NACOGDOCHES – The old coaching adage says that games aren't won on Saturdays but rather in practice and film study during the week.
The ACU Wildcats are a testament to that adage. Some work in the film room last week might have been the difference between snapping a losing skid against rival Stephen F. Austin or suffering another heartbreaking defeat.
The Wildcats turned a short kickoff into a 48-yard touchdown drive in the fourth quarter Saturday night, a scoring drive that helped them walk out of Homer Bryce Stadium with a 34-27 win over the Lumberjacks.
ACU is now 4-3 overall and 2-1 in the United Athletic Conference after its second straight victory, while the Lumberjacks fall to 3-5 and 0-3 after their third straight UAC loss, all by one score. ACU had lost four straight against the Lumberjacks and seven of the last eight meetings. Saturday night's victory was ACU's first in Nacogdoches since Nov. 15, 2014, in the first meeting between the teams after ACU moved to NCAA Division I FCS football in 2013.
But it came down to a play the Wildcats watched in special teams film study last Thursday afternoon that helped them end the losing streak. After SFA tied the game at 27-27 with 11 minutes left, SFA dug into its bag of tricks and tried to turn the game's momentum in its favor. But ACU was ready, and sophomore transfer defensive back
Jordan Mukes covered the line drive that kicker Chris Campos hit right at his chest, giving the Wildcats the ball at the SFA 48-yard line.
Nine plays later, the Wildcats went back in front on a 10-yard touchdown pass from
Maverick McIvor to
Blayne Taylor. ACU led 34-27 with 6:20 to play, and ACU's defense then forced SFA to turn the ball over on downs on each of its next two possessions, securing the win.
"We were prepared for that (kickoff)," ACU head coach Keith Patterson said. "We watched it Thursday in the Special Teams meeting. We showed our guys a bunch of clips of kicks they've tried, so we were prepared. But it's one thing to be prepared and another to execute and make that play at that point in the game."
After last week's Homecoming win over North Alabama, Patterson said his team was still searching for its identity but was getting close to figuring out what it would be for the remainder of the season. The Wildcats took another step in the right direction in the win over SFA with three more takeaways (after five last week), 272 rushing yards, and getting the offensive playmakers more involved.
The result? Back-to-back wins over North Alabama and Stephen F. Austin, 399 yards on the ground on 69 carries (5.8 yards per carry), and a defense that has created eight turnovers (six interceptions), leading to 20 points for the offense.
"We are an inexperienced team on the defensive front, so we have to force turnovers," Patterson said. "We've started playing more vision coverage and less man-to-man, and the result is eight takeaways in the last two weeks. We also simplified our offense and focused on getting the ball into our playmakers' hands. That's allowed
Blayne Taylor (eight catches for 97 yards and one touchdown) to emerge the last couple of weeks."
Jay'Veon Sunday – ejected in the third quarter after a dubious targeting call – led the Wildcats' offense with 147 yards and one score on 16 carries. That score was an 82-yard touchdown run that gave ACU an early 10-7 advantage. McIvor completed 13 of 25 passes for 140 yards and two scores.
Defensively,
Patrick Jolly and
Elijah Moffett each had first-half interceptions, and converted tight end
Colt Cooper had nine tackles from his defensive end position.
GAME SUMMARY
How They Scored
1Q (9:23) – The Lumberjacks became the first team this season to score first against the Wildcats as they capped a game-opening 75-yard drive with a third-and-10 touchdown pass from Preston Weeks to Kylon Harris from 21 yards out. Weeks was 6 for 7 for 47 yards and one score on the drive that saw the Lumberjacks face third down just twice.
Scoring Play: Kylon Harris 21 pass from Preston Weeks (Chris Campos PAT)
Drive: 12 plays, 75 yards, 5:37 TOP
Stephen F. Austin 7, ACU 0
1Q (5:55) – ACU placekicker
Kyle Ramsey – the reigning United Athletic Conference Special Teams Player of the Week, after making three field goals last week, including a 52-yarder – put an end to ACU's game-opening drive with a 42-yard field goal to cut SFA's lead to 7-3.
Jay'Veon Sunday had two carries for 20 yards on the drive, and
Maverick McIvor hit
Blayne Taylor with a 9-yard pass on third-and-six to keep the drive alive early on in the march.
Scoring Play: Kyle Ramsey 42 field goal
Drive: 9 plays, 40 yards, 3:28 TOP
Stephen F. Austin 7, ACU 3
2Q (14:22) – After an
Elijah Moffett interception deep in ACU's end of the field gave the offense the ball back, it only took the Wildcats two plays to score. After a pass on first down fell incomplete,
Jay'Veon Sunday – ACU's sophomore running back who transferred from Washington – went virtually untouched 82 yards up the left hashmark for a go-ahead touchdown.
