Dobbins scores two TDs but Rams ground ACU rally, 34-21

Written by Ron Hadfield | Photos: Jeremy Enlow

ABILENE, Texas – Alfred Grear ran for 247 yards and four touchdowns, and Angelo State University weathered an Abilene Christian University comeback to upset the home team 34-21 Saturday afternoon at Wildcat Stadium.  

FCS member ACU (1-4 overall, 0-1 in the Southland Conference) lost for the first time to its former longtime rival from the Division II Lone Star Conference since moving to Division I in 2013. Angelo State (2-2) won its fourth and final game of 2020.

The Rams built a 28-7 lead and 265-72 halftime advantage in total yards, and weathered third turnovers and a 21-0 mid-game run by ACU before sealing the win with Grear’s fourth TD of the day.

Freshman Jermiah Dobbins ran for 57 yards and two TDs, and Darius Lewis caught seven passes for 80 yards and one score for ACU, which cut the Ram lead to 28-21 midway through the third quarter.  

As dominating as the Wildcats were seven days ago as their buzzer-beater win at Mercer wound down, Abilene Christian was conversely ineffective as this game began. ACU surrendered just 11 yards to Mercer in the fourth quarter last week, a feat Angelo State duplicated against the Wildcats in the opening quarter of this game.

ASU engaged in some serious script-flipping on the day.

In 2018, Angelo State took a 21-17 halftime lead with big plays – a pick-6 and a kickoff return for another TD – before ACU rallied with 24 unanswered points to win, 41-24. But the Rams authored a different storyline in 2020, sandwiching four straight TDs between a pair of three-and-out drives to open and close the first half, then pulling away with another Grear long-distance score to wrap up their win Saturday.

Both teams began the afternoon with pedestrian-like three-and-out drives and punts. But the Rams stepped on the accelerator of their race car ground game, opening a 21-0 lead just inside the second quarter.

After a 51-yard Logan Burke punt pinned Angelo State on its 8-yard line early in the first quarter, the Rams moved downfield with authority on their second drive. Five straight running plays, capped by a 61-yard touchdown sprint by Grear, put ASU on the scoreboard and in the lead, 7-0, with 9:58 left.

Grear ran untouched for a second TD on ASU’s next drive, this time a 4-yarder that put the Rams further ahead, 14-0, with 3:27 on the clock. 

A frustrated ACU offense gambled on 4th and-2 at the 44-yard line, but Tyrese White was stuffed on his fourth straight run, giving the Rams the ball in great field position. Nine plays later, Grear scored his third TD of the half when he bulled 1 yard with 3:55 left to put his team up 21-0.

An interception by ACU safety Brian Bullock was negated by a holding penalty on the Wildcats with 6:50 left in the quarter. Angelo State turned its lone break of the half into its fourth score of the game: Zach Bronkhorst’s 1-yard pass to Justin Pegues, his first catch of the season.

The Wildcats got on the scoreboard on their sixth and final drive of the first half, a 48-yard march in four plays, with Dobbins forging his way into the end zone from 3 yards out with 1:04 remaining in the quarter.

Cornerback Robert McKnight recovered a fumble by ASU returner Zorhan Rideaux on the ensuing kickoff, putting ACU back in business at the 29-yard line. Dobbins made the Rams pay for the turnover, rushing 8 yards for his second score of the day and shrinking the Angelo State lead to 28-21 with 1:33 left.

ASU wasted no time in flexing its muscles again. An apparent 88-yard TD run by Grear on the first Ram play of the half was reduced to a 63-yarder by a penalty that pushed the visitors back to the 23-yard line. 

However, with the Rams in the shadow of Wessell Scoreboard and poised to score once more, linebacker Jack Gibbens’ sack-and-steal of the ball from Bronkhortz on 3rd-and-goal from the 4-yard line gave ACU a second straight turnover and new life.

The Rams wouldn’t budge, however, forcing a punt by Burke that traveled just 20 yards before bouncing out of bounds and giving ASU the ball at the ACU 27-yard line.

Gibbens rose to the occasion again, intercepting a Bronkhortz pass at the 16-yard line and returning it to the 37. But ACU could not capitalize on ASU’s third turnover of the day.

ACU was flagged for roughing Ram punter Jacob Johnston with just over 7 minutes left, giving Angelo State new life on the Wildcat end of the field.

The Wildcat defense stiffened and forced Johnston to punt once more.

With the ball and 5:08 left on the 20, ACU couldn’t advance past its own 39-yard line.

The Rams took over and Grear ripped off a 68-yard TD run, his fourth score of the afternoon. The PAT kick failed but ASU’s final margin of 34-21 was sealed.

