ABILENE, Texas — In a thrilling matchup during the first round of the FCS playoffs, Sam Hicks was instrumental in leading Abilene Christian to a resounding 24-0 win against Northern Arizona on Saturday, showcasing a remarkable performance with 171 rushing yards and a significant 53-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
The Wildcats, who have achieved a notable season record of 9-4, entered the playoffs ranked No. 15 in the FCS coaches’ poll and will now prepare for a challenging showdown against No. 2 seeded North Dakota State (10-2) at the Fargo Dome. North Dakota State, a powerhouse with nine championships under its belt, enjoyed a bye in the first round.
Abilene Christian took an early lead of 7-0 in the first quarter, thanks to a 10-play, 97-yard drive that culminated in Carson Haggard connecting with Trey Cleveland for a 37-yard touchdown. Northern Arizona, which finished the regular season 8-5 and ranked No. 17 but without a seed, attempted to strike back after intercepting Haggard on two consecutive drives. However, their chances were stymied when they failed to convert on a fourth-and-goal situation, resulting in a 4-yard loss for running back Ty Pennington and leading to a 46-yard field goal by Ritse Vaes that extended Abilene’s advantage to 10-0 at halftime.
Despite both teams’ efforts, the score remained steady until Hicks broke through for a significant touchdown run with just over ten minutes remaining in the game. Haggard then connected with Blayne Taylor for a 6-yard touchdown pass with only 2:16 left on the clock. Haggard completed an impressive 23 of 29 passes for 244 yards, although he also faced difficulties with three interceptions throughout the game.
Defensively, Abilene Christian had struggled in the regular season, allowing at least 20 points in every game and over 30 points on six occasions. Their season kicked off with a tough overtime loss to Texas Tech, an FBS opponent, finishing 52-51. The last time the Wildcats achieved a shutout was on September 25, 2021, when they dominated Lamar with a score of 56-0.
With their playoff journey set to continue, Abilene Christian looks to build on this victory as they face a formidable opponent in North Dakota State next week.