Scoring Play: Jay'Veon Sunday 82 run (Ramsey PAT)
Drive: 2 plays, 82 yards, 0:19 TOP
ACU 10, Stephen F. Austin 7
2Q (8:40) – The Lumberjacks moved to points midway through the second quarter, but a strong ACU defensive stand inside the 5-yard line forced the Lumberjacks to have to settle for a game-tying field goal. SFA got to within striking distance, thanks mainly to a 37-yard pass from Weeks to Harris that set the ball up at the ACU 25-yard line. A few plays later, SFA faced a third-and-six situation from the ACU 7-yard line, but
Isaiah Davis was stopped at the 4-yard line after a 3-yard pass from Weeks to Davis. Campos came on and booted a game-tying 21-yard field goal.
Scoring Play: Chris Campos 21 field goal
Drive: 12 plays, 71 yards, 5:42 TOP
ACU 10, Stephen F. Austin 10
2Q (2:25) – The Wildcats put together a time-consuming drive that ended with them regaining the lead late in the first half, once again courtesy of placekicker
Kyle Ramsey. The longest play on the drive was a 9-yard run by Sunday. A 15-yard pass interference penalty on SFA also helped ACU. The drive ended with a 40-yard field goal by Ramsey.
Scoring Play: Kyle Ramsey 40 field goal
Drive: 14 plays, 53 yards, 6:15 TOP
ACU 13, Stephen F. Austin 10
2Q (1:24) – The Lumberjacks answered quickly, scoring late in the half and taking a lead into halftime. Facing second-and-10 from the SFA 35, Weeks found Ty Love down the left hashmark, hitting him in stride for a 65-yard touchdown pass reception.
Scoring Play: Ty Love 65 pass from Weeks (Campos PAT)
Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 1:01 TOP
Stephen F. Austin 17, ACU 13
3Q (12:25) – The Wildcats opened the second half with their best drive of the afternoon, moving 71 yards to the score to take a 20-17 lead. Quarterback
Maverick McIvor hit tight end
Hut Graham with a 36-yard pass to the SFA 25-yard line, and from there, it was the Rovaughn Banks show. He had a run of nine yards and then gave the Wildcats the lead back with a 14-yard touchdown run up the middle.
Scoring Play: Rovaughn Banks 14 run (Ramsey PAT)
Drive: 6 plays, 71 yards, 2:35 TOP
ACU 20, Stephen F. Austin 17
3Q (10:19) – The Lumberjacks answered quickly on the strength of the legs of Jerrell Wimbley, who carried the ball on four of his team's five plays on its opening drive of the second half. Wimbley capped the drive with a 44-yard touchdown run up the middle when it appeared the ACU defense had him bottled up after a short gain. Wimbley, however, kept his legs churning, broke through the initial surge, and went the distance for a touchdown.
Scoring Play: Jerrell Wimbley 44 run (Campos PAT)
Drive: 5 plays, 75 yards, 2:06 TOP
Stephen F. Austin 24, ACU 20
3Q (3:17) – The Wildcats put together another touchdown march, their second in as many second-half possessions, to regain the lead over the Lumberjacks. The Wildcats took over on the SFA 48-yard line and faced a fourth-and-1 from the 39 four plays into the drive. McIvor hit Castles with a pass that went down to the SFA 23-yard line for a first down to keep the drive alive. However, at the end of the play, ACU running back
Jay'Veon Sunday was whistled for a personal foul for targeting, and he was ejected from the game. The first down stood, but the ball returned to the SFA 33. On third-and-six from the 29, McIvor connected with
Tristan Golightly for a 19-yard gain and a first-and-goal from the 10-yard line. Two plays later, McIvor connected with
Cooper McCasland for a 6-yard scoring pass.
Scoring Play: Cooper McCasland 6 pass from McIvor (Ramsey PAT)
Drive: 9 plays, 48 yards, 3:51 TOP
ACU 27, Stephen F. Austin 24
4Q (11:00) – The Lumberjacks capped a nine-play drive with a game-tying field goal from Campos, his second 3-pointer of the game. SFA did most of its damage on the 45-yard drive to the field goal on the ground as Wimbley carried the ball four times for 23 yards, and Weeks hit Josh Thompson for an 18-yard gain. But the drive stalled at the ACU 19, forcing the Lumberjacks to settle for the game-tying field goal.
Scoring Play: Campos 36 field goal
Drive: 9 plays, 45 yards, 2:48 TOP
ACU 27, Stephen F. Austin 27
4Q (11:00) – The Lumberjacks capped a nine-play drive with a game-tying field goal from Campos, his second 3-pointer of the game. SFA did most of its damage on the 45-yard drive to the field goal on the ground as Wimbley carried the ball four times for 23 yards, and Weeks hit Josh Thompson for an 18-yard gain. But the drive stalled at the ACU 19, forcing the Lumberjacks to settle for the game-tying field goal.
