ACU Wildcats Fall to SFA Lumberjacks in Home Opener
A brief lead evaporated under the stadium lights as Stephen F. Austin dismantled Abilene Christian's offense in a decisive 26-7 victory.
The Abilene night air hummed with anticipation at Wildcat Stadium, but the celebration died quickly. No. 23 Abilene Christian had seized a seven-point lead with seconds left in the first quarter, yet the momentum snapped like a dry twig. By the final whistle, the Wildcats stood at 0-3, their home opener ending in a 26-7 defeat against No. 13 Stephen F. Austin.
The scoreboard flipped with brutal speed. Just 57 seconds after ACU’s opening score, the Lumberjacks answered with a 69-yard strike to tie the game. What followed was a second-half siege. SFA scored 20 unanswered points in the second quarter and held ACU scoreless for the rest of the night, extending their dominance in a rivalry that has seen two straight SFA victories.
A Lead Vanishes in Minutes
Sophomore quarterback John David Black found senior tight end Bryan Henry on a six-yard toss to put ACU ahead 7-0. The crowd roared, the field vibrating with the sudden surge. Then silence fell as Gavin Rutherford, the SFA senior, launched a deep pass to Bugs Mortimer. The ball sailed over the defensive line, landing in Mortimer’s hands near the goal line. The tie score hung in the air, a warning shot.
The Wildcats never regained the rhythm. ACU’s ground game stalled, managing only 33 rushing yards on 24 carries. The offensive line couldn’t open lanes, and the ball carriers found no daylight. Black completed 21 of 38 passes for 267 yards but struggled to sustain drives. The interception he threw later only compounded the damage, handing SFA more time to extend their lead.
Lumberjacks Control the Clock
Rutherford’s arm did the heavy lifting. After the tying score, he connected with Gerard Edimo on a 13-yard pass to take the lead early in the second quarter. From there, SFA’s defense locked down. ACU’s passing attack, once promising, became predictable. The Lumberjacks’ secondary shadowed receivers, and their pass rush pressured Black into hurried throws. The second half was a defensive clinic for SFA, allowing no points and controlling the tempo.
The final score of 26-7 reflected a complete collapse in the second half. ACU had shown flashes of competitiveness in the first quarter, but the Lumberjacks’ experience and precision proved too much. This loss marks the second consecutive season where SFA has beaten ACU in the regular season, following a 41-34 playoff win in December 2025.
Rebuilding Momentum on the Road
The Wildcats now turn their attention to Idaho. Facing the 0-3 Idaho Vandals at the Kibbie Dome on Saturday, Sept. 19, ACU seeks its first win of the season. The trip to Moscow offers a chance to reset, to find the offensive spark that faded under the Abilene lights. For now, the sting of the home loss remains, a reminder of the gap between potential and performance.
As noted by Yahoo Sports coverage of the event, the Wildcats’ struggle on the ground was a critical factor. Black’s 267 passing yards were impressive in isolation, but without a complementary running game, the offense lacked balance. The next game will test whether ACU can adjust its scheme or if the defensive pressure from SFA exposed deeper issues that will linger into the fall.
