Army had Tulsa right where it wanted it. Then the game got messy, the lead disappeared, and suddenly the Black Knights needed their kicker to bail them out. Dawson Jones delivered. With the clock running out Friday night, he drilled a 50-yard field goal to give Army a wild 38-35 victory over the Golden Hurricane at Skelly Field at H.A. Chapman Stadium. 

ESPN College Football captured the moment, posting the kick with a simple message on X: “ARMY WALKS IT OFF 😱.” For a team that had spent much of the night trading punches with its AAC rival, there was no better way to escape.

Army arrived in Tulsa carrying momentum after a 56-24 demolition of Florida Atlantic the previous Saturday. Tulsa had its own reason for feeling good, having snapped a three-game losing streak with a 38-17 win over Rice. The game turned into a shootout, with the Black Knights needing every bit of its ground game before their kicker supplied the final blow.

Dawson Jones had been doing his job long before the decisive moment. He connected on all three field-goal attempts, including a 51-yarder in the first quarter and another from 34 yards late in the first half. His third 50-yard attempt was the one everyone will remember as Army escaped with a win after a major upset scare. 

Army had plenty of reasons to believe they could control this game on the ground. QB Cale Hellums and RB Godspower Nwawuihe made sure of that. Hellums finished with 121 rushing yards and three touchdowns. He punched in a 41-yard score in the first quarter, added a short touchdown in the second, and found the end zone again from one yard out in the fourth. 

Nwawuihe delivered the explosive play of the night. His 66-yard touchdown run in the third quarter flipped the field and gave Army a huge jolt. He finished with 135 rushing yards and a touchdown, giving the Black Knights another weapon Tulsa struggled to contain.

Meanwhile, Tulsa kept up a relentless fight. The Golden Hurricane kept answering Army’s scores, refusing to let the visitors turn their rushing advantage into a comfortable cushion. A 59-yard touchdown run by Trequan Jones helped them pull level at 28-28 in the third quarter. 

The fourth quarter offered no relief. Tulsa struck through a touchdown pass from Baylor Hayes to Jimmy Calloway, then Army responded with Hellums’ third rushing score. At 35-35, the game was back where neither team wanted it. One mistake, one big play, or one kick away from being decided. 

Army would get the kick. Dawson Jones took care of the rest, sending the 50-yard field goal through as the clock expired. The victory also carried some extra satisfaction.

Army remains strong in the AAC title race

Tulsa had handed Army a painful 26-25 defeat at West Point the previous November. This time, the Black Knights got the last word, and they did it on the road. The Black Knights improved to 5-2 overall and 4-1 in AAC play, keeping themselves firmly involved in the conference title race alongside contenders such as UTSA and North Texas. 

This victory was about much more than just revenge. In the AAC title hunt, every conference game is essentially an elimination match. With the win over Tulsa, Army moved to 5-2 overall and 4-1 in the conference, keeping them neck-and-neck with contenders like UTSA and North Texas for a spot in the AAC Championship Game. Drop a game like this, and your path to a conference title or a top-tier bowl bid almost disappears. Army simply could not afford a slip-up.

Army’s defense has plenty to fix after giving up 35 points, but in late October, a road win is a road win. Friday night belonged to Dawson Jones. His 50-yard leg didn’t just save Army from a heartbreaking upset; it kept their championship dreams fully alive as the AAC race enters the final stretch.