Ten years and a little over a month ago, I texted my then-high-school-girlfriend excitedly about football returning to Fenway Park. That night, Notre Dame went on to play Boston College in the inaugural Fenway Bowl, the first football game held at Fenway in nearly 50 years. My old girlfriend didn’t understand the magic of football at Fenway, but ten years later, Army fans, here we are. Maybe you do.
The Black Knights ended a turbulent 2025 season at Fenway last night in a game that recaptured every bit of the magic and glory that has at times become fleeting during this star-crossed season. Just watching the team play at a venue with Fenway Park’s history could have been the experience of a lifetime. But the Black Knights and their fans left with far more than just memories this week. They took control in the second half and earned a 41-16 win, showing an Army offense that looks to become a serious problem in the American Conference next year.
FIGHT ON TO VICTORY! pic.twitter.com/n3oVFhLoV4
— Army Football (@ArmyWP_Football) December 27, 2025
In all, friends, your Army Black Knights ran for 368 yards on more than six yards per carry. This became by far the best performance of the year for their offense. FB Jake Rendina nearly doubled his yearly output with 87 yards. It seemed that he finally fit into that Jakobi Buchanan/Darnell Woolfolk role in the offense he’s always seemed destined to fill. Hopefully, he’ll get the ball even more next year. Coming into this game, he had carried the ball 26 times. That’s ridiculous.
Obviously, plebe FB Godspower Nwawuihe stood out the most yesterday. After looking to replace the explosiveness they found with then-yearling Kanye Udoh in 2024, Army may have finally found it in Nwawuihe. Nwawuihe had 171 yards and two touchdowns on just *12* carries, scoring from 43 and then 70 yards out. Army now has an embarrassment of riches at fullback entering next season. FB Carson Smith finished the game strong as well, adding 49 yards on just nine carries, and will join Nwawuihe and Rendina in the backfield rotation next year. This will be crucial in reducing QB Cale Hellums’s overall load in 2026.
Nwawuihe goes into BEAST MODE 😤
— Army Football (@ArmyWP_Football) December 27, 2025
📺 ESPN pic.twitter.com/l5an94Z57L
The Black Knights also showed growth in their ability to respond to adversity and close this game out. Earlier in the year, the early 7-0 lead that UConn took could easily have snowballed into a deeper hole as it did against East Carolina and North Texas. However, the Black Knights’ defense settled in nicely, forcing UConn to become one-dimensional. The Huskies had -4 passing yards at the end of the first half and 84 total at the end of the game, making this one of the secondary’s best performances in years.
Yesterday’s second half was the most complete half of football Army has played all year. This team looked far different from the team that allowed Tarleton State and Tulsa to come back on them and win games. Army went on a 41-9 run to end the game, including a 27-point second half after UConn’s initial touchdown drive. This looked like an experienced team that finally put all the pieces together.
Pics via Lynn Fern Photography.
Before closing, we must talk about the efforts of two firsties. SB Noah Short closed out arguably the greatest careers for an Army slotback ever with 108 receiving yards in seven catches. He became the first Army receiver to ever break the century mark in a bowl game. More importantly, he became the only Army player to post both 1000 rushing and 1000 receiving yards. While many will remember the quarterback play in these last two seasons, this offense would not have succeeded without Noah Short stretching the field, both vertically and horizontally.
Speaking personally, seeing firstie QB DeWayne Coleman lead the offense to a touchdown drive to end the game became arguably the game’s biggest highlight for me. Coleman received the brunt of criticism for Army’s early offensive struggles but continued being an exceptional teammate and locker room presence. Coleman getting a carry and leading one last drive shows us something we’ve lost in the college football postseason. He finished with his team on the field. Not a lot of seniors have done that, especially this year. Honoring the contributions of unsung seniors has become a mostly moot point with constant transfer portal moves and opt-outs. Coleman’s ride into the sunset had the look of a byegone era, an era that still exists at the Service Academies.
All yours, @ArmyWP_Football. pic.twitter.com/eZTcWZDIWQ
— Wasabi Fenway Bowl (@FenwayBowl) December 27, 2025
This season has been one of the most unpredictable from week-to-week that I can remember as an Army fan. We had some of the highest highs and some of the lowest lows, and it seemed like that was it every single time the team hit the field. Thankfully, the Black Knights made most of our shared pain a distant memory this weekend while also giving us glimmers of hope for next year.
Still, this shouldn’t be the focus. Unfortunately, so much of ESPN’s current College Football Playoff propaganda has caused fans to lose sight of things like winning a game at Fenway Park becoming a truly memorable reward for a hard-fought season. While we can ponder the “what ifs” of 2025 and extrapolate what this win means for 2026, for now, let’s just enjoy the moment of another unforgettable bowl victory.
WE GOT HIM pic.twitter.com/J5eoJsYMdU
— Army Football (@ArmyWP_Football) December 27, 2025
We’ll see you all out at Michie in April for the Spring Game.
