Wildcats Score 20 Unanswered to Vanquish Vandals

Saturday, September 19

Moscow, ID

3 p.m. (CT)

Abilene Christian

1-3 , 0-0

Idaho

0-4 , 0-1

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final F
Abilene Christian	7	14	0	20	41
Idaho	7	10	7	15	39

Tucker Parks and Deonte Dean celebrate a touchdown against Idaho on Sept. 19, 2026.

Wildcats Score 20 Unanswered to Vanquish Vandals

9/19/2026 6:45:00 PM | Football

Box Score WATCH: Patterson's Postgame Interview

MOSCOW, Idaho – In the span of less than 4:00, Abilene Christian turned a tie game into a comfortable cushion as the Wildcats scored 20 straight points for a 41-32 victory over the Idaho Vandals at the P1FCU Kibbie Dome Saturday afternoon.

After Branon Perez deadlocked the score at 24 early in the 4th quarter, ACU's defense earned the game's first takeaway as Boone Morris, who celebrated his 21st birthday on Friday, recovered a fumble forced out by sixth-year linebacker Darius Moore.

Perez drilled a 51-yard field goal to give ACU its first lead since being in front 21-17 at halftime.

Two plays later, defensive lineman Obi Udom used a swim move to bypass Idaho's center to reach the quarterback who lost control of the football. Udom picked it up at the 9 yard line, eluded the quarterback and stretched across the goalline for a defensive touchdown. Two takeaways in three Vandal snaps gave the Wildcats a 34-24 lead.

Idaho faced a 4th and 3 at its own 37 on its next drive and elected to go for it. Dillon Williams deflected a pass over the middle to turn the ball over on downs. The Wildcat offense needed just one play to cash in as Tucker Parks, starting his second game of 2026, threw a screen to running back Deonte Dean. Center Colter Lynch and Kaden Carr made two monstrous blocks to spring Dean down the left sideline for the 37-yard TD.

The Vandals struck quickly with back-to-back touchdown drives to pull within two points, but on a day when ACU ran for 244 yards – the 4th most in the Keith Patterson era – the offense moved the chains on the ground to seal the win.

STAT PACK

ACU's 244 rushing yards only trailed performances of 323 yards (2024, at Utah Tech), 272 (2023, vs. Stephen F. Austin), and 268 (2023, vs. Northern Colorado). The Wildcats are now 13-3 during Patterson's tenure when rushing for at least 200 yards.
Deonte Dean coupled his receiving touchdown with a 24-yard rushing score which was set up by a 46-yard punt return by Raydrian Baltrip.
Tucker Parks finished 14-of-21 for 148 yards and two touchdowns, along with 74 yards rushing and a score.
Rovaughn Banks Jr. narrowly missed his fourth career 100-yard game. He settled for 99 rushing yards on 22 carries.

UP NEXT

ACU begins a three-game homestand with the Mercer Bears, who were ranked No. 14 this week, coming to Abilene for the first time. Kickoff on Saturday, Sept. 26 is at 7 p.m. for Family Weekend presented by United Supermarkets.

POSTGAME INTERVIEW