BACK-TO-BACK! ACU beats Central Arkansas, wins UAC for second straight year

CONWAY, Ark. – The Abilene Christian football team used a major second half comeback to earn its second straight United Athletic Conference championship with a 49-28 win over Central Arkansas on Saturday night.
 
The victory pushes the Wildcats to 8-4 overall and finishes a second consecutive 7-1 run through the UAC. ACU earns the league's automatic berth in the FCS Playoffs. The bracket for the playoffs will be released on Sunday at 11 a.m. on ESPNU. Fans are invited to join the Wildcats learn their postseason draw at a watch party at the Brown Family Club Level of Wildcat Stadium.
 
Trailing 21-13 at the break, ACU dominated the third quarter – outscoring the Bears 29-0 and outgaining them 196-7.
 
The Wildcats received the ball to start the second half and needed less than five minutes to drive 65 yards with Stone Earle rushing for a 1-yard touchdown, his second of the game. Earle subsequently ran in for the two-point conversion to tie score at 21-all.
 
ACU's defense forced a three-and-out, and Earle hit Javon Gipson for a 39-yard strike to put the Wildcats in front for the first time. After another UCA three-and-out, Tyson Williams fielded a punt and sprinted to his left where he found a crease, outracing the Bears special teams on a 71-yard return for six. It's ACU's first punt returned for a TD since Taelyn Williams recovered a blocked punt in the endzone at Prairie View A&M on Sept. 9, 2023.
 
The onslaught continued on the next snap from scrimmage when Rashon Myles, Jr., recovered his FCS-leading fifth fumble of the season. Two plays later, Earle connected with Itty Henry on a 23-yard TD. Dorian Plumley ended UCA's next drive after just two plays with his first of two interceptions in the game.
 
Earle finished 30-for-37 with 310 yards passing and two scores, and three rushing scores – the second time he has scored at least five total TD in a single game this season.
 
His favorite target was Javon Gipson, who eclipsed his career-high in receiving yards by halftime and finished with 10 catches for 188 yards and a TD.
 
Running back E.J. Wilson, Jr., ended the night with an average of 7.7 yards per carry – 138 yards on 18 carries.
 
For the second time in three games ACU finished +4 in the turnover margin with three picks and one fumble recovered. Noah Mangham had his second career INT in the first half, and Plumley increased his season total to five picks.
 
This marks the Wildcats' first time to win back-to-back conference championships since the team won four consecutive Texas Conference titles from 1950-53.
 
ACU will find out its playoff destination on Sunday during the FCS Playoffs Selection Show on ESPNU. The first round of the playoffs will be played Saturday, Nov. 29.