When you see a final score of 35-7, your brain usually just skips over the details. You figure it was a blowout, a mismatch, or just another "buy game" where a bigger school pays a smaller one to show up and lose. But honestly, the tulsa vs abilene football game that kicked off the 2025 season at H.A. Chapman Stadium was a lot weirder than that.
If you were sitting in the stands in Tulsa on that cloudy August night, the 78-degree weather felt perfect, but the vibe on the field was tense. For the Tulsa Golden Hurricane, this wasn't just a game. It was the debut of the Tre Lamb era. For Abilene Christian University (ACU), it was a chance to prove that their No. 16 FCS ranking meant they could punch up at the FBS level.
They almost did. At least early on.
The Goal Line Stands That Changed Everything
Most people look at the box score and see Tulsa leading 10-0 at halftime. What they don't see is how close the Wildcats came to making the Golden Hurricane faithful sweat.
Basically, ACU lived in the red zone during the first half. They had a fourth-and-goal at the 1-yard line. Stone Earle, the ACU quarterback who actually started his career with the Wildcats before bouncing around the FBS and coming back home, tried to keep it himself. He got stuffed. No points.
Then it happened again.
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Later, ACU drove all the way down to the 2-yard line. Again, they went for it on fourth down. Again, they got nothing. It’s kinda wild to think about—if those two plays go an inch further, we’re looking at a 14-10 ACU lead at the half. Instead, the Wildcats became the first team in the 37-game Keith Patterson era at ACU to be shut out in the first half.
How Tulsa Broke the Game Open
Tulsa didn't just survive those scares; they punished them. After the first goal-line stand, the Golden Hurricane went on a soul-crushing 14-play, 97-yard march.
Kirk Francis was the guy under center for Tulsa, and he looked poised. He eventually found Zion Booker for a 12-yard touchdown pass to cap off that massive drive. Francis finished the day 20-of-31 for 218 yards and two touchdowns. He didn't turn the ball over once, which is exactly what you want from a quarterback in a season opener.
The third quarter is where the wheels really came off for Abilene. Dominic Richardson, who’s a name you’ve probably heard if you follow Big 12 or AAC football, reminded everyone why he’s a problem. He ripped off a 57-yard touchdown run that basically put the game out of reach. Richardson ended the night with 142 yards on 20 carries. When you have a back averaging 7.1 yards a carry, your offensive coordinator's job gets a lot easier.
A Reunion of Sorts for Stone Earle
There was a cool narrative thread in this tulsa vs abilene football matchup. Stone Earle’s journey is fascinating. He started at ACU, left for the FBS, and then returned to lead the Wildcats as a graduate student.
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He didn't have his best statistical night—13-of-19 for 140 yards and an interception—but he was the only reason the Wildcats avoided the shutout. In the fourth quarter, he scrambled for an 11-yard touchdown on a fourth-and-two. It was a gritty play that showed why his teammates voted him a captain.
The physical toll was real, though. Tulsa’s defense, led by Byron Turner Jr., who had three sacks, lived in the ACU backfield. Earle was sacked five times in total. That’s a lot of turf to eat in one night.
The Statistical Breakdown (In Plain English)
If you’re a numbers person, the final stats show a clear gap, even if the first half felt closer.
Tulsa racked up 499 total yards compared to ACU’s 260. The biggest disparity was on the ground. Tulsa’s rushing attack was relentless, totaling 263 yards. Ajay Allen added a 40-yard "blink and you'll miss it" touchdown burst in the fourth quarter to put the cherry on top.
Defensively, Tulsa was a wall. They had nine tackles for loss. Ray Coney was everywhere, leading the team with 14 tackles. For ACU, Rashon Myles Jr. was the standout on defense with 11 tackles, trying to hold back the floodgates as the Golden Hurricane offensive line began to win the war of attrition in the second half.
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Why This Game Matters for the Rest of the Season
For Tulsa, this win was the foundation. Starting 1-0 under a new head coach like Tre Lamb provides a massive recruiting and locker-room boost. They showed they could handle adversity (those early ACU drives) and finish strong.
For Abilene Christian, surprisingly, there were a lot of positives. Moving the ball at will against an FBS defense is no small feat. They didn't win, but they showed they belonged on the same field. They went on to have a very successful season in the UAC, including big wins over ranked opponents like Tarleton State later in the year.
Practical Takeaways for Fans
If you're looking back at this matchup or preparing for future games between these two regions, here is what you should keep in mind:
- Don't ignore the red zone efficiency: In games like these, the difference between an upset and a blowout is often just two or three plays inside the 5-yard line.
- Watch the trenches: Tulsa's depth on the defensive line was the deciding factor in the fourth quarter.
- Keep an eye on the transfer portal stories: Players like Stone Earle show how the "revolving door" of modern college football creates these unique, high-stakes reunions.
If you want to understand the impact of this game on the current season, your next move is to check the updated AAC standings to see how Tulsa’s non-conference momentum carried into their league play. You can also look up the ACU highlights on the ESPN app to see those goal-line stands for yourself—they really were as close as the radio announcers made them sound.