2024 Abilene Christian Wildcats football team

2024 Abilene Christian Wildcats football
Conference	United Athletic Conference
Ranking
STATS	No. 15
FCS Coaches	No. 16
Record	7–3 (6–1 UAC)
Head coach	Keith Patterson (3rd season)
Offensive coordinator	Rick Bowie (1st season)
Offensive scheme	Air raid
Co-defensive coordinator	Aaron Fletcher (1st season)
Base defense	Multiple 3–3–5
Home stadium	Wildcat Stadium

2024 United Athletic Conference standings

	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
No. 15 Abilene Christian		6	–	1					7	–	3
No. 14 Tarleton State		5	–	1					8	–	2
Eastern Kentucky		4	–	2					6	–	4
Southern Utah		4	–	2					5	–	5
No. 16 Central Arkansas		3	–	3					6	–	4
Austin Peay		3	–	4					4	–	6
North Alabama		3	–	4					3	–	8
Utah Tech		1	–	5					1	–	9
West Georgia*		0	–	7					3	–	7
Note: West Georgia is ineligible for the UAC title and FCS postseason play due to transition from NCAA Division II. As of November 10, 2024 Rankings from STATS Poll

The 2024 Abilene Christian Wildcats football team represents Abilene Christian University as a member of the United Athletic Conference (UAC) during the 2024 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Wildcats are coached by third-year head coach Keith Patterson and play at Wildcat Stadium in Abilene, Texas.

Preseason

UAC coaches' poll

UAC coaches' poll
Predicted finish	Team	Votes (1st place)
1	Central Arkansas	77 (5)
2	Tarleton State	74 (3)
3	Southern Utah	54
4	Eastern Kentucky	53
5	Austin Peay	46 (1)
6	Abilene Christian	43
7	North Alabama	26
8	Utah Tech	19
9	West Georgia	13

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
August 31	6:30 p.m.	at Texas Tech*		Jones AT&T Stadium Lubbock, TX	ESPN+	L 51–52 OT	60,229
September 7	7:00 p.m.	West Georgia		Wildcat Stadium Abilene, TX	ESPN+	W 38–24	7,094
September 14	3:00 p.m.	at Northern Colorado*	No. 25	Nottingham Field Greeley, CO	ESPN+	W 24–22	3,017
September 21	7:00 p.m.	No. 4 Idaho*	No. 19	Wildcat Stadium Abilene, TX	ESPN+	L 24–27	11,719
September 28	8:00 p.m.	at Utah Tech	No. 20	Greater Zion Stadium St. George, UT	ESPN+	W 55–30	5,451
October 5	3:00 p.m.	No. 5 Central Arkansas	No. 16	Wildcat Stadium Abilene, TX	ESPN+	W 41–34	7,853
October 12	6:00 p.m.	at North Alabama	No. 10	Braly Municipal Stadium Florence, AL	ESPN+	L 34–47	9,918
October 19	3:00 p.m.	Eastern Kentucky	No. 17	Wildcat Stadium Abilene, TX	ESPN+	W 34–20	10,411
November 2	3:00 p.m.	Southern Utah	No. 17	Wildcat Stadium Abilene, TX	ESPN+	W 28–25	9,701
November 9	3:00 p.m.	at Austin Peay	No. 15	Fortera Stadium Clarksville, TN	ESPN+	W 35–34
November 16	6:00 p.m.	at Tarleton State		Memorial Stadium Stephenville, TX	ESPN+
November 23	2:00 p.m.	at Stephen F. Austin*		Homer Bryce Stadium Nacogdoches, TX	ESPN+
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from STATS Poll released prior to the game All times are in Central time

Rankings

See also: 2024 NCAA Division I FCS football rankings

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked RV = Received votes т = Tied with team above or below

	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	Final
STATS	—	RV	25	19	20	16	10	17	17	15
Coaches'	—	RV	RV	23	22	17	12	21т	19	16

