Army Black Knights quarterback Cale Hellums (3) celebrates a game-winning touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Kansas State Wildcats at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium. Scott Sewell-Imagn Images

Army pulls stunning road upset against Kansas State

By Samuel Stubbs | Last updated Sep 6, 2025 10:53 PM ET

One week after Army suffered a head-scratching home loss to FCS Tarleton State, the Black Knights responded with an upset road victory.

Army went into Manhattan, Kansas, on Saturday evening and emerged with a 24-21 victory over Kansas State after an interception by Collin Matteson allowed Army to take the air out of the football.

As CBS College Basketball reporter Jon Rothstein might say: "Anarchy? Nope. Just college ~~basketball~~ football."

Last Saturday: Tarleton State beats Army

Tonight: Army beats Kansas State in Manhattan

This is College Football. pic.twitter.com/qraqOFTXJ8
— The Jump Sports (@TheJumpSports) September 7, 2025

Army fell behind 13-0 in the second quarter, and it would've been completely understandable if the Black Knights faltered and let Kansas State run away with an easy victory.

But Army responded with a touchdown just before halftime and refused to back down in the second half.

A 14-play, 7:54 drive late in the fourth quarter gave Army the lead, and Matteson's interception allowed the Black Knights to run out the clock and secure one of the biggest victories in program history.

The victory is Army's first against a Power Four program since the 2021 Armed Forces Bowl, when the Black Knights took down Missouri.

Army will return home to West Point next week to face North Texas with plenty of momentum behind them, while Kansas State will attempt to bounce back from the humiliating home loss with a road trip to Arizona.

The Wildcats suffered a season-opening loss to Iowa State in Dublin on Aug. 23 before narrowly snagging a win against North Dakota on Aug. 30.

Samuel Stubbs

Hailing from the same neck of the woods as NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin, Samuel has been covering NASCAR for Yardbarker since February 2024. He has been a member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) since October of 2024. When he’s not writing about racing, Samuel covers Arkansas Razorback basketball for Yardbarker

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