The Wildcats got their first win of the season against No. 25 Stephen F. Austin State University, defeating the Lumberjacks 28-20 in front of the largest crowd for a home opener at Wildcat Stadium since 2021.
After losing 35-7 to Tulsa last week, ACU bounced back on both sides of the ball. The offense had 371 total yards, and the defense recorded three sacks and forced three turnovers.
“Every game that we have forced three or more turnovers, we have won,” Head Coach Keith Patterson said. “That’s really kind of who we are defensively.”
Despite the win, the game did not start how the Wildcats hoped. The defense gave up 14 points to SFA, and the Wildcats’ offense was unable to score in the first quarter.
Momentum swung in the Wildcats’ direction in the second quarter when Stone Earle, redshirt senior quarterback from Fort Worth, capped a 16-play drive with a one-yard rushing touchdown to cut the score to 14-7.
After a holding penalty on the kickoff, the Lumberjacks started on their own 9-yard line. Two plays later, Kortlin Rausaw, redshirt senior defensive lineman from Wylie, forced a fumble with a sack of SFA quarterback Sam Vidlak. Kahgen Roach, graduate defensive lineman from Celina, recovered the ball in the endzone for a Wildcat touchdown.
“That play was really Kortlin Rausaw’s play,” Roach said. “If he wouldn’t have made that huge sack, it wouldn’t have been possible for me. And so, I give him all the credit for that touchdown.”
The fumble recovery was the spark the Wildcats needed, as the defense produced another strip sack on the next drive. The turnover set up a touchdown run from Jordon Vaughn, redshirt senior running back from Manvel, to give the Wildcats a 21-14 halftime lead.
The defense forced a three-and-out to open the second half. With the ball, the Wildcats marched down the field, leading to Vaughn’s second touchdown of the game.
Vaughn finished with 91 rushing yards on 23 carries, along with the two touchdowns.
After the loss of Sam Hicks, the Wildcats’ leading rusher last season, the team needed someone to fill the gap. So far, Vaughn has stepped into that role with a 51-yard performance last week and a 91-yard game against SFA.
Patterson said he has seen Vaughn mature and become a better player during his three seasons at ACU.
Next week, the Wildcats will travel to Fort Worth to play the TCU Horned Frogs, ACU’s second Big 12 opponent in two years. Last year’s Big 12 opponent, Texas Tech, beat ACU 52-51 in overtime.
