Abilene Christian feasts on early Sam Houston miscues in tasty victory over Bearkats

HUNTSVILLE – Abilene Christian cashed three Sam Houston turnovers into 21 points and a blocked punt into another seven, all in the first half, en route to a 45-28 victory over the Bearkats in a non-conference victory Saturday at Bowers Stadium.

ACU won its second straight game and improved to 7-3 – its most wins as a Division I-FCS program since making the move from Division II in 2013.

The Wildcats, who lead the Western Athletic Conference with a 3-0 record, can win their first conference title as an FCS program with a victory over Stephen F. Austin in the regular-season finale at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Wildcat Stadium.

A victory likely gives ACU the WAC/ASUN alliance’s automatic bid to the NCAA playoffs.

The Wildcats haven’t made the playoffs since playing as a DII team in the Lone Star Conference in 2011.

ACU took out the 2020 FCS national champion Saturday, too, as Ethan Long completed 30 of 48 passes for 262 yards and four TDs. Long got the start in place of the injured Maverick McIvor.

The Bearkats (5-3), who are in their first year of transitioning to the FBS as they join Conference USA next season after a year in the WAC, made too many mistakes early.

They fumbled the ball away on the first play of scrimmage Two plays later, Long threw a 9-yard TD pass to record-setting Sweetwater grad Kobe Clark.

The Wildcats then forced a three-and-out on the Beakats’ next possession – and Shelby Washington blocked the punt – setting ACU up at the Sam Houston 16-yard line for the second straight possession.

Again, Long threw a TD pass on the second play, this time an 8-yarder to Tristan Golighty. Just like that the Wildcats had a 14-0 lead on four plays on offense.

The next time ACU got the ball, the Wildcats drove 50 yards on 11 plays. Long threw his third TD pass, an 11-yarder to Golightly for a 21-0 advantage with 5:54 to play in the opening quarter.

Sam Houston answered with Keegan Shoemaker connecting with Shane Johnson for a 13-yard TD pass a little more than a minute later.

The Bearkats pulled within a TD on Shoemaker’s 42-yard TD run with 7:48 left in the second quarter.

ACU got a little breathing room on Blair Zepeda’s 35-yard field goal on its next possession, and the Wildcats padded their lead with a TD after recovering the ball at the SHSU 27-yard line on the ensuing kickoff. Anthony Smith ran 17 yards for the score with 2:25 remaining in the half.

Patrick Jolly picked off a Shoemaker pass two plays into the Bearkats next drive, and ACU again capitalized with Long throwing a 2-yard TD pass to Rovaughn Banks Jr. with 23 seconds to play in the half.

The score sent the Wildcats into halftime leading 38-14.

Sam Houston would whittle the lead to 10 as Shoemaker ran 4 yards for a TD and threw a pass to Dalton Meyer on the two-point conversion late in the third quarter and then throw a 17-yard TD pass to Al’vonte Woodard with 7:10 left in the game.

But the Bearkats turned the ball over on downs at its 10-yard line, and ACU needed three plays to get a 7-yard TD run by Banks.

Elijah Moffett picked off a Shoemaker pass on the Bearkats’ final possession as ACU beat Sam Houston for the first time in 2018 – that one also in Huntsville.

Now, ACU turns its attention to the winner-take-all game with SFA for the WAC title. The Lumberjacks (5-5, 2-1) dropped their second straight game, losing to Central Arkansas 34-7 on Saturday in Nacogdoches. Utah Tech dealt SFA its lone WAC loss, a 47-44 decision, on Oct. 29 in Nacogdoches.

SFA, 8-4 overall and 6-2 in the WAC last year, got an at-large playoff bid last season – losing to No. 13 Incarnate Word 35-28 in overtime in the first round.

NON-CONFERENCE

ACU 45, Sam Houston State 28

FIRST QUARTER

ACU − Kobe Clark 9 pass from Ethan Long (Blair Zepeda kick), 14:16

ACU − Tristian Golightly 8 pass from Long (Zepeda kick), 12:13

ACU − Golightly 11 pass from Long (Zepeda kick), 4:17

SAM − Shane Johnson 13 pass from Keegan Shoemaker (Seth Morgan kick), 4:17

SECOND QUARTER

SAM − Shoemaker 42 run (Morgan kick), 7:48

ACU − Zepeda 35 FG, 3:11

ACU − Anthony Smith 17 run (Zepeda kick), 2:25

ACU − Rovaughn Banks Jr. 2 pass from Long (Zepeda kick), 00:23

THIRD QUARTER

SAM − Shoemaker 4 run (Dalton Meyer pass from Shoemaker), 1:47

FOURTH QUARTER

SAM − Al'vonte Woodard 17 pass from Shoemaker (pass failed), 7:10

ACU − Banks Jr. 7 run (Zepeda kick), 2:02

TEAM STATISTICS

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING: ACU, Anthony Smith 11-59, Rovaughn Banks Jr. 14-56, Ethan Long 3-19, Kendall Catalon 3-3, Jermiah Dobbins 5-3, Team 2-(minus 4). Sam Houston, Keegan Shoemaker 8-29, Zach Hrbacek 10-23, Dezmon Jackson 1-2, Team 1-(minus 11).

PASSING: ACU, Ethan Long 30-48-1−262. Sam Houston, Keegan Shoemaker 23-46-2−319.

RECEIVING: ACU, Kendall Catalon 4-78, Kobe Clark 6-54, Colt Cooper 5-46, Tristan Golightly 4-36, Jermiah Dobbins 3-23, Rovaughn Banks Jr. 3-11, Blayne Taylor 1-6, Davion Johnson 3-4, Anthony Smith 1-4. Sam Houston, Cody Chrest 5-117, KeSean Raven 5-86, Al'vonte Woodard 6-59, Dalton Meyer 2-30, Shane Johnson 2-19, Elijah Sohn 1-6, Zach Hrbacek 2-2.

RECORDS: Abilene Christian 7-3; Sam Houston State 5-3.

This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Abilene Christian cruises past Sam Houston in football