College Football: Abilene Christian eyes bigger things after Patterson's impressive debut
Keith Patterson had an impressive head coaching debut last year with the Abilene Christian football team, leading the Wildcats to a 7-4 record and their best season since making the move to the Division I-FCS in 2013.
Three of those losses were by three points with the only blowout coming at FBS Missouri.
ACU had a chance to win the Western Athletic Conference title going into the season finale at Wildcat Stadium, but Stephen F. Austin pulled out a 24-21 victory for the league title.
The Wildcats haven’t won a conference title since winning the Division II Lone Star Conference crown in 2010, and they haven’t made the playoffs since doing it as a D-II program in 2011.
Here are five things to watch going into the Wildcats’ season opener against Northern Colorado Thursday, Aug. 31 at Wildcat Stadium:
Still rising?
It appears ACU has turned the corner with Patterson, but can the Wildcats keep the momentum and continue to contend for a league title and playoff berth?
Well, it gets a little more complicated this season with the merger of the WAC and ASUN and creation of the football-only United Athletic Conference.
Eastern Kentucky, Austin Peay, Central Arkansas and North Alabama represent the ASUN, while the WAC is composed of Tarleton, SFA, Southern Utah and ACU.
The two leagues had an alliance for football the previous two years, since neither had enough teams to earn the NCAA’s automatic playoff berth. And with 2021 WAC champion Sam Houston State and ASUN programs Jacksonville State and Kennesaw State all making the move to the FBS Conference USA, the two leagues had little choice to find a permanent solution to their problems. Texas-Rio Grande Valley, which competes in the WAC, will start playing football in 2025.
Eastern Kentucky, last year’s automatic qualifier, and Central Arkansas are considered the favorites to vie for the UAC title this year.
Throw SFA and Tarleton in the mix and winning the first UAC title or an FCS playoff berth will be quite the challenge.
Replacing Kobe
ACU will sorely miss receiver Kobe Clark. The Sweetwater grad — originally a walk-on — finished his Wildcat career as the program’s all-time receptions leader (269), overtaking Abilene High grad Jerale Badon. Clark, who also finished third in all-time receiving yards (2,975), was the security blanket for whomever was playing quarterback during his ACU career, and the challenge now will be for someone else to step up and fill that void.
The likely candidates are 6-foot-4 senior Tristan Golightly (Mesquite Poteet), 6-5 junior Blayne Taylor (Saginaw) and 5-9 sophomore Marcayll Jones (Warren Robbins, Georgia). Golightly was second on the team behind Clark (64-768, 8 TDs) last year, catching 40 passes for 636 yards and four TDs. Taylor was fourth (19-289, 2 TDs) while Jones, a transfer from Memphis, had 10 catches for 104 yards the previous two years for the Tigers.
More: College Football San Angelo Central grad McIvor relishes first spring with Abilene Christian football team
More: College Football McIvor, Patterson end waiting game with victory in Abilene Christian football debuts
McIvor’s team?
San Angelo Central grad Maverick McIvor finally got to play in a college football game last season, after transferring from Texas Tech following three seasons with the Red Raiders. The 6-2 quarterback McIvor made the most of the opportunity, too, completing 179 of 296 passes for 2,212 yards and 16 TDs with nine interceptions. He played in all 11 games, starting all but one.
Now, with Ethan Long (61-102-1, 6 TDs in five games, one start) gone, McIvor might have to shoulder the load.
Quayde Hawkins (Bainbridge, Georgia sophomore, transfer from Troy), Riggs McDonald (Midland Christian junior, transfer from Trinity Valley Community College) and Trevor Baker (Needville sophomore) will battle for the No. 2 spot. McIvor has the most college playing time at the position among the group.
Hold the line
The offensive line, led by 6-6, 300-pound junior tackle Reese Moore, a preseason first-team all-conference pick by two magazines, should be solid with experienced players such as Moore (Seminole) and 6-4 junior Jacob Thielen (Broomfield, Colorado).
That bodes well for running backs Jermiah Dobbins (146 carries, 741 yards, 7 TDs/Lubbock Estacado junior) and Rovaughn Banks (112-473, 5 TDs/Tulsa Union sophomore), who were the Wildcats top two rushers last year, as well as giving McIvor time to throw the ball.
The defensive line might be a work in progress with six of the team’s eight being first-year players.
Local flavor
Don’t be surprised if Jim Ned grad Xavier Wishert, a redshirt freshman, gets the opportunity to shine at running back for the Wildcats this season.
He’s competing against a deep, talented group with Dobbins, Banks, Jay’Veon Sunday (Waco Connally) and Parker Polk (Grapevine), so Wishert will have to make the most of his chances.
Sunday is a sophomore transfer from the University of Washington, while Polk is a true freshman.
Albany grad Dax Neece also could make an impact at receiver going into his senior year.
Also keep an eye on LB Reese Young, a Stephenville sophomore, WR Harrison Foster, a redshirt freshman from Sweetwater, and DL Jerry Lawson, a true freshman from Breckenridge.
ACU Schedule
Aug. 31 … Northern Colorado … 7 p.m.
Sept. 9 … at Prairie View A&M … 6 p.m.
Sept. 16 … Incarnate Word … 7 p.m.
Sept. 23 … at Central Arkansas* … 6 p.m.
Sept. 30 … at North Texas … TBA
Oct. 14 … North Alabama* … 3 p.m.
Oct. 21 … at Stephen F. Austin* … 4 p.m.
Oct. 28 … at Southern Utah* … 2 p.m.
Nov. 4 … Utah Tech* … 2 p.m.
Nov. 11 … Tarleton* … 2 p.m.
Nov. 18 … at Texas A&M … 11 a.m.
*United Athletic Conference game
This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Patterson, Abilene Christian football team hope to build on success
