Roach Becomes Fourth Wildcat to Earn UAC Defensive Player of the Week Honors

For the fourth time this season, an ACU Wildcat has been named the United Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week.

Defensive end Kaghen Roach earned the honor as announced by the conference on Monday. It marks the third week in a row an ACU player has been named the UAC Defensive Player of the Week.

Roach was a part of three of ACU's six sacks of Eastern Kentucky quarterback Myles Burkett last Saturday. It's the Wildcat defense's highest number of sacks in a single game in the Division I era, and the most since recording 10 against McMurry on Sept. 1, 2012.

Roach, a sixth-year senior from Celina, Texas, record four tackles, including three solo, 2.5 sacks and recovered a pivotal fumble which set up ACU's offense to score the winning touchdown in the game's final minutes.

Trailing 10-9, Chris Wright and Kortlin Rausaw sandwiched Burkett which popped the    ball free, and Roach scooped it up and ran to the EKU 20-yard line. Three plays later Stone Earle found Javon Gipson free on a slant route in the endzone for ACU's only touchdown of the game. A two-point conversion throw to Jed Castles put ACU ahead 17-10 with 4:03 remaining.

Roach now has 6.5 sacks in 2025 which leads the Wildcats and ranks fifth in the UAC.

Two other ACU defenders have earned the conference's weekly award. Rashon Myles, Jr., won the award after wins over Austin Peay and Tarleton State. Dorin Plumley took the honor after ACU's victory against Utah Tech.

The Wildcats finish the regular season on Saturday at Central Arkansas. A win, or a Tarleton State loss, will make ACU the UAC champions and secure an automatic berth into the FCS Playoffs, which begin Nov. 29.