Wildcats to host nation's top team in season finale

ABILENE – The ACU football team is set to close out the 2021 season on Saturday with a home game against defending National Champion Sam Houston. The Wildcats lead the all-time series with a 13-12-1 record, including a 4-5 mark in Abilene. 
 
ACU Wildcats vs. Sam Houston Bearkats
Kickoff: 1 p.m.
TV: ESPN+ 
Radio: 102.7 The Bear | iHeartRadio
Ticketing Info
 
Educators Day
- Any local educator can receive a free ticket to Saturday's game by calling the ACU ticket office at 325-674-CATS (2287). 
 
Abilene Christian (5-5, 2-1 WAC)
- The Wildcat defense forced six takeaways in last week's 29-3 win over Tarleton, the highest mark since a Halloween game against McNeese in 2015. Safety Elijah Moffett was chosen as the WAC Defensive Player of the Week on Monday after forcing a pair of fumbles and intercepting a pass last week, making him the fifth ACU player to gain a weekly honor from the league office this season. 
- Quarterback Peyton Mansell has recorded both a passing touchdown and a rushing touchdown in each of his last two games, and he has now totaled 11 scores for the year. Since taking over as the starter, Mansell has completed nine passes of 20 or more yards, including at least two in each game. 
- Blair Zepeda connected on a career-long 53-yard field goal in the second quarter to go with a 41-yarder in the first and a 28-yarder in the fourth. He now ranks fifth on ACU's career list with 174 kicking points, and his 53-yard boot is tied for the fifth-longest in program history.  
- Sweetwater native Kobe Clark turned in yet another impressive performance for the Purple and White, posting a season-high in receptions while hauling in his eighth touchdown catch of the year. He became the third player in program history to reach 200 career receptions, and he now sits behind only Jerale Badon ('04-'07, 235 receptions) and Taylor Gabriel ('10-'13, 215 receptions) on the career list. 
 
Sam Houston (9-0, 4-0 WAC)
- The Bearkats clinched the WAC/ASUN automatic qualifier into the FCS playoffs last Saturday with a 42-28 win over Eastern Kentucky. Sam Houston's last road loss came on Oct. 26, 2019 at the hands of 12th-ranked Central Arkansas, and they are the lone unbeaten remaining in all of FCS. 
- Sam Houston did most of their damage in the air on Saturday, with Eric Schmid completing 27 of his 44 pass attempts for 392 and three scores to three different receivers. The aerial assault comes a week after the Bearkats rushed for north of 400 yards, giving them one of the most potent offenses in the country. 
- As a team, Sam Houston leads the WAC in scoring offense (43.2), scoring defense (18.2), touchdowns (53), total offense (487.44), rushing offense (237.67), rushing defense (69.22), yards per rush (6.05), rushing TDs (23), passing TDs (26), fumble return TDs (2), first downs (219), first downs rushing (98), opponent first downs (151), least sacks against (9) and red zone defense (.727).
- With a 45-27 win over Tarleton on Oct. 30, Sam Houston set a new collegiate record for wins in a calendar year. The game was the 17th for the Kats in 2021, setting an all-time college football record. Previously four teams – Yale (1894 & 1889), Chicago (1899) and North Dakota State (2019) – had won 16 games in calendar years. 

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