Mansell completed 16 of 35 passes for 155 yards and one score. Bronkhorst was 6 of 15 for 53 yards and one TD, and was intercepted once. 

Gibbens had a career game: 14 tackles (10 solo), one sack and forced fumble and one interception. The Wildcats sacked Bronkhorst three times.

Angelo State’s 414 rushing yards fell short of the 456 yards Army West Point rolled up Oct. 3 on ACU. ASU entered the contest averaging just under 250 yards rushing per game.

Abilene Christian plays its final home game of 2020 next Saturday by hosting Arizona Christian in Wildcat Stadium. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. CST on Anthony Field.

PLAYS THAT MATTERED

• 1Q – Alfred Grear ran 61 yards for a TD and Albert Garcia’s successful PAT kick put the Rams on top, 7-0. Scoring drive: 5 plays, 92 yards, 1:51
• 1Q – Grear ran 4 yards for his second TD of the game to extend the Rams’ lead to 14-0. Scoring drive: 9 plays, 69 yards, 4:36
• 2Q – Grear scored his third TD of the half on a 1-yard run up the middle to make the ASU margin 21-0. Scoring drive: 9 plays, 43 yards, 3:55
• 2Q – Justin Pegues caught a 1-yard TD pass from Zach Bronkhorst to increase the Ram lead to 28-0. Scoring drive: 14 plays, 89 yards, 5:57
• 2Q – Jermiah Dobbins ran 3 yards for ACU’s first score and Blair Zepeda’s successful PAT cut the Angelo State lead to 28-7. Scoring drive: 4 plays, 48 yards, 0:58
• 3Q – Darius Lewis caught an 11-yard TD pass from Peyton Mansell with 9:24 left in the quarter, pulling ACU closer, 28-14. Scoring drive: 13 plays, 71 yards, 5:36
• 3Q – Dobbins scored his second TD of the game with an 8-yarder that cut the ASU lead to 28-21 with 7:45 left. Scoring drive: 4 plays, 29 yards, 1:33
• 4Q – Grear registered his fourth TD of the day, a 68-yard run with 2:10 remaining to wrap up the scoring and provide Angelo State its final margin, 34-21. Scoring drive: 3 plays, 78 yards, 1:15

THREE THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

• ACU managed just 121 yards of offense in the first half last week against Mercer, and 72 today against Angelo State.
• Angelo State outgained ACU 467-255 in total yards, including 414 on the ground.
• Alfred Grear scored four touchdowns on the ground – two over 60 yards – and had another of more than 80 yards called back by penalty.

STAT CORNER

• ACU won the turnover battle: 3-1.
• Angelo State averaged 6.9 yards per rush on 60 attempts. ACU averaged 3 yards on 33 attempts.
• At the half, Angelo State led in total offense (265-72), first downs (14-4), rushing yards (229-35), yards per rush (6.5-2.3) and on the scoreboard (28-7).

NOTABLE

• ASU’s new president is an ACU graduate: Ronnie D. Hawkins Jr., who earned a M.S. degree while stationed at Dyess Air Force Base in 1985. He went on to a decorated career as director of Defense Information Systems Agency and commander of Joint Force Headquarters - Department of Defense Information Networks. He retired as a lieutenant general.
• Angelo State leads the series 29-21-1 but ACU has won 10 of the last 13 games, dating back to 2012 when the Wildcats competed in NCAA Division II and the Lone Star Conference with the Rams. Abilene Christian won the last meeting in 2018, 41-24.
• The Rams have just four games this fall. They previously split a pair of contests with West Texas A&M and lost to ACU’s Southland Conference rival, Stephen F. Austin.
• ACU’s third and final game this fall with a FBS team is a Nov. 21 matchup at Atlantic Coast Conference-member Virginia. Last season, the Cavaliers lost to No. 3-ranked Clemson in the ACC Championship Game and played in the Orange Bowl, losing to No. 6-ranked Florida, 36-28.

QUOTABLE

• “We were undisciplined. We had no passion to play the game of football. I was just extremely disappointed with the lack of energy on the sideline.” – ACU head coach Adam Dorrel
• “Extremely disappointed. Angelo State’s a very good football team. We talked to the team about that all week. I coached Division II football for a long time. So, I know what a good Division II team looks like, and they’re one. We talked all week about having to stop the run game. We didn’t do that. But it was just a litany of errors today.” – ACU head coach Adam Dorrel
• Not much good came out of this game. We battled back a little bit the second half, but it’s a frustrating loss for sure. … We all need to look in the mirror and figure out what’s going on.” – ACU senior linebacker Jack Gibbens