Self, Stephen F. Austin spoil Abilene Christian's bid for WAC football title

What is it about Abilene Christian and Stephen F. Austin football games?

They’re usually thrillers, and, well, just unique in their own way.

It seems like they’re never settled on a typical play. It has to be something different – and it was Saturday when a conference title was at stake.

Trae Self ran for a 12-yard touchdown on fourth-and-goal with 2:43 left in the game to lift SFA to a 24-21 victory over ACU to win the Western Athletic Conference title at Wildcat Stadium.

It was the Lumberjacks’ first lead of the game, and it was one more crazy chapter in the recent rivalry between the two teams.

“Every time we tee it up, it’s just a really good, special game with wild endings,” said SFA coach Colby Carthel, an Angelo State grad who began his coaching career as an assistant at ACU (2000-05). “Today was no different. Just a hard-fought game by two good teams. We made a few more plays in the fourth quarter to pull out.”

It was SFA’s fourth straight win in the series – all but one decided by three points. Five of the past six games have been decided by six or fewer points. Two in overtime.

Self’s TD and subsequent pass to Moe Wedman on the PAT, capped an 11-0 fourth quarter for SFA (6-5 overall, 3-1 conference), which won its first WAC title since joining the league with ACU last season.

Until the pivotal fourth quarter, it appeared ACU and first-year coach Keith Patterson were headed to their first conference title and possible playoff berth since making the move to Division I-FCS in 2013.

But Self and the Lumberjacks delivered an agonizing ending.

“I’m heartbroken for a group of young men who will never get the opportunity to play football again,” Patterson said about the 15 ACU seniors who played their final game. “I always hold a special place in my heart for seniors. I’ve been a senior. I know what the finality of playing your last football game is.”

The Wildcats (7-4, 3-1) hadn’t won a conference title or been to the playoffs since 2011 as a Division II team. The seven wins is the program's best in the DI era, and they needed a win to get eight for the first time since 2011.

Yet, Patterson said it wasn’t about him. It was about the players, who did all the work and a turned around a program that had struggled mightily at times in the DI era.

Just the idea that they would even get a chance to play for an FCS league title seemed hard to fathom most seasons in that span.

“I just told them, ‘You don’t have to hang your head. You can walk out of here a winner,’” Patterson said. “‘You’ve accomplished some things, and you’ve positioned ourselves to go out and recruit and not just sell hope anymore.’ … We’re going to play for championships. … We just did today, and we’re going to continue to do that.”'

'Cats on the prowl

The Wildcats put themselves in position to win the WAC title much of the day Saturday.

Kendall Catalon threw a 2-yard TD pass to Colt Cooper late in the first quarter for the game's first score, and he caught a 4-yard TD pass from San Angelo Central grad Maverick McIvor as the Wildcats snapped a 7-7 tie with 9:46 remaining in the third quarter.

Catalon's TD catch came after SFA nearly took the lead on their own scoring pass. Kesho Miles was closing in on a 34-yard TD catch from Self, but Tory Hargrove stripped the ball as he approached the goal line and the ball rolled out of the end zone for a touchback.

The Lumberjacks regrouped, and Self came back to throw a 3-yard TD pass to Xavier Gipson on their next possession. Anthony Egbo Jr. blocked the PAT, keeping the Wildcats in front 14-13 with 6:13 left in the third quarter.

McIvor’s second TD pass of the game, a 32-yarder to Cooper, gave ACU a 21-13 lead with 4:41 to play in the third quarter.

The Wildcats did all the little things that normally win games, too. They stopped SFA on a fake field goal attempt on fourth-and-3 from the ACU 20, blocked a PAT and then got Edgbo's blocked field goal.

ACU also got a turnover on downs after an incompletion on fourth-and-1 from the Wildcats’ 38 on SFA’s first possession of the game.

Self control

CChris Campos kicked a 41-yard field goal to pull the Lumberjacks within five (21-16) with 8:30 left in the game – just minutes after Blair Zepeda missed his second field goal – a 46-yarder. He missed a 42-yarder in the first half.

After holding ACU to a four-and-out, Self led a 12-play, 65-yard scoring drive for the game-winning TD. SFA converted two fourth downs on the drive – the first a 12-yard pass to Xavier Gipson on fourth-and-3 at the ACU 38.

SFA had a first-and-goal at the 9, but after a 1-yard gain on a run, an incompletion and a 4-yard loss on a fumbled snap it all came down to one play – one that will haunt the Wildcats for a long time.

