Wildcats Fall in Finale; Playoffs Ahead

NACOGDOCHES – And now the Wildcats wait. 

With an automatic bid as 2024 champion of the United Athletic Conference, they await an upcoming pairing in the FCS playoffs, and health news about the leader of their dynamic offense.  

The 11th-ranked Wildcats closed a memorable regular season Saturday in a forgettable finale at Homer Bryce Stadium with a 32-19 loss to Stephen F. Austin. Their quarterback, Maverick McIvor, the likely Most Valuable Player of the UAC and a potential first-team All-American, left the game late in the first half with an unspecified injury. 

The game's outcome could affect whether ACU gets a home game or hits the road for its first playoff football experience in its Division I era. But McIvor's injury could have more far-reaching ramifications, as he took a huge hit from his blind side on the Wildcats' first-half touchdown drive and missed the second half. His availability for ACU's upcoming game, likely next Saturday, is uncertain.

The Wildcats never got untracked in any phase against the  Lumberjacks, who finished 7-5 with the victory. SFA blocked a punt on ACU's first drive and quickly turned it into a touchdown, pinned ACU deep in its territory on one put that turned into a safety for SFA, and pinned the Wildcats deep in their end of the field on two other occasions.
 
ACU's offense – which went up and down the field last week at Tarleton State in the 35-31 win – had negative yards on four first-half drives and accumulated just 91 yards on 31 plays in the first half. The Wildcats trailed 16-0 with a little less than 10 minutes to play in the first half when a 47-yard punt return by Nehemiah Martinez set the Wildcats up at the SFA 34-yard line. 
 
McIvor finished the drive by throwing a 9-yard touchdown pass to Jed Castles. Backup quarterback Carson Haggard took over in the second half.
 
ACU got the ball to open the second half, and on the first play, Haggard and running back Sam Hicks didn't make the connection on the handoff. The ball dropped to the turf and SFA's Aaron Austin recovered the fumble at the ACU 14. SFA settled for a 30-yard field goal
 
That was the first of three third-quarter scores for SFA, which carried a 32-16 lead to the fourth quarter. ACU scored twice in the fourth quarter on touchdown passes of 74 yards from Haggard to Martinez and 18 yards from Haggard to Blayne Taylor. But with ACU driving with less than three minutes trying to get to within one score, Haggard was picked off to finish any ACU comeback hopes.
 
Haggard finished 12 of 30 for 187 yards and two touchdowns, while Martinez had six catches for 127 yards and one touchdown reception. 

GAME SUMMARY
How They Scored
1Q (10:05) – ACU's first offensive series started at its 10-yard line and went downhill. The Lumberjacks blocked Grant Nickel's punt from the 14-yard line, and SFA took over on the ACU 12-yard line. Three plays later, quarterback Gavin Rutherford found Lavar Lindo over the middle for an 8-yard touchdown pass and an early Lumberjack lead.
              Scoring Play: Lavar Lindo 8 pass from Gavin Rutherford (Chris Campos kick)
            Drive:  3 plays, 12 yards, 0:43
             Stephen F. Austin 7, ACU 0
 
1Q (00:16) – ACU started its drive on the 4-yard line, and after a penalty pushed the Wildcats back to the 2-yard line, SFA got a safety when Sam Hicks ran into a brick wall in the end zone for a safety to give the Lumberjacks a 9-0 lead.
              Scoring Play: Sam Hicks tackled in the end zone
            Stephen F. Austin 9, ACU 0
 
2Q (11:04) – The big play that hurt the ACU defense reared its head early in the second quarter to increase ACU's deficit to 16 points. After another three-and-out by the ACU offense, the Lumberjacks took advantage of decent field position to move to another touchdown in just three plays. On third-and-7, Gavin Rutherford and Kylon Harris hooked up for a 60-yard touchdown pass.
              Scoring Play: Kylon Harris 60 pass from Gavin Rutherford (Chris Campos kick)
            Drive:  3 plays, 63 yards, 0:50
             Stephen F. Austin 16, ACU 0
 
2Q (11:04) – The big play that hurt the ACU defense reared its head early in the second quarter to increase ACU's deficit to 16 points. After another three-and-out by the ACU offense, the Lumberjacks took advantage of decent field position to move to another touchdown in just three plays. On third-and-7, Gavin Rutherford and Kylon Harris hooked up for a 60-yard touchdown pass.
              Scoring Play: Kylon Harris 60 pass from Gavin Rutherford (Chris Campos kick)
            Drive:  3 plays, 63 yards, 0:50
             Stephen F. Austin 16, ACU 0
 
2Q (4:42) – The Wildcats finally got on the board, and the drive to get there started with a 47-yard punt return by Nehemiah Martinez, setting up the offense at the SFA 34-yard line. After Ky Lawson sacked Maverick McIvor for an 11-yard loss on second down, Sam Hicks carried for 22 yards on third-and-20, moving the ball to the SFA 22. On third-and-7 from the SFA 9, McIvor found Jed Castles for a touchdown to cut the SFA lead to 16-6. McIvor's pass to Blayne Taylor on the two-point attempt was incomplete, leaving the Wildcats trailing by 10 points.
              Scoring Play: Jed Castles 9 pass from Maverick McIvor (2-point pass failed)
            Drive:  8 plays, 34 yards, 3:19
             Stephen F. Austin 16, ACU 6
 
