Army tops Tulane as Hellum’s rushing pace carries the Knights

Army picked up a key win over Tulane, and the difference came in large part from quarterback Hellum’s ability to turn the Knights’ running game into sustained offense. With the game framed in terms of physicality and ball control, Army leaned into what it does best, repeatedly asking Hellum to make plays with his legs and to extend drives when the pocket and lanes tightened.

Hellum’s run production was the centerpiece of the Knights’ approach. Rather than relying only on designed plays, the Army offense used his movement as a pressure-release valve, letting him convert short opportunities into extra yardage and keep Tulane’s defense from settling into a predictable rhythm. When Army’s drives stalled, Hellum’s athleticism helped reset the play clock and sustain momentum.

For Tulane, the challenge was stopping a dynamic rushing threat while also accounting for Army’s disciplined option structure. Army’s style tends to force opponents to defend multiple run pathways without a clean “fit” every down, because the attack can shift after the snap. Against that kind of scheme, a game can turn on whether the defense can stop the first critical phase, early enough that plays do not develop into second- and third-effort gains.

The broader matchup context matters, too. Army and Tulane present different offensive identities, and games between teams like this often become a question of who can control tempo and limit the other side’s possessions. Army’s win reflected a game plan built around limiting wasted downs, stringing together effective rush sequences, and using Hellum as a reliable option when the play needed to breathe.

Tulane, meanwhile, needed to generate consistent offensive production to keep pace. But a rushing-heavy opponent can indirectly affect passing efficiency, because it changes down-and-distance and can shorten the time the quarterback has to work through progressions. Even when Tulane found openings, Army’s continued commitment to the run helped keep the Green Wave from creating the kind of sustained scoring run that would require quick defensive stops.

What to watch next is whether Army can reproduce this formula consistently, especially in games where opponents are better prepared for Hellum’s running angles and speed. The Knights’ staff will likely look to build on the win by tightening decision-making and maintaining the same emphasis on eliminating drive-killing mistakes.

For Tulane, the priority is responding to a loss that exposed how difficult it can be to contain a quarterback-run-centric attack without sacrificing big-play coverage. How the Green Wave adjust their run fits and tackle execution will be central in determining whether the setback is a one-off or the start of a broader correction cycle.