#9/13 Jacks Unencumbered in Top 25 Road Win at Abilene Christian

Saturday, September 12

Abilene, TX

7:00 PM

Stephen F. Austin

3-0 , 2-0

Abilene Christian

0-3 , 0-0

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Final F
SFA	0	20	0	6	26
Abilene Christian	7	0	0	0	7

Gary Seidenberger sack vs. ACU (9-12-26)

Photo by: Alex Nabor

#9/13 Jacks Unencumbered in Top 25 Road Win at Abilene Christian

9/13/2026 12:48:00 AM | Football

Box Score

SFA overcomes sluggish first quarter to run past Wildcats for first 3-0 start against all DI opponents in 40 years

By: Jacob Pumphrey, Assistant AD for Communications

ABILENE, Texas – In a highly-anticipated top 25 matchup in the Big Country, #9/13 Stephen F. Austin shook off a slow first quarter start by scoring 26 unanswered points to knock down #23/25 Abilene Christian 26-7 in front of more than 7,700 fans witnessing the first-ever black out of Wildcat Stadium on Saturday night. SFA remains unbeaten, while ACU falls to 0-3.

SFA totaled 459 yards of offense, including 216 on the ground at 6.2 per carry, behind a balanced attack with 35 of the team's 66 total plays serving the dominant rushing effort. In the defensive trenches, the Jacks were just as busy holding the Wildcats to just 1.4 yards per rush and 33 total yards on the ground. SFA manufactured ten tackles for loss and forced multiple turnovers for the third-straight game.

The Wildcats moved the football down inside the SFA40 in all three of their third quarter drives, getting as close as the SFA24, but the Pine Curtain held firm, not allowing a point. SFA forced a punt on ACU's first possession post-break, senior Gary Seidenberger jumped a crossing route to pick off a pass to end the ACU threat on drive two and then the first-year Jack sacked ACU's John David Black on 3^rd and 6 for an 11-yard loss to push the Wildcats out of field goal range.

In between ACU's unfruitful second and third drives of the third quarter, Stetson Sarratt turned in a 54-yard catch and run down the SFA sideline that pushed the Jacks into the redzone. SFA would be unable to come up with points on that drive, but its final touch of the quarter saw Jaylen Jenkins gash the ACU defense for 25 yards to the ACU34 and three plays later, Gavin Rutherford ran untouched from 26 yards out for the final scoring touches. The final jolt for the Jacks happened on the Wildcats' first possession of the fourth quarter as SFA forced a missed field goal from 40 yards out to keep the host's point total at single digits.

The Jacks took a lead they would not surrender on their second offensive series of the second quarter. SFA forced a three-and-out, received a friendly bounce on the punt and had 15 more tacked on after an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty to set the drive start at the ACU32. On 3^rd and 9, Rutherford, with ample time, found a streaking Gerard Edimo crossing the back of the endzone and the latter hung on through contact to give the Jacks the advantage.

The Jacks forced another three and out as Makai Frisby knocked down a second down pass and Jaydon Eason applied pressure on a third down incompletion. That led to Cameron Kelley employing a second effort on a third down screen pass to reset the chains and Alvarado knocking in a 26-yard attempt from the near hash, his fifth make of the season, to put the Jacks up 17-7.

On the ensuing ACU drive, the Wildcats used a kick out of bounds and drive start at the 35 to work the football down to the SFA32, but on 3^rd and 11 from the SFA33, Jaiydyn Johnson blitzed off the deep edge to sack Black and force a 4^th and 18 pushing ACU out of field goal range.

SFA used the next 81 seconds and a drive start from their own 14, to get on the outskirts of field goal range and Alvarado nailed a career-long 51 yarder with 26 seconds remaining before the intermission to grab a 20-7 lead. The Jacks' final drive of the half was jumpstarted by a 20-yard rush from Jenkins and a 26-yard catch by Edimo to help set up Alvarado's second attempt of the game.

In the opening quarter, the Wildcats erased a holding call on second and short by turning a big pass play, a 31-yard pitch and catch from Black to Boykin, to move into SFA territory for the first time. Moments later, ACU converted a fourth and two as Black found Boykin again for 12 yards down to the SFA26. The pair connected for the third time on the drive on the very next play to put the Wildcats down inside the visiting 15. Two plays later, the Wildcats found the endzone with 16 seconds remaining in the opening 15 minutes as Black hit Henry in the flat from six yards out for the game's first score.

