Stephen F. Austin
(10) Abilene Christian
NOTES: #10/10 Lumberjacks, #13/14 Abilene Christian Tangle with FCS Quarterfinals Berth on the Line
12/5/2025 9:06:00 AM | Football
Playoff football returns to Homer Bryce Stadium for first time since 2010 as the 'Jacks host a non-opening round game inside HBS for the first time since 1989
28th meeting; SFA leads series 14-13
Nacogdoches, Texas (Jimmy W. Murphy Field at Homer Bryce Stadium)
FULL GAME NOTES ARE HERE
NACOGDOCHES, Texas - It's the biggest game of the year because its the next one and it's billed as the most significant game contested inside Homer Bryce Stadium in decades. UAC Champion and FCS No. 10 Abilene Christian, opening round winner against Lamar, heads east into the red dirt of the East Texas Pine Curtain, for a second meeting this season with SLC Champion and FCS No. 7 Stephen F. Austin. Three months following a Week 2 matchup in Abilene, the two foes meet for the 28th time all-time with a trip to the FCS Quarterfinals on the line. The December 6 second-round kickoff marks the latest home game on the calendar in program history and the first Christmas month home game since 2010. Kickoff is set for 1:02 p.m. Live coverage links are available at www.SFAjacks.com.
• LAST TIME OUT: SFA put two rushers and one receiver over 100 yards, the 'Jacks totaled 600+ total yards of offense behind a season high in rushing yards with 320; the most by SFA in a single game since 2016, and the 'Jacks forced seven first-half punts without allowing a first down. All of that resulted in a 62-14 beat down of Northwestern State to retain college football's heaviest trophy in the Battle of the Chief and placed an emphatic exclamation mark on an unbeaten Southland Conference regular season.
• THREE MONTHS LATER: SFA's win over the longtime rival Demons was the tenth-consecutive victory since a September 6 loss to Abilene Christian. That loss out west was the second-straight for SFA to start the season, but has since led to a program-best in-season win streak. For ACU, it was the first of eight regular season FCS wins and the first of four against ranked opponents. In that first matchup, a fast start, 130 yards on 18 plays and two touchdowns on first two possessions, and a late surge, a 52-yard punt return touchdown in the game's final minute, were not enough for #23/25 Stephen F. Austin as ACU gained the momentum following a pair of strip sack fumbles in a span of 90 seconds, both deep in SFA territory. The first was recovered in the endzone for the Wildcats' first score and the second tied the game at 14.
• NATIONAL NOTORIETY: Several Lumberjack coaches and players have received national recognition as the FCS transitions from the regular season to the postseason. Below are those honored since the 'Jacks concluded the regular season:
FCS Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Finalist: Colby Carthel
SLC Coach of the Year: Colby Carthel
Football Scoop FCS Coordinator of the Year Finalist: Mike Mutz
@SpecialTeamsPOY Top Five FCS Special Teams Coordinator: Nik Nelson
FCS Buck Buchanan Defensive Player of the Year Finalist: Jaydon Southard
SLC Offensive Player of the Year: Sam Vidlak
SLC Offensive Lineman of the Year: Erik Gray
All-SLC Offensive First: Sam Vidlak, Erik Gray, Jerrell Wimbley, Kylon Harris, Chimdia Nwaiwu, Tug Sanford
All-SLC Defensive First :Ky Thomas, Aaron Austin, Jaydon Southard, Charles Demmings, Jalen Mayo, Bugs Mortimer
All-SLC Offensive Second: Carlos Alvarado
All-SLC Defensive Second: Eli Fields, Aaron Sears, Richard Reese
• A HISTORIC CAMPAIGN: The 2025 season already stacks up as one of the most successful in program history:
*SFA captured the program's fifth SLC title and first since 2010
*The 'Jacks concluded the regular season on a 10-game win streak, the longest single-season streak in program history and tied for the longest overall
*It's the program's fifth season of 10+ wins and first since 2009
*SFA produced the program's first eight-win conference season and first perfect finish in league play
*The 'Jacks registered an unbeaten regular season inside Homer Bryce Stadium for the ninth time overall and third under Carthel
*SFA earned the league's automatic berth to the FCS Playoffs; the program's ninth FCS postseason apperance and first since 2021
* The 'Jacks will host a non-opening round home game inside Homer Bryce Stadium for the first time since 1989
• ENTERING THE PLAYOFFS: Following the conclusion of the regular season, the 'Jacks held top 10 team statistical marks nationally in team tackles for loss (1st), punt return average (1st), total defense (2nd), third-down defense (2nd), first downs defense (3rd), rushing defense (3rd), scoring defense (3rd), red zone defense (4th), team sacks (7th), net punting (7th) and punt return defense (8th).
