#22 Wildcats Ready for Tussle with #1 Tarleton State in Stephenville

#22 ACU (5-4, 4-0) at #1 Tarleton State (9-0, 4-0)
Stephenville, Texas | Memorial Stadium
Saturday, Nov. 7, at 6 p.m.

GAME LINKS

STEPHENVILLE, Texas - Conference supremacy and bragging rights are on the line once again for Abilene Christian's Top 25 matchup with Tarleton State on Saturday night in Stephenville. Kickoff is at 6 p.m. on ESPN+ and the ACU Sports Network.

For the third year in a row, the meeting between the Wildcats and Texans will heavily influence who wins the United Athletic Conference as both bring 4-0 league records into the game, which is now named The Hundred-Mile Showdown as announced by both schools on Tuesday.

ACU defeated Tarleton State 35-31 to win the conference in 2024. The next year, Brandon Perez kicked a 47-yard field goal on the final play to walk-off the Texans 31-28, and take a massive step to winning a second straight UAC championship.

This season the Wildcats started 0-3, but have corrected their course with five victories in their last six games, including a current 4-game winning streak. ACU is ranked No. 22 this week, while Tarleton State has been voted the No. 1 team in the FCS for the past three weeks.

In their four conference games, the Wildcats have pitched three first-half shutouts and are allowing just 12 points a game (1st in UAC), while scoring 36 points on average (2nd).

Quarterback Tucker Parks has completed 77% of his passes in UAC games to lead the league with nine touchdowns to just one interception. His favorite targets have been big tight end Jayden York, and receiver Cristian Driver, who has caught 10 passes for 219 yards and three touchdowns in his two games since returning from injury.

Tarleton State QB Kaden Anderson leads the Texans after transferring from Wyoming. The Southlake Carroll H.S. graduate is averaging 291 passing yards per game with 29 total TD.

Saturday's winner is not assured of the UAC crown as both teams have two more conference matchups on the schedule, but it will go to 5-0 in the UAC and have full control of its path to the championship and the automatic qualifier to the FCS Playoffs.

SERIES MATCHUP

ACU leads 24-13-4 dating back to 1920 when the team schools played twice
The rivalry was newly named The Hundred-Mile Showdown, signifying the approximate distance between Abilene and Stephenville and both cities' Western heritage and culture
The Wildcats have won four of the five games when both have been Division I programs (since 2021)
A majority of the previous 41 meetings have been close with 18 one-score games to go along with four ties
Each of the past four meetings, seven of the last eight, and 10 of the last 13, have been one-score games

NUMBERS TO KNOW

47 - -yard field goal made by Brandon Perez on the final play of the 2025 meeting between ACU and Tarleton State, giving the Wildcats a 31-28 victory in front of a sold-out crowd.
75% - ACU's winning % in the month of November under Keith Patterson (12-4). The Cats have won 9 of their last 10 in November.
12 - Average number of points the Wildcats have allowed in their 4 UAC games so far, which is 1st place in the conference. The next closest teams are more than a touchdown away -- at 20 points per game.

AN ACU WIN WOULD...

Give the Wildcats a 5-0 start to conference for the first time in the Patterson era. The last time ACU had a 5-0 conference record was when they did it in 5 straight seasons from 2006-10.
Be the Wildcats' 19th win in their last 21 conference games.
Be ACU's first win over the #1 ranked team since the 1977 NAIA National Championship when the Wildcats beat Southwestern Oklahoma State.

LAST TIME OUT

ACU dominated West Georgia 59-0 on Homecoming for its largest margin of victory since an 84-6 win over Concordia (Ala.) in the first game as a Division I program in 2013.
ACU outgained West Georgia 202-26 in the 1st quarter, and limited the Wolves to just 172 yards on the day.
The Wildcats forced 5 turnovers (2 INT, 3 FR) which directly led to 31 points. ACU last forced 5 turnovers in a game on Oct. 14, 2023 vs. North Alabama.
WR Cristian Driver followed his first career 100-yard game with his first multi-TD performance, finsihing with 4 catches for 86 yards and 2 TD.
Seven different Wildcats scored TD, including four different RB. Deonte Dean had a 53-yarder and freshman Trae Hill's first career score.
Three DL recovered fumbles: Chris Herpin, Kortlin Rausaw and Hudson Page.
DB Jacoby Davis and Carson Finney each recorded their first college INT.
The win gave ACU 11 straight home conference wins, a 14-3 record at home over the last 3 years, and an 18-2 mark in the last 20 UAC games.

SHOUT OUT THE SHUT OUTS

ACU earned a shut out for the first time since a 24-0 win over Northern Arizona in round 1 of the FCS Playoffs in Nov. 2024.
This was the second shut out of Keith Patterson's tenure at ACU.
Last Saturday marked the third time in 2026 that ACU has shut out its opponent in the 1st half:
- Led #17 West Florida 28-0 at half, won 35-7
- Led Central Arkansas 17-0 at half, won 20-14
- Led West Georgia 28-0 at half, won 59-0

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

QB Tucker Parks earned the UAC Offensive Player of the Week for the second time in 2026.
He was 19/29 with a career-high 272 yards, and also scored a career-best 4 total TD (3 passing, 1 rushing).
CB Jacoby Davis, who did not start vs. West Georgia after Jocelyn Malaska returned from injury, was the UAC Defensive Player of the Week. Davis had 6 tackles, 1 sack, 1 FF and 1 INT.
A Wildcat has won a weekly conference award 6 times this year (3 special teams, 2 offensive, 1 defensive).

ACU vs. #1 TEAMS

Since 1980, ACU is 0-7 vs. #1 ranked opponents.
The Wildcats' last time to play the #1 team was the 2021 season finale vs. Sam Houston, which beat ACU 35-9.
ACU played the #1 team five times in the 1980s (1981, '82, '83, '87, '89), and once in the 1990s (1996).
The last time the Wildcats defeated a #1 ranked team was the 1977 NAIA National Championship when ACU beat Southwestern Oklahoma St. 24-7 at Seattle's KingDome.

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Players Mentioned

Jacoby Davis

Deonte Dean

Cristian Driver

Carson Finney

Chris Herpin

Trae Hill

Jocelyn Malaska

Hudson Page

Tucker Parks

Brandon Perez

Kortlin Rausaw

Jayden York

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