No. 14 ACU Sprints Past Austin Peay for Conference-Opening Win

No. 14 Abilene Christian forced three first-half turnovers – all fumbles recovered by Rashon Myles, Jr. – and quarterback Stone Earle connected with three different receivers for touchdowns in a 45-31 win over No. 18 Austin Peay to start UAC action on Saturday night.
 
The Wildcats (2-2, 1-0) have now won five of their last six Top 25 matchups dating back to the start of the 2024 season, and are 7-1 in their last eight home games.
 
After being shut out in the first quarter in each of their first three games, ACU scored its first points of an opening frame with the defense setting up the offense.
 
Austin Peay was backed up at its own goalline when team captain Kaghen Roach forced a fumble which Myles jumped on. One play later, quarterback Stone Earle kept the ball and motored four yards ahead for a touchdown.
 
The Wildcats went up 14-0 early in the second quarter when Earle found Raydrian Baltrip for a 26-yard strike. It was Baltrip's first career TD reception.
 
The Governors fumbled again on a botched handoff in the backfield. The ball rolled free, and Myles again pounced on top of it. The takeaway led to an ACU score as Earle scrambled away from pressure, rolled to his left and found Dallas Dudley in the back corner of the endzone from five yards out.
 
On the ensuing kickoff, Austin Peay's returner misjudged the flight of the ball, let it drop at the 10-yardline where he tried to pick the ball up. T.J. Marshall blasted the returner, causing the ball to come free where Myles recovered his third fumble of the half.
 
ACU ended the first half with a 1:07 drive and a 23-yard field goal from Brandon Perez to take a 24-3 edge into the locker room.
 
The Wildcats made it three straight games with a touchdown on their opening drive of the second half. ACU received the kickoff and went 75 yards in 12 plays, finishing with a 4-yard pass from Earle to Jed Castles to lead 31-3.
 
After back-to-back touchdown runs by Governors QB Chris Parson, Earle faked out the entire Austin Peay defense by pulling the ball out of his running back's gut and scrampering 35 yards untouched for a TD.
 
Earle also hit Baltrip for a TD for the second time with 7:45 left in the game. The 55-yard pass is the longest play of the season so far.
 

UP NEXT

ACU hops back into nonconference play with its final game out of the UAC. The Wildcats travel to San Antonio to play Incarnate Word (1-3) on Saturday, Sept. 27, at 6 p.m. at Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium.