of his collegiate career on a 35-yard run down the middle. With the extra point, Navy led Towson 14-0 with 3:37 remaining in the first quarter.

Towson answered with a seven-play touchdown drive that began late in the first and ended with a 48-yard touchdown pass at 14:52 in the second quarter. Indorf connected with redshirt sophomore wide receiver Aaron Enterline to make the score 14-6 with the extra point no good.

The Midshipmen quarterback duo of Woodson and Gutierrez led an 11-play drive that concluded with the latter’s three-yard rushing touchdown with 9:32 remaining in the quarter.

Down 21-6, Towson needed only four plays to find the end zone. Indorf found redshirt sophomore Jacob Zollar for a 30-yard touchdown pass. The Tigers failed to convert the two-point conversion, leaving the score at 21-12 with 7:50 remaining in the half.

Navy and Towson exchanged punts on the next two possessions.

Woodson led an eight-play drive that took just 1:48 off the game clock, putting his team up 28-12 on an eight-yard touchdown run up the middle. With 19 seconds left in the half, the Tigers had one more possession. This drive, and the half, ended when junior defensive end Aidan Lyczek sacked Indorf for a loss of 14 yards.

The Mids led 28-12 at halftime.

Navy started the second half with a 13-play possession that ate up over seven minutes of the game clock. Woodson and Gutierrez were excellent on this drive, with Gutierrez finishing it with his second rushing touchdown of the game, a two-yard run up the middle.

On Towson’s next possession, kicker Zaydaan Faridi hit a 40-yard field goal to make the score 35-15 with 3:14 left in the third quarter.

The two sides exchanged punts on the next two possessions.

At the 8:39 mark of the fourth quarter, Woodson punched the football up the middle for a four-yard touchdown run, his third of the game. The score stood at 42-15.

Towson went three-and-out on their final possession of the ballgame, setting Navy up for a 10-play, 6:17 possession that brought the game to the final whistle.

To the delight of the largely pro-Navy crowd of 32,654, the Mids are now 1-0 while Towson falls to 0-2. The Midshipmen now look ahead to their American Conference opener against Florida Atlantic University on September 12 at 7:30 PM ET. The matchup at FAU Stadium in Boca Raton will air on ESPNU.

Navy enters this contest as the favorite. FAU is coming off a 66-21 loss to the University of Florida. Against the Gators, graduate student quarterback Caden Veltkamp went 34-for-52 through the air for 276 yards and a touchdown. His performance was tarnished by two interceptions. He also had one rushing touchdown in the game. Sophomore running back Ethan Ervin recorded 50 yards on 16 carries and a touchdown against Florida.

The key to success for Navy will be controlling the game on the ground and dominating time of possession, much as it did against Towson. FAU surrendered 281 rushing yards against Florida, which could present another opportunity for Woodson and the Midshipmen’s potent rushing attack to control the tempo and keep Veltkamp and the Owls offense on the sideline.

The Road to Week 2

Week 1 could hardly have gone better for the three service academies, as Army, Air Force, and Navy each opened the 2026 campaign with convincing victories over FCS opponents. The three teams were particularly dominant on the ground, combining for an incredible 1,506 rushing yards.

The level of competition increases significantly in Week 2, however, with Army hosting USF, Navy traveling to FAU, and Air Force welcoming Mountain West newcomer North Dakota State. After dominating overmatched opponents in their season openers, this weekend should provide a much better indication of where all three service academies stand early in the 2026 campaign.

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