Roster

No.	Player	Class	Height	Weight	Previous Schools		Hometown
					High School	College
Quarterbacks
1	Maverick McIvor	Graduate Student	6-2	210	Central High School	Texas Tech	San Angelo, Texas
9	Carson Haggard	RS Sophomore	6-0	180	Gulliver Prep	Tulane	Miami, Florida
12	Quayde Hawkins	RS Junior	6-1	210	Bainbridge High School	Troy	Bainbridge, Georgia
15	Carson May	RS Sophomore	6-4	220	Jones High School	Iowa - Wyoming	Jones, Oklahoma
17	Trevor Baker	RS Junior	6-3	195	Needville High School		Needville, Texas
18	Leighton Adams	Freshman	6-1	200	New Braunfels High School		New Braunfels, Texas
Running Backs
3	Rovaughn Banks, Jr.	Junior	5-10	190	Union High School		Tulsa, Oklahoma
6	Samuel Hicks	Graduate Student	5-9	190	Nolan Catholic High School	Saddleback College - Central Michigan	Fort Worth, Texas
21	Deonte Dean	Freshman	6-0	190	Lake Highlands High School		Dallas, Texas
23	Isaiah Johnson	Graduate Student	5-10	210	Cooper High School	North Texas	Lubbock, Texas
26	Jordon Vaughn	RS Junior	6-3	235	Manvel High School	Wyoming	Manvel, Texas
32	Chad Lara	Freshman	5-6	195	Abilene High School		Abilene, Texas
Wide Receiver
2	Hut Graham	RS Sophomore	6-1	200	Gunter High School	Texas Tech	Gunter, Texas
4	J.J. Henry	Junior	5-10	155	McKinney North High School	Ole Miss	McKinney, Texas
7	Trey Cleveland	Graduate Student	6-2	195	Arlington High School	North Texas	Arlington, Texas
8	Jeshari Houston	RS Junior	5-9	180	Abilene High School	Tulsa	Abilene, Texas
13	Blayne Taylor	Graduate Student	6-5	215	Saginaw High School	Cisco College	Saginaw, Texas
14	Raydrian Baltrip	Freshman	5-9	155	Silsbee High School		Silsbee, Texas
16	Luke Moffitt	Sophomore	6-0	170	Crandall High School		Crandall, Texas
19	Javon Gipson	RS Junior	6-4	215	George Ranch High School	Baylor	Richmond, Texas
20	Nehemiah Martinez	Senior	5-9	200	Cooper High School	Texas Tech	Lubbock, Texas
25	Blake Pruitt	Sophomore	5-11	185	Midland Christian		Midland, Texas
29	J.R. Ceyanes	Sophomore	6-3	200	Katy High School		Katy, Texas
31	Brelon Badon	Freshman	5-11	165	Abilene High School		Abilene, Texas
34	Blake Suber	Freshman	6-1	195	Cedar Park High School		Cedar Park, Texas
81	Grant Jones	Freshman	6-1	185	Burnet High School		Burnet, Texas
82	Courtlin Scott	Sophomore	5-7	140	Sachse High School		Sachse, Texas
84	Jacoby Boykins	RS Junior	6-1	195	Lamar High School	Alabama	Houston, Texas
Tight Ends
83	West Wilson	Sophomore	6-2	235	Lovejoy High School	North Texas	Allen, Texas
86	Chidubem Lebechi	RS Sophomore	6-2	240	Tompkins High School		Katy, Texas
87	Bryan Henry	RS Sophomore	6-2	250	Belton High School	Houston	Belton, Texas
88	Jed Castles	RS Junior	6-7	235	Rider High School	Texas Tech	Wichita Falls, Texas
89	Gavin Waits	Sophomore	6-4	230	Fulshear High School		Fulshear, Texas
Offensive Line
54	Carson Walker	RS Junior	6-4	315	Heritage High School	Houston	Midlothian, Texas
55	Alan Hatten	Senior	6-3	310	Hackettstown High School	Lackawanna College	Great Meadows, New Jersey
57	Trent Pullen	RS Senior	6-3	295	Connally High School	Oklahoma State	Waco, Texas
59	Jacob Thielen	Graduate Student	6-4	305	Faith Christian Academy		Broomfield, Colorado
61	Dylan Kinney	RS Sophomor	6-3	310	Travis High School		Richmond, Texas
66	Dylan Howerton	Fifth Year	6-5	280	Katy High School		Katy, Texas
68	Colter Lynch	Sophomore	6-3	305	Cooper High School		Lubbock, Texas
70	Tay Yanta	RS Senior	6-5	330	Falls City High School	Mary Hardin–Baylor - Texas Tech	Falls City, Texas
71	Femi Sakiri	RS Junior	6-3	300	Byron Nelson High School	UConn	Roanoke, Texas
75	Cameron Vann	Freshman	6-6	320	Wylie High School		Abilene, Texas
76	Joziah Fogle	Junior	6-4	310	Spring High School		Spring, Texas
77	George French II	RS Senior	6-8	315	Bethlehem Catholic High School	Pittsburgh	Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Defensive Line
9	Alex Bowman, Jr.	RS Sophomore	6-2	255	Madison High		Dallas, Texas
43	Elijah Sims	RS Freshman	6-3	260	Fort Bend Marshal		Missouri City, Texas
52	Jordan Butler	RS Senior	6-3	320	IMG Academy	Northwestern	Las Vegas, Nevada
90	Kaghen Roach	RS Senior	6-5	255	Celina HS	Blinn College - North Texas	Celina, Texas
91	Colt Cooper	RS Junior	6-4	245	Ford High School		Quinlan, Texas
92	Luke Gambs	Sophomore	6-2	250	S. H. Rider High School		Wichita Falls, Texas
93	Chris Herpin	Sophomore	6-2	300	Dawson High School		Pearland, Texas
95	Jerry Lawson	Sophomore	6-2	295	Breckenridge High School		Breckenridge, Texas
98	David Oke	Junior	6-2	290	Alief Hastings High School		Houston, Texas
99	Devin Dawson	RS Senior	6-2	300	Lone Star High School	Alcorn State	Aledo, Texas
Linebackers
0	Darius Moore	Senior	6-1	235	El Reno High School	Northeastern Oklahoma A&M	El Reno, Oklahoma
1	Will Shaffer	Graduate Student	6-0	240	Saguaro High School	Utah State - Arizona State	Tempe, Arizona
6	Izaiah Kelley	Senior	6-2	200	Coronado High School	SMU	Lubbock, Texas
8	Chris Wright	RS Junior	6-4	240	Aledo High School	North Texas	Aledo, Texas
14	Rashon Myles, Jr.	RS Sophomore	6-1	223	Brownsburg High School	Northern Illinois	Brownsburg, Indiana
17	Micho Lavine	Freshman	6-1	200	Millwood High School		Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
19	Jameer Dudley	Sophomore	6-2	205	Samuel Clemens High School		Schertz, Texas
24	Bryce Morton	RS Freshman	6-1	215	C.E. King High School		Spring, Texas
30	Sean Dubose, Jr.	RS Sophomore	6-2	240	Tompkins High School		Katy, Texas
35	Ethan Taite	Senior	6-2	225	Independence High School		Frisco, Texas
36	Jailyn Gibbs	Freshman	6-1	215	Rider High School		Wichita Falls, Texas
37	Trace Low	Freshman	6-0	195	Legacy High School		Wichita Falls, Texas
42	Reese Young	Junior	6-1	225	Stephenville High School		Stephenville, Texas
46	Cirby Coheley	Senior	6-4	220	Iowa Park High School		Iowa Park, Texas
Defensive back
2	Jordan Mukes	Junior	6-3	210	Choctaw High School	Oklahoma	Choctaw, Oklahoma
4	Tyson Williams	Sophomore	5-11	180	Bixby High School		Bixby, Oklahoma
12	DeAngelo Ponder	RS Freshman	6-2	190	Bowie High School		Arlington, Texas
15	Sam Mason, Jr.	RS Sophomore	6-0	190	Charter Oak High School	Oregon State	Covina, California
18	Gabe White	Sophomore	6-2	205	Goose Creek High School	Butler CC	Charleston, South Carolina
20	Damien Johnson	Freshman	5-10	180	Legacy High School		Midland, Texas
21	Carson Finney	Freshman	6-0	180	Brock High School		Brock, Texas
27	Harold West	RS Junior	6-1	185	Lamar High School	North Texas	Arlington, Texas
Safety
3	Dorian Plumley	RS Junior	6-0	200	El Reno High School	Oklahoma	El Reno, Oklahoma
5	Javen Ware	Senior	5-11	175	Hernando High School	Texas State	Hernando, Mississippi
7	Elijah Moffett	RS Senior	6-2	210	Veterans Memorial High School		Selma, Texas
41	T.J. Marshall	RS Senior	6-1	210	Shadow Creek High School	Houston	Pearland, Texas
Punter
22	Grant Nickel	RS Junior	6-1	185	Grand Oaks High School	Texas Tech	Spring, Texas
33	Hugo Nash	RS Sophomore	6-2	195	Scotch College	James Madison	Melbourne, Australia
Kicker
39	Kyler Meschi	RS Freshman	6-0	185	Flour Bluff High School		Corpus Christi, Texas
40	Elijah Medina	RS Freshman	6-0	180	Grace Preparatory Academy	Sul Ross State	Mansfield, Texas
45	Cade Coulson	Sophomore	6-2	160	Richland High School	Mary Hardin–Baylor	Fort Worth, Texas
47	Will Chipman	Freshman	5-8	155	Southwest Christian School		Fort Worth, Texas
48	Ritse Vaes	Senior	6-2	160	Hirschi High School	Midwestern State	Wichita Falls, Texas
94	Spencer Fiske	RS Sophomore	5-10	160	Hidden Valley High School	College of Idaho	Grants Pass, Oregon
Long Snapper
49	Devan Daugherty	RS Senior	6-2	250	Aledo High School	Midwestern State	Aledo, Texas
50	Justin Duff	RS Senior	6-3	250	Armijo High School	UTEP	San Pablo, California

