ACU's Strong Second Half Falls Short at TCU

Abilene Christian gained more than 400 yards of offense and scored four times in the second half, but could not overcome an early deficit as the No. 13 Wildcats lost to TCU 42-21 Saturday night in Ft. Worth.
 
ACU (1-2, 0-0 UAC) moved the ball effectively as Stone Earle threw for 276 yards and two touchdowns. Receivers J.B. Mitchell III and Dallas Dudley both emerged as reliable pass-catchers. Mitchell led the Wildcats with 88 yards on five receptions. Dudley also hauled in four passes for 78 yards.
 
Rovaughn Banks, Jr., had his second career 100-yard rushing game -- and his first since his freshman season -- with 105 yards on 19 carries and a TD.
 
The Wildcats fell behind 21-0 by the early part of the second quarter, but responded with back-to-back 51-yard drives. However, both ended with missed field goals and ACU trailed 28-0 at halftime.

ACU received the ball to start the third quarter, and used a 42-yard pass from Stone Earle to tight end Bryan "Itty" Henry to advance into TCU's redzone. Three plays later Banks ran up the middle for a 10-yard gain down to the one, and then punched it in on the ensuing play. A missed extra point kick kept the Horned Frogs' lead at 28-6.
 
Following a five-play TCU touchdown drive, Wildcat kicker Brandon Perez connected on a 33-yard field goal.
 
ACU then took advantage of four Frog penalties to help move a drive down to the 7 yardline. On third and goal, Earle escaped pressure, scrambled to his right and Itty Henry who rolled out from pass protection to haul in the touchdown pass. It marked the first passing score of the season for ACU. A failed two-point conversion kept the score at 42-15.






ACU's defense came up with a play in the fourth quarter when Noah Mangham, a transfer cornerback from Northern Colorado, stepped in front of a pass for his first career interception in front of family from his hometown of nearby Frisco.

The Wildcats proceeded to march 78 yards down the field, and Earle hooked up with Mitchell for a score to make it a 42-21 game in favor of the Frogs from the Big 12 Conference.

ACU, ranked No. 13 in the FCS, returns to Anthony Field at Wildcat Stadium for the United Athletic Conference opener. The league's last two champions -- ACU in 2024, and Austin Peay in 2023 -- clash on Saturday, Sept. 20, at 7 p.m.