ABILENE – The ACU Wildcats have been up and down for seven weeks, with incredible highs and devastating lows. Saturday afternoon at Anthony Field at Wildcat Stadium, the 17th-ranked Wildcats played their most consistent game of the season, and the results were what head coach
Keith Patterson has been looking for in 2024.
Leading Eastern Kentucky 14-7 at halftime, the Wildcats dominated the second half on their way to a 34-20 Homecoming win over the Colonels in front of the eighth-largest crowd in stadium history.
In the game's final 30 minutes, the Wildcats converted 5 of 7 third-down plays, held the ball for 17 minutes and 24 seconds, ran for 144 yards, held the Colonels to 35 yards rushing, and had three takeaways (two interceptions and a turnover on downs in the red zone). It was the kind of performance Patterson saw coming throughout the week after last week's disappointing 47-34 loss at North Alabama.
"This is the most consistent game we've played all season," said Patterson, whose team is now 10-4 at home in his two-plus seasons at ACU. "We've been looking for the consistency we played with today for seven weeks. And that's the kind of football it will take to win the next four football games on our schedule."
Now 5-3 overall and 4-1 in the United Athletic Conference, the Wildcats are off next week with the league's other eight teams in action, including league-leading Tarleton State (6-1 and 3-0) hosting Austin Peay (3-4 and 2-2). The week off gives the Wildcats a chance to heal and prepare for a four-week stretch starting on Saturday, Nov. 2, when they host Southern Utah in the final regular-season home game of 2024. ACU then hits the road over the last three weeks to play Austin Peay, Tarleton State, and Stephen F. Austin in a non-conference game.
Saturday's game against Eastern Kentucky turned in the Wildcats' favor for good late in the third and early in the fourth quarters. Leading 21-20, the Wildcats moved 75 yards on 10 plays to push the lead to eight points. The drive ended with an 11-yard touchdown pass from
Maverick McIvor to
Blayne Taylor with 1:27 left in the third quarter to make it a 28-20 game.
Three plays after the touchdown, ACU linebacker
Will Shaffer picked off EKU quarterback Matt Morrissey at the EKU 37 and returned it to the 20, setting the Wildcats up with solid field position. The Wildcats had to settle for a 21-yard field goal by
Ritse Vaes and a 31-20 lead with 12:55 left in the game.
The Wildcats sealed the victory late in the fourth quarter, first with a fourth-down stop inside its 5-yard line and then a time-consuming drive that ended with a field goal.
Trailing 31-20, EKU drove to the ACU 6-yard line, where Joshua Carter ran for two yards on third-and-3, setting up a fourth-and-short play. But Carter – EKU's leading rusher – had to leave the game because he lost his helmet when tackled. On fourth down, Morrissey's pass into the end zone was broken up by
Tyson Williams, turning the ball back over to the Wildcats.
Morrissey was forced out of the pocket thanks to a strong rush by edge rusher
Chris Wright, and Williams broke up the pass, giving the ball back to ACU.
"Coach Patterson always tells us we have to play 60 minutes and then some," Wright said. "I was trying to get to the quarterback as fast as possible and be aggressive to impact the play. We believe if we get at least three takeaways, we'll win. We did that with three interceptions and the turnover on downs. Making those plays makes us a better defense.
On ACU's ensuing drive, running back
Sam Hicks carried the ball seven times for 74 yards on the drive, which stalled at the EKU 18-yard line. Vaes capped the drive with his second field goal of the day, from 35 yards away, to make it 34-20 with 2:17 left. The 11-play drive chewed up more than six minutes of the fourth-quarter clock (6:07), wearing down the EKU defense.
"I don't know if that's a drive we would have made earlier this season," Patterson said. "Early in the year, we were a quick-strike team or a team that went three-and-out really quick, and our defense was right back on the field. It's taken us a little bit to learn how to adjust to that style, but we did it in the fourth quarter, and it shows the growth of our team."
