ACU Homecoming Features Top 25 Matchup, Sold-Out Crowd

#24 ACU (4-4, 3-1) vs. #2 Tarleton State (9-0, 5-0)
Homecoming Presented by Greater Texas Ford Dealers
Abilene, TX | Anthony Field at Wildcat Stadium
Saturday, Nov. 1 at 3 p.m.

GAME LINKS

• Watch on ESPN+ | Live Stats
• Weekly Press Conference | ACU Game Notes (PDF) | Tarleton State Game Notes (PDF)

ABILENE - The game which has been anticipated since the release of the 2025 schedule is nearly upon us, as No. 24 Abilene Christian hosts rival and second-ranked Tarleton State on Homecoming Saturday, presented by Greater Texas Ford Dealers. Kickoff is at 3 p.m. on ESPN+.

Tickets sold out on Thursday, meaning this will be third-ever sellout crowd in Wildcat Stadium history. The first two came during the stadium's opening year of 2017 -- the first-ever game vs. Houston Baptist, and the Homecoming game vs. Southeastern Louisiana.

The Wildcats are Texans duked it out for the United Athletic Conference Championship in 2024 with ACU pulling out a 35-31 victory in an instant classic in Stephenville to claim the conference title. Both teams advanced to the FCS Playoffs for the first time in each program's histories, and earned first round wins.

ACU and Tarleton State are nationally ranked again this season. A Texans win clinches at least a share of the UAC crown, while a Wildcats victory pushes them into first place in the conference by themselves with three league games to go.

Tarleton State has looked dominant this season with an undefeated record, and leading the conference in ten team statistical categories. TSU has the FCS' third best scoring offense at 45 points per game, and the sixth best scoring defense at just 16 points allowed on average. Perhaps the stat that pops the most is turnover margin where the Texans are +24 this season (28 takeaways, 4 giveaways).

ACU has been the UAC's leader for nearly the entire season in third-down offense (50% coversion rate), and fewest penalties and penalty yards per game (five penalties for 41 yards).

Six of the last seven meetings between the Wildcats and Texans have been one-score games, with ACU winning three of the last four. ACU also sports an exceptional 9-2 record on Homecoming in the Division I era, including six consecutive wins.







LAST TIME OUT

• ACU outgained Southern Utah 430-289 in a 31-24 loss on Oct. 18 in Cedar City, UT.
• The Wildcats lost the turnover battle 4-1. SUU scored touchdowns off its first three takeaways, and then used the last one to kneel out the clock. ACU is 0-3 when it has a worse turnover margin than its opponent.
• QB Stone Earle was 17-of-23 for 225 yards passing, but threw 3 INT for the first time in his 34-game college career. Earle also ran for 55 yards and 2 TD.
• RB Jordon Vaughn ran for a career-high 124 yards on just nine carries. The big back had long runs of 56 and 39 yards.
• ACU's defense bottled up SUU RB Joshua Dye for the first half, but he ran for 135 of his 179 yards in the second half. Dye is 3rd in FCS in rushing yards, and 1st in rushing TD entering this week's games.

N THE TOP 25

• Coming in at #24 in this week's Stats Perform Top 25, ACU has been nationally ranked for 22 consecutive weeks.
• That is the 10th longest active streak among FCS teams. Teams directly ahead of ACU include Tarleton State and Illinois State at 24 weeks, UC Davis at 27, and Villanova at 31.
• Defending national champion North Dakota State -- who ACU led 17-3 in the second round of last year's FCS Playoffs -- is in the Top 25 for a record-setting 213th straight week. 

HOME COOKIN'

• ACU has won 7 consecutive games at Wildcat Stadium dating back to the mid-point of the 2024 season.
• The current streak is the 9th longest active stretch in the FCS, and the 7th longest in program history.
• ACU last won 8 home games in-a-row during the 2007 and 2008 seasons.
• The Wildcats' longest home winning streak is 11, which was done twice, and both time started during NAIA National Championship seasons (1973-74; 1977-79).

LAST SEASON VS. TARLETON STATE

• The 2024 meeting in Stephenville was an instant classic with ACU scoring with 0:19 left to beat the Texans, 35-31 for the UAC championship.
•  The game featured 5 lead changes and two ties.
• Down 31-28 with 1:48 to go, ACU drove 75 yards ending with a 1-yard TD pass from Maverick McIvor to Sam Hicks. 
• Current ACU players who had a big part in the win include LB Will Shaffer, who led ACU with 12 tackles that game. WR J.J. Henry had 5 catches for 53 yards and Javon Gipson held on to the ball through a monstrous hit in the endzone for a 29-yard TD catch.

NUMBERS TO KNOW

• 7 - Number of consecutive home wins by ACU -- which is the 9th longest active streak in the FCS.
• 82% - ACU's winning percentage in its last 11 conference games (9-2 record). ACU is also 9-2 in home conference games during the Keith Patterson era.
• 30 -  Defensive back Dorian Plumley is expected to make the 30th start of his ACU career today. He started 10 games in 2023, and the last 12 games of the 2024 season.

AN ACU WIN WOULD...

• Put the Wildcats in first place in the UAC, and in control of their path to a second straight championship.
• Be ACU's highest ranked win since Aug. 27, 2009 vs. #2 Northwest Missouri State (Division II era).
• Make ACU 7-2 in its last 9 games vs. Top 25 teams, and be its fifth straight home win vs. ranked teams.
• Extend the Wildcats' home winning streak to 8 in-a-row, which was last done from 2007-08.
• Be ACU's 7th straight Homecoming victory.