ABILENE – ACU quarterback
Maverick McIvor leaned back in his chair in the post-game news conference, ran both hands through his hair, exhaled deeply, and said to no one in particular, "Oh, my gosh," as he thought through the final minutes of the game he and his teammates had just finished playing.
That was probably the feeling of most of the 9,701 fans at Wildcat Stadium and everyone on the ACU sideline Saturday evening at the end of ACU's 28-25 win over Southern Utah. Despite seeing their 21-3 lead evaporate in the fourth quarter, the Wildcats were resilient in critical moments. They were saved by one of the strangest turnovers in an ACU game in recent memory and a fourth-down conversion deep in Southern Utah territory with one minute left.
In the end, the Wildcats walked away with a United Athletic Conference victory they absolutely had to have to maintain control of their destiny regarding the conference championship and an automatic bid to the FCS playoffs. About three hours after ACU walked off the field with a three-point win, seventh-ranked Tarleton State walked off the field at Memorial Stadium in Stephenville after falling to Eastern Kentucky, 17-13. That drops the Texans to 7-2 overall and 4-1 in the UAC, leaving the Texans and Wildcats in essentially a tie for first place, meaning ACU can win the league title outright and clinch a berth in the FCS playoffs with wins next week at Austin Peay and in two weeks at Tarleton State. Another win over Stephen F. Austin in the regular-season finale on Nov. 23 would secure a 9-3 regular season and a possible first-round bye in the playoffs.
For most of Saturday's first half, the Wildcats looked like they would easily earn the first of three wins needed to win the conference title.
ACU scored on each of its first three possessions – one on a touchdown pass from McIvor to
Javon Gipson and two
Isaiah Johnson touchdown runs – to take a commanding 21-0 lead with 10:22 left in the first half. To that point in the game, the Wildcats' offense was dominant, with 213 yards of total offense on 29 plays. The ACU defense was just as dominant, holding Southern Utah to 44 on 17 plays in that same period. However, a missed field goal by ACU and a late drive from Southern Utah allowed the Thunderbirds to kick a field goal on the first half's final play to make it a 21-3 game.
The Thunderbirds got untracked offensively in the second half, scoring once in the third quarter to make it 21-10 and altogether too close in the fourth quarter.
The Wildcats seemed to regain control of the game on its ensuing drive, going 88 yards in 12 plays to a touchdown, with
Sam Hicks scoring on a 12-yard pass from McIvor to make it 28-10 with 9:54 left in the game. But the Thunderbirds wouldn't go away as running back Targhee Lambson – who ran for 198 yards on 27 carries – scored from 13 yards out to make it 28-17 with 5:56 left, and suddenly, the game was back on.
Southern Utah tried an onside kick, but the ball went out of bounds, setting the Wildcats up at the Thunderbirds' 42-yard line. On second-and-goal from the Southern Utah 10, McIvor's pass to Nehemiah Martinez was tipped in the air and picked off by George Ramirez, who returned the pick 94 yards to the ACU 2-yard line. A penalty on ACU moved the ball to the 1-yard line, and Lambson scored from 1-yard out. He then ran in the 2-point conversion to turn what looked like an ACU blowout at one point into a three-point game.
The game got even more uncomfortable for Wildcat fans when ACU punted from its 44-yard line on fourth-and-1 with 2:41 to play, giving the ball back to the Thunderbirds. Southern Utah converted a third-and-five play from its 15 into a first down, but the Wildcats caught the break they needed on the next play.
Senior center Ed Riley — who had no trouble all day with the shotgun snap or center-quarterback exchange with quarterback Jackson Berry — simply lost control of the snap on first down, hit his left foot, and the ball dropped at the line of scrimmage, where ACU defensive tackle
David Oke fell on it with 2:03 to play.
As four officials gathered in the middle of the field to review the play, ACU head coach
Keith Patterson moved closer to the side judge to make sure he knew it was a fumble and that the ball should belong to the Wildcats. In the post-game press conference, Patterson recalled a 2019 game between Baylor and undefeated Texas Tech when almost the exact same scenario happened, only for the officials to rule an illegal snap.
Patterson was the defensive coordinator at Texas Tech under then-head coach Matt Wells that season, and the Red Raiders and Bears were locked in a 20-20 tie in overtime. Baylor center Jake Fruhmorgen was called for a false start for an illegal snap after he accidentally snapped the ball into his own backside in the first overtime while thinking that quarterback Charlie Brewer was under center and not in the shotgun.
Texas Tech recovered the botched snap, but the officials blew the play dead because it was a false start penalty. Texas Tech athletics director Kirby Hocutt was later fined $25,000 and issued a public reprimand for saying the Big 12 Conference admitted the call was incorrect but that it wasn't reviewable either.
"I wanted to make sure those guys knew it was a fumble, that it wasn't an illegal snap and just a five-yard penalty," Patterson said. "But they got it right."
