No. 23 ACU Wildcats stumble against No. 13 SFA Lumberjacks in home opener
· Yahoo Sports
Despite a strong start, the Abilene Christian Wildcats football team suffered its third straight loss to start the 2026 college football season.
In a ranked-versus-ranked matchup in its home opener, No. 23 ACU took an early lead but struggled down the stretch in a 26-7 loss to No. 13 Stephen F. Austin on Saturday night at Wildcat Stadium in Abilene.
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The loss marks Abilene Christian’s second consecutive loss to SFA after the Lumberjacks beat ACU 41-34 in a second-round FCS Playoffs game in December 2025 in Nacogdoches.
The Wildcats jumped in front of the Jacks on a six-yard touchdown pass from sophomore quarterback John David Black to senior tight end Bryan Henry, giving ACU an early 7-0 edge with 14 seconds left in the first quarter.
Abilene Christian’s lead didn’t last long, though.
SFA responded with a quick 69-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Gavin Rutherford to senior wide receiver Bugs Mortimer to tie the game at 7-7 just 57 seconds after the Wildcats’ first score.
The Lumberjacks took the lead when they found the end zone again on their next drive early in the second quarter, as Rutherford connected with junior tight end Gerard Edimo for a 13-yard touchdown pass.
Stephen F. Austin rattled off 20 points during a dominant second quarter run and pitched a defensive shutout during the second half to end the game with 26 unanswered points.
Black threw for 267 yards, one touchdown and one interception on 21-of-38 passing for Abilene Christian, but the Wildcats struggled to move the ball on the ground.
ACU was limited to 33 rushing yards on 24 carries offensively.
Abilene Christian (0-3) will look to rebound with its first win of the season when the Wildcats return to action to face the Idaho Vandals (0-3) at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 19, at the Kibbie Dome in Moscow, Idaho.
This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: No. 23 ACU Wildcats stumble against No. 13 SFA Lumberjacks in home opener