Four things to know about TCU’s next opponent, Abilene Christian
TCU football will play its first home game of the season against Abilene Christian at 7 p.m. Saturday at Amon G. Carter Stadium. While no opponent can be overlooked, the Horned Frogs (1-0) should be able to use the game against the Wildcats (1-1) as final preparation for the toughest part of their schedule, starting Sept. 20 vs. SMU and then a road trip to defending Big 12 champion Arizona State on Sept. 26. The goal for TCU will be simple: Build an early lead, get the starters out as soon as possible for health reasons and allow the reserves to get plenty of playing time. If the Horned Frogs are focused, they should roll without issue.
Here are four things to know about the Wildcats:
Big-game hunters
The Wildcats have some experience giving Big 12 teams a scare. Last season Abilene Christian pushed Texas Tech to the brink in a 52-51 overtime defeat in Lubbock. The Wildcats lit up the Texas Tech secondary with 506 passing yards. Abilene Christian was a two-point conversion away from pulling off the its biggest win, and it used that performance to propel the program to its first FCS playoff appearance. There’s no doubt the Wildcats will try their best to finish the job this time against TCU. However, the Wildcats only return three offensive starters from last year’s United Athletic Conference championship team.
Hometown QB
Abilene Christian is led by Fort Worth native and Birdville alum Stone Earle, one of the oldest quarterbacks in college football. Stone’s first season was in the 2020 COVID season, and he’s been a journeyman ever since. He played two seasons at Abilene Christian before transferring to North Texas in 2022. After two seasons in Denton, Stone transferred last season to Marshall, where he had most the productive season since 2021. Stone started five games for the Thundering Herd, passing for 673 yards and rushing for 207. Now Stone is back where it all started. In two games this season, Stone has thrown for 379 yards and an interception while rushing for 87 yards and two touchdowns.
TCU’s experience against North Carolina dual-threat quarterback Gio Lopez should be valuable for this matchup.
Veterans at skill positions
The Wildcats have a trio of senior receivers who started their careers at Power Four schools that TCU will need to account for.
Former Baylor receiver Javon Gipson leads Abilene Christian with 10 receptions for 155 yards this season. J.J. Henry, a former four-star recruit from McKinney who started his college career at Ole Miss, is the Wildcats’ second-leading receiver with 12 receptions for 102 yards. Tight end Jed Castles, who played one season at Texas Tech before transferring, was an all-conference selection last season and was rated as a top-five FCS tight end in the preseason. The 6-foot-7, 245-pounder impacts the game more with his blocking, but he also has three receptions and 53 yards this season. At running back, the Wildcats lean on the 6-3, 235-pound Jordon Vaughn, who has rushed for 137 yards in two games, including 87 and two touchdowns in Saturday’s 28-20 win over Stephen F. Austin.
What we learned against Tulsa
The Wildcats have faced one FBS opponent so far, falling 35-7 at Tulsa in the season opener Aug. 30. The Golden Hurricane were picked to finish 13th in the American Conference, showing how big the talent gap should be when TCU faces the Wildcats. Tulsa ran over the Abilene Christian defensive front with 263 yards and an average of 5.7 yards per carry, led by former Baylor rusher Dominic Richardson (142 yards and a TD). Tulsa quarterback Kirk Francis threw for 218 yards and two touchdowns as Tulsa broke the game open in the second half after leading 10-0 at halftime. Abilene Christian was unable to take advantage of Tulsa’s 10 penalties, struggling to sustain drives until finally scoring in the fourth quarter. Gipson led all receivers with 73 yards, and junior linebacker Rashon Myles Jr. and senior safety Dorian Plumley combined for 21 tackles for the Wildcats. Based on the result against Tulsa, there’s no reason TCU shouldn’t overwhelm the Wildcats.