The game wasn't over because Southern Utah had three timeouts, and the Thunderbirds used them all. ACU had fourth-and-1 from the Southern Utah 17, needing one yard to win the game and keep their championship hopes alive.
"I could have kicked the field goal right there," Patterson said, "and gone up by six. But then you're one miracle play away – a broken tackle on a long, a tipped pass, or something else – from losing the game. I just wanted to end it right there."
So on fourth-and-1, McIvor handed the ball to the Wildcats' bull in the backfield, and Johnson and the offensive line had just enough surge for him to pick up two critical yards and a game-sealing first down.
GAME SUMMARY
How They Scored
1Q (10:03) – The ACU offense immediately went to work after its defense forced a three-and-out on Southern Utah's first possession. Senior quarterback
Maverick McIvor completed passes of 12 and 30 yards to help get ACU to the Southern Utah 13, then hit
Javon Gipson in the right flat at about the 10-yard line on third-and-11 from the 13. Gipson skipped to the left, got out of two tackles, and bounced back to the left and into the end zone for the game's first touchdown.
Scoring Play: Javon Gipson 13 pass from Maverick McIvor (Ritse Vaes kick)
Drive: 8 plays, 61 yards, 3:33
ACU 7, Southern Utah 0
1Q (2:05) – Another stop by the ACU defense resulted in a second straight touchdown drive by the offense as the Wildcats jumped to an early two-score lead.
Maverick McIvor and
Isaiah Johnson keyed the drive as McIvor completed 5 of 7 passes for 36 yards, and Johnson carried the ball five times for 45 yards and caught one pass for eight yards. On fourth-and-1 from the Southern Utah 6, Johnson got the call, and he scored untouched after bouncing the play outside to the right.
Scoring Play: Isaiah Johnson 6 run (Vaes kick)
Drive: 12 plays, 81 yards, 4:44
ACU 14, Southern Utah 0
2Q (10:22)—Wash, rinse, repeat. Southern Utah's second three-and-out leads to another touchdown for the Wildcats.
Maverick McIvor completed 3 of 4 passes for 53 yards on the drive, and
Sam Hicks carried twice for 19 yards.
Isaiah Johnson got the Wildcats into the end zone, scoring from 1 yard out on third-and-goal from the 1 for his second rushing touchdown in as many drives.
Scoring Play: Isaiah Johnson 1 run (Vaes kick)
Drive: 9 plays, 71 yards, 4:38
ACU 21, Southern Utah 0
2Q (0:27)—After ACU turned the ball over to Southern Utah after a missed 31-yard field goal attempt, the Thunderbirds put together their best drive of the day, culminating in a field goal to get on the scoreboard late in the first half. Targhee Lambson carried the ball four times for 23 yards, and ACU helped the Thunderbirds get into scoring position with a 15-yard personal foul penalty for a late hit on the quarterback. However, once the Thunderbirds got close to the end zone, ACU's defense stiffened and limited Southern Utah to a 42-yard field goal by Jayden Rodgers.
Scoring Play: Jayden Rodgers 42 field goal
Drive: 11 plays, 56 yards, 2:57
ACU 21, Southern Utah 3
3Q (1:22)—The Thunderbirds cut ACU's lead to two scores with a late-third-quarter touchdown drive sparked by the hard running of Targhee Lambson. Utah's senior running back carried the ball on all five plays of a touchdown drive, rushing for all 78 yards on the drive. The big play was a 76-yard run from the Southern Utah 16 to the ACU 8-yard line. Two plays later, Lambson scored from three yards out to cut the ACU lead to 21-10.
Scoring Play: Targhee Lambson 3 run (Rodgers kick)
Drive: 5 plays, 78 yards, 1:55
ACU 21, Southern Utah 10
4Q (9:54)—ACU's offense answered Southern Utah's touchdown drive with one of its best drives of the season, going 88 yards in 12 plays to a score that pushed the lead back to 18 points at 28-10.
Maverick McIvor completed 5 of 5 passes on the drive for 62 yards. ACU only faced one third-down play on the drive, and McIvor got the Wildcats out of that jam with an 11-yard pass to
Blayne Taylor on third-and-10 from the ACU 48. He later hit Nehemiah Martinez for 24 yards to get ACU into the red zone, and two plays later, he connected with
Sam Hicks on a middle screen, and he scored from 12 yards out to push ACU's lead to 28-10.
Scoring Play: Sam Hicks 12 pass from McIvor (Vaes kick)
Drive: 12 plays, 88 yards, 6:28
ACU 28, Southern Utah 10
4Q (5:56)—After ACU's offense pushed its lead to three scores, the Thunderbirds went right back down the field to once again get to within two scores. Senior running back Targhee Lambson was again the workhorse on the drive, carrying the ball four times for 22 yards, including the final 13 for the touchdown that cut ACU's lead to 28-17.
