Fourth-quarter surge lifts Abilene Christian past Prairie View A&M for 2-0 start

It was the kind of game the Abilene Christian football team would have lost the past few years.

The Wildcats turned the ball over three times − all on interceptions - in the first half.

Yet, they still found a way to win.

Maverick McIvor threw an 8-yard TD pass to Noah Caldwell and ran 2 yards for another – both in the fourth quarter – to lead ACU to a 21-13 come-from-behind victory over Prairie View A&M in a non-conference football game Saturday at Wildcat Stadium.

Prairie View (1-1) never trailed in until Caldwell’s TD catch – the first of the Electra sophomore’s college career and his second catch of the game and his career.

“Thank goodness they don’t give style points for wins in football,” first-year ACU coach Keith Patterson said. “But I’m very proud of our staff. I’m very proud of our players. … Very few times in football can you overcome three turnovers on offense. Very few. Typically, that doesn’t end well when you do that. Again, in a different way than Week 1, I’m very proud of your young men. They just kept playing the next play, playing the next play. It’s a process in learning how to win.”

It didn't start well for ACU.

Trazon Connley threw a 26-yard TD pass to Jailon Howard to cap a nine-play, 75-yard drive on the game’s opening possession.

ACU tied the game as McIvor threw a 15-yard TD pass to Jed Castles with 2:09 remaining in the first quarter. Both are Texas Tech transfers, and it was Castles first collegiate TD catch.

But Luis Reyes kicked field goals of 46 and 47 yards in the second quarter – the last as time expired in the half for a 13-7 Panthers lead.

ACU converted three third downs on its go-ahead scoring drive in the fourth quarter. McIvor threw a 19-yard pass to Zarak Scruggs needing seven yards from the ACU 48, and a 16-yard pass to Blayne Taylor on third-and-9 from the Panthers 32.

Three plays later, McIvor tossed the TD pass to Caldwell on third down.

After holding the Panthers to a three-and-out, ACU got great field condition after a 35-yard punt set them up at the Panthers 48.

Ten plays later, McIvor scored from 5 yards out on third down. It was the first collegiate rushing TD for the San Angelo Central grad, who threw his first college TD pass a week earlier in his first start.

Earlier in the drive, McIvor threw a 6-yard pass to Cooper Rush on fourth-and-5 from the Prairie View 43 to keep the drive alive.

The third-down plays were crucial, and it's something ACU has shown a knack for early on this season. The Wildcats converted 9 of 18 third downs in the 28-14 season-opening win over Lamar.

“I give our kids all the credit," Patterson said. "Man, they stayed poised. There was just no panic whatsoever on the sideline. The end result, our guys just kept playing the next play. That type mentality, and all of sudden you convert big third downs, put drives together, move the chains and then you score. That’s what we’ve got to continue to do.”

ACU's defense got a key stop when Prairie View opted to go for it on fourth-and-4 at the Wildcats 21-yard line leading 13-7. A field goal would have made it a two-score game, but Connley's pass fell incomplete.

ACU's Anthony Egbo Jr. blocked a 47-yard field goal attempt to keep it a 7-0 game in the first quarter, and Abner Dubar picked off a Panther pass two plays after Gerald Smith intercepted McIvor.

ACU then drove for its first TD, tying the game at 7 in the first quarter.

Patterson wasn't happy with his team's defense early, especially giving up some big plays. Yet for the second straight week, the Wildcats pitched a shutout in the second half.

“Man, I like the way that when stuff has happened the last two weeks, we’ve gone down in both games and our defense just keeps getting better and keeps getting better as the game goes,” Patterson said.

Breaking it down

∎ Turning point: The game turned as ACU's offense finally got going in the fourth quarter, while the defense pitched a shutout in the second half. The defense's play allowed the Wildcats to win the game, despite throwing three interceptions in the first half. Only the last, a pick by Warren Shankle, which Prairie View up at midfield, led to Panther score − Reyes' field goal to end the half.

∎ Players of the game: Tyrin Bradley, defensive lineman, ACU − The sophomore from Lubbock Monterey had 10 tackles, including two for loss, and one quarterback hurry to lead a defense that held Prairie View to a TD and shut the Panthers out in the second half.

∎ Key stat: ACU was 5-for-5 on third down on its first two drives in the fourth quarter − all leading to TDs.

∎ Impact: ACU is off to its first 2-0 start since beginning the 2013 season 3-0. That was the Wildcats' first season as a FCS team, and they played an independent schedule that included a 65-45 win at Prairie View in the season finale. ACU began the season with wins over Concordia (Alabama) College (84-6), McMurry (60-17) and New Mexico Highlands (52-28).

∎ Up next: ACU plays Division I-FBS Missouri at 11 a.m. Saturday in Columbia, Missouri. The Tigers (1-1) lost to Kansas State 40-12 on Saturday in Manhattan, Kansas.

NON-CONFERENCE

Abilene Christian 21, Prairie View A&M 13

FIRST QUARTER

PV− Jailon Howard 26 pass from Trazon Connley (Luis Reyes kick), 12:18

ACU− Jed Castles 15 pass from Maverick McIvor (Blair Zepeda kick), 2:09

SECOND QUARTER

PV − Reyes 46 FG, 11:17

PV − Reyes 47 FG,00:00

FOURTH QUARTER

ACU − Noah Caldwell 8 pass from McIvor (Zepeda kick), 11:27

ACU − McIvor 2 run (Zepeda kick), 5:05

TEAM STATISTICS

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING: Prairie View, Bernard Goodwater 8-39, Trazon Connley 14-37, Ahmad Antoine 10-25, Connor Wisham 2-6, DeJuan Lewis 1-(minus 1), Team 1-(minus 13). ACU, Jermiah Dobbins 15-61, Rovaughn Banks Jr. 7-16, Maverick McIvor 6-13, Davion Johnson 1-13, Malachi Medlock 1-7.

PASSING: Prairie View, Connley 20-37-1−240. ACU, McIvor 20-34-3−255.

RECEIVING: Prairie View, Xavier Johnson 5-61, Jailon Howard 4-75, Ty Holden 4-44, Goodwater 2-27, Antoine 2-11, Wisham 1-9, Donovan White 1-8, Kristopher Simmons 1-5. ACU, Kendall Catalon 4-43, Noah Caldwell 4-21, Tristan Golightly 3-63, Kobe Clark 2-35, Jed Castles 2-16, Colt Cooper 2-16, Zarak Scruggs 1-19, Blayne Taylor 1-16, Medlock 1-(minus 4).

RECORDS: Prairie View A&M 1-1, Abilene Christian 2-0.

This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Abilene Christian rallies to beat Prairie View A&M in football