Highly responsive effort by the Lumberjacks followed the host's first score as Rutherford threaded the needle on a third down attempt to Bugs Mortimer who hauled in the pass in traffic and raced 69 yards to paydirt, the longest play from scrimmage this season by Jared May's offense, to knot the game at a score apiece. That connection, just two plays into the second quarter, nearly matched SFA's first quarter offense.

Each defense forced a punt to start Saturday's action. The Jacks endured a sluggish start in the first quarter. Rutherford found Edimo for the first time along the ACU sideline, but back-to-back penalties pushed the Jacks behind the chains leading to an eventual turnover on downs. The Jacks had another opportunity two plays later after Johnson provided thunderous contact on a ball carrier leading to a recovered fumble by Eli Ennis. The Jacks were forced to punt; however, McDougal produced a second punt inside the 20 with this one fair caught at the ACU9.

POSTGAME NOTES

McDougal was a weapon in his own right on Saturday night averaging 47.8 yards per punt with two downed inside the 20 and a long of 75, tied for the fourth longest in program history, to flip the field when the Jacks were backed up at their own four-yard line in the early portion of the third quarter
The Jacks have forced multiple turnovers in all three games this season with the last such instance coming in 2021
SFA managed just 65 yards in the first quarter and converted just one of four third-down attempts, but turned that effort around in the next 15 minutes as the Jacks converted four of six third-down attempts and totaled 227 yards and 20 points in the second quarter alone
Malachi Williams led SFA with seven tackles including four solo stops, while all five of Frisby's tackles were unassisted
Johnson, Seidenberger and Eason all recorded sacks, while ten different players chipped in for the 10.0 tackles for loss led by K'Mard Kimble's pair
Davonta Morgan-Collins broke up a pair of passes
Nine receivers caught a pass led by Mortimer's game-highs with six catches and 89 yards receiving
Edimo registered career highs in receptions, yards and touchdowns after posting 3-54-1
Jenkins rattled off 87 rushing yards at 6.7 per tote, while Preston Alford added 73 at 5.6 per carry
Jenkins eclipsed 1,300 career rushing yards in the win, while Mortimer went over 900 all-purpose yards as a Lumberjack
Rutherford totaled 39 rushing yards with a score, the 12^th of his career on the ground, and tossed for two more scores as he totaled 243 yards through the air
Rutherford went over 2,000 yards passing for his career and is three total touchdowns shy of 30 as a Lumberjack

ABOUT THE WIN

The victory pushes SFA's regular season winning streak to 13 games
SFA snaps ACU's ten-game home winning streak which was the third-longest active streak in the FCS
Saturday's win marks the third-straight season with a top 25 road win after beating #20 Incarnate Word 31-17 on October 4 last fall and claiming a 27-20 win over #22 Lamar on October 12, 2024
SFA is off to the program's first 3-0 start to a season since the 2004 campaign and the first 3-0 start against DI opposition since 1986, the Jacks' first season as a Division I-AA (now FCS) program
The Jacks' win over the Wildcats is the second straight, the program's fifth on the road and the 16^thin the all-time series
SFA moves to 8-2 against ACU since Carthel's first season in 2019
Saturday night is Carthel's 20^th career road win against Texas programs and his 57^th overall against Lone Star State teams
The victory is the 47^th for Carthel at SFA and the 106^th in his career
Carthel moves two wins shy of setting new program records in overall wins and SLC wins
It is the 234^th win for the Lumberjacks as a Division I program

UP NEXT
The Lumberjacks' non-conference tour continues next week in Prairie View as SFA meets the defending SWAC Champions for the first time ever away from Nacogdoches. It's the eighth meeting all-time between the two Lone Star State foes with SFA holding a 5-1-1 advantage in the series, while the Panthers won the most recent matchup: a 56-48 shootout in the Piney Woods in the closest contested meeting in the series not including the 1987 tie. The Jacks meet an opponent from the SWAC for the 21^sttime (16-3-1) in program history. Kickoff from Panther Stadium at Blackshear Field is scheduled for 7 p.m. Live coverage links are available at www.SFAjacks.com.

TICKETS ON SALE NOW
There's never been a better time to lock in your seat at Homer Bryce Stadium! Don't miss a single snap as SFA looks to defend its Southland Conference title. Visit www.SFATickets.com to secure your tickets today and be part of the action all season long.

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