Wildcats back on road looking for third straight win

GAME 4
ACU at STEPHEN F. AUSTIN
Saturday, Sept. 22 • 6 p.m. • Homer Bryce Stadium • Nacogdoches, Texas

MEDIA INFORMATION
Streaming: ESPN+
Radio: KTLT 98.1 FM The Ticket
Talent: Grant Boone (play-by-play), Jim Reese (analyst), Seth Wilson (sideline)
Twitter: @ACUSports
Game Notes: ACU I Stephen F. Austin
 
MATCHUP
ABILENE CHRISTIAN
2-1, 1-0 Southland
Ranking: NR - AP, NR - Coaches
Head Coach: Adam Dorrel (NW Missouri St., '98)
Career Record: 80-18 (8th season)
ACU Record: 4-10 (2nd season)
vs. Stephen F. Austin: 0-1

STEPHEN F. AUSTIN
0-2, 0-1 Southland
Ranking: NR - AP, NR - Coaches
Head Coach: Jeff Byrd (Southern Miss, 1989)
Career Record: 0-2 (1^st season)
SFA Record: 0-2 (1^st season)
vs. ACU: 0-0

OPENING KICKOFF
• The Wildcats are on the road for the third time in their first four games as Saturday night they visit Homer Bryce Stadium in Nacogdoches to take on Stephen F. Austin in a Southland Conference tilt. The Wildcats own a 10-8 series advantage over the Lumberjacks, although SFA has won two straight over the Wildcats, including last season's 20-10 win over ACU at Anthony Field at Wildcat Stadium.
 
• The Wildcats have won back-to-back games for the first time since early in the 2015 season when they beat Houston Baptist and Stephen F. Austin after an early season loss to an FBS opponent (Fresno State). The Wildcats are also 2-1 the season for the first time starting the 2015 season with that same record.
 
• The Wildcats are trying to win three straight games for the first time since their only season an NCAA Division I independent (2013) when they opened the season with three straight wins over Conocrodia, Ala. (84-6 on Aug. 31), McMurry (60-17 on Sept. 7), and New Mexico Highlands (52-28 on Sept. 14). That win over Highlands was the last in a six-game winning streak for the Wildcats that dated back to the end of the 2012 season – ACU's last at the NCAA Division II level – when they beat Texas A&M-Commerce, West Alabama and Incarnate Word to finish the season 7-4.
 
• Since re-joining the Southland Conference in 2013 and beginning to play a league schedule in 2014, the Wildcats are 2-2 against Stephen F. Austin: 1-1 in Abilene and 1-1 in Nacogdoches. ACU won in 2014 in Nacogdoches and in 2015 in Abilene, but lost in 2016 in Nacogdoches and 2017 in Abilene.
 
A LOOK AT THE NUMBERS
• Stephen F. Austin's numbers on the season are skewed for two reasons: they played SEC power Mississippi State in the first game (a 63-6 loss), and because they lost their second game (at home vs Tarleton State on Sept. 8) due to bad weather. The game was canceled and will not be made up.
 
• The Wildcats' offense ranks in the top five in the Southland Conference in scoring offense, total offense (No. 1 at 525.7 yards per game), rushing offense, passing offense and sacks allowed. It's a dramatic turnaround for an offense that, in 2017, didn't score more than 35 points in a game all season and averaged less than 90 yards per game on the ground.
 
• After scoring 27 points in a season-opening loss at Baylor, the Wildcats have rebounded with 41 points against Angelo State in Week 2  (41-24 win) and 38 points against Houston Baptist in Week 3 (38-13 win). In those two wins, the Wildcats outscored Angelo State 24-0 in the second half to overcome a 24-17 halftime deficit, and then scored 38 straight points against Houston Baptist to overcome an early 6-0 Huskies' lead.
 
• The Lumberjacks' offense has found the early going tough as they're averaging just 6.5 points per game (last in the league) and a meager 309.5 yards per game (last in the league). SFA is ninth in the league in rushing yards per game (102.0), and their 207.5 ypg through the air also ranks ninth in the Southland.
 
• SFA's defense is 10th in the league, allowing 535.5 yards per game. The rushing defense is also 10th in the league (242.5 ypg allowed), while the pass defense is ninth, allowing 293.0 ypg through the air. The Wildcats are third in the league in passing offense, averaging 291.7 ypg through the air.

SCOUTING THE LUMBERJACKS
• Saturday is actually Stephen F. Austin's home opener. The home-opener was originally supposed to be played Sept. 8 against Tarleton State, but that game was canceled because of inclement weather.
 
• The 'Jacks are 52-36-3 (.588) all-time in 91 home openers and have posted a 28-16-1 (.633) record in home openers since Homer Bryce Stadium hosted its inaugural game on Sept. 8, 1973. Despite dropping two of its last three home openers, SFA has gone 8-2 in its last 10 home opening tilts. The 'Jacks won
seven-straight home openers from 2008-14, outscoring their opponents 426-69 in those contests. Northern Arizona handed SFA a 34-28 loss in SFA's 2015 home opener before the 'Jacks defeated West Alabama 30-24 to open up the home portion of their 2016 season. Last season, SFA opened up at home with Southern Utah and suffered a 51-34 loss.
 
• SFA features a very talented wide receiver group in 2018 and returning All-Southland second team selection Tamrick Pace is on pace to etch his name in the program's record book. Needing just 41 catches and five touchdown receptions to break into the Lumberjack top-10 career list in both of those
categories, the junior ranks 23rd in career receiving yards (1,578) among all Lumberjkacks who have played the game.
 
• After a 14-day hiatus from game action due to SFA's originally scheduled home opener being canceled because of thunderstorms, the 'Jacks were handed a 31-7 defeat at UIW last Saturday. Despite outgaining the host Cardinals 248-111 in total offensive yards in the second half, SFA was unable to overcome a 21-point, 209-yard second quarter by UIW.
 
• Junior running back Jamall Shaw led SFA's ground attack in the affair by collecting a career-high 72 yards on 11 carries, all of which came in the second half. Senior wide receiver Terian Goree tied his career high in receptions with a team-best seven for 63 yards, while sophomore running back Josh McGowen reeled in a career-high five catches for 62 yards. Junior quarterback Jake Blumrick, who started the second half, finished with 148 yards on 15-of-25 passing.
 
• Both graduate transfer safety Chris James and sophomore cornerback Eli Jones recorded their first career interceptions in the game, James picking off a pass late in the second quarter and Jones doing the same early in the fourth. SFA's three takeaways in the game marked the most turnovers forced by the 'Jacks since Oct. 14 of 2017 when SFA picked off Central Arkansas three times.

UP NEXT
• After Saturday's game, ACU is back at home next week (Sept. 29) to take on Incarnate Word at Anthony Field at Wildcat Stadium in a game schedule for a 6 p.m. kickoff. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.