United Athletic Conference

All six WAC football members will be in action during the first official week of the 2022 NCAA football season. Three conference members will play at home on Sept. 1, with the remaining three league representatives competing on the road on Sept. 3.

 

No. 10 Stephen F. Austin raced out to a 17-7 lead midway through the first half but was unable to hold the momentum, dropping a 42-17 decision to Jacksonville State on Aug. 27 during the FCS Kickoff Classic. The game was called with 13:18 remaining in the fourth quarter due to inclement weather.

 

Jacksonville State, in the process of transitioning to FBS, scored 35 unanswered points in less than 15 minutes of gameplay from 1:56 left in the second quarter until 3:13 remaining in the third. Jacksonville State ended the contest with the edge in total yards from scrimmage (484-205) and first downs (24-13). 

 

On a 50-yard touchdown reception that gave SFA a 14-7 lead against Jacksonville State, wide receiver Xavier Gipson became the program’s all-time leader in receiving yardage. Gipson’s pitch and catch for a score from Trae Self surpassed the previous record of 3,191 yards set by Cordell Roberson from 2009-12. Gipson led the Lumberjacks with six catches for 68 yards in the setback against Jacksonville State.

 

Takeaways on back-to-back Jacksonville State drives in the first quarter, and a crucial stop on downs early in the second quarter, directly led to 14 SFA points during the opening half. Tkai Lloyd forced a fumble that was recovered by Edward Bobino for the first Lumberjack takeaway of the season. The following Jacksonville State possession Charles Demmings snagged a deflected Gamecock pass out of the air and returned the ball back to the 9-yard line to set up the season’s first touchdown for SFA. 

 

Sam Houston opens the new campaign with a challenging in-state matchup at No. 6/7 Texas A&M on Sept. 3 at Kyle Field. The Bearkats are in search of their first win in series history against the Aggies, as the teams are slated for the 13th meeting all-time dating back to 1919. Sam Houston enters the game in College Station with wins in 21 of its past 22 starts overall, including an FCS National Championship in the spring of 2021.

 

Utah Tech makes its official debut as a full-time WAC football member with a nonconference showdown at Sacramento State on Sept. 3. Sacramento State was ranked seventh in both the preseason STATS Perform FCS Top 25 Poll and the AFCA FCS Coaches’ Poll. Utah Tech, in its third season of play in FCS, is in search of its first ranked win at the Division I level.