ACU Opens Home Slate with Top 25 Matchup against Rival

#16 ACU (0-1, 0-0 UAC) vs. #25 Stephen F. Austin (0-0, 0-1 Southland)
Abilene, TX | Anthony Field at Wildcat Stadium
Saturday, Sept. 6 at 7:00 p.m.

GAME LINKS

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

ABILENE - The ACU football team plays its first game at Wildcat Stadium of the 2025 season on Saturday, and with it the chance to take the first step in accomplishing the program's number one goal: go undefeated at home.

The first opponent will not make it easy as the No. 16 Wildcats welcome in old rival No. 25 Stephen F. Austin for a 7 p.m. kickoff.

ACU and SFA have played 26 times with the Lumberjacks holding a slim 14-12 advantage in the series. The teams have faced off each season since 2014, including a home-and-home set in 2022. During the Cats' and Jacks' Division I eras, eight of the 12 meetings have been decided by one score with each side taking four of those down-to-the-wire ball games.

Even though the series has been played each of the past 11 years, this is the first time since 2020 that ACU will not have to travel to Nacogdoches. The Wildcats and Lumberjacks were scheduled to square off in Abilene in 2024, but SFA's sudden departure from the United Athletic Conference to the Southland nixed the game. The two schools agreed to continue playing in nonconference, but the 2024 matchup was played in east Texas instead. As a result, ACU will host SFA this Saturday, and in 2026.

Both teams are coming off season-opening losses to FBS programs with ACU falling at Tulsa, 35-7, and SFA dropping a 24-0 decision to Houston. Saturday's game was originally scheduled for Sept. 16, but was flipped with the Wildcats' game at the TCU Horned Frogs, originally set for Sept. 6. TCU's season opener at the Bill Belichick-led North Carolina Tar Heels was moved to Labor Day Monday for a national TV audience. The Frogs have a bye this week, and will host ACU Sept. 16 at 7 p.m. in Fort Worth.

In a broadcasting note, this year audio broadcasts are solely available for ACU road games, and exclusively streaming at ACUSports.com. This change will provide easier access for listeners to find the Wildcats online, and also allow ACU Athletics to strengthen its ESPN+ presentation at home games. Grant Boone, the Voice of the Wildcats, and ACU Sports Hall of Famer Jim Reese have the call on ESPN+.








LAST TIME OUT

• ACU had two great chances to take an early lead at Tulsa, but came up short on 4th-and-goal on back-to-back drives. Both times QB Stone Earle kept the ball, but was unable to cross the goalline.
• Following those two drives, ACU's offense struggled with five punts on four 3-and-outs.
• The Wildcats' final drive found the endzone with an 11-yard run by Earle on 4th and 2.
• Excluding the 5 sacks on Earle, he ran the ball well. On his 12 designed carries, Earle gained 75 yards.
• Redshirt junior LB Rashon Myles, Jr., made his first career start and led ACU with 11 tackles.

TOP 25 MATCHUP

• ACU is 6-10 all-time as an FCS program against Top 25 opponents, including a 3-5 mark at Wildcat Stadium which opened in 2017.
• The Wildcats went 3-2 vs. Top 25 teams in 2024, including a win vs. No. 5 Central Arkansas which was ACU's highest ranked victory since 2009 in the program's Div. II era.
• ACU entered the national rankings in week 2 of 2024 after narrowly losing to Texas Tech in overtime. The Wildcats have not dropped out of the Top 25 since (14 consecutive weeks).
• More ranked opponents loom on ACU's schedule this year with UIW, Tarleton State, and Southern Utah currently in the Top 25 of one or both of the major FCS polls. Austin Peay, Central Arkansas, West Georgia and Eastern Kentucky all received votes for a national poll this week.

NUMBERS TO KNOW

• 78 - Number of consecutive games ACU has scored. The Wildcats avoided a shutout last week at Tulsa with rushing TD in the 4th quarter. The last time ACU was shutout was in 2017 at Central Arkansas.
• 25 - Amount of transfers ACU brought in from FBS programs this offseason. Four come from Texas Tech, and one each from Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.
• 5 - Number of sacks ACU allowed in week 1 loss at Tulsa. Those five sacks of QB Stone Earle totaled 28 yards lost.

QUICK HITS

• ACU trailed 10-0 at halftime against Tulsa, which is the first time in Keith Patterson's 37-game era the Wildcats were shut out in a first half.
• This game between ACU and SFA is one of just two Top 25 FCS matchups this week. The other game is No. 2 South Dakota State at No. 3 Montana State on Saturday at 7 p.m.
• ACU is coming off the best season of its Division I era (since 2013). The Wildcats earned their first conference title since 2010, and won their first FCS playoff game.
• Saturday is the ACU home debut of new OC Graham Harrell, who has spent the past 9 seasons as an OC of FBS programs. Harrell's brother played at ACU, and his parents are also ACU graduates.
• Five ACU defensive players have made 15 consecutive starts: Kaghen Roach, Chris Wright, Will Shaffer, Tyson Williams and Jordan Mukes. Dorian Plumley has started 13 straight games.