Scoring Play: Campos 36 field goal
Drive: 9 plays, 45 yards, 2:48 TOP
ACU 27, Stephen F. Austin 27
4Q (6:20) – The Wildcats responded with a nine-play, 48-yard touchdown drive to regain a lead they wouldn't relinquish. ACU ran the ball on the drive's first plays, moving to the SFA 18 before a third-and-7 pass from McIvor to Taylor left ACU one yard short of the first down. Banks carried for two yards and a first down, and on the next play, McIvor and Taylor hooked up for a 10-yard scoring pass to give the Wildcats the lead.
Scoring Play: Blayne Taylor 10 pass from McIvor (Ramsey PAT)
Drive: 9 plays, 48 yards, 4:40 TOP
ACU 34, Stephen F. Austin 27
KEY STATS
• The Wildcats ran the ball 41 times for 272 yards Saturday night, averaging 6.6 yards per attempt.
Jay'Veon Sunday – ejected from the game midway through the third quarter on a questionable targeting call – led the way with 147 yards and one score on 16 carries. That score was an 82-yard touchdown run that gave ACU an early 10-7 advantage. The 272 rushing yards are the highest single-game total of the season and the best by ACU since the Wildcats ran for 274 yards in a 56-0 win over Lamar in 2021. Saturday night's rushing total is ACU's highest against Stephen F. Austin since the Wildcats moved to NCAA Division I FCS football in 2013.
TURNING POINT
Stephen F. Austin placekicker Chris Campos hit a 36-yard field goal with 11 minutes to play in the game to tie the score at 27-27, and that's when the Lumberjacks tried to turn the tide of the game in their favor. But the Wildcats were ready for it and turned it in their favor instead. After the field goal, the Lumberjacks tried to catch the Wildcats napping with a line-drive kickoff by Campos, directed at one of the Wildcats on the front line. But ACU defensive back
Jordan Mukes recovered the ball, giving ACU possession at the SFA 48-yard line. ACU drove to the go-ahead and eventual game-winning touchdown from there.
POST-GAME NOTES
•
Jay'Veon Sunday's 82-yard touchdown run in the second quarter is the 12th-longest run and 12th-longest TD run in ACU 102 seasons of ACU football. Before Sunday, the last time a Wildcat had a run or touchdown run of at least 80 yards was Sept. 11, 2010, when Darrell Cantu-Harkless went 83 yards for a touchdown against Northeastern State in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. Sunday's run is the longest by a Wildcat player in ACU's NCAA Division I era.
• ACU's defense had just two interceptions in the season's first five games, both by senior cornerback
Patrick Jolly (one vs. Prairie View A&M and one vs. Incarnate Word). But the Wildcats had four interceptions last week in the win over North Alabama (two by
Cirby Coheley, one by Jolly, and one by
Jameer Dudley). They added two more in Saturday's game against the Lumberjacks (one by Jolly and one by
Elijah Moffett).
• Sophomore placekicker
Kyle Ramsey was 4 for 4 on extra points and 2 for 2 on field goals, keeping him perfect on the season. He is now 25 for 25 on PATs and 11 for 11 on field goal attempts.
QUOTING HEAD COACH KEITH PATTERSON
… on how big the win was for his team: "That's something we've been talking to our players about quite a bit recently. We re-established new goals going into the North Texas game because we had to get some things ironed out. We had to come up with an identity. I didn't know the identity of our football team, so we re-calibrated the way we think and looked at some of the things we were doing on both sides of the ball and with our personnel, and we simplified some things. We talked to them a lot about how the conference race was directly in front of us and that if we played one week at a time and won the next five straight, we would put ourselves in a position to play meaningful football in November."
… on winning the fourth-quarter battle again this week (ACU outscored SFA 7-3 in the fourth quarter): "I was proud of our offense. We had a good game plan and did a nice job of attacking what they did defensively. We've talked a lot about winning the fourth quarter, and that's the third straight game that we've won the fourth quarter. We played winning football in the last 15 minutes. Moving forward, we have to continue to develop our identity, who we are, and what we can do. I'm excited to see what we can become for the remainder of the season
."
UP NEXT
The Wildcats will be back on the road next week for another United Athletic Conference contest against Southern Utah in Cedar City, Utah. The game is set for a 2 p.m. kickoff from Eccles Coliseum. The Wildcats and Thunderbirds have only met once before, and ACU has a 1-0 lead in the series after a 21-18 win last Oct. 15 in ACU's Homecoming contest. After next Saturday's road game, the Wildcats will close out UAC play for the 2023 season on Nov. 4 and Nov. 11, when they host Utah Tech and Tarleton State, respectively, at Anthony Field at Wildcat Stadium. Both games are set for 2 p.m. kickoffs. ACU will close out the regular season on Saturday, Nov. 17, with its first meeting against Texas A&M in College Station. The game from Kyle Field is set for an 11 a.m. kickoff and will be broadcast on the SEC Network.
