Phoenix, AZ- Junior Quarterback Adam Abbatacola earned his first starting nod in a Firestorm uniform and delivered ACU football to a 42-20 win over Sul Ross State on Saturday night.  The Firestorm amassed 600 yards of total offense in their season opener while holding the Lobos to 267 total yards.

The first two ACU drives set the tone for the game as Abbatacola and friends found the end zone on both opportunities in a combined total of 15 plays.  ACU scored on two of their next three drives to take a 28-10 lead into the locker room.  A 75 yard touchdown pass from Abbatacola to Senior Kendrick Murphy accounted for all of the last drive before the break.

Defensively, Arizona Christian allowed just one play longer than 22 yards all night.

Game Info

• Game score: Arizona Christian 42, Sul Ross State 20
• Records: Arizona Christian- 1-0, Sul Ross State- 0-1
• NAIA Top 25 Rank: Arizona Christian – 22, Sul Ross State (NCAA Division III)
• Location: Matador Field, Shadow Mountain High School, Phoenix, AZ

Offensive Stars

• Adam Abbatacola - 22-34, 382 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, 1 interception
• Alias Sturges - 9 catches, 93 yards, 2 touchdowns
• Isaiah Huston - 7 catches, 100 yards
• Kendrick Murphy - 5 catches, 175 yards, 1 touchdown
• Alec Hathcock - 10 carries, 38 yards, 1 touchdown
• Aaron Brown - 5 carries, 2 touchdowns
• Michael Corso - 398 kickoff yards, 98 punting yards

Defensive Stars

• Isiah Gray - 7 tackles (4 solo)
• Austin Schleier - 7 tackles
• Brent Clemons - 7 tackles
• Zhi'irKane James - 5 tackles (4 solo), 1 pass breakup
• James Bagley - 5 tackles, 2 sacks
• Diante Flowers - sack
• Luigi Dorzin - sack

Inside The Numbers

• Firestorm averaged 8.1 yards per play, held the Lobos to 3.9 yards per play
• ACU converted 8 of 13 third downs, held SRSU to 4 of 14 third down conversions

Thoughts from Coach Bowen

"We are extremely proud of the way the guys played.  There is a product of their preparation throughout the summer and in preseason camp.  Offensively- we were explosive.  Defensively- we attacked the football and kept the ball in front of us.  Special teams put us in good position all night.  Now our job is to look at the film, correct our mistakes, and get ready for Whittier College."

Up Next

On Saturday, the Firestorm will host Whittier College at Shadow Mountain High School.  Kickoff with the NCAA Division III Poets is set for 7:00 pm.