The Wildcats’ season came to a close on Saturday with a 41-34 loss to Stephen F. Austin State University in the second round of the FCS Playoffs.

The loss ended the Wildcats’ five-game winning streak, dating back to Nov. 1. The team clinched its second consecutive United Athletic Conference title before winning a first-round playoff game over Lamar University.

In the loss, Jordon Vaughn, senior running back from Manvel, rushed for 100 yards and three touchdowns on just 10 carries.

“I saw it in practice on Tuesday and Wednesday,” Head Coach Keith Patterson said. “He knew the end was near… He was running with purpose.”

In addition to the three-score effort from Vaughn, Stone Earle, senior quarterback from Fort Worth, threw for 206 yards and an interception while rushing for 86 yards and a touchdown. With the conclusion of the season, Earle accounted for 34 total touchdowns and 3,718 all-purpose yards.

“He’s just the ultimate competitor,” Patterson said. “I can’t thank him enough for putting his faith and confidence in us. To be able to come back and finish his career here is very fitting that he led us to a championship.”

The loss to the Lumberjacks was a result of SFA quarterback Sam Vidlak’s three touchdown passes, the first two of which came from 20 or more yards away.

“At the end of the day, hats off to them,” Earle said. “We knew it was going to be a hard-fought battle. We just didn’t make enough plays to win the game.”

The back-and-forth contest featured eight lead changes, including a 66-yard touchdown run from Vaughn with 10:31 left, giving the Wildcats a 34-31 lead.

Vidlak and the ‘Jacks would respond with a 2:38, 70-yard drive, ending in a Kylon Harris receiving touchdown. The SFA star receiver ended the game with 11 catches for 183 yards and a touchdown.

Looking for an answer, Earle threw an interception on third and long, looking downfield for a big play. The following drive from SFA resulted in a field goal to go up 41-34 with 1:56 to go.

Defensively, the Wildcats did not force a turnover for just the third time this season. In those three games, the Wildcats went 0-3, with the other two losses coming on the road at the University of Tulsa to begin the season, and the University of the Incarnate Word in week three.

In the loss, Will Shaffer, senior linebacker from Tempe, Arizona, registered a season high 13 tackles, with 2.5 of those registering a loss of yardage. Shaffer transferred to Abilene during the summer of 2024 after spending time at Arizona State University and Utah State University.

“My experience has been great, fantastic to say the least,” Shaffer said. “I want to say thank you to Coach KP and this entire staff for believing in me. They took a chance on me… I can’t say thank you enough.”

In his two seasons, Shaffer was named UAC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year in 2025 while making the UAC First Team twice. In 2024, he was a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Defensive Player of the Year award, registering 123 total tackles, 9.5 tackles for a loss, two interceptions, two sacks and five pass break-ups.

“This team is a special team,” Shaffer said. “This is one of the closest teams I’ve ever been a part of. We all love each other, and we all care for each other. This being my last college football game, I’m just trying to take it all in. It’s not the result we wanted, but this team always fought til the end, and I can’t ask for anything more.”

Including Vaughn, Earle and Shaffer, the Wildcats will graduate over 30 players from the program, including its leading receiver Javon Gipson, senior wide receiver from Richmond, and team leader in interceptions–Dorian Plumley, senior safety from El Reno, Oklahoma.