McIvor completed 24 of 37 passes for 340 yards and three touchdowns, his sixth career 300-yard passing game and seventh career game with at least three touchdown passes. The Wildcats pounded out 552 yards of total offense: 340 through the air and 212 on the ground. The defense had one of its best games, giving up a season-low in points, recording two sacks, holding the Colonels to 92 rushing yards, and limiting them to 18 first downs.
GAME SUMMARY
How They Scored
2Q (14:55) – After the teams exchanged a pair of punts, the Wildcats put together the game's initial scoring drive, with most of the yards coming on the ground. ACU backs and receivers picked up 44 of 87 yards on the ground, and
Maverick McIvor hooked up with tight end Itty Henry for a 27-yard gain to the Eastern Kentucky 8-yard line.
Sam Hicks scored from eight yards out on the second quarter's first play to get the Wildcats on the board.
Scoring Play: Sam Hicks 8 run (Ritse Vaes kick)
Drive: 11 plays, 87 yards, 4:14
ACU 7, Eastern Kentucky 0
2Q (8:44) – ACU's second touchdown drive was set up by a terrific play in the end zone to keep EKU out of the end zone. On a third-and-9 throw from the ACU 13, Matt Morrissey's pass was broken up by
Tyson Williams and picked off by
Izaiah Kelley on the deflection, his second career interception. On ACU's ensuing drive,
Maverick McIvor completed an 11-yard pass to
Blayne Taylor on the first play, hit
Jed Castles for 36 yards on third-and-4 from the ACU 37, hit
Javon Gipson for seven yards, and on fourth-and-inches, he hooked up with Castles for an 18-yard touchdown pass.
Scoring Play: Jed Castles 18 pass from Maverick McIvor (Vaes kick)
Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:41
ACU 14, Eastern Kentucky 0
2Q (8:44) – ACU's defense forced a three-and-out, and the Wildcats took over on their 46 with time to go score and take a dominant three-score lead into halftime. But on the drive's first play, a middle screen pass intended for
Sam Hicks was tipped by Cedric Andrews Jr. and intercepted by Ryan Jackson at the EKU 42. The Colonels moved briskly to the ACU 8-yard line, facing a third-and-goal with 33 seconds left in the first half. After a timeout, quarterback Matt Morrissey hit Marcus Calwise Jr. in the left front corner of the end zone for the touchdown that cut ACU's lead to 14-7.
Scoring Play: Marcus Calwise Jr. 8 pass from Matt Morrissey (Patrick Nations kick)
Drive: 10 plays, 58 yards, 5:55
ACU 14, Eastern Kentucky 7
3Q (13:22) – The Wildcats received the kickoff to start the second half and wasted no time pushing the lead to two scores. On the drive's second play,
Maverick McIvor connected with
Jed Castles for 19 yards, and two plays later, McIvor stepped up in the pocket, moved to his left, and fired a strike to
Blayne Taylor for a 55-yard touchdown pass.
Scoring Play: Blayne Taylor 55 pass from Maverick McIvor (Vaes kick)
Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 1:38
ACU 21, Eastern Kentucky 7
3Q (13:12) – The Colonels wasted no time getting right back on the scoreboard as quarterback Matt Morrissey hit Dequan Stanley on a slant at the EKU 45, and he took it the rest of the way for a 75-yard touchdown reception.
Scoring Play: Dequan Stanley 75 pass from Matt Morrissey (Nations kick)
Drive: 1 play, 75 yards, 0:10
ACU 21, Eastern Kentucky 14
3Q (5:17) – After the quick EKU touchdown pass, the Wildcats were moving after a 12-yard pass from
Maverick McIvor to
Blayne Taylor and a 27-yard run by Nehemiah Martinez. But on first-and-10 from the EKU 31-yard line,
Jordon Vaughn was stripped of the ball after a 9-yard gain, and EKU's Jaheim Ward recovered at the 22-yard line. The Colonels moved briskly, with the big play coming on a 19-yard pass from Matt Morrissey to Marcus Calwise Jr, pushing the ball to the ACU 38. Eight plays later, Joshua Carter capped the drive with a 3-yard touchdown run, bringing the Colonels to within 21-20. ACU's
David Oke blocked the PAT – ACU's fourth blocked kick of the season – to keep the Wildcats in front.
