FCS Playoffs Returns to Abilene on Saturday

#13 ACU (8-4, 7-1 UAC) vs. #24 Lamar (8-4, 5-3 Southland)
Abilene, TX | Anthony Field at Wildcat Stadium
Saturday, Nov. 29, at 12 p.m.

GAME LINKS

• Buy Tickets | Watch on ESPN+ | Live Stats | Playoff Program
• Weekly Press Conference | ACU Game Notes (PDF) 

ABILENE - The ACU football team plays a first round FCS playoff game for the second straight year when old Southland Conference rival Lamar comes to Wildcat Stadium on Saturday. Kickoff is at noon.

The Wildcats clinched their second consecutive United Athletic Conference championship with a 49-28 win at Central Arkansas last week. It's the time time ACU has won back-to-back conference titles since winning four Texas Conference championships in-a-row from 1950-53. 

During the selection show on Sunday, ACU was selected as the No. 10 national seed and hosting the Cardinals in round one. The winner advances to play No. 7 seed Stephen F. Austin on Saturday, Dec. 6 in Nacogdoches.

ACU has won four games in-a-row and six of its last seven. The Wildcats have won nine consecutive home games, which is good enough for the 8th longest active streak in the FCS and the fifth longest in program history.

The last meeting between ACU and Lamar saw the Wildcats beat the Cardinals 28-14 on Sept. 1, 2022 in Abilene. It was head coach Keith Patterson's first game with ACU. Patterson won his 29th career game last Saturday, surpassing Tonto Coleman and N.L. Nicholson for sole possession of 7th place on ACU's coaching leaderboard.





LAST TIME OUT

• ACU pulled off its second straight comeback win with a 49-28 victory at Central Arkansas last Saturday.
• The Wildcats trailed 21-10 in the 2nd quarter. ACU proceeded to score 32 unanswered points, including outscoring UCA 29-0 in the 3rd quarter alone. It is the most points scored in a single quarter since a 31-point 2nd quarter vs. Arizona Christian in 2019.
• ACU set a new season-high with 507 offensive yards, including 310 through the air by QB Stone Earle. It was his second career 300-yard game. Earle's 30 completions tied his career-high, and he also scored 5 total TD (2 pass, 3 rush). His 3 rushing TD are his most for a single game.
• WR Javon Gipson caught 10 passes for 188 yards -- both new career-highs -- and a 39-yd TD. Gipson has back-to-back 100-yd games, and has three catches of 30+ yards in the past two games.
• RB E.J. Wilson, Jr. ran for 138 yards on 18 carries (7.7 yards per carry). He has gained 100+ offensive yards in three of the last four games.
• CB Tyson Williams returned a punt 71 yards for a TD, marking ACU's first true PR TD (not blocked) of its Division I era. The last was when former NFL receiver Taylor Gabriel ran one back 55 yards against Western Oregon on Oct. 1, 2011. Williams was named the UAC Specialist of the Week.
• The Wildcats were +4 in the turnover margin at Central Arkansas with 3 INT and 1 FR. It's the second time in the last three weeks ACU forced 4 takeaways, and did not turn the ball over themselves. During the 4-game win streak, ACU is +8 with 10 takeaways.

ACU vs. THE BEST

• Saturday vs. Lamar will be ACU's 11th game against a ranked team in the past two seasons (7-3 record).
• During their first 11 seasons at the FCS level (2013-23), the Wildcats only played 11 Top 25 opponents (3-8 record).
• ACU has won five straight home games vs. the Top 25.
• The Wildcats have four ranked victories in 2025 -- second-most in the FCS only to #1 North Dakota State's seven ranked wins.

BUCK BUCHANAN AWARD FINALIST

• For the second year in-a-row, an ACU linebacker has been named a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award, given annually by Stats Perform to the top FCS defensive player.
• Rashon Myles, Jr. was named to the 30-man group of finalists this week. Myles leads ACU with 104 tackles, even though he moved from inside to outside LB midseason as the Wildcat defense transitioned from a 3-3-5 formation to a 4-3.
• In 2024, fellow ACU LB Will Shaffer was named a Buchanan Award finalist. Shaffer was also named to the watch list prior to this season.

NUMBERS TO KNOW

• 288 - Receiving yards by Javon Gipson in the past two games. Gipson had 100 yards at Eastern Kentucky, and a new a career-high 188 at Central Arkansas.
• 74 - Avg. number of rushing yards ACU has allowed in its 8 wins. They gave up 50 yards or fewer in 4 of those wins.
• 71 -  Years since the Wildcats have won back-to-back conference titles. ACU won four straight Texas Conference championships from 1950-53.

AN ACU WIN WOULD...

• Send the Wildcats to face Stephen F. Austin in Round 2 next Saturday at 12 p.m. in Nacogdoches.
• Extend ACU's winning streak to 5 for the first time since 2010 when the Cats won their first 11 games of the season.
• Be ACU's 10th straight at Wildcat Stadium, which would be the 3rd longest home win streak in program history.
• Improve the Wildcats record in home postseason games to 6-2, and 2-0 at Wildcat Stadium.
• Give ACU 9 wins for the second year in-a-row.