Scoring Play: Targhee Lambson 13 run (Rodgers kick)
Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 3:58
ACU 28, Southern Utah 17
4Q (4:03)—After Southern Utah's touchdown drive, the Thunderbirds went for the onside kick, but the kick went out of bounds, giving ACU the ball on the 42-yard line. After a pass interference penalty on Southern Utah on the first play, the Wildcats had the ball on the SUU 27-yard line.
Isaiah Johnson gained 19 yards to the 8-yard line before losing two yards on the next play. On second-and-goal from the 10,
Maverick McIvor's pass to Nehemiah Martinez was tipped in the air and picked off by George Ramirez, who returned the pick 94 yards to the ACU 2-yard line. A penalty on ACU moved the ball to the 1-yard line, and Tarhgee Lambson scored from 1 yard out. He then ran in the 2-point conversion to turn what looked like an ACU blowout at one point into a three-point game.
Scoring Play: Targhee Lambson 1 run (Lambson run)
Drive: 1 play, 1 yard, 0:04
ACU 28, Southern Utah 25
POST-GAME NOTES
• Saturday's game against Southern Utah marked the final regular season appearance at Wildcat Stadium for 21 seniors, recognized before the game. The seniors who were honored were quarterback
Maverick McIvor, running back
Sam Hicks, defensive back
Izaiah Kelley, wide receiver
Trey Cleveland, defensive back
Elijah Moffett, wide receiver
Blayne Taylor, defensive back
Kyron White, quarterback
Trevor Baker, wide receiver
Nehemiah Martinez, punter
Grant Nickel, running back
Isaiah Johnson, linebacker
Ethan Taite, linebacker
Cirby Coheley, placekicker
Ritse Vaes, long snapper
Devan Daugherty, defensive lineman
Jordan Butler, offensive lineman
Alan Hatten, offensive lineman
Jacob Thielen, offensive lineman
Dylan Howerton, defensive lineman
Kaghen Roach, and defensive lineman
Devin Dawson.
• On ACU's second scoring drive,
Maverick McIvor completed an 8-yard pass to
Isaiah Johnson that gave him 551 career completions, pushing him past
Loyal Proffitt (1981-84) for sixth on ACU's career list.
Rex Lamberti (1984-86, 1993) is fifth, with 595 career completions.
• McIvor also topped 7,000 career passing yards, becoming just the seventh quarterback in ACU football history to record at least 7,000 céreer passing yards. He finished the game with 306 yards, which gives him 7,042 career passing yards, good for seventh in ACU history.
• McIvor's 306 passing yards give him seven career 300-yard passing games, with four coming this season.
• With Saturday's win, the Wildcats complete the regular season with a 4-1 record at Wildcat Stadium, the fourth time in the stadium's eight seasons they have won four home games. ACU is now 23-15 all-time at Wildcat Stadium.
QUOTING ACU HEAD COACH KEITH PATTERSON
Overall thoughts on the win: "I wasn't surprised at how the game played out. I have a great deal of respect for (Southern Utah head coach) DeLane Fitzgerald; he does a great job. He's old school. I felt like we were looking at a mirror image regarding what we both want our programs to be about: toughness, discipline, and sound fundamental football. I knew they weren't going to go away, even down 21-0. They didn't do much in the first half, but then they came out in the third quarter, put something together, and got back into the game."
On how the game turned in the second half: "Welcome to college football. Nothing surprises me anymore. It really doesn't. They hadn't done much on offense, but then they hit the big run in the second half and got a touchdown, and they were back in it. We have lapses on defense where we give up a play like that (a 76-yard run), and it happened (Saturday). The good news is we've gotten it down to one time a game. It's almost like we let our guard down, and all of a sudden, you're defending your own 1-yard line. But I'm proud of our kids and their ability to maintain their pose. The game is going to go all 6- minutes and then some, and you have to be mentally ready to play that long, and we were able to do that (Saturday)."
QUOTING ACU QUARTERBACK MAVERICK MCIVOR
On the play of the offense in the first half: "It all starts in practice. We get started on Monday preparing and get on the field on Tuesday, and it will go all through the week. We really grind, and it's getting everybody on the same page with extra film and extra work. K.P. (head coach Keith Patterson) always tells us the proof is in the dirt. You work hard, and good outcomes will happen. I think the way we played (Saturday) is proof of that."
UP NEXT
The Wildcats are on the road for the final three games of the regular season, beginning with next Saturday's key United Athletic Conference contest against Austin Peay. Kickoff in Clarksville, Tennessee, is set for 3 p.m. After that game, the Wildcats close out UAC play on Saturday, Nov. 16, at No. 7 Tarleton State in Stephenville. The regular season ends on Saturday, Nov. 23, in a non-conference game at Stephen F. Austin.
