Rutherford accounts for 3 TDs, leading Stephen F. Austin over Abilene Christian 26-7

Gavin Rutherford leads Stephen FByThe Associated PressSeptember 13, 2026, 12:07 AMABILENE, Texas -- Gavin Rutherford threw a pair of touchdown passes and ran for another score to lead Stephen F. Austin to a 26-7 victory over Abilene Christian Saturday night. Rutherford was 17-of-31 passing for 243 yards and added 39 yards rushing on six carries. Rutherford connected with Bugs Mortimer for a 69-yard touchdown to tie the game 7-all to start the second quarter. He added a 13-yard touchdown pass to Gerard Edimo about two minutes later. The Lumberjacks led 20-7 at the break. Rutherford capped the scoring with a 26-yard touchdown run early in the fourth. Carlos Alvarado made fields goals from 26 and 51 yards for Stephen F. Austin (3-0), which is ranked No. 13 in the Stats Perform FCS Top 25. John David Black was 21-of-38 passing for 267 yards with a touchdown and interception for Abilene Christian (0-3). The Wildcats entered No. 23 in the FCS. The Lumberjacks put up 459 total yards and held the Wildcats 4 of 13 on third-down conversions. Popular ReadsStephen F. Austin: Visits Prairie View A&M next Saturday. Abilene Christian: At Idaho next Saturday. ___Sign up for Top 25 poll alerts here. Visit the Top 25 here and see AP’s full college football coverage here.Sponsored Content by Taboola