Game summaries

at Texas Tech

See also: 2024 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team

Abilene Christian Wildcats at Texas Tech Red Raiders – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Wildcats	7	14	7	17	6	51
Red Raiders	22	10	7	6	7	52

at Jones AT&T Stadium, Lubbock, Texas

• Date: August 31
• Game time: 7:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Sunny
• Game attendance: 60,229
• TV announcers (ESPN+): Ted Emrich and Dave Steckel
• Box score, Recap

Game information

First quarter TTU – Tahj Brooks 18-yard run (Gino Garcia kick), 10:38. Red Raiders 7–0. Drive: 10 plays, 71 yards, 3:28. TTU – Coy Eakin 4-yard pass from Behren Morton (Jalin Conyers run), 8:18. Red Raiders 15–0. Drive: 2 plays, 17 yards, 0:24. ACU – Jed Castles 31-yard pass from Maverick McIvor (Ritse Vaes kick), 3:42. Red Raiders 15–7. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 4:36. TTU – Coy Eakin 35-yard pass from Behren Morton (Reese Burkhardt kick), 1:34. Red Raiders 22–7. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:08. Second quarter ACU – Isaiah Johnson 2-yard run (Ritse Vaes kick), 11:52. Red Raiders 22–14. Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 4:42. TTU – Gino Garcia 39-yard field goal, 9:58. Red Raiders 25–14. Drive: 4 plays, 5 yards, 1:38. TTU – Jalin Conyers 36-yard pass from Behren Morton (Reese Burkhardt kick), 2:55. Red Raiders 32–14. Drive: 9 plays, 70 yards, 3:51. ACU – Blayne Taylor 71-yard pass from Maverick McIvor (Ritse Vaes kick), 1:50. Red Raiders 32–21. Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 1:05. Third quarter ACU – Rovaughn Banks Jr. 1-yard run (Ritse Vaes kick), 5:10. Red Raiders 32–28. Drive: 10 plays, 96 yards, 4:27. TTU – Josh Kelly 35-yard pass from Behren Morton (Gino Garcia kick), 4:50. Red Raiders 39–28. Drive: 1 play, 35 yards, 0:07. Fourth quarter ACU – Nehemiah Martinez I 30-yard pass from Maverick McIvor (Ritse Vaes kick), 11:45. Red Raiders 39–35. Drive: 4 plays, 62 yards, 1:34. TTU – Reese Burkhardt 41-yard field goal, 8:32. Red Raiders 42–35. Drive: 9 plays, 52 yards, 3:13. ACU – Isaiah Johnson 5-yard run (Ritse Vaes kick), 4:55. Tied 42–42. Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:37. TTU – Gino Garcia 31-yard field goal, 2:35. Red Raiders 45–42. Drive: 9 plays, 54 yards, 2:13. ACU – Ritse Vaes 21-yard field goal, 0:05. Tied 45–45. Drive: 12 plays, 71 yards, 2:34. Overtime TTU – Caleb Douglas 14-yard pass from Behren Morton (Reese Burkhardt kick). Red Raiders 52–51. Drive: 5 plays, 25 yards. ACU – Isaiah Johnson 1-yard run (run failed). Red Raiders 52–51. Drive: 6 plays, 25 yards.

