On a day when two career offensive records were broken, Utah Tech could not break its winless drought as the Trailblazers lost their third-straight game, 24-7, at Abilene Christian on a windy Saturday afternoon at Wildcat Stadium. 
 
Trailing by a touchdown early in the second quarter, Utah Tech (2-7/1-3 UAC) put together its longest drive of the day, an 11-play, 75-yard drive that culminated with a 4-yard Kobe Tracy touchdown pass to Rickie Johnson to tie the game at 7-7 with 11:38 to play in the first half. 
 
The Wildcats (5-4/3-2 UAC) responded with a long drive of their own to jump back on top at 14-7. ACU took more than six minutes off the clock and covered 65 yards on 15 plays, and capped the drive with a Maverick McIvor-to-Blaine Taylor 6-yard touchdown connection with 4:57 to go until halftime.
 
After ACU extended to a 17-7 lead on a Kyle Ramsey 47-yard field goal with 4:35 left in the third quarter, the Trailblazers looked like they were on their way to their first points of the second half when Tracy hit Beau Sparks for a 29-yard gain to the ACU 46. 
 
However Utah Tech would turn the ball over on downs. 
 
Abilene Christian then put the game away with a 14-play fourth quarter drive that took almost eight minutes off the clock, ending with a McIvor 5-yard pass to Taelyn Williams with 6:14 remaining.
 
Utah Tech was held to a conference season-low 313 yards of total offense, with Tracy throwing for 230 of those yards on 25-of-42 passing. Tracy (5,222 yds) also became the program's all-time leader in passing yards when he hit Keith Davis over the middle for a 33-yard gain in the second quarter.
 
In addition, Johnson (139 rec.) moved into first place on Utah Tech's career receptions list after he nine passes for 81 yards to go along with his second-quarter touchdown.
 
Beau Sparks led the Blazers with a career-high 12 catches for 90 yards as he returned to his home state of Texas for the first time as a Trailblazer. Sparks' 12 receptions, the most by a Blazer player since the 2016 season, tied him for the fifth-most in a single game in the program's NCAA era, and are the most by a player during UT's current FCS transition. 
 
Ronnie Walker Jr. also racked up 51 yards rushing on 10 carries as UT finished with 83 yards on the ground.
 
Meanwhile, the Trailblazer defense limited ACU to an opponent season low 302 total yards. Junior linebacker Will Leota led the way with eight total tackles, all of which came after halftime, and freshman Brevin Hamblin collected his first career sack in the fourth quarter. 
 
McIvor finished with 167 yards on 19-of-32 passing to go with his two touchdown throws. 
 
Utah Tech will close out its 2023 road slate next Saturday when the Trailblazers make their first-ever trip to Tennessee for a UAC game at No. 17 Austin Peay. Kick-off in Clarksville is set for 1 p.m. (CT).