In the final non-conference game of the team’s season, the Wildcats will take on the University of Incarnate Word on Saturday at 6 p.m.
The Wildcats are coming off a dominant 45-31 victory over Austin Peay State University in the team’s first United Athletic Conference game.
Stone Earle, senior quarterback from Fort Worth, threw for a new career high in passing yards, marking the third consecutive week he’s set a new record for himself.
92 of Earle’s 354 passing yards were to Dallas Dudley, junior wide receiver from Lewisville, who also caught his first career touchdown, on a five-yard pass from Earle. Dudley ended the game with 12 receptions, putting him in an exclusive club as the only UAC receiver to have 12 in a game this season.
Both Earle and Dudley come to Abilene from Denton after playing for the University of North Texas. In his postgame press conference after the win against Austin Peay, Earle spoke on the connection they have continued to build after transferring to ACU.
Dudley also said it has been a great connection so far this season and is something they are fortunate to have.
“It’s really full circle that we came back together after being at UNT,” Dudley said. “We’ve built that relationship over the last couple of years, so we have a great connection, and I’m excited to see where it goes this year.”
The Wildcats will look to take advantage of that connection against a UIW team that gives up over 280 passing yards a game.
“We should be able to attack them offensively,” Dudley said. “If we execute, then we’ll be successful.”
The Cardinals entered the 2025 season ranked fourth in the FCS. After starting 1-3 and 0-1 in Southland Conference play, the team finds itself merely receiving votes and unranked heading into week five.
The Wildcats will carry a No.12 ranking into week five, the second-highest the team has climbed over its 17-week streak of being in the FCS top 25, dating back to week three of the 2025 season.
Ahead of the 13th all-time matchup between the two schools, Head Coach Keith Patterson has continued to see his team grow, compete and get better through every week of practice.
“I feel like every game we’ve played, we’ve gotten better,” Patterson said.
Through four weeks, the Wildcats lead the UAC in penalty yardage and are eighth in turnover margin in the FCS, stats that bode well for Patterson’s squad that aims to be fundamentally sound and to play clean football.
“It speaks to our team’s discipline,” Patterson said. “It speaks to the way we do things.”
On the other side of the field, the Cardinals are 11 turnovers worse than the Wildcats with a differential of -7 through four games. They also average 67 penalty yards per game, compared to the Wildcats’ UAC leading 38.
For Patterson and his team, the game will come down to discipline and controlling the football.
“We’ve got to do a good job protecting the football like we’ve done all year long,” Patterson said.
Additionally, the Wildcats will look to get back in the win column against UIW after losing the last three matchups to the former Southland Conference rivals.
