College Football: Week 1 capsules for Abilene Christian, McMurry, Hardin-Simmons
NORTHERN COLORADO AT ACU
When: 7 p.m. Thursday
Where: Wildcat Stadium, Abilene
Records: Northern Colorado 0-0; ACU 0-0.
Last week: Season opener for both teams
Series: ACU leads 10-6-1, but has lost the last six — including the last meeting 55-52 in 2016 at Shotwell Stadium.
Broadcast: Audio— Varsity Sports Network at ACUSports.com; Streaming — ESPN-Plus
What to know — QB Jacob Sirmon (595 yards, four TDs in seven games) will likely take over UNC’s starting job. The Bears’ returning running backs had a combined 226 yards rushing last year. Zain Zinicola (38-386 yards, two TDs) and Ty Arrington (35-369, four TDs) are the Bears’ top returning receivers. LB David Hoage is back after missing last season with an injury. He was a third-team All-American in 2021 and had 10½ sacks and 22 tackles for loss. DB Jordan Knapke also is a force for the Bears, who allowed 37.4 points per game last season. QB Maverick McIvor (2,212 yards, 16 TDs passing) returns for ACU, while RB Jermiah Dobbins (146-741 7 TDs rushing) and WR Tristian Golightly (40-636 4 TDs) are solid weapons around him.
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MCMURRY VS. BIRMINGHAM-SOUTHERN
When: 6 p.m. Thursday
Where: War Memorial Stadium, Little Rock, Arkansas
Records: McMurry 0-0; Birmingham-Southern 0-0
Last week: Season opener for both teams
Series: Birmingham-Southern won the first meeting 26-9 last season in Little Rock.
Broadcast: Radio— KTJK 106. 3-FM; Streaming — mcmurrysports.com
What to know — Anthony Colucci, an assistant coach at Birmingham-Southern for six seasons, is the Panthers' new head coach after Tony Joe White stepped down following his sixth season last year. The Panthers were 7-3 last year after going 10-2 in 2021 and reaching the second round of the D-III playoffs — losing to eventual national champion Mary Hardin-Baylor 42-7. QB Matt McClary (1,884 yards, 12 TDs, four interceptions passing) returns, but the team took a big hit when All-American RB Jon Lewis (222-1,546 yards, 17 TDs) transferred to Indianapolis. He was a Gagliardi Trophy semifinalist as a sophomore last year. Anson grad Drew Hagler (71-217 3 TDs) was McMurry's second-leading rusher last year, while LB Herman Lee (school-record 9½ sacks last year) and DL Kane Strohman lead the defense.
ALBRIGHT AT HARDIN-SIMMONS
When: 7 p.m. Friday
Where: Shelton Stadium, Abilene
Records: Albright 0-0; HSU 0-0.
Series: This is the Cowboys’ first meeting with the Reading, Pennsylvania school.
Last week: Season opener for both teams
Broadcast: Audio/Streaming— hsuathletics.com.
What to know — Albright was 0-10 last season. The Lions, who play in the Middle Atlantic Conference, must replace two great ones in LB Sam Viera and DL Ryan Rapp. Viera finished his career as the program’s all-time leading tackler (385), while Rapp had a school-record 12½ sacks last year. Albright hasn’t won more than two games in a season since going 8-3 in 2017. The Lions last playoff berth came in 2015, when they went two rounds, losing to eventual national champion Mount Union. HSU is only the second American Southwest Conference team to play Albright. The Lions have played the ASC’s Mary Hardin-Baylor twice, losing 91-7 in 2018 in Reading and 56-15 in 2019 in Belton. QB Gaylon Glynn (2,206 yards, 20 TDs passing) is one of three returning starters on offense. Myles Featherston (106-564 5 TDs) and Hawley grad Colton Marshall (74-457 13 TDs) were 1-2 in rushing last year. First-team All-ASC players DB Brock Bujnoch and LB Matt Mitchell lead the defense.
This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Week 1 football capsules for ACU, McMurry, Hardin-Simmons
