Saturday, October 3
Abilene
7 p.m.
Abilene Christian
vs
West Florida
Photo by: Skyler Blanton
Wildcats Kickoff Conference Play at Home Saturday Night
10/1/2026 11:12:00 AM | Football
ACU (1-4) vs. #17 West Florida (3-1, 1-1)
Abilene, TX | Anthony Field at Wildcat Stadium
Saturday, Oct. 3, at 7 p.m. CT
GAME LINKS
ABILENE - The Abilene Christian football team continues its three-game homestand and starts United Athletic Conference play against No. 17 West Florida for Youth Day presented by Buffalo Wild Wings. Kickoff from Anthony Field at Wildcat Stadium is 7 p.m. Saturday.
The Wildcats, the two-time defending UAC champions, enter Saturday with eight straight conference victories at home after going 4-0 in the league at Wildcat Stadium each of the past two seasons.
ACU led No. 23 Mercer 17-7 in the 2nd quarter last Saturday before allowing 27 consecutive points. Five turnovers in a span of 25 offensive plays put the Wildcats in a hole, ultimately losing 34-17. Even though they were minus-5 in the turnover margin, the Wildcats still had a chance to pull within a touchdown. Down by 10 with 2:30 left, ACU tried a 48-yard FG but it missed wide right.
For the second consecutive game, Rovaughn Banks Jr. nearly missed the 100-yard rushing plateau. He finished with 92 yards, including a 46-yard rush which is ACU's longest play of the season.Â
Boone Morris (7) and Christian Oku (6) each recorded new career-highs in tackles.
West Florida, the newest member of the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), has forced 13 takeaways -- the most in the UAC -- and scored three defensive touchdowns. The Argonauts defeated two Top 25 opponents in their first two games and have already played two conference games. West Florida beat Central Arkansas in Conway, Ark., 42-14 on Sept. 5, and then lost at home to Austin Peay 38-16 on Sept. 19.
The Argos picked off Southeast Missouri State three times and recovered three fumbles during last week's 20-17 win over the Redhawks.
Saturday's game will be streamed on ESPN+.Â
SERIES MATCHUP
NUMBERS TO KNOW
LEAGUE LID-LIFTERS
TACKLING MACHINE
MATCHBOX 20
AN ACU WIN WOULD...
WEEKLY PRESS CONFERENCE
Â
Abilene, TX | Anthony Field at Wildcat Stadium
Saturday, Oct. 3, at 7 p.m. CT
GAME LINKS
ABILENE - The Abilene Christian football team continues its three-game homestand and starts United Athletic Conference play against No. 17 West Florida for Youth Day presented by Buffalo Wild Wings. Kickoff from Anthony Field at Wildcat Stadium is 7 p.m. Saturday.
The Wildcats, the two-time defending UAC champions, enter Saturday with eight straight conference victories at home after going 4-0 in the league at Wildcat Stadium each of the past two seasons.
ACU led No. 23 Mercer 17-7 in the 2nd quarter last Saturday before allowing 27 consecutive points. Five turnovers in a span of 25 offensive plays put the Wildcats in a hole, ultimately losing 34-17. Even though they were minus-5 in the turnover margin, the Wildcats still had a chance to pull within a touchdown. Down by 10 with 2:30 left, ACU tried a 48-yard FG but it missed wide right.
For the second consecutive game, Rovaughn Banks Jr. nearly missed the 100-yard rushing plateau. He finished with 92 yards, including a 46-yard rush which is ACU's longest play of the season.Â
Boone Morris (7) and Christian Oku (6) each recorded new career-highs in tackles.
West Florida, the newest member of the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), has forced 13 takeaways -- the most in the UAC -- and scored three defensive touchdowns. The Argonauts defeated two Top 25 opponents in their first two games and have already played two conference games. West Florida beat Central Arkansas in Conway, Ark., 42-14 on Sept. 5, and then lost at home to Austin Peay 38-16 on Sept. 19.
The Argos picked off Southeast Missouri State three times and recovered three fumbles during last week's 20-17 win over the Redhawks.
Saturday's game will be streamed on ESPN+.Â
SERIES MATCHUP
- This will be the first meeting between ACU and West Florida as the Argos have only played football since 2016.
- The Wildcats have played three teams from the state of Florida with a 4-1 all-time record: 1-0 vs. Tampa (1949), 2-1 vs. Florida State (1953, 1954, 1957) and 1-0 vs. Ave Maria (2014).
- Saturday will be just the second home game against a Florida school.
NUMBERS TO KNOW
- 3 - ACU is currently in a 3-game homestand -- the first at Wildcat Stadium. The last time ACU played three straight home games was 2013, the first season in FCS, at Shotwel Stadium
- 43 - Number of tackles made by true freshmen defensive players this season. Hudson Page leads all ACU freshmen with 25 tackles, including 20 in the past 3 games.
- 5th - ACU has played the 5th toughest schedule of all FCS schools, according to Massey Ratings. The 5 teams they've played have a 15-7 record (68%).
- 8 - Number of consecutive wins in conference games at Wildcat Stadium. ACU went unbeaten (4-0) at home during UAC play in 2024 and 2025, and has not lost a home UAC contest since Nov. 2023.Â
LEAGUE LID-LIFTERS
- HC Keith Patterson is 3-1 in conference openers at ACU.
- Since joining the FCS in 2013, ACU is 8-3 in conference opening games.
- The Wildcats have won six straight home conference openers (that is, the first home conference game of the season, not necessarily that the first overall conference game was at home).
TACKLING MACHINE
- For the 4th time in ACU's 5 games, DB Dillon Williams was the team leader in tackles.
- His 9.8 tackles per game ranked 13th in the FCS.
- Three Wildcats rank in the top 7 in the UAC in tackles per game:
- Dillon Williams (9.8) - 2nd
- Javeon Wilcox (8.4) - 3rd
- Darius Moore (7.2) - 7th
MATCHBOX 20
- ACU's center and two rightside linemen are set to each make their 20th consecutive start vs. West Florida.
- Colter Lynch (center) and twin brothers Landon (right guard) and Luke Roaten (right tackle) have started each game since the start of the 2025 season.
- Left guard Kaden Carr will make his 15th start as a Wildcat on Saturday.
AN ACU WIN WOULD...
- Make the Wildcats 9-3 in conference openers since joining the FCS, and 4-1 in conference lid-lifters under Keith Patterson.
- Be ACU's 9th consecutive home conference win.
- Improve ACU's record vs. Top 25 teams at Wildcat Stadium to 7-3 since 2024.
- Make the Wildcats 11-2 in their last 13 home games.
- Push Patterson to within one victory of the top 5 of ACU's all-time coaching leaderboard.
WEEKLY PRESS CONFERENCE
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Players Mentioned
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