ABILENE - Another ACU vs. Tarleton State football game, another instant classic.
The No. 24 Wildcats handed the rival, and second-ranked, Texans their first loss of the year with a 47-yard field goal on the game's final play Saturday, winning 31-28 on
Homecoming, presented by Greater Texas Ford Dealers.
The victory propels ACU (5-4, 4-1) into the driver's seat of the United Athletic Conference championship race with three weeks in the regular season to go. Tarleton State (9-1, 5-1), ranked No. 2 in both the FCS coaches poll and the FCS Stats Perform Top 25, is the highest-ranked team ACU has beaten in its Division I era.
After surrendering 18 consecutive fourth-quarter points to force a 28-all tie, the Wildcats came back on the field with just 56 seconds left. On the drive's first play
Stone Earle hit Itty Henry over the middle who rumbled for 38 yards -- the longest pass play by either team. That put ACU on the edge of field goal range at the TSU 37. Two short rushes moved the ball to seven yards ahead, which set up Perez's 47-yard game-winner.
It is the second time ACU has won on a long, walk-off field goal in the past two seasons.
Ritse Vaes, now a graduate assistant working with the specialists, drilled a 54-yarder in 2024 to beat Northern Colorado, 24-22.
The crowd of 12,000 fans -- the third sellout in Wildcat Stadium history -- was not disappointed as the two sides traded punches throughout the afternoon.
ACU pushed ahead 14-0 before TSU answered with ten consecutive points before halftime. The Wildcats then again scored back-to-back touchdowns, including
Rovaughn Banks, Jr.'s second rushing score of the day, to lead 28-10 entering the fourth quarter.
But, in a series that has now produced seven one-score games in the past eight meetings, no lead is ever safe. The Texans capitalized on a nice kickoff return from Deangelo Rosemond as Victor Gabalis threw a 25-yard strike to Cody Jackson in the endzone. A two-point conversion was successful, pulling TSU within ten.
After an ACU three-and-out, the Texans pushed inside the redzone. But,
Zion Fonua blew up a run for a four-yard loss and
Tyson Williams broke up a pass, leading to a 34-yard field goal by Brad Larson with 7:44 remaining.
The Wildcats then missed a 45-yard kick, just under 3:00 of game time before Perez came through at the final horn.
TSU drove 72 yards in eight plays and 1:56 to tie the game at 28, but then ACU's offense used late-game heroics for the win.
Stat Pack
- ACU's E.J. Wilson, Jr., ran for 105 yards on just ten carries, giving him his first career 100-yard rushing performance in his 46-game college career.
- Stone Earle scored his 10th career rushing touchdown and his seventh of the season with a 9-yard scramble across the goalline at the end of the third quarter.
- The Wildcat defense totaled seven tackles for loss and four sacks. Rashon Myles, Jr., had a game-high 11 tackles with three for loss and two sacks. Chris Wright and Kortlin Rausaw also recorded sacks in the win.
- Rausaw added a blocked field goal to shutout TSU on their first drive of the game. It is ACU's first blocked kick this season.
- DeAngelo Ponder intercepted a Hail Mary pass on the last play of the first half and had a 57-yard return before he was tripped up from behind.
- Before Saturday, Bradon Perez's longest field goal of the season was from just 35 yards out in the win vs. Norther Alabama on Oct. 4. Perez is now 6-for-8 from 40+ yards in his college career with a 54-yard game-winner at Division II East Central (Okla.) in 2024.
- The previous two sellouts of Wildcat Stadium both came in the building's first season of 2017. The first-ever game -- a win vs. Houston Baptist -- and Homecoming 2017 also drew 12,000 capacity crowds.
What the Win Means
- ACU is now 7-2 in its last nine games vs. Top 25 teams, including five consecutive home wins vs. ranked opponents.
- The Wildcats' home winning streak extends to eight in-a-row, which was last done from 2007-08, and tied for the eighth longest active streak in the FCS.
- ACU has won seven straight Homecoming games, and is 10-2 on Homecoming in the Div. I era.
- It is the first time in 16 years the Wildcats have defeated a No. 2 ranked team (on Aug. 27, 2009, ACU defeated No. 2 Northwest Missouri State).
Up Next
ACU celebrates its senior class by hosting Utah Tech on
Sideline Scholars / Senior Day, presented by Hendrick Health, on Saturday, Nov. 8. Kickoff is at 2 p.m.
Tickets are on sale, but expected to go fast because of the Wildcats' continued success.
Click here to buy your tickets today!
