Hellums accounts for 3 TDs, scores with 2:52 left to push Army past Kansas State 24-21

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MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Cale Hellums accounted for three touchdowns that included a 14-yard touchdown run with 2:52 left to help Army beat Kansas State 24-21 on Saturday night.

“I couldn’t have done it by myself,” Hellums said after his first career start in which he carried the ball 41 times. “Having the O-line there, the slots, the receivers, everyone blocking their tails off. It was a great victory on both sides, on offense and defense.”

Kansas State’s (1-2) final drive ended when Avery Johnson threw an interception just past midfield. It was just the 10th home nonconference loss for Kansas State since 1990.

The Black Knights (1-1) kept the ball on the ground, running the ball 70 times out of their 82 offensive plays. Army had four scoring drives of at least 13 plays, including three which took at least seven minutes, and outgained K-State 332-247 in total yards.

The key for the Black Knights was going 6 of 7 on fourth down.

“A lot of people think you only get three downs to get 10 yards,” Army coach Jeff Monken said. “They give you four. So we try to operate so that we get ourselves in a position where we can go forward on fourth down. Some of the fourth downs were a little bit longer than we’d like. We’d like to be 4th-and-1.”

Hellums completed 7 of 11 passes and ran 41 times for 124 yards. He tossed a 2-yard touchdown pass to Brady Anderson to end the first half.

“I was not tempted at all. We were going for it,” Monken said after the game when asked if he was tempted to attempt a field goal with 2 seconds left in the half. “Three points weren’t going to help us. That one changed the game. If we don’t score that touchdown right there, we may not win the game.”

Hellums later added a 1-yard TD run late in the third quarter that gave the Black Knights a 14-13 lead, but Bryce Noernberg returned the ensuing kickoff 99 yards into the end zone and K-State regained the lead, 21-14.

Army cut the lead to 21-17 with 10:46 left, and then attempted a squib kick on the ensuing kickoff, hoping to avoid another long return. It caromed off a K-State player and Army recovered on its own 44.

“We weren’t running an onside kick," Monken said. “We decided we were going to go with a squib kick and it just hit one of their guys, ricocheted off. And it worked out.”

Army held a 40:44 to 19:16 advantage in time of possession and is the first K-State opponent to rush for more than 200 yards since late in the 2023 season.

“We didn’t finish drives,” Kansas State coach Chris Klieman said. “That’s why it was 13-7 at the half and not 21-7. You can’t settle for field goals.”

Johnson finished 15-of-25 passing for 172 yards and threw one touchdown pass to Jaron Tibbs for the Wildcats. Tibbs finished with five catches for 61 yards.

Army: The Black Knights went for it on fourth down seven times, converting six. Their most gutsy attempt was Hellums' TD toss to Anderson on 4th-and-goal from the 2 with three seconds left in the first half.

Kansas State: The Wildcats missed starting running back Dylan Edwards, who was injured in the season's opening game the first time he touched the ball. Without Edwards' explosiveness, the Wildcats rushed for 75 yards on 18 carries.

Army: The Black Knights have next weekend off before hosting North Texas on Sept. 20.

Kansas State: The Wildcats play at Arizona on Friday. Even though both teams are in the Big 12, it will be a nonconference game.

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