While the 2024 United Athletic Conference (UAC) Football Championship has found its home in Abilene, Week 13 contests still provide several teams with the opportunity to join the Wildcats in the FCS Playoff field. In addition, the regular season finale slate boasts a pair of intriguing non-conference clashes. 

SATURDAY SLATE | Nov. 23
1 PM CT  | AUSTIN PEAY vs Chattanooga (ESPN+)
2 PM ET  | NORTH ALABAMA at #25 EKU* (ESPN+)
1 PM MT  | UTAH TECH at SOUTHERN UTAH* (ESPN+)
2 PM CT | CENTRAL ARKANSAS at #16 TARLETON STATE* (ESPN+)
2 PM CT | #11 ABILENE CHRISTIAN at Stephen F. Austin 
* UAC Conference Game

GAME OF THE WEEK: "The Battle for the Axe" headlines the regular season's final Saturday of action in the UAC as in-state rivals Utah Tech (1-6 UAC) and Southern Utah (5-2 UAC) meet at Eccles Coliseum in Cedar City. Coming off its first ranked win of the season, the Thunderbirds look to claim a second straight victory over Tech having earned a 24-16 decision last year. The Trailblazers, coming off a bye, hope to reclaim the Axe and end the campaign with their second win of the season and in the series (SUU leads 4-1 in all-time series).

WILDCATS CLAIM CROWN & PLAYOFF BID
With a thrilling last minute rally, Abilene Christian topped Tarleton State and captured their first UAC Football Championship along with the AQ bid to the FCS Playoffs... The Wildcats were picked to finish 6th in the preseason poll... ACU heads into the playoffs looking to earn the league’s first victory

PLAYOFF FIELD ANNOUNCED ON SUNDAY
The FCS Playoff Committee will announce the 24-team field for the 2024 Championship chase Sunday, Nov. 24 at 11:30 AM CT as part of an NCAA Playoff selection show televised on ESPN2. UAC Champion Abilene Christian has secured a place in the bracket but are looking to earn a home game to start postseason competition. Tarleton State, EKU and Southern Utah are all holding out hope of collecting an at-large invitation to the championship field.
 
BORN TO RUN 
-The UAC is home to the TOP THREE running backs in FCS rushing with SUU’s Targhee Lambson (1,757 yds), TSU’s Kavyon Britten (1,596 yds) and UCA’s ShunDerrick Powell (1,243 yds) ... In all of Division I Football (FCS & FBS) only Heisman hopeful Ashton Jeanty (1,893 yards) of Boise State has more yards

NOTEWORTHY
- 14 UAC league games have been decided by one score including all four last Saturday and eight in the last two weeks

- EKU is undefeated (5-0) at home this year while ACU boasted a perfect 4-0 mark at home in UAC play

- UCA's David Walker was awarded and accepted an invitation to the Reese's Senior Bowl on Feb. 1 in Mobile, Ala.

- APSU’s Chandler Kirton was named a finalist for the FedEx Doris Robinson Scholar-Athlete Award

- Stats Perform named a trio of UAC rookies to the “Watch List” for the Jerry Rice Award, presented to the FCS Freshman of the Year... Honorees: UNA’s Josh Anglin and Jalen Fletcher, SUU’s Jayden Robertson

- Oct. 5 clash between #5 Central Arkansas and #16 Abilene Christian was just the second head-to-head UAC battle of ranked squads in league history... UCA has been part of both competitions, having faced #12 Austin Peay, ranked 20th last season

- With Southern Utah’s 27-24 OT win over UTEP on Sept. 7, the T-Birds secured the league’s first victory against an FBS foe... Abilene Christian (52-51 loss at Texas Tech) and Central Arkansas (34-31 loss at Arkansas State) both nearly accomplished the feat as well this season

- UCA’s 34-14 victory over #19 Lamar (Sept. 29) marked just the second UAC win against a ranked non-conference foe... EKU topped #16 Southeast Missouri, 41-38, last year

- Thunderbirds head coach DeLane Fitzgerald earned the 100th of his career with SUU’s victory over EKU... Fitzgerald joined TSU’s Todd Whitten (135 wins) in the Century Win Club 

HOW DO WE STACK UP?
- A trio of UAC teams were again ranked in the Top 25 nationally as ACU, TSU and EKU were all recognized. The Wildcats were 11th (STATS)/12th (AFCA), the Texans were listed 16th in both polls while the Colonels jumped into the STATS poll in 25th... UCA & SUU received votes in a poll this week

- In the Sept. 30 STATS Ranking, Central Arkanasas was listed No. 5, marking the highest ever rank for a UAC program

