Devon HenryIt has been 27 weeks since the beginning of the NAIA regular season for Arizona Christian University football. A 9-1 season over the 183-day regular season earned ACU the 2020 Sooner Athletic Conference championship, punching their first ticket in program history to the 16-team NAIA football playoff.
The NAIA split the 2020 football season into two parts due to the COVID-19 pandemic, non-conference games in fall and conference games in spring. In only their seventh season in program history, ACU has the opportunity to fight for a national title beginning Saturday on the road against Keiser College (FL).
A season full of adversity went beyond just playing during a pandemic. It included four games decided by less than a touchdown, a 104-day break between the fall and spring slate of games, losing hometown starting quarterback, Tyler Duncan, in the first spring game of the season, a miraculous comeback against in-state rival, Ottawa University, and a game-winning field goal to claim the SAC championship that also made their 5-5 285 lbs. kicker, Manny Higuera, an internet sensation.
Through and through, this wild 2020-2021 season has brought out the true colors of ACU Football as the program continues to rise in the west valley. Keiser will have to overcome their own adversity, playing their first game since November. The game begins at 11:00 a.m. MST on Saturday, April 17.