• DEFENSIVE DETAILING: @PFSNcollege Chief Analytics Officer Cam Mellor took a deep dive on SFA's defensive ranks this season. The following gives an inside look at one of the nation's top defensive units.
Defensive Impact Grade: 94.0 (1st nationally)
Points allowed per drive: 1.21 (3rd)
Yards per play allowed: 4.1 (1st)
Def. Rush Success Rate: 72.2% (1st)
Def. Pass Success Rate: 61.3% (14th)
Pressure Rate W/out Blitz: 37.9% (2nd)
Opp. 3rd/4th conv. rate: 33.0% (5th)
3rd Down Avoidance Rate: 23.7% (5th)
• GIVE US DEACON DEMMINGS: Highly sought after senior cornerback Charles Demmings' professional opportunities continued on Tuesday as the Mesquite, Texas native, surround by his teammates and coaches, received an invite to the Panini Senior Bowl. That honor for one of the most respected and vocal leaders of the Lumberjacks is added to a East-West Shrine Bowl invite that he received in November as well as an invite to the FCS combine in Nashville on January 4-5 that he was awarded late last week.
• DON'T MIND A LENGTHY DRIVE: Two of SFA's first-half scoring drives against Lamar went for 10+ plays marking the 15th and 16th scoring series of double digit plays this season, while the 17th such drive of the campaign came midway through the fourth quarter as Alvarado hit his third FG of the contest. SFA's most recent scoring drive, its final touchdown of the regular season, went for 75 yards on 15 plays. This season, the 'Jacks have totaled 12 drives that have lasted 4:30 or more minutes including three drives of 7+ minutes. In terms of yardage, the 'Jacks have 13 scoring drives of 75+ yards including a nation's best three drives of 95+ yards.
• EYEING 11: A win over ACU would give the 'Jacks a program record 11th straight win, the first 11-win campaign since 1995 and just the third season with 11 victories; one off matching the program record 12 in 1989.
• CARTHEL CLAIMS NO. 100: SFA's victory over HCU earned head coach Colby Carthel career win #100. Carthel, who led Texas A&M-Commerce, now East Texas A&M and then a Division II member, to the 2017 NCAA DII National Championship, won 59 games with the Lions. His 43 victories while leading SFA are the third-most in program history.
• STREAKIN': During the ten-game win streak, the 'Jacks are averaging 421.2 yards of offense, scoring over 40.7 points per game and converting 49% of its third downs. SFA is +9 in turnovers during the stretch, +77 in points off turnovers and is holding its opposition to a 25% success rate on third downs. Opponents are averaging 232.5 total yards per game, managing just 2.0 yards per carry and have surrendered 35 sacks to the 'Jacks.
• FINALIST FOR DORIS ROBINSON SCHOLAR-ATHLETE: Graduate defensive lineman Ky Thomas is one of 13 finalist for the Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete Award given annually to FCS Football's who exemplify excellence on the field, in the classroom and across the community.
• CLOSING IN:
*Vidlak tossed three touchdowns against Northwestern State to move a scoring strike shy of seventh place on the all-time passing TD list; he's two touchdown passes from reaching 50 for his collegiate career
* Vidlak crossed over 5,000 passing yards for his collegiate career against the Demons and enters the playoffs with 5,137 career passing yards
*Kylon Harris is 48 receiving yards from sixth place all-time as a Lumberjack
*Harris is one receiving TD from fourth on the program's all-time TD catches list
*Harris is the fourth 'Jack with 200 career receptions and is eight catches shy of second place all-time
*Jerrell Wimbley is five yards from sixth on the all-time rushing list and he is one of just ten players in program history with 3,000+ all-purpose yards
*Wimbley is two rushing TDs shy of sixth all-time
*Charles Demmings is tied for first all-time in passes defended with 34
• BIG PLAY 'JACKS: SFA has produced 49 offensive plays of 20+ yards this season with 17 accounting for 40 or more yards. The longest play from scrimmage through ten games is a Sam Vidlak to Kylon Harris 76-yard touchdown against McNeese. The 'Jacks have accounted for six plays of 54+ yards this season.
• POINTS, POINTS, POINTS: SFA boasts a top 15 scoring offense nationally averaging 35.6 points per game which rates second in the SLC. The 'Jacks crossed over 30 points in the first eight games during the win streak marking the longest stretch of 30+ point games in program history.
• TOUGH TO GET TRACTION: Opponents have had issue running the football against SFA as the 'Jacks are allowing just 77.5 yards per game on the ground at just 2.4 yards per carry. SFA ranks second nationally and leads the SLC in rushing defense.