Scoring Play: Joshua Carter 3 run (kick blocked)
Drive: 12 plays, 78 yards, 6:28
ACU 21, Eastern Kentucky 20
3Q (1:27) – The Wildcats answered EKU's touchdown drive with its own, moving 75 yards on 10 plays to push their lead to eight points. Because of a penalty,
Maverick McIvor completed 6 of 9 passes for 81 yards on the drive, including 22, 15, and 22 yards to get his team to the EKU 11-yard line. On first down, he hit
Blayne Taylor with an 11-yard scoring strike, their second TD connection of the day.
Scoring Play: Blayne Taylor 11 pass from Maverick McIvor (Vaes kick)
Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 3:50
ACU 28, Eastern Kentucky 20
4Q (12:55) – Three plays after ACU's touchdown, ACU linebacker
Will Shaffer picked off EKU quarterback Matt Morrissey at the EKU 37 and returned it to the 20, setting the Wildcats up with solid field position and a chance to regain a two-score lead. ACU moved to a first-and-goal at the 8-yard line but stalled at the 4-yard line and settled for a 21-yard field goal by
Ritse Vaes and an 11-point advantage.
Scoring Play: Ritse Vaes 21 field goal
Drive: 7 plays, 16 yards, 2:41
ACU 31, Eastern Kentucky 20
4Q (2:17) – The Wildcats sealed the victory late in the fourth quarter, first with a fourth-down stop inside its 5-yard line and then a time-consuming drive that ended with a field goal. Trailing 31-20, EKU drove to the ACU 6-yard line, where Joshua Carter ran for two yards on third-and-3, setting up a fourth-and-short play. But Carter – EKU's leading rusher – had to leave the game because he lost his helmet when he was tackled. On fourth down, quarterback Matt Morrissey's pass into the end zone was broken up by
Tyson Williams, turning the ball back over to the Wildcats.
Sam Hicks carried the ball seven times for 74 yards on the drive, which stalled at the EKU 18-yard line.
Ritse Vaes capped the drive with his second field goal of the day, this time from 35 yards away.
Scoring Play: Ritse Vaes 35 field goal
Drive: 11 plays, 78 yards, 6:07
ACU 34, Eastern Kentucky 20
POST-GAME NOTES
• Saturday's game was the 40th career start for senior safety
Elijah Moffett and the 30th straight start by senior center
Tay Yanta.
• The crowd of 10,411 fans was the eighth-largest in Anthony Field at Wildcat Stadium history.
• Senior wide receiver
Blayne Taylor posted his fourth career 100-yard receiving game, finishing the day with career-highs in receptions (10) and yards (154) to go with two touchdown receptions. He has 97 catches for 1,504 yards and 15 touchdown catches in his ACU career.
• Tight end
Jed Castles set a career-best in receiving yards Saturday with 73 against the Colonels, topping his previous high of 41 yards last week against North Alabama.
• Running back
Sam Hicks carried the ball a career-high 24 times against Eastern Kentucky, racking up 146 yards and one score against the Colonels. He set his career high in rushing yards at Utah Tech on Sept. 28 with 203 yards and three touchdowns on just 12 carries.
• The Wildcats are now 57-35-1 in 93 Homecoming contests, with five straight wins dating back to 2018 (no game in 2020 because of COVID).
UP NEXT
The Wildcats are off next week before returning to action on Saturday, Nov. 2, to begin the final stretch of the regular season. ACU will host Southern Utah at 3 p.m. on Nov. 2 in the final home game of the season. The Wildcats will play their final three games of the regular season on the road: Nov. 9 at Austin Peay, Nov. 16 at Tarleton State, and Nov. 23 at Stephen F. Austin.