Statistics	ACU	TTU
First downs	30	27
Total yards	615	539
Rushing yards	109	161
Passing yards	506	378
Turnovers	1	0
Time of possession	33:48	26:07

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Abilene Christian	Passing	Maverick McIvor	36/51, 506 yards, 3 TD
	Rushing	Isaiah Johnson	13 rushes, 42 yards, 3 TD
	Receiving	Blayne Taylor	7 receptions, 141 yards, TD
Texas Tech	Passing	Behren Morton	30/42, 378 yards, 5 TD
	Rushing	Tahj Brooks	27 rushes, 153 yards, TD
	Receiving	Josh Kelly	10 receptions, 156 yards, TD

West Georgia

See also: 2024 West Georgia Wolves football team

West Georgia Wolves at Abilene Christian Wildcats – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Wolves	0	3	7	14	24
Wildcats	14	0	7	17	38

at Wildcat Stadium, Abilene, Texas

• Date: September 7
• Game time: 7:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Sunny
• Game attendance: 7,094
• Referee: Michael Frain
• TV announcers (ESPN+): Grant Boone and Bob Shipley
• Box score, Recap

Game information

First quarter ACU – Sam Hicks 27-yard run (Ritse Vaes kick), 12:24. Wildcats 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 77 yards, 2:31. ACU – Nehemiah Martinez I 20-yard pass from Maverick McIvor (Ritse Vaes kick), 2:18. Wildcats 14–0. Drive: 10 plays, 67 yards, 4:28. Second quarter UWG – Chance Gagnon 31-yard field goal, 11:22. Wildcats 14–3. Drive: 7 plays, 17 yards, 2:35. Third quarter ACU – Nehemiah Martinez I 72-yard pass from Maverick McIvor (Ritse Vaes kick), 11:38. Wildcats 21–3. Drive: 2 plays, 73 yards, 0:50. UWG – Dylan Gary 27-yard pass from Quincy Casey (Chance Gagnon kick), 5:20. Wildcats 21–10. Drive: 1 play, 27 yards, 0:06. Fourth quarter ACU – Ritse Vaes 27-yard field goal, 12:31. Wildcats 24–10. Drive: 16 plays, 81 yards, 7:47. UWG – Dylan Gary 22-yard pass from Quincy Casey (Chance Gagnon kick), 10:02. Wildcats 24–17. Drive: 9 plays, 80 yards, 2:22. ACU – Isaiah Johnson 3-yard run (Ritse Vaes kick), 5:01. Wildcats 31–17. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 4:55. ACU – Bryan Henry 18-yard pass from Maverick McIvor (Ritse Vaes kick), 3:35. Wildcats 38–17. Drive: 4 plays, 31 yards, 1:16. UWG – Quincy Casey 2-yard run (Chance Gagnon kick), 0:01. Wildcats 38–24. Drive: 13 plays, 75 yards, 3:34.

Statistics	UWG	ACU
First downs	22	28
Total yards	344	499
Rushing yards	102	202
Passing yards	242	297
Turnovers	1	2
Time of possession	26:06	33:54

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
West Georgia	Passing	Quincy Casey	14/34, 201 yards, 2 TD, INT
	Rushing	Quincy Casey	9 rushes, 50 yards, TD
	Receiving	Dylan Gary	7 receptions, 153 yards, 2 TD
Abilene Christian	Passing	Maverick McIvor	24/37, 297 yards, 3 TD
	Rushing	Isaiah Johnson	14 rushes, 71 yards, TD
	Receiving	Nehemiah Martinez I	7 receptions, 132 yards, 2 TD

at Northern Colorado

See also: 2024 Northern Colorado Bears football team

No. 25 Abilene Christian Wildcats at Northern Colorado Bears – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 25 Wildcats	0	7	14	3	24
Bears	3	7	0	12	22

at Nottingham Field, Greeley, Colorado

• Date: September 14
• Game time: 3:00 p.m. CDT/2:00 p.m. MDT
• Game weather: Sunny, 85 °F (29 °C)
• Game attendance: 3,017
• Referee: Gregg Wilson
• TV announcers (ESPN+): Christian Ceyanes and Nick Hager
• Box score, Recap