3Q (13:52) – ACU quarterback Maverick McIvor was ruled "unavailable" before the start of the third quarter which sent backup Carson Haggard into the game. On the first play of the second half, Haggard and running back Sam Hicks couldn't make the connection on a handoff, the ball dropped to the turf, and SFA recovered the ball on the ACU 14-yard line. But the ACU defense stood tall, forcing a field goal from Chris Campos to keep ACU's deficit at two scores.
              Scoring Play: Chris Campos 30 field goal
            Drive:  4 plays, 1 yard, 0:58
             Stephen F. Austin 19, ACU 6
 
3Q (10:31) – ACU punter Grant Nickel pinned the Lumberjacks back on their 10-yard line, but it didn't matter as they were able to hit another big play to get into scoring position. On the drive's first play, Gavin Rutherford hit Jordan Nabors for an 80-yard completion to the ACU 10. Qualan Jones scored from 10 yards away on the next play to make it a 25-6 game. SFA went for two, but the pass was incomplete.
              Scoring Play: Qualan Jones 10 run (Gavin Rutherford two-point pass incomplete)
            Drive:  2 plays, 90 yards, 0:41
             Stephen F. Austin 25, ACU 6
 
3Q (5:06) – On the Lumberjacks' next drive, they moved quickly down the field to another score, with the final four plays of the drive coming on the ground. Jones finished the drive with a 1-yard run to push SFA's lead to 32-6.
              Scoring Play: Qualan Jones 1 run (Chris Campos kick)
            Drive:  8 plays, 65 yards, 4:02
             Stephen F. Austin 32, ACU 6
 
3Q (4:17) – It didn't take the Wildcats long to answer SFA's score with their second touchdown of the game. On third-and-9 from the ACU 26-yard line, Carson Haggard found Nehemiah Martinez in the left flat. He turned upfield, found the sideline, got to midfield, cut back toward the open field, and raced untouched 74 yards for a touchdown.
              Scoring Play: Nehemiah Martinz 74 pass from Carson Haggard (Ritse Vaes kick)
            Drive:  3 plays, 75 yards, 0:49
             Stephen F. Austin 32, ACU 13
 
4Q (9:53) –ACU crept within two scores with plenty of time after a seven-play drive resulted in a touchdown. Haggard and Martinez hooked up for 14 yards and found Trey Cleveland for 14 yards on a key third-and-5 play. After a 12-yard pass to Trey Cleveland pushed the ball to the SFA 18, Haggard hit Blayne Taylor with an 18-yard touchdown pass to make it a 32-19 lead.
              Scoring Play: Blayne Taylor 18 pass from Carson Haggard (Ritse Vaes kick)
            Drive:  7 plays, 63 yards, 2:21
             Stephen F. Austin 32, ACU 19
 
POST-GAME NOTES
• ACU running back Sam Hicks finished with 25 yards on the ground. Still, it was enough to give him 1,009 rushing yards on the season, the first Wildcat player to rush for at least 1,000 yards in a season since Bernard Scott ran for 2,156 yards in 2008 when he won the Harlon Hill Trophy as the top player in NCAA Division II football.
• Senior wide receivers Blayne Taylor and Nehemiah Martinez each closed in on 1,000-yard receiving seasons Saturday at SFA. Martinez had 127 yards on six catches, which gave him 951 yards in the season, with at least one more game to play. Meanwhile, Taylor finished with 47 yards, pushing his season total to 998 receiving yards. ACU hasn't had a 1,000-yard receiver in a season since Taylor Gabriel in 2013 (1,060 yards).
• Maverick McIvor threw for 71 yards in the first half, moving from seventh place on the career passing yards list to fifth with 7,859 career yards, passing John Mays (7,810 yards) and Loyal Proffitt (7,824). He now trails only Mitchell Gale (12,109), Billy Malone (12,012), Jim Lindsey (8,521), and Rex Lamberti (7,934).
• McIvor's first-half touchdown pass to Jed Castles gives him 62 career touchdown passes, breaking a tie for fourth all-time with Lindsey. He trails only Malone (114), Gale (97), and Lamberti (84) on the career list.
 
QUOTING ACU HEAD COACH KEITH PATTERSON
 
On his team's performance: "Stephen F. Austin just played harder and better than we did (Saturday). Football is a game of mental intensity and focus, and that's why you can't always rely on being hyped up. Most of the time, you have to go out and play with toughness, discipline, poise, and intensity. We didn't do that in any phase (Saturday)."
 
UP NEXT
Last week's 35-31 win at Tarleton State wrapped up the United Athletic Conference championship and secured an automatic berth into the FCS playoffs for the Wildcats. They will learn the particulars of their first-round game – who, what, when, and where – Sunday during the FCS Playoff Selection Show beginning at 11:30 a.m.

Fans can join the team, coaches, and athletics staff on the Brown Family Club Level at Wildcat Stadium to watch the show.

Doors to the club level open at 10 a.m. The event begins at 10:30 a.m. and will feature a chapel service by author and speaker C.L. Shepherd of Shep Inspires, LLC. Shepherd spoke to the ACU football team during fall camp and has given impactful messages to NFL and college teams, Fellowship of Christian Athletes groups, and businesses.

Following Shepherd's message, ACU Vice President for Athletics Zack Lassiter will address the crowd with information on playoff ticketing. If ACU hosts a first or second-round game, tickets will be available after the selection show.