ACU Football
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BEAUMONT, Texas — The No. 14 Abilene Christian Wildcats opened the 2026 season with a hard-fought battle against No. 20 Lamar, but a late fourth-quarter rally came up just short as the Cardinals held on for a 21-14 victory Saturday night at Provost Umphrey Stadium.
Final
Your Wildcats will go to Lubbock next Saturday to face Texas Tech at 6 p.m.#CDT | #GoWildcats pic.twitter.com/4tRfQQ6NEK
— ACU Football (@ACUFootball) August 30, 2026
The matchup featured two nationally ranked FCS programs and served as an early test for an ACU team entering the season with expectations of making another deep postseason run. Instead, the Wildcats leave Beaumont 0-1 after Lamar’s defense made the game’s biggest play when it mattered most.
Lamar strikes first
End of the 1️⃣st Quarter#CDT | #GoWildcats pic.twitter.com/PGKY9aop3Y
— ACU Football (@ACUFootball) August 29, 2026
Lamar wasted little time establishing control.
Quarterback Aiden McCown guided the Cardinals on a 72-yard opening touchdown drive, finding tight end Davin Driskell for a five-yard touchdown with 7:36 remaining in the first quarter.
Big man business 😤💼#CDT | #GoWildcats pic.twitter.com/IPUN4NzE5U
— ACU Football (@ACUFootball) August 30, 2026
ACU struggled to generate consistent offensive momentum early, with Tucker Parks starting at quarterback and leading the Wildcats through their first four possessions. After a 48-yard drive stalled just inside Lamar territory, the Cardinals’ defense came up with back-to-back interceptions. (Abilene Christian Athletics
The Wildcats eventually found their footing when John David Black entered the game in the second quarter.
Your Touchdown Drive Summary presented by @HannerChevrolet #CDT | #GoWildcats pic.twitter.com/uZuyteQJT8
— ACU Football (@ACUFootball) August 30, 2026
Making his collegiate debut, Black immediately provided a spark, leading ACU on a 13-play, 77-yard scoring drive. The possession ended when Black connected with true freshman Romelo Boykin for an eight-yard touchdown, tying the game at 7-7 with 1:54 left in the first half.
Lamar, however, answered before halftime.
Boykin to the ENDZONE ‼️ and the kick is good from Perez ✅
ACU: 7
LU: 7#CDT | #GoWildcats pic.twitter.com/QaPFBJ9wrH— ACU Football (@ACUFootball) August 30, 2026
McCown found Blake Thomas for a 33-yard touchdown with just 13 seconds remaining in the second quarter, giving the Cardinals a 14-7 advantage heading into halftime.
A scoreless third quarter sets up dramatic finish
𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐇𝐚𝐥𝐟 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐬 presented by @FirstBankTexas #CDT | #GoWildcats pic.twitter.com/H5n5ULnwzc
— ACU Football (@ACUFootball) August 30, 2026
Neither team managed to score in the third quarter, keeping ACU within striking distance.
End of the 3️⃣rd Quarter#CDT | #GoWildcats pic.twitter.com/8jEgMHIapV
— ACU Football (@ACUFootball) August 30, 2026
The Wildcats actually finished the night with more total offense than Lamar, generating 358 yards compared to Lamar’s 278. ACU also ran for 151 yards while holding Lamar to just 95 on the ground.
But the difference came down to execution in critical moments.
Lamar opened the fourth quarter with a lengthy 14-play, 65-yard drive that consumed 7:40 off the clock. McCown capped the possession with his second touchdown pass to Driskell, extending the Cardinals’ lead to 21-7 with 14:53 remaining.
Driver adds six to the board ➕ one from Perez 🤩
ACU: 14
LU: 21#CDT | #GoWildcats pic.twitter.com/HF2KGp4ukw— ACU Football (@ACUFootball) August 30, 2026
ACU suddenly faced a two-score deficit with its season opener slipping away.
Wildcats mount furious comeback
The Wildcats refused to go quietly.
Your Touchdown Drive Summary presented by @HannerChevrolet #CDT | #GoWildcats pic.twitter.com/AwWHZJXmo5
— ACU Football (@ACUFootball) August 30, 2026
Trailing 21-7 midway through the fourth quarter, ACU marched 79 yards in just over three minutes. Rovaughn Banks Jr. broke loose for a 17-yard run, while a Lamar pass-interference penalty helped keep the drive alive.
Then Alex Broome made his presence felt.
The Boston College transfer ripped off a 21-yard gain on a screen pass to move ACU inside the Lamar 10-yard line. Two plays later, Black found Cristian Driver for a four-yard touchdown, cutting the deficit to 21-14 with 3:58 remaining.
ACU’s defense responded by forcing a Lamar punt, giving the Wildcats one final opportunity to tie the game.
And for a moment, it looked like the comeback might become reality.
Broome produced back-to-back gains of more than 10 yards before breaking loose for a 22-yard run down the left sideline, moving the Wildcats into the red zone.
But with 19 seconds remaining, ACU faced fourth-and-three at the Lamar six-yard line.
Black faked a handoff and rolled left before tucking the ball and attempting to reach the line to gain. He was hit out of bounds, and officials ruled him a yard short.
The Cardinals took over on downs and ran out the clock, securing the 21-14 victory.
Black provides bright spot in debut
Despite the loss, Black’s performance offered one of the biggest positives for the Wildcats.
After entering the game in the second quarter, the freshman quarterback completed 15 of 25 passes for 142 yards and two touchdowns without an interception. He also displayed poise throughout the second half and engineered ACU’s two touchdown drives.
Broome was another standout, rushing for 75 yards on 14 carries while adding 21 receiving yards.
Driver and Boykin each caught five passes, combining for 100 receiving yards, while Driver finished with ACU’s second touchdown of the night.
Defensively, Dillon Williams led the Wildcats with 13 tackles, while Javeon Wilcox added 12. Chris Herpin also recorded a first-half sack.
Penalties prove costly
One of the biggest storylines for ACU was its inability to overcome penalties.
The Wildcats were flagged 12 times for 106 yards, compared to Lamar’s seven penalties for 67 yards. One of the most costly penalties came early in the fourth quarter when a holding call erased what would have been a 90-yard kickoff return.
In a seven-point game decided by a fourth-down stop in the final minute, those lost opportunities loom even larger.
The road ahead
ACU leaves Beaumont with plenty to build on, but also plenty to clean up.
The Wildcats outgained Lamar 358-278 and showed significant fight after falling behind by two touchdowns. But two interceptions, 12 penalties and an inability to finish the final drive ultimately proved too much to overcome.
The loss also drops ACU to 0-1 for the first time this season, while Lamar begins its campaign 1-0.
The Wildcats won’t have much time to dwell on the result.
ACU now turns its attention to one of the biggest challenges on its 2026 schedule: a road matchup against Texas Tech on Saturday, Sept. 5.
The Red Raiders enter the season ranked No. 12 in the preseason FBS rankings, and the matchup will be broadcast nationally on Fox Sports 1. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT in Lubbock.
For a team with aspirations of another conference championship and a deeper FCS playoff run, the Lamar loss is certainly a disappointing opening chapter.
But Saturday’s comeback showed that this Wildcats team has plenty of fight.
Now, ACU must turn that fight into execution.
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