A ranked UAC matchup highlights an FCS Week 4 slate that has three total ranked vs. ranked games.
Austin Peay comes in at 2-1, owning a decisive FBS win over Middle Tennessee (34-14) and a 56-7 victory over FCS Morehead State. The loss is a respectable 28-6 showing at Georgia. ACU is 1-2 with two FBS losses (35-7 at Tulsa, 42-21 at TCU) and a 28-20 ranked win vs. Stephen F. Austin.
Abilene Christian vs. Austin Peay On TV
The matchup between ACU and Austin Peay can be watched on ESPN+.
The game will kick off at 7 p.m. CT on Saturday, Sept. 20. The contest is taking place at Wildcat Stadium in Abilene, Texas.
Abilene Christian vs. Austin Peay Preview
The UAC race is going to be oh-so entertaining. And Saturday features an exciting bout between two squads with playoff expectations.
Austin Peay has trotted out a tough defense, allowing only 16.3 points per game and 80.0 rushing yards per game. Ellis Ellis Jr. leads the team with 21 tackles and three pass breakups, while the Govs are already up to 21 tackles for loss as a team. They’ll match up with an ACU offense that can be more explosive than the statistics suggest. In his return to the program after spending a few years in the FCS, Stone Earle is completing 70.7% of his passes for 655 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. Javon Gipson has emerged as Earle’s top target, grabbing 10 receptions for 155 yards.
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ACU All-American linebacker Will Shaffer continues his standout play, racking up 29 tackles in three games.
Austin Peay’s offense is led by Mississippi State transfer QB Chris Parson, who has 492 yards passing, two touchdowns, and one interception while adding 90 rushing yards and another score.
Both teams have shown promise in a non-conference schedule that’s truthfully hard to gauge – four total FBS opponents, a non-scholarship FCS opponent, and a ranked FCS opponent. I was high on SFA coming into this season, so ACU’s 28-20 win after being down 14-0 early was eye-opening. It showed the Wildcats may have reloaded better than expected. They return a veteran defense from last year’s playoff team, but there was a ton of production to replace offensively.
I’ll side with the home team here. I don’t expect a shootout, but it seems ACU can pop a few more explosive plays to earn a W.
Prediction: Abilene Christian 28-24
