NACOGDOCHES, Texas - In a see-saw battle which included seven lead changes, the Abilene Christian football team could not make a couple of more plays at the end and Stephen F. Austin won 41-34 in a second round FCS playoff game Saturday afternoon.
ACU, the No. 10 national seed in the bracket, took a 34-31 lead with 10:31 remaining when
Jordon Vaughn hurdled over the mass of bodies in the trenches, and then outraced the Lumberjack defense on a 66-yard touchdown run. That scamper gave Vaughn his two 100-yard game of the season, and the third of his career.
However, the advantage did not last as SFA marched 70 yards in six plays, capped by quarterback Sam Vidlak's pass to Kylon Harris in the left corner of the endzone to put the 'Jacks back in front, 38-34.
Forced to muster their own response, ACU's next offensive drive started with a loss of nine on a sack of quarterback
Stone Earle. On third down, Earle went deep and was picked off by star SFA defensive back Charles Demmings for the game's only turnover by either team.
The 'Jacks, who are the No. 7 seed in the playoffs, rode running back Jerrell Wimbley who converted a 3rd and 3 with a seven-yard rush, and then caught a short pass and darted 19 yards inside ACU's 10 yardline. SFA settled for a field goal to go up 41-34 with 1:56 remaining.
ACU's final possession went backwards, and ended with a turnover on downs allowing SFA to kneel the clock out.
"We knew it was going to be a hard fought battle, but we just didn't make enough plays to win the game," said Earle, who finished 19-of-36 for 206 yards passing, and 72 yards rushing and a touchdown.
Minutes after the game ended, head coach
Keith Patterson told his team that no man would walk out of the locker room with his dead down because of what this team had accomplished: winning a second straight United Athletic Conference championship, going 8-4 against Top 25 opponents over the past two years, piecing together a perfect 6-0 home record this season, and 18-4 at home since Patterson's arrival, and reaching the second round of the playoffs in consecutive years.
"There are eight young men who have been with me all four years that I've been here, and one young man who has been here five years," said Patterson. "What they have done for ACU football, I can't say thank you enough. I love them all. We'll forever appreciate what they did to elevate the football program at ACU."
Vaughn's performance was the Wildcats' bright spot of the game: 10 carries for 100 yards and three rushing scores, to go along with five receptions for 35 yards. It was Vaughn's first career three-TD game.
"For a man that size he is deceptively fast," said Patterson. "Once he breaks to the second level, there's not a shock to me. He was determined all year long. You could see it during the summer time by the way he trained. He was definitely playing his football best these last couple few weeks."
Earle climbed into ACU's record books during the game. His 12 rushing touchdowns are the most by a quarterback, and tied for 10th most, in a single-season. Earle's go-to target
Javon Gipson could not make it four 100-yard receiving games in a row, but led the Wildcats with 72 yards on six catches.
ACU's defense was unable to slow down SFA's Harris who totaled 11 grabs for 183 yards, and eventual game-winning TD. Vidlak was 26-for-35, 357 yards and three touchdowns through the air.
"We felt out of kilter defensively," said Patterson. "Just little things. That hasn't been the case for the last seven weeks. I tried to mix it up, and it seemed like [SFA] was in a good call a lot."
Senior captain
Will Shaffer notched a game-high 13 tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss. Shaffer started all 28 games of his two years at ACU, and now owns the 6th and 9th best seasons in terms of total tackles in school history (Shaffer had 123 tackles in 2024, and 119 in 2025).
"My experience [at ACU] has been fantastic to say the least," said Shaffer. "I want to say thank you to coach Patterson and this entire staff for taking a chance on me. This team was a special team. I feel like this was one of the closest teams I've been a part of. We all love each other. We all care for each other.
"This being my last college football game, I'm trying soak it all in. This team fought to the very end, and I can't ask for anything more."
The Wildcat offense moved the ball well with two drives of 13 plays , and another drive which took 95 yards of real estate for the longest drive by yards.
The 'Jacks advance to play No. 2 Montana State in the third round of the playoffs, while ACU's season ends at 9-5 for the second year in-a-row, and
Stat Pack
- QB Stone Earle ascended the ACU record book in season passing yards (6th, 3,285 yards), and completions. (2nd, 295).
- WR Javon Gipson now holds the honor of being the 10th player in receptions, and eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark against SFA.
- Lineabckers Will Shaffer were one-two in tackles all season long and the two continue Saturday. Shaffer ended with 119 tackles overall.
- Kicker Brandon Perez nailed two attempts to make him 15-of-19 for the season. His 46-of-47 PAT season makes the Wildcat kicker
- ACU's offense had his first three-TD of percentage you could not message
- Now, ten of the last 14 games between ACU and SFA have been decided by one score
Postgame Press Conference
