College Football: Xavier Wishert leads Abilene Christian past Northern Colorado in opener
Jim Ned grad Xavier Wishert ran for two touchdowns as Abilene Christian opened the season with a 31-11 victory over Northern Colorado in a non-conference football game Thursday night at Wildcat Stadium.
ACU rolled up 493 total yards, including 268 rushing, while holding the Bears to 190 total yards.
How it happened
ACU scored on its first two possessions for a 14-0 lead before the Bears recorded a first down — getting a 12-yard TD pass from San Angelo Central grad Maverick McIvor to Rovaughn Banks Jr. and a 2-yard TD run by Wishert.
Wishert, a redshirt freshman, got in the end zone on his second collegiate carry.
Jay’Veon Sunday added a 12-yard TD run for a 21-0 lead with 8:08 to play in the second quarter. The Bears’ Hunter Green kicked a 31-yard field goal with 24 seconds remaining in the first half.
Kyle Ramsey kicked a 40-yard field goal early in the third quarter for ACU, before Wishert scored his second TD — an 18-yard run and a 31-3 Wildcat lead.
The Bears finally found the end zone, when Jacob Sirmon threw a 4-yard TD pass to Alec Pell with 7:57 remaining in the game.
More: College Football College Football: Abilene Christian eyes bigger things after Patterson's impressive debut
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Friday's highlights
While ACU’s running game sparked the offense, Taelyn Williams and Blayne Taylor each had a nice catch to keep scoring drives alive.
Williams made a catch worthy of SportsCenter on a 38-yarder down to the Bears’ 20-yard line to set up Ramsey’s field goal.
On the Wildcats’ next possession, Taylor had a 32-yard reception to the Bears’ 21. Two plays later, Wishert scored his second TD.
Friday's stars
McIvor completed 16-of-25 passes for 219 yards and a TD, while the Wildcats spread the wealth at running back with Lubbock Estacado grad Jermiah Dobbins (10-83), Sunday (14-76) and Wishert (10-58) leading the way.
LB Darius Moore, DB Dorian Plumley and LB Cirby Coheley (Iowa Park junior) had seven tackles each to lead the ACU defense, including six solo tackles by Moore. DL Jerry Lawson, a true freshman from Breckenridge, had two tackles in his first college game.
They said it
ACU returns five starters on the offensive line, led by standout left tackle Reese Moore, a Seminole junior, and it was the offensive line that paved the way for the success in the run game.
ACU coach Keith Patterson on the O-line: “I knew that was going to be a strength of our team. … They’re bigger, they’re stronger than what they were a year ago. Well-coached. Ryan (Pugh) does an incredible job. He’s a great technician with those guys up front.”
Up next
No. 7 Incarnate Word at Northern Colorado, 3 p.m. Sept. 9 at Nottingham Field in Greeley, Colorado; ACU at Prairie View A&M, 6 p.m. Sept. 9 at Panther Stadium in Prairie View.
NON-CONFERENCE
ACU 31, Northern Colorado 11
UNC … 0 … 3 … 0 … 8 – 11
ACU … 14 … 7 … 10 … 0 – 31
FIRST QUARTER
ACU – Rovaughn Banks 12 pass from Maverick McIvor (Kyle Ramsey kick), 10:14
ACU – Xavier Wishert 2 run (Ramsey kick,) 2:45
SECOND QUARTER
ACU – Jay’Veon Sunday 12 run (Ramsey kick), 8:08
UNC – Hunter Green 31 FG, 00:24
THIRD QUARTER
ACU – Ramsey 40 FG, 11:44
ACU – Wishert 18 run (Ramsey kick), 6:32
FOURTH QUARTER
UNC – Alec Pell 4 pass from Jacob Sirmon (Jordan Riles pass from Sirmon), 7:57
TEAM STATISTICS
……………… UNC … ACU
First downs … 13 … 28
Rushes-Yards … 26-84 … 41-268
Passing … 106 … 225
Comp-Att-Int …… 18-32-0 … 18-29-0
Punts …… 6-43.8 … 2-48.0
Fumbles-Lost … 0-0 … 0-0
Penalties-Yards … 2-30 … 11-85
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING: UNC, David Afari 11-56 Darius Stewart 4-30, Jacob Sirmon 7-3, Jamarii Robinson 2-0, Hank Gibbs 1-0, Devvin Gitchuway 1-(minus 5); ACU, Jermiah Dobbins 10-83, Jay’Veon Sunday 14-76, Xavier Wishert 10-58, Rovaughn Banks Jr. 3-25, Quayde Hawkins 2-16, Maverick McIvor 2-10.
PASSING: UNC, Sirmon 18-32-0—106; ACU, McIvor 16-25-0—219, Hawkins 2-4-0—6.
RECEIVING: UNC, Blake Haggerty 5-30, Alec Pell 4-27, Jordan Riles 2-27, Ty Arrington 2-9, Darius Stewart 2-6, Kyle Helbig 1-5, David Afari 1-5, Zain Zinicola 1-(minus 3); ACU, Blayne Taylor 4-75, Banks 4-38, Taelyn Williams 2-42, Tristian Golightly 2-29, Cooper McCasland 2-14, Jed Castles 1-24, Noah Caldwell 1-3, Marcayll Jones 1-3, Denver Holman 1-(minus 3).
RECORDS: Northern Colorado 0-1; Abilene Christian 1-0.
This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Abilene Christian blasts Northern Colorado in college football opener
