The No. 23 Abilene Christian Wildcats are reeling after suffering their third straight loss to kick off the 2026 college football season, dropping their home opener 26-7 to No. 13 Stephen F. Austin on Saturday night at Wildcat Stadium. For a ranked team, starting the season winless through three games is a tough pill to swallow, especially when you’re playing at home.
Early Promise Fades Fast
Talk about a gut punch. ACU managed to jump out to an early lead against their ranked opponent, giving fans a flicker of hope in Abilene. But those good vibes didn’t last. The Wildcats struggled hard down the stretch, letting SFA take control and ultimately walking away with a dominant 26-7 victory. Itty Henry, ACU’s tight end, punched in the team’s only touchdown, but it clearly wasn’t enough to keep pace with the Lumberjacks. We saw ACU defensive lineman Julius Laine doing work, bringing down SFA wide receiver Bugs Mortimer. And shoutout to ACU defensive back Deangelo Ponder for deflecting a pass, trying to keep them in it. But the scoreboard doesn’t lie.
A Vicious Losing Streak is Mounting
This wasn’t just another loss; it’s a pattern. This marks ACU’s third straight defeat to open their 2026 campaign, and worse, it’s their second consecutive loss to Stephen F. Austin. Remember December 2025? SFA absolutely ripped ACU 41-34 in a second-round FCS Playoffs game in Nacogdoches. It feels like SFA just has their number right now, and that’s a problem that needs fixing ASAP. We saw ACU quarterback John David Black getting sacked by SFA linebacker Gary Seidenberger, and running back Deonte Dean, who managed to gain some yards and even break free momentarily, had a crucial pass stripped in the end zone by SFA defensive back Jamel Acosta-Lewis. That’s just brutal. You can feel the frustration when Ray Baltrip juggles a completed pass but still runs yards before getting tackled, or Romelo Boykin gets swarmed by three SFA defenders.
The Wildcats are staring down an 0-3 record for a reason. With SFA quarterback Gavin Rutherford running for a touchdown, cheered on by Stetson Sarratt, it just felt like the Lumberjacks were firing on all cylinders while ACU was scrambling. What’s at stake? Everything. This season is on the brink after just three games. They need to turn this around, and fast.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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