STEPHEN F. AUSTIN STATE (6-5) VS. #11 ABILENE CHRISTIAN (8-3)
WHEN: Nov. 23 (SAT.) 2:00 P.M.
WHERE: Nacogdoches, Texas (Homer Bryce Stadium)
TV: ESPN+
Senior Day
SERIES HISTORY
FOOTBALL HISTORY VS ABILENE CHRISTIAN FROM OCTOBER 6, 1973 - OCTOBER 21, 2023
WINS: 13
LOSSES: 11
TIES: 0
Home Record: 8-4
Streak: 1 Loss
SFA has won 4 of the last 5 meetings, and 7 of the last 10 since 2015
L: 27-34 (Home) 2023
W: 24-21 (Away) 2022
W: 41-38 (Home) 2022
W: 41-27 (Home) 2021
W: 35-32 (Neutral) 2020
The ACU Wildcats Head Coach and former Texas Tech DC Keith Patterson in just his 3rd season has completely turned the program around from a 5-6 team in 2021 to the newly crowned United Athletic Conference Champions and are now headed to their first ever division I FCS playoff appearance since moving up to division I in 2013.
And what a season it has been for ACU who started 2024 in a 51-52 OT thriller in Lubbock against the Red Raiders, which we all know is the sign that you are about to have yourself a good year in football.
The whole season though has been nothing but nail biters for the ACU fateful.
L @Texas Tech (51-52 OT)
W West Georgia (38-24)
W @Northern Colorado (24-22)
L #4 Idaho (24-27)
W @Utah Tech (55-30)
W #5 Central Arkansas (41-34)
L @North Alabama (34-47)
W Eastern Kentucky (34-20)
W Southern Utah (28-25)
W @Austin Peay (35-34)
W #14 Tarleton State (35-31)
And last Saturday was no exception with the Wildcats down 28-31 to the Texans, 1:48 left on the clock, on their own 25-yard line, with the UAC Championship on the line.
ACU QB Maverick McIvor helped to lead the Wildcats down the field to the Tarleton State 1-yard line, converting two 3rd down conversions in the process, with less than 25 sec. in the game, before McIvor hits RB Sam Hicks in the end zone for the go ahead TD.
For the season Maverick McIvor has completed 282 passes for 3,604 yards for 28 TD's, with only 5 INT's.
McIvor's go to receivers have been Blayne Taylor and Texas Tech transfer Nehemiah Martinez who have combined for 120 catches for 1,775 yards and 15 TD's.
On the ground the rushing attack is lead by Sam Hicks who is nearing 1,000 yards for the season at 986, averaging 6.0 yards per carry with 11 TD's. Also, in the back field for the Wildcats we have Isaiah Johnson with 607 yards and 11 TD's.
The offense averages 36-points a game while gaining 170 yards on the ground and 330 through the air.
On the defensive side of the ball ACU gives up 31-points a game 177 yards on the ground and 250 through the air. Their defense is lead by senior LB Will Shaffer who the team leader in tackles at 101, with 6.5 of those for a loss, 2 sacks, and 2 INT's. Up on the defensive line Jerry Lawson leads the team in tackles for loss with 10.5.
The Lumberjacks have been eliminated from any talk of the playoffs and are now playing for a winning season, to close out at 7-5, which would be a 4-game improvement, along with a 3rd place finish in conference play after a season where SFA failed to win one conference game. This season does have the stock going back up, and a signature win against #11 and conference champion ACU would help set the stage for 2025 where the Jacks return practically the entire offense. (of course the portal could having something to say about that)
The question for the Lumberjacks will be do you play starting QB Sam Vidlak if he is good to go against ACU, or do you let backup QB Gavin Rutherford finish out the season.
Playing Vidlak would seem to improve the Jacks chances of winning, but does that put Sam at risk of making his injury worse for the off season? And with the auto-bid secured will ACU rest some of their key players on Saturday as they prepare for the playoffs.
See how these decisions unfold.
Axe'Em
