The Wildcats will look to improve their record in week two against Stephen F. Austin University after a loss to the University of Tulsa to open the season.
The week one loss featured just seven points for the Wildcats, coming on an 11-yard touchdown run by quarterback Stone Earle, senior from Fort Worth.
“He’s extremely dangerous running the football,” Head Coach Keith Patterson said. “It gives us dimension that we have not had.”
Patterson also said Earle did a good job of “taking what the defense gave him.” Though the offense was only able to produce seven points, it executed two drives of 87 and 74 yards early in the game. After getting the ball to the one-yard line twice, the TU defense held strong, stopping the Wildcats for no gain on both occasions.
The home-opener for the Wildcats will feature a storied rivalry between two premier FCS Texas football teams. Both teams will enter the week two game ranked in the Top 25, the Wildcats at No. 16 and the Lumberjacks at No. 25.
“They look like every Stephen F. Austin team you’ve ever played,” Patterson said. “They do a good job with what they do, and they believe in it.”
Despite both teams entering the week in the Top 25, both teams will also enter the week with a 0-1 record. In week one, the Lumberjacks fell to the University of Houston Cougars 27-0 and were limited to just 144 total yards.
The last ten matchups between the purple and whites have gone in favor of the Lumberjacks eight times, most notably a 32-19 victory last season and 35-32 overtime victory in 2020.
With an 8-2 record, SFA also carries an average series margin of victory of 7.5 points into Abilene in 2025.
The Wildcats have revamped their offense after the 2024 season due to several players graduating and others transferring to notable Power 4 programs.
“This is going to be a process,” Patterson said. ”We have a brand-new offensive line, a brand-new quarterback, three brand-new wide receivers and new running backs.”
The one key piece from the 2024 season to return to the offense is Jed Castles, senior tight end from Wichita Falls. In 2024, Castles reeled in four touchdowns and 233 yards while playing in 14 games.
The Wildcats in week one threw for 140 yards, with 73 going to Javon Gipson, senior wide receiver from Richmond.
“We have to do a better job of capitalizing on opportunities,” Patterson said.
The new approach for the Wildcats features a more run-heavy, option-style offense that looks to utilize the legs of Earle and the running back committee.
“I like that we have the different option style,” said Jordon Vaughn, senior running back from Manvel. “It keeps the defense on their toes… We’ll be even more dangerous as we continue to gel together as an offense and as a team.”
The week 2 contest will feature a new rendition of Wildcat uniforms. The team will keep the standard ACU Wildcat logo on its helmets, but this week the logo will be overlaid with the American flag rather than the usual purple and white.
“It’s a great way to honor the people who have defended and fought for our country,” Patterson said.
Patterson said the decals also reflect the team’s connection to Dyess Air Force Base, located just west of Abilene.
While week 2 marks the debut of the flag logo, it will be the second week a memorial Texas sticker, with a green ribbon across it, appears on the back of the Wildcat’s helmets. Every Texas collegiate football team will wear the sticker throughout the 2025-2026 season to honor victims of the flooding that struck central Texas in July.
“It’s a horrific situation,” Patterson said. “Driving through the area, you really see the devastation… I can’t imagine the hurt families experienced. It’s just a way to honor so many people.”
