2020 Abilene Christian Wildcats football team

2020 Abilene Christian Wildcats football
Conference	Southland Conference
2020 record	1–5 (0–1 Southland)
Head coach	Adam Dorrel (4th season)
Offensive coordinator	Josh Lamberson (4th season)
Defensive coordinator	Tremaine Jackson (4th season)
Home stadium	Anthony Field at Wildcat Stadium (Capacity: 12,000)
Seasons ← 2019 2021 →

2020 Southland Conference football standings
v t	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
No. 4 Sam Houston State $^		6	–	0					10	–	0
No. 20 Southeastern Louisiana		4	–	2					4	–	3
Incarnate Word		3	–	3					3	–	3
No. 23 Nicholls		3	–	3					4	–	3
McNeese State*		2	–	4					3	–	4
Lamar		2	–	4					2	–	4
Northwestern State		1	–	5					1	–	5
$ – Conference champion ^ – FCS playoff participant * – Ineligible for FCS postseason play due to NCAA sanctions Note: Abilene Christian, Central Arkansas, Houston Baptist, and Stephen F. Austin played only in the fall and opted out of the spring season. Rankings from STATS Poll

2020 NCAA Division I FCS independents football standings
v t	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
Stephen F. Austin			–						6	–	4
Tarleton State†			–						5	–	3
Central Arkansas			–						5	–	4
Presbyterian†			–						4	–	3
Eastern Kentucky			–						3	–	6
Dixie State†			–						2	–	3
Houston Baptist			–						1	–	3
Abilene Christian			–						1	–	5
Campbell			–						0	–	4
North Alabama			–						0	–	4
Note: † – Dixie State, Presbyterian, and Tarleton State played only in the spring. All other teams listed played only in the fall. Presbyterian was in a scheduling agreement with the Pioneer Football League, which it fully joined in July 2021.

The 2020 Abilene Christian Wildcats football team represented Abilene Christian University in the 2020–21 NCAA Division I FCS football season as a member of the Southland Conference. The Wildcats were led by fourth-year head coach Adam Dorrel and played their home games at Anthony Field at Wildcat Stadium. The Wildcats finished the season with a 1–5 overall record.

Previous season[]

The Wildcats finished the 2019 season with a 5–7 overall record, and a 4–5 record in Southland play to finish in a tie for sixth place.

Preseason[]

Preseason poll[]

The Southland Conference released their original preseason poll in July 2020. The Wildcats were picked to finish seventh in the conference, prior to their schedule split from the rest of the league.^[1] In addition, four Wildcats were chosen to the Preseason All-Southland Team^[2]

Predicted finish	Team	Votes (1st place)
1	Central Arkansas*	190 (12)
2	Sam Houston State	170 (4)
3	Nicholls	169 (6)
4	Southeastern Louisiana	157
5	McNeese State	113
6	Incarnate Word	104
7	Abilene Christian*	101
8	Stephen F. Austin*	60
9	Houston Baptist*	59
10	Northwestern State	49
11	Lamar	38

(*) These teams opted out of playing in the revised spring 2021 Southland schedule, and instead played as Independent in the fall of 2020.

Preseason All–Southland Teams[]

Schedule[]

Abilene Christian had a game scheduled against Texas A&M, which was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[3]

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 19	8:00 p.m.	at UTEP*	Sun Bowl El Paso, TX	ESPN3	L 13–17	6,056
October 3	12:30 p.m.	at Army*	Michie Stadium West Point, NY	CBSSN	L 23–55	5,306
October 17	6:00 p.m.	West Texas A&M*	Wildcat Stadium Abilene, TX	ESPN+	Canceled
October 24	12:30 p.m.	vs. Stephen F. Austin	Globe Life Field Arlington, TX	ESPN3	L 32–35 OT	5,211
October 31	2:00 p.m.	at Mercer*	Five Star Stadium Macon, GA	ESPN3	W 20–17	2,372
November 7	3:00 p.m.	Angelo State*	Wildcat Stadium Abilene, TX	ESPN+	L 21–34	4,787
November 14	3:00 p.m.	Arizona Christian*	Wildcat Stadium Abilene, TX	ESPN+	Canceled
November 21	3:00 p.m.	at Virginia*	Scott Stadium Charlottesville, VA	ESPN3	L 15–55	250
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from STATS Poll released prior to the game All times are in Central time

Source: ^[4]

Game summaries[]

at UTEP[]

	1	2	3	4	Total
Wildcats	7	0	3	3	13
Miners	0	10	0	7	17

at Army[]

	1	2	3	4	Total
Wildcats	0	3	7	13	23
Black Knights	7	16	15	17	55

West Texas A&M[]

	1	2	3	4	Total
Buffaloes					0
Wildcats					0

vs. Stephen F. Austin[]

	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Wildcats	7	7	0	15	3	32
Lumberjacks	0	7	6	16	6	35

at Mercer[]

	1	2	3	4	Total
Wildcats	7	0	3	10	20
Bears	0	10	7	0	17

Angelo State[]

	1	2	3	4	Total
Rams	14	14	0	6	34
Wildcats	0	7	14	0	21

Arizona Christian[]

	1	2	3	4	Total
Firestorm					0
Wildcats					0

at Virginia[]

	1	2	3	4	Total
Wildcats	0	7	0	8	15
Cavaliers	14	14	14	13	55

References[]