Abilene Christian Wildcats at Austin Peay Governors
· NCAA - Football
McIvor throws late TD pass to Castles to help Abilene Christian beat Austin Peay 35-34
Sam Hicks had 113 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 16 carries for ACU (7-3, 6-1 United Athletic Conference) and JJ Henry caught three passes for 125 yards and two TDs. Blayne Taylor had 107 yards receiving on nine catches and Isaiah Johnson added 11 carries for 75 yards.
Abilene Christian has won three games in a row. The Wildcats take on Tarleton State (8-2, 5-1) next week in what could become the de facto conference title game.
Hicks scored on a 14-yard run with 6:22 left in the third quarter and followed with a 15-yarder that gave the Wildcats their first lead at 28-27 with 55 seconds to go until the fourth. Austin Peay (4-6, 3-4) responded with a seven-play, 68-yard drive to recapture the lead when Austin Smith ran in in from a yard out with 11:54 to play.
Hicks lost a fumble that was recovered by Austin Peay's Stephen Ellison II at the 24 but the ACU defense forced a three-and-out to set up the winning drive — which included a 24-yard pass from McIvor to Taylor on third-and-10.
Smith completed 17 of 31 passes for 313 yards and two touchdowns — including a 73-yarder to Jaden Barnes — for Austin Peay. Barnes finished with six receptions for 179 yards and two TDs.
How To Watch
How can I watch Abilene Christian Wildcats vs. Austin Peay Governors?
- TV Channel: Wildcats at Governors 2021 College Football, week 11, is broadcasted on ESPN+.
- Online streaming: Sign up for Fubo.
Scoring Summary
 |
TD | 1st Period 12:35 | Jaden Barnes 58 Yd pass from Austin Smith (Carson Smith Kick) |
 |
TD | 1st Period 9:58 | J.J. Henry 66 Yd pass from Maverick McIvor (Ritse Vaes Kick) |
|
TD | 1st Period 6:39 | La'Vell Wright 2 Yd Run (Carson Smith Kick) |
|
TD | 1st Period 3:52 | J.J. Henry 44 Yd pass from Maverick McIvor (Ritse Vaes Kick) |
|
FG | 2nd Period 10:38 | Carson Smith 29 Yd Field Goal |
|
TD | 2nd Period 8:24 | Jaden Barnes 73 Yd pass from Austin Smith (Carson Smith Kick) |
|
FG | 2nd Period 0:16 | Carson Smith 33 Yd Field Goal |
|
TD | 3rd Period 6:23 | Sam Hicks 14 Yd Run (Ritse Vaes Kick) |
|
TD | 3rd Period 0:55 | Sam Hicks 15 Yd Run (Ritse Vaes Kick) |
|
TD | 4th Period 11:54 | Austin Smith 1 Yd Run (Carson Smith Kick) |
|
TD | 4th Period 3:07 | Jed Castles 15 Yd pass from Maverick McIvor (Ritse Vaes Kick) |
Statistics
 ACU |
 APSU |
|
|---|---|---|
| 26 | 1st Downs | 17 |
| 6-14 | 3rd down efficiency | 5-13 |
| 2-2 | 4th down efficiency | 1-2 |
| 526 | Total Yards | 415 |
| 355 | Passing | 308 |
| 25/42 | Comp/Att | 18/32 |
| 8.5 | Yards per pass | 9.6 |
| 171 | Rushing | 107 |
| 30 | Rushing Attempts | 32 |
| 5.7 | Yards per rush | 3.3 |
| 9-57 | Penalties | 6-26 |
| 1 | Turnovers | 0 |
| 1 | Fumbles lost | 0 |
| 0 | Interceptions thrown | 0 |
| 30:58 | Possession | 29:02 |
Game Information
Location: Clarksville, TN
Attendance: 3,741 · Capacity:
College Football News
College realignment intel: Texas State, cryptic posts and the Pac-12's next move
Texas State looms as the favorite to join the Pac-12. Why could that happen? What would come next? And what about Memphis?
ESPN 300 linebacker Talanoa Ili chooses USC over UCLA
Four-star linebacker Talanoa Ili, No. 53 in the 2026 ESPN 300, has committed to USC over UCLA, he told ESPN on Sunday, the latest high-profile addition in the Trojans' class, as coach Lincoln Riley prepares for the program's second season in the Big Ten.
Bill Connelly's 2025 college football conference previews
Bill Connelly looks at the top players and prospects, and makes his 2025 projections for every FBS team.
How every five-star college football recruit fits at his new school
There are 21 five-stars in the Class of 2026. We look at how they got to their teams and what they'll do in college.
Sources: Florida gets commitment from 5-star DE JaReylan McCoy
Five-star defensive end JaReylan McCoy has committed to Florida, sources told ESPN, securing his place as the top-ranked pledge in the Gators' 2026 recruiting class after returning for a second visit in the span of three weeks.