Game information

First quarter UNCO – Hunter Green 35-yard field goal, 3:57. Bears 3–0. Drive: 7 plays, 48 yards, 3:42. Second quarter UNCO – Caden Meis 2-yard run (Hunter Green kick), 13:52. Bears 10–0. Drive: 12 plays, 62 yards, 4:42. ACU – Sam Hicks 17-yard pass from Maverick McIvor (Ritse Vaes kick), 1:09. Bears 10–7. Drive: 4 plays, 66 yards, 0:46. Third quarter ACU – Sam Hicks 65-yard run (Ritse Vaes kick), 9:32. Wildcats 14–10. Drive: 3 plays, 80 yards, 1:05. ACU – Isaiah Johnson 5-yard run (Ritse Vaes kick), 1:00. Wildcats 21–10. Drive: 9 plays, 84 yards, 3:50. Fourth quarter UNCO – Caden Meis 2-yard run (pass failed), 8:42. Wildcats 21–16. Drive: 16 plays, 75 yards, 7:18. UNCO – Hank Gibbs 3-yard run (pass failed), 1:10. Bears 22–21. Drive: 14 plays, 69 yards, 5:29. ACU – Ritse Vaes 54-yard field goal, 0:00. Wildcats 24–22. Drive: 9 plays, 38 yards, 1:10.

Statistics	ACU	UNCO
First downs	12	18
Total yards	325	266
Rushing yards	96	241
Passing yards	229	25
Turnovers	0	1
Time of possession	20:17	39:43

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Abilene Christian	Passing	Maverick McIvor	20/34, 229 yards, TD
	Rushing	Sam Hicks	9 rushes, 76 yards, TD
	Receiving	Javon Gibson	7 receptions, 102 yards
Northern Colorado	Passing	Jonah Chong	4/8, 14 yards
	Rushing	Darius Stewart	21 rushes, 132 yards
	Receiving	Brayden Munroe	1 reception, 8 yards

No. 4 Idaho

See also: 2024 Idaho Vandals football team

No. 4 Idaho Vandals at No. 19 Abilene Christian Wildcats – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 4 Vandals	14	6	7	0	27
No. 19 Wildcats	0	3	8	13	24

at Wildcat Stadium, Abilene, Texas

• Date: September 21
• Game time: 7:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Sunny
• Game attendance: 11,719
• TV announcers (ESPN+): Andy Penney and Ryan Holmes
• Box score, Recap

Game information

First quarter IDHO – Jordan Dwyer 22-yard pass from Jack Wagner (Cameron Pope kick), 7:06. Vandals 7–0. Drive: 4 plays, 58 yards, 2:28. IDHO – Mark Hamper 44-yard pass from Jack Wagner (Cameron Pope kick), 3:00. Vandals 14–0. Drive: 7 plays, 73 yards, 2:47. Second quarter ACU – Ritse Vaes 27-yard field goal, 13:01. Vandals 14–3. Drive: 12 plays, 65 yards, 4:59. IDHO – Cameron Pope 33-yard field goal, 4:41. Vandals 17–3. Drive: 5 plays, 44 yards, 2:17. IDHO – Cameron Pope 25-yard field goal, 0:15. Vandals 20–3. Drive: 13 plays, 63 yards, 2:54. Third quarter IDHO – Nate Thomas 3-yard run (Cameron Pope kick), 13:04. Vandals 27–3. Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 1:56. ACU – J. J. Henry 5-yard pass from Maverick McIvor (Maverick McIvor pass to Blayne Taylor), 2:32. Vandals 27–11. Drive: 11 plays, 61 yards, 4:50. Fourth quarter ACU – Nehemiah Martinez I 23-yard pass from Maverick McIvor (pass failed), 10:03. Vandals 27–17. Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:29. ACU – Isaiah Johnson 1-yard run (Ritse Vaes kick), 3:47. Vandals 27–24. Drive: 9 plays, 72 yards, 4:14.

Statistics	IDHO	ACU
First downs	23	25
Total yards	424	393
Rushing yards	171	105
Passing yards	253	288
Turnovers	0	3
Time of possession	30:57	29:03

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Idaho	Passing	Jack Wagner	18/35, 253 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	Nate Thomas	15 rushes, 64 yards, TD
	Receiving	Jordan Dwyer	5 receptions, 91 yards, TD
Abilene Christian	Passing	Maverick McIvor	26/46, 288 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
	Rushing	Isaiah Jonhson	10 rushes, 59 yards, TD
	Receiving	Nehemiah Martinez I	4 receptions, 77 yards, TD

at Utah Tech

See also: 2024 Utah Tech Trailblazers football team

No. 20 Abilene Christian Wildcats at Utah Tech Trailblazers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 20 Wildcats	14	13	14	14	55
Trailblazers	7	9	0	14	30

at Greater Zion Stadium, St. George, Utah

• Date: September 28
• Game time: 7:00 p.m. CDT/6:00 p.m. MDT
• Game weather: Sunny, 102 °F (39 °C)
• Game attendance: 5,451
• Referee: Matthew Jones
• TV: ESPN+
• Box score, Recap