Self, looking to throw, had to scramble and broke a tackle to find his way into the end zone.

“You can handle somebody making a spectacular catch,” said Patterson, a defensive coordinator much of his career before coming to ACU from Texas Tech. “But to let the quarterback just run the ball in from fourth-and-goal from the 12, you don’t see that very often.”

While it was a shocking end for Patterson and the Wildcats, it was a thing of beauty for Carthel.

“That’s why every play matters,” Carthel said. “We preach that. I thought it was a great play by Trae there to scramble and get into the end zone. There was still time left, but I’m glad he scored there.”

ACU couldn’t answer, and the Wildcats season ended with their first home loss in the Patterson era.

It was a magical moment for Carthel, who could remember standing on about the same spot when it was old Elmer Gray Stadium and he was an assistant conducting practice with the Wildcats while his team celebrated.

“Today was special,” Carthel said. “I had about 40 former ACU players that were here. They had a great turnout, and there were a bunch of those guys that I coached and recruited. So, it was really special to see them after the game.”

Self threw for 397 yards and two TDs, including a 20-yarder to Miles Reed, tying the game at 7 early in the second quarter. McIvor threw for 318 yards and two TDs for ACU. Neither quarterback threw an interception, and Self − who surpassed 10,000 yards passing for his SFA career in the game − came up with the game's lone rushing TD. The title comes on the heels of SFA getting an at-large playoff bid last year.

Despite the ending, it was quite a first year for Patterson.

“You can tell they (SFA) had been there before, and our young men obviously haven’t,” Patterson said. “But it’s been a good year. We were hoping to make it a great year, but we’re off to a really good start.”

Clark's farewell

It was the final game for Sweetwater grad Kobe Clark, who had seven catches for a career-high 168 yards.

He finished his career as the Wildcats’ all-time leader in receptions with 263 catches, overtaking Abilene High grad Jerale Badon (235 from 2004-07).

Clark also had 2,975 career receiving yards, overtaking Edmond Gates for third (2,885 from 2007-10). Badon (3,311), a now an assistant at ACU, is the all-time leader.

“Kobe’s done it all year long,” Patterson said. “He’s been so consistent. I don’t know if I’ve ever been more proud of a young man.”

NOTES − Despite winning the WAC title, SFA won't get an automatic bid to the playoffs. For the second straight year, the WAC had an alliance with the ASUN Conference since neither league has enough teams for an automatic bid. It will be ASUN champion Eastern Kentucky (7-4) that will advance, and it's unlikely either SFA or ACU will get an at-large bid.

WESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE

Stephen F. Austin 24, Abilene Christian 21

FIRST QUARTER

ACU − Colt Cooper 2 pass from Kendall Catalon (Blair Zepeda kick), 2:41

SECOND QUARTER

SFA − Miles Reed 20 pass from Trae Self (Chris Campos kick), 10:01

THIRD QUARTER

ACU − Catalon 4 pass from Maverick McIvor (Zepeda kick), 9:46

SFA − Xavier Gipson 3 pass from Self (kick blocked), 6:13

ACU− Cooper 32 pass from McIvor (Zepeda kick), 4:41

FOURTH QUARTER

SFA − Campos 46 FG, 8:30

SFA − Self 12 run (Campos kick), 2:43

TEAM STATISTICS

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING: SFA, Miles Reed 23-51, Jerrell Wimbley 7-17, Trae Self 3-10, Lawton Rikel 1-9, Max Quick 1-0, TEAM 1-(minus 4). ACU, Rovaughn Banks Jr.. 9-57, Tristan Golightly 1-0, Anthony Smith 4-(minus 2), Maverick McIvor 2-(minus 11).

PASSING: SFA, Self 26-37-0−397. ACU, McIvor 25-38-0−318, Peyton Mansell 0-1-0−0, Kendall Catalon 1-1-0−2.

RECEIVING: SFA, Xavier Gipson 11-213, Keshon Williams 2-40, Reed 2-29, Moe Wedman 2-24, Darryle Simmons 2-24, Carson Spence 2-22, Cameron Brady 2-16, Wimbley 1-15. ACU, Kobe Clark 7-168, Catalon 5-27, Golightly 4-44, Colt Cooper 3-43, Banks Jr. 3-6, Davion Johnson 2-18, Jed Castles 2-17, McIvor 0-(minus 3).

RECORDS: Stephen F. Austin 6-5, 3-1; Abilene Christian 7-4, 3-1.

This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Stephen F. Austin edges Abilene Christian for WAC football crown