- The league has seen three teams ranked in the Top 25 for 10 consecutive weeks ... Three teams ranked in one week is a league high benchmark

WHAT TO LOOK FOR...
- No. 25 EKU (5-2 UAC) looks to make a final impression on FCS Playoff Committee members when they host North Alabama (3-4 UAC). The Colonels, who made a return to the Top 25 this week, ride a four-game win streak into the contest and are looking to finish the season undefeated at home for the first time since 2010. The Lions are looking to win a fourth conference game in a season for the first time in their DI Era as well as collect their first win over EKU in series (EKU leads 2-0)

- No. 16 Tarleton State (5-2 UAC) hopes to rebound from a tough loss to ACU last week and keep their playoff dreams intact when they welcome Central Arkansas (3-4 UAC) to Stephenville. The Texans are 8-2 versus FCS foes this season and a win would mark the most season wins in their DI Era. Key injuries have seen the Bears drop three straight games heading into the season finale match-up on the road.

- A playoff rematch from 2023 pits Austin Peay (4-7, 3-5 UAC) against Chattanooga at "The Fort" to close out the season. Last season the Govs fell 24-21 on a walkoff FG in the opening round of the FCS Playoffs. The Mocs hold a 7-1 advantage in the all-time series and are 3-0 in game played in Clarksville

- Abilene Christian (8-3, 7-1 UAC) vists former UAC member and in-state rival Stephen F. Austin as its precursor to playoff competition. The Wildcats will be visiting Nacogdoches for the fourth consecutive season. SFA leads the overall series 13-12 and in their 11 meetings as Division I programs, eight games have been decided by one score with the Wildcats and 'Jacks each winning four of those eight

MILESTONE WATCHES:
- ShunDerrick Powell (UCA RB) needs 79 yards for 4,000 career rushing yards
- Taylor Blayne (ACU WR) needs 140 yards for 2,000 career receiving yards
- Romon Copeland Jr. (APSU WR) needs 163 yards for 2,000 career receiving yards
- Ritse Vaes (ACU PK) needs 2 FGM to reach 50 career FGM
- Adrian Guzman (TSU P/K) needs 5 FGM to reach 50 career FGM
- David Walker (UCA DL) needs 0.5 sacks for 40 career sacks

Milestones Reached in 2024
- Kayvon Britten (TSU RB) reached  4,000 career rushing yards on Nov. 16
- Reggie Graff (UT QB) eclipsed 1,000 career passing yards on Nov. 16
- David Walker (UCA DL) reached 60 career TFLs on Nov. 9
- Targhee Lambson (SUU RB) reached 2,000 career rushing yards on Nov. 9
- Dion Hunter (AP DB) surpassed 200 career tackles on Nov. 9
- Darius Hale (UCA RB) eclipsed 3,000 career rushing yards on Nov. 2
- Rajaez Mosley (UWG RB) reached 2,000 career rushing yards on Nov. 2
- Will McElvain (UCA QB) surpassed 7,000 career passing yards on Nov. 2
- Maverick McIvor (ACU QB) topped 7,000 career passing yards on Nov. 2
- Demetrias Charles (UCA DB) reached 200 career tackles on Oct. 26
- Southern Utah Head Coach DeLane Fitzgerald earned 100th win of his coaching career on Oct. 12
- Patrick Nations (EKU PK) connected on his 50th FGM on Oct. 12
- TaMuarion Wilson (UCA DB) surpassed 300 tackles on Oct. 12
- Maverick McIvor (ACU QB) surpassed 6,000 career passing yards on Oct. 5
- Will McElvain (UCA QB) surpassed 6,000 career passing yards on Sept. 28 (*at UCA)
- Darius Cooper (TSU WR) surpassed 2,000 career receiving yards on Sept. 28
- David Walker (UCA DL) reached 50 career TFLs on Sept. 28
- Elijah Moffett (ACU LB) eclipsed 200 career tackles on Sept. 28
- Donta Stuart (TSU DB) reached 200 career tackles on Sept. 28
- Kayvon Britten (TSU RB) reached 3,000 career rushing yards on Sept. 21 (*had UAC record 273 rushing yds vs UNA)
- Derrel Kelley III (TSU RB) surpassed 2,000 career rushing yards on Sept. 21
- Targhee Lambson (SUU RB) reached 1,000 career rushing yards on Sept. 21
- ShunDerrick Powell (UCA RB) surpassed 3,000 career rushing yards on Sept. 14
- Takairee Kenebrew (UNA WR) reached 2,000 career receiving yards on Sept. 14