GET HYPED!
THE DETAILS
Abilene Christian (3-4, 2-3 Southland) vs. Stephen F. Austin (1-5, 1-2 Southland)
Date: Homecoming Saturday, Oct. 19
Kickoff: 3:05 p.m.
***Big Purple Marching band will perform at the GATA fountain during Wildcat Country at 1:45 pm.***
Gameday Program
TV / Web:
ESPN+ (
Zach Carlyle and Tyler Henderson)
Radio:
98.1 FM - The Ticket (
Grant Boone and Jim Reese)
Real-Time Stats
THE PREVIEW
ABILENE -- The Wildcats played their best all-around game of the season last Saturday vs. Houston Baptist and will need to produce an equal performance on Homecoming in order to: 1.) stay undefeated a home, 2.) snap a three-game losing skid to Stephen F. Austin and 3.) continue their climb up the Southland Conference standings and back into the FCS postseason picture.
"Our guys are excited," said head coach
Adam Dorrel. "It's Homecoming Week, and if you do Homecoming right it can serve as a springboard for your program. This is a very important week because we have
ONE job on Homecoming, so we're trying to minimize our distractions by saying, 'no' to things. We have to focus on us and playing a real good football game vs. SFA.
"It's also a time for us to reflect on our university, the players and the coaches that have come before us, and the community. Homecoming always has been special at ACU, but from a football perspective I've been trying to educate our players on the importance of this weekend. Once you leave your alma mater, whether you're a student-athlete or not, it's always cool to come back in the fall. I'm trying to get them into that mindset."
The Lumberjacks are off to an uncharacteristic 1-5 start under first-year head coach Colby Carthel, who began his collegiate coaching career in 2000 as the Wildcats' recruiting coordinator and defensive line coach. He later coached against ACU as the West Texas A&M defensive coordinator from 2006-13 before taking head coaching jobs at Texas A&M-Commerce (2013-18) and SFA.
Two additional former Wildcats are on Carthel's coaching staff. ACU Hall of Famer Nathan Young is the Lumberjacks' offensive line coach, and three-year letter winner and offensive lineman Hayden Wall serves as an offensive assistant coach. Young played at ACU from 2004-07 and was the Wildcats' offensive coordinator from 2013-16.
The Lumberjacks started 2019 with four tough losses against Baylor, Tarleton State, Southern Utah (OT) and Southland favorite Nicholls before rallying to beat Lamar, 24-17, in Beaumont. The following week SFA dropped a 31-20 decision to archrival Sam Houston State in the 94th Battle of the Piney Woods. The Bearkats have won their last eight meetings with the Lumberjacks.
"They've played well, and it's tough knowing they've had two weeks of preparation for us coming off the bye week," said Dorrel. "They're a very athletic team that's playing exceptionally well on special teams. They're complete within that unit.
"Defensively, they're playing a lot of young guys who are really athletic. The defensive coaches is doing a good job mixing up looks depending based on the team they're playing, and then offensively, they have a running back and quarterback who I've really been impressed with. The QB is extremely tough - he's taken some hits and bounced right back up - and they have a talented receiving corps that's right up there with Central Arkansas. They're very balanced on offense."
ACU won its first two games vs. SFA in nail biting fashion upon entering the Southland Conference in 2014.
Nik Grau booted a 31-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter of a 37-35 win at SFA in 2014. The Lumberjacks had a chance to retake the lead with 1:19 to go, but Jordan Wiggs' 27-yard attempt sailed wide left. ACU then ran all but two seconds off the clock and punter Austin Kilcullen pinned the home team back at its own 8-yard line.
The following year at Shotwell Stadium, De'Andre Brown scored the go-ahead touchdown from 20 yards out with 5:51 remaining. The Wildcat defense then forced a punt and a turnover on downs on SFA's final two possessions.
The Lumberjacks have won three consecutive close games since then, including last year's 24-21 triumph in Nacogdoches. ACU twice trailed by as many as 10 points, but closed to within a field goal following a
Luke Anthony pass to
Josh Fink. Unfortunately, SFA recovered the onside kick and kneeled out the clock.
"Last year my play altered the game," said Anthony. "I had some mental lapses and some unfortunate bounces, like the ball slipping out of my hand that they recovered for a touchdown.
"All of us need to lock in on doing our job this time around, and me not trying to do too much. I forced some throws against them. I have to trust the game plan. Take what they're giving me and hopefully it works out for the best."
Stephen F. Austin Notes
- ACU leads the all-time series 10-9 but is in the midst of a three-game series losing streak. The Wildcats have won six of eight meetings vs. the Lumberjacks in Abilene, but lost the 2017 game at Anthony Field, 20-10. SFA won on its home field last year, 24-21.
- ACU's all-time record on Homecoming is 54-35-1. The Wildcats are 4-2 on this date since moving up to DI / Southland Conference in 2013. ACU and SFA met on Homecoming three times in five years between 1979 and 1983. The Wildcats won 31-0 and 24-10 in 1981 and 1983 but lost 27-21 during their 1979 meeting.
- SFA ranks 14th in the FCS with a .920 Red Zone offense thanks to FG kicker Storm Ruiz, who is top-20 in the FCS with a .875 FG percentage, 2.33 FG per game and 9.5 points per game.
