ACU vs. Midwestern St. Game Notes
ACU takes three-game winning streak to Wichita Falls
SETTING THE SCENE: ACU returns to the field Saturday against Midwestern State looking to stay tied with Texas A&M-Kingsville atop the Lone Star Conference South Division. After an 0-3 start to its season, ACU has won three straight games -- including two in the LSC South -- to improve to 3-3 overall and 2-0 in the LSC South.
ACU will also try to extend its winning streak to four games, which would be its longest since a five-game winning streak at the end of the 1986 season. During that season - which saw ACU finish 7-3 for one of only three seven-win seasons since 1986 - ACU beat Southeast Missouri (30-3), Eastern New Mexico (34-10), Angelo State (45-13), Howard Payne (41-22) and East Texas State (20-12) to move to 7-1 on the season.
A win would push the Wildcats to 4-3, which would mark the latest they would have been over the .500 mark since they were 5-2 seven games into the 1997 season (7-4 finish).
RADIO: KULL 92.5 FM. David Bacon (play-by-play), Chuck Statler (color) and Steve Landtroop (sideline). ACU is no longer broadcasting its games over the internet.
SCOUTING THE WILDCAT OFFENSE
QB Colby Freeman had his best game as a Wildcat last Saturday, throwing for a career-best 325 yards and two scores in ACU's 30-29 win over Angelo State. His effort earned him Lone Star Conference South Division Offensive Player of the Week honors for the second time in the last three weeks. Freeman completed 23 of 30 passes to give him an even 600 yards passing in the Wildcats' last two games. He now has 1,130 passing yards this season, good for sixth in the conference. Freeman, however, is second in the league in passing yards per game (188.3), sixth in the league in total offense per game (196.8) and fifth in the league in passing efficiency (136.5 passer rating). Freeman's play over the last five weeks of the season has ACU ranked No. 1 in the LSC in passing offense (227.5 yards per game) and seventh in the league in total offense (340.2 yards per game). He is on pace to throw for 1,883 yards this season, which would be the second-highest total by a Wildcat since 1990, behind just the 2,052 yards by Rex Lamberti in 1993. ... ACU running back Eric Polk recorded his third 100-yard game of the season last week against Angelo State with 127 yards and one touchdown (43 yards) on 28 bruising carries. Polk now has 530 yards and three scores on 132 carries this season, good for seventh in the LSC in both yards and yards per game (88.3 per game). He has now moved into the career top 10 in three categories: rushing yards, attempts and rushing touchdowns. His 1,741 career yards is 10th on the list, passing Jerry Mullins, who rushed for 1,714 yards from 1949-52. He has 389 carries, which ranks seventh on the all-time list, bypassing Alton Green, who had 365 caries from 1948-50. He also has 15 career rushing touchdowns, which ties him with Hubert Pickett (1972-76) and Mullins for ninth on the all-time list. ... Freshman wide receiver Don Hooks had another big game against Angelo State, catching six passes for 99 yards and a 37-yard score, giving him 14 catches for 234 yards and two touchdowns on the season. ... Junior wide receiver DaRay Sims continues to lead the Wildcats in receiving with 17 catches for 320 yards and two scores. ... Thirteen different Wildcats have caught passes for the Wildcats this season.
SCOUTING THE WILDCAT DEFENSE
For only the second time this season