Game information

First quarter UTU – Chris Street 7-yard run (Ilya Uvaydov kick), 9:36. Trailblazers 7–0. Drive: 7 plays, 55 yards, 2:53. ACU – Blayne Taylor 76-yard pass from Maverick McIvor (Ritse Vaes kick), 8:16. Tied 7–7. Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 1:20. ACU – Sam Hicks 53-yard run (Ritse Vaes kick), 2:56. Wildcats 14–7. Drive: 8 plays, 91 yards, 3:19. Second quarter UTU – Ilya Uvaydov 32-yard field goal, 13:24. Wildcats 14–10. Drive: 4 plays, 4 yards, 1:22. ACU – Ritse Vaes 52-yard field goal, 11:06. Wildcats 17–10. Drive: 7 plays, 39 yards, 2:18. ACU – Ritse Vaes 25-yard field goal, 3:26. Wildcats 20–10. Drive: 5 plays, 18 yards, 1:54. ACU – Sam Hicks 35-yard run (Ritse Vaes kick), 0:27. Wildcats 27–10. Drive: 7 plays, 77 yards, 0:45. UTU – Eric Olsen 32-yard pass from Reggie Graff (kick failed), 0:09. Wildcats 27–16. Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 0:18. Third quarter ACU – Nehemiah Martinez I 73-yard pass from Maverick McIvor (Ritse Vaes kick), 14:11. Wildcats 34–16. Drive: 2 plays, 75 yards, 0:43. ACU – Isaiah Johnson 9-yard run (Ritse Vaes kick), 7:21. Wildcats 41–16. Drive: 11 plays, 79 yards, 5:10. Fourth quarter ACU – Sam Hicks 8-yard run (Ritse Vaes kick), 11:11. Wildcats 48–16. Drive: 4 plays, 76 yards, 2:09. ACU – Chris Wright 28-yard fumble return (Ritse Vaes kick), 10:57. Wildcats 55–16. UTU – Reggie Graff 9-yard run (Ilya Uvaydov kick), 9:02. Wildcats 55–23. Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 1:55. UTU – Bretton Stone 10-yard run (Ilya Uvaydov kick), 3:46. Wildcats 55–30. Drive: 7 plays, 70 yards, 3:07.

Statistics	ACU	UTU
First downs	22	22
Total yards	609	508
Rushing yards	323	180
Passing yards	286	328
Turnovers	1	2
Time of possession	28:48	31:12

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Abilene Christian	Passing	Maverick McIvor	18/33, 286 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	Sam Hicks	12 rushes, 203 yards, 3 TD
	Receiving	Blayne Taylor	5 receptions, 128 yards, TD
Utah Tech	Passing	Reggie Graff	13/22, 231 yards, TD
	Rushing	Reggie Graff	12 rushes, 79 yards, TD
	Receiving	Eric Olsen	3 receptions, 60 yards, TD

No. 5 Central Arkansas

See also: 2024 Central Arkansas Bears football team

No. 5 Central Arkansas Bears at No. 16 Abilene Christian Wildcats – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 5 Bears	7	10	7	10	34
No. 16 Wildcats	14	17	3	7	41

at Wildcat Stadium, Abilene, Texas

• Date: October 5
• Game time: 3:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Sunny
• Game attendance: 7,853
• Referee: Gabe Tomlin
• TV: ESPN+
• Box score, Recap

Game information

First quarter ACU – Nehemiah Martinez I 70-yard pass from Maverick McIvor (Ritse Vaes kick), 11:27. Wildcats 7–0. Drive: 1 play, 70 yards, 0:16. CARK – ShunDerrick Powell 62-yard run (Jake Gaster kick), 10:40. Tied 7–7. Drive: 2 plays, 75 yards, 0:47. ACU – Blayne Taylor 13-yard pass from Maverick McIvor (Ritse Vaes kick), 4:20. Wildcats 14–7. Drive: 14 plays, 66 yards, 6:11. Second quarter ACU – Ritse Vaes 27-yard field goal, 14:09. Wildcats 17–7. Drive: 9 plays, 67 yards, 3:02. CARK – ShunDerrick Powell 51-yard run (Jake Gaster kick), 13:04. Wildcats 17–14. Drive: 3 plays, 79 yards, 1:00. ACU – Hut Graham 9-yard pass from Maverick McIvor (Ritse Vaes kick), 8:54. Wildcats 24–14. Drive: 9 plays, 54 yards, 4:02. ACU – Nehemiah Martinez I 26-yard pass from Maverick McIvor (Ritse Vaes kick), 4:54. Wildcats 31–14. Drive: 8 plays, 59 yards, 2:40. CARK – Jake Gaster 26-yard field goal, 0:00. Wildcats 31–17. Drive: 10 plays, 64 yards, 1:40. Third quarter ACU – Ritse Vaes 20-yard field goal, 5:52. Wildcats 34–17. Drive: 5 plays, 77 yards, 2:21. CARK – ShunDerrick Powell 11-yard pass from Will McElvain (Jake Gaster kick), 0:36. Wildcats 34–24. Drive: 11 plays, 87 yards, 5:08. Fourth quarter ACU – Nehemiah Martinez I 3-yard pass from Maverick McIvor (Ritse Vaes kick), 12:52. Wildcats 41–24. Drive: 6 plays, 75 yards, 2:44. CARK – Jake Gaster 21-yard field goal, 7:49. Wildcats 41–27. Drive: 12 plays, 71 yards, 5:03. CARK – Trejan Bridges 11-yard pass from Will McElvain (Jake Gaster kick), 1:38. Wildcats 41–34. Drive: 12 plays, 90 yards, 2:51.

