ACU Squares Off With Eastern Kentucky Saturday

#18 ACU (6-4, 5-1) at Eastern Kentucky (4-6, 2-4)
Richmond, KY | Roy Kidd Stadium
Saturday, Nov. 15, at 2 p.m. CT

GAME LINKS

• Watch on ESPN+ | Listen on the ACU Sports Network | Live Stats
• Weekly Press Conference | ACU Game Notes (PDF) 

RICHMOND, Ky. – The No. 18 Abilene Christian football team begins a two-game road stretch to finish the regular season when the Wildcats visit Eastern Kentucky on Saturday. Kickoff is at 2 p.m. CT.
 
ACU continues to control its own destiny for the United Athletic Conference championship and the FCS Playoffs. With victories over EKU and next week at Central Arkansas, the Wildcats will be the back-to-back conference champs and earn an automatic berth into the playoffs. ACU could also earn those two accomplishments with a win over EKU, and losses by Tarleton State and Southern Utah on Saturday night. The Texans host last-place North Alabama at 6 p.m. CT, and the Thunderbirds play Central Arkansas at 7:30 p.m. CT.
 
The Wildcats are riding a two-game winning streak and finished an undefeated run at home in 2025 with last week's 31-10 defeat of Utah Tech. It's the first time ACU has gone unbeaten at home since 2013 when the program won all four games at Shotwell Stadium. The last time they went 5-0 at home was 1978, though the 2010 squad was 6-0 at home in the regular season before losing a home second round playoff game.
 
Dorian Plumley recorded two of ACU's four total interceptions last Saturday on his way to the UAC Defensive Player of the Week award. It's the third time a Wildcat defender has earned the honor from the conference this season. Zion Fonua returned an interception for a touchdown to put ACU in front 7-0. Plumley added a second pick six in the second quarter.
 
Eastern Kentucky is 4-6 this season with a 2-4 mark in conference. ACU defeated the Colonels 34-20 in 2024 in Abilene. This will be just the third all-time meeting, and the first in Richmond, Ky., since 2021 when EKU won 30-15.
 
 
 
LAST TIME OUT

• For the second game in-a-row, ACU did not trail as the Wildcat defense used a 4-interception performance to smother Utah Tech in a 31-10 win.
• ACU returned two picks for TD in the second quarter to lead 14-7. Zion Fonua and Dorian Plumley each scored the first TD of their respective college careers.
• The victory completed an undefeated run at home in 2025. The Wildcats' last unbeaten home season was in 2013 when they went 4-0. The last time an ACU team went 5-0 at home was 1978, though the 2010 squad won 6 regular season home games before losing a home NCAA Division II playoff game.
• Fresh off his first career 100-yd rushing game, RB E.J. Wilson, Jr., nearly made it back-to-back but ended with 96 yards on the ground.
• Backup QB Quayde Hawkins came in midway through the 4th quarter, leading ACU on a 10-play, 85-yard drive which ended on a 16-yd lob to Raydrian Baltrip in the endzone. Hawkins' last game action was in 2023.
• RB Deonte Dean recorded his first career carries with 3 attempts for 13 yards.

 
SHUT DOWN STARTS

• In 6 of the last 7 games, ACU's defense has not given up a point the first time they've been on the field.
• On their opponent's first drive of the game, the Wildcats have forced four punts -- including two 3-and-outs -- and blocked a FG in that span.
• West Georgia could only muster a FG on its first possession on Oct. 11.

 
LAST SEASON VS. EKU

• The 2024 meeting in Abilene saw ACU pull away in the second half to beat EKU, 34-20.
• The Colonels missed a PAT which would have tied the game at 20 midway through the 3rd quarter. ACU then scored the final 13 points for the victory.
• In the second half, ACU outgained EKU 144-35 in rushing yards, picked off the Colonels twice, and forced a turnover on downs in the red zone.
• HC Keith Patterson called it ACU's most consistent game up to that point of the 2024 season.

 
 
NUMBERS TO KNOW

• 4 - Number of Utah Tech passes intercepted in last Saturday's win. It's ACU's first 4-INT game since Nov. 1, 2014.
• 25^th - Consecutive start made on Saturday by four key defensive players: Will Shaffer, Kaghen Roach, Chris Wright and Tyson Williams.
• 7 -  Amount of explosive plays ACU has recorded in the past two games. The Wildcats have 3 passes of 30+ yards, and 4 runs of 20+ yards in wins vs. Tarleton St. and Utah Tech.

 
AN ACU WIN WOULD…

• Keep the Wildcats in at least a tie for first place in the UAC with a 6-1 conference record. ACU holds the tiebreaker over Tarleton.
• Be HC Keith Patterson's 28th win at ACU, putting him T-7th in school history with Tonto Coleman and N.L. Nicholson.
• Give ACU 7 wins for the third time in the past four years (ACU went 7-4 in 2022, and 9-5 in 2024).
• Push the Wildcats' record to 10-1 in their last 11 UAC games, and 12-2 in their last 14.