• BACKFIELD BANDITS: The 'Jacks lead the country in tackles for loss at 9.0. SFA has recorded 108.0 total tackles for loss with twenty-nine 'Jacks having at least 1.0 tackle for loss with 22 responsible for 2.0 or more and 15 having registered 3.0 plus. Ky Thomas leads with 11.5 for 47 lost yards. Additionally, SFA ranks seventh in FCS in sacks per game at 3.17.
• GETTING DEFENSIVE: SFA carries the nation's second-best total defense (253.3) into the regular season finale. The 'Jacks rank second in third down conversion defense at 29.8%. SFA's 183 first downs allowed are the second-fewest surrendered nationally and an SLC-best mark. The 'Jacks rank third in scoring defense allowing just 15.3 ppg which paces the Southland. SFA's 20 turnovers gained are a top 25 total in FCS.
• ADD MAYO: First-year 'Jack Jalen Mayo has proven to be a key addition to the SFA secondary this season. The Virginia Union transfer led the Southland Conference in passes defended with 1.0 per game. That total ranks inside the top 25 in FCS. He broke up a pass in four-straight games including two each in wins over UIW and Nicholls and has four interceptions on the season with one in three-straight weeks in wins over UTRGV, HCU and Lamar.
• GET OUT OF GAVIN'S WAY: Redshirt sophomore quarterback Gavin Rutherford has plunged his way into the endzone five times over the past six games establishing himself as a short-yardage threat. He has rushed 33 times this season for 171 yards with the aforementioned scores as well as a handful of fourth-down conversions. He tossed three touchdowns against HCU in his fourth career start and added four rushes for 55 yards. In the win over Lamar, Rutherford completed 17 passes for 140 yards and added 75 rushing yards on 13 attempts.
• CAN'T CONTAIN KYLON: Senior wide receiver Kylon Harris hauled in a single-game program record 16 receptions for 183 yards and two touchdowns in the win at ETAM. Harris topped Duane Brooks' previous single-game program record of 15 receptions set in games against Eastern Washington and Northwestern State in 2009. His 16 grabs are tied for the third-most in a single-game in Southland Conference history.
• LIGHTNING BUGS: Opposing special teams coordinators are going looney in an effort to figure out ways to slow down electric Lumberjack return man Bugs Mortimer. This season Mortimer has set a new program and conference record for punt return yards in a single season. He leads the country with four punt return touchdowns, after his 79-yard score-opening return in the win over Northwestern State and in punt return average at 21.5. In between lightning delays against Nicholls, Mortimer dazzled with an impressive tight-roping act along the SFA sideline before reversing field on a 66-yard race to paydirt. His 159 punt return yards set a new single-game program record besting former 'Jack and NFLer Floyd Dixon's 126 vs. Abilene Christian in 1985. He is the first 'Jack since at least 2002 to have four punt return touchdowns in the same season. Twice this season, Mortimer has garnered SLC ST Player of the Week honors.
• HAND HAS A LEG: Jacob Hand nailed a 54-yard field goal, in his first career attempt, to open scoring against Nicholls. At the time, it was tied for the second-longest FG in program history and marked the longest make by a Lumberjack since Storm Ruiz's 54-yarder against Northwestern State in 2019. However, Hand bettered his career long with a 56-yard make in the win over Lamar in his second-ever FGA. It's the second-longest FG in program history and the longest since Chuck Rawlison's 58-yard make against Sam Houston in 1991. He is the third 'Jack placekicker with multiple makes of 54+ in a career and the first with multiple such makes in a single season. Hand handles SFA's kickoff duties and is averaging 62.7 yards per kick with 43 touchbacks.
• 'BACKER BALLER: Senior linebacker Jaydon Southard is in the midst of a career year and has five games of double-digit tackles after recording 13 against Nicholls which resulted in weekly SLC honorable mention honors. His 16-tackle effort at UIW led to him being named the Stats Perform FCS National Defensive Player of the Week in addition to receiving SLC defensive honors as well. His 10.0 tackles per game leads the SLC and rates eighth nationally. He produced back-to-back double-digit tackle efforts for the first time as a Lumberjack after a career-high 16 vs. Abilene Christian, which followed 11 in the season opener against Houston. He reached the century mark as a Lumberjack in the win over Cal Poly and enters Week 13 with 106 stops on the season in ten games played becoming the first SFA defender to cross over the century mark in tackles since 2019. He has crossed over 11+ tackles in a game five times in 2025 and Southard is the first Lumberjack with multiple games of 16+ stops since Devin Ducote in 2010.