Statistics	CARK	ACU
First downs	31	23
Total yards	528	506
Rushing yards	202	156
Passing yards	326	350
Turnovers	2	0
Time of possession	30:17	29:43

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Central Arkansas	Passing	Will McElvain	33/46, 326 yards, 2 TD, INT
	Rushing	ShunDerrick Powell	20 rushes, 155 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	Malachi Henry	5 receptions, 83 yards
Abilene Christian	Passing	Maverick McIvor	22/36, 350 yards, 5 TD
	Rushing	Isaiah Johnson	15 rushes, 91 yards
	Receiving	Nehemiah Martinez I	7 receptions, 202 yards, 3 TD

at North Alabama

See also: 2024 North Alabama Lions football team

No. 10 Abilene Christian Wildcats at North Alabama Lions – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 10 Abilene Christian	14	13	7	0	34
North Alabama	20	0	13	14	47

at Braly Municipal Stadium, Florence, Alabama

• Date: October 12
• Game time: 6:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: NE at 3 miles per hour (4.8 km/h) • Weather: Sunny • Temp: 81 °F (27 °C)
• Game attendance: 9,918
• Referee: Branden McCain
• TV announcers (ESPN+): Benjamin Ray (play-by-play) and Bryan Neece (analyst)
• Box score, Recap

Game information

First quarter (14:15) UNA – TJ Smith 1-yard rush (2-point conversion no good) (Drive: 2 plays, 6 yards, 0:39; UNA 6-0) (10:06) UNA – Tanaka Scott 23-yard pass from TJ Smith (Scott Payne kick) (Drive: 3 plays, 37 yards, 1:21; UNA 13-0) (8:52) ACU – Isaiah Johnson 60-yard rush (Ritse Vaes kick) (Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 1:14; UNA 13-7) (4:22) ACU – Blayne Taylor 16-yard pass from Maverick McIvor (Ritse Vaes kick) (Drive: 7 plays, 52 yards, 2:58; ACU 14-13) (2:19) UNA – TJ Smith 46-yard rush (Scott Payne kick) (Drive: 4 plays, 85 yards, 1:58; UNA 20-14) Second quarter (7:21) ACU – Sam Hicks 4-yard rush (Ritse Vaes kick blocked by Edwin White-Schultz) (Drive: 6 plays, 28 yards, 2:33; Tie 20-20) (1:39) ACU – Sam Hicks 38-yard rush (Ritse Vaes kick) (Drive: 8 plays, 85 yards, 2:46; ACU 27-20) Third quarter (14:09) UNA – Justin Luke 23-yard pass from TJ Smith (Scott Payne kick blocked by Kaghen Roach) (Drive: 3 plays, 75 yards, 0:51; ACU 27-26) (12:23) ACU – Isaiah Johnson 1-yard rush (Ritse Vaes kick) (Drive: 4 plays, 41 yards, 1:35; ACU 34-26) (2:07) UNA – Kobe Warden 37-yard pass from TJ Smith (Scott Payne kick) (Drive: 5 plays, 72 yards, 2:04; ACU 34-33) Fourth quarter (11:36) UNA – Jalen Fletcher 24-yard rush (Scott Payne kick) (Drive: 8 plays, 88 yards, 3:27; UNA 40-34) (1:51) UNA – Kobe Warden 8-yard pass from TJ Smith (Scott Payne kick) (Drive: 9 plays, 94 yards, 4:53; UNA 47-34)

Statistics	ACU	UNA
First downs	26	22
Total yards	468	506
Rushing yards	193	286
Passing yards	275	220
Passing: Comp–Att–Int	30-48-1	17-24-1
Time of possession	31:38	28:22

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Abilene Christian	Passing	Maverick McIvor	30/48, 275 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	Sam Hicks	13 carries, 99 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	Nehemiah Martinez I	13 receptions, 93 yards
North Alabama	Passing	TJ Smith	17/24, 220 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT
	Rushing	Jalen Fletcher	10 carries, 123 yards, 1 TD
	Receiving	Kobe Warden	9 receptions, 112 yards, 2 TD

Eastern Kentucky

See also: 2024 Eastern Kentucky Colonels football team

Eastern Kentucky Colonels at No. 17 Abilene Christian Wildcats – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Colonels	0	7	13	0	20
No. 17 Wildcats	0	14	14	6	34

at Wildcat Stadium, Abilene, Texas

• Date: October 19
• Game time: 3:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Sunny
• Game attendance: 10,411
• Referee: Zach Erdman
• TV: ESPN+
• Box score, Recap

Game information

First quarter No scoring plays. Second quarter ACU – Sam Hicks 8-yard run (Ritse Vaes kick), 14:55. Abilene Christian 7–0. Drive: 11 plays, 87 yards, 4:14. ACU – Jed Castles 18-yard pass from Maverick McIvor (Ritse Vaes kick), 8:44. Abilene Christian 14–0. Drive: 8 plays, 80 yards, 3:41. EKU – Marcus Calwise Jr. 8-yard pass from Matt Morrissey (Patrick Nations kick), 0:29. Abilene Christian 14–7. Drive: 10 plays, 58 yards, 5:55. Third quarter ACU – Blayne Taylor 45-yard pass from Maverick McIvor (Ritse Vaes kick), 13:22. Abilene Christian 21–7. Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 1:38. EKU – Dequan Stanley 75-yard pass from Matt Morrissey (Patrick Nations kick), 13:12. Abilene Christian 21–14. Drive: 1 play, 75 yards, 0:10. EKU – Joshua Carter 3-yard run, 5:17. Abilene Christian 21–20. Drive: 12 plays, 78 yards, 6:28. ACU – Blayne Taylor 11-yard pass from Maverick McIvor (Ritse Vaes kick), 1:27. Abilene Christian 28–20. Drive: 10 plays, 75 yards, 3:50. Fourth quarter ACU – Ritse Vaes 21-yard field goal, 12:55. Abilene Christian 31–20. Drive: 7 plays, 16 yards, 2:41. ACU – Ritse Vaes 35-yard field goal, 2:17. Abilene Christian 34–20. Drive: 11 plays, 78 yards, 6:07.

Statistics	EKU	ACU
First downs	19	27
Total yards	357	552
Rushing yards	92	212
Passing yards	265	340
Turnovers	3	2
Time of possession	29:24	30:36

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Eastern Kentucky	Passing	Matt Morrissey	20/33, 265 yards, 2 TD, 3 INT
	Rushing	Joshua Carter	16 carries, 79 yards, TD
	Receiving	Dequan Stanley	5 receptions, 116 yards, TD
Abilene Christian	Passing	Maverick McIvor	24/37, 340 yards, 3 TD, INT
	Rushing	Sam Hicks	24 carries, 146 yards, TD
	Receiving	Blayne Taylor	10 receptions, 154 yards, 2 TD

Southern Utah

See also: 2024 Southern Utah Thunderbirds football team

Southern Utah Thunderbirds at No. 17 Abilene Christian Wildcats – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Thunderbirds	0	3	7	15	25
No. 17 Wildcats	14	7	0	7	28

at Wildcat Stadium, Abilene, Texas

• Date: November 2
• Game time: 3:00 p.m. CDT
• Game weather: Cloudy, 78 °F (26 °C)
• Game attendance: 9,701
• Referee: Matthew Jones
• TV: ESPN+
• Box score, Recap

Game information

First quarter (10:03) ACU – Javon Gipson 13-yard pass from Maverick McIvor, Ritse Vaes kick (Drive: 8 plays, 61 yards, 3:33; Abilene Christian 7–0) (2:05) ACU – Isaiah Johnson 6-yard run, Ritse Vaes kick (Drive: 12 plays, 81 yards, 4:44; Abilene Christian 14–0) Second quarter (10:22) ACU – Isaiah Johnson 1-yard run, Ritse Vaes kick (Drive: 9 plays, 71 yards, 4:38; Abilene Christian 21–0) (0:27) SUU – Jayden Rogers 42-yard field goal (Drive: 11 plays, 56 yards, 2:57; Abilene Christian 21–3) Third quarter (1:22) SUU – Targhee Lambson 3-yard run, Jayden Rogers kick (Drive: 4 plays, 78 yards, 1:55; Abilene Christian 21–10) Fourth quarter (9:54) ACU – Sam Hicks 12-yard pass from Maverick McIvor, Ritse Vaes kick (Drive: 12 plays, 88 yards, 6:28; Abilene Christian 28–10) (5:56) SUU – Targhee Lambson 13-yard run, Jayden Rogers kick (Drive: 11 plays, 75 yards, 3:58; Abilene Christian 28–17) (4:03) SUU – Targhee Lambson 1-yard run, Jayden Rogers kick (Drive: 1 play, 1 yard, 0:04; Abilene Christian 28–25)

Statistics	SUU	ACU
First downs	17	26
Total yards	296	445
Rushing yards	220	139
Passing yards	76	306
Turnovers	1	1
Time of possession	25:02	34:58

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Southern Utah	Passing	Jackson Berry	12/19, 76 yards
	Rushing	Targhee Lambson	27 carries, 198 yards, 3 TD
	Receiving	Devin Downing	2 receptions, 21 yards
Abilene Christian	Passing	Maverick McIvor	22/31, 306 yards, 2 TD, INT
	Rushing	Isaiah Johnson	19 carries, 72 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	Blayne Taylor	5 receptions, 81 yards

at Austin Peay

See also: 2024 Austin Peay Governors football team

No. 15 Abilene Christian Wildcats at Austin Peay Governors – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 15 Wildcats	0	0	0	0	0
Governors	0	0	0	0	0

at Fortera Stadium, Clarksville, Tennessee

• Date: November 9
• Game time: 3:00 p.m. CST
• TV: ESPN+

Statistics	ACU	APSU
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Abilene Christian	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Austin Peay	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

at Tarleton State

See also: 2024 Tarleton State Texans football team

Abilene Christian Wildcats vs Tarleton State Texans – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Wildcats	0	0	0	0	0
Texans	0	0	0	0	0

at Memorial Stadium, Stephenville, Texas

• Date: November 19
• Game time: 6:00 p.m. CST
• TV announcers (ESPN+): TBD

Statistics	ACU	TAR
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Abilene Christian	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Tarleton State	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving

at Stephen F. Austin

See also: 2024 Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks football team

Abilene Christian Wildcats at Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Wildcats	0	0	0	0	0
Lumberjacks	0	0	0	0	0

at Homer Bryce Stadium, Nacogdoches, Texas

• Date: November 23
• Game time: 2:00 p.m. CST
• TV: ESPN+

Statistics	ACU	SFA
First downs
Total yards
Rushing yards
Passing yards
Turnovers
Time of possession

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Abilene Christian	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving
Stephen F. Austin	Passing
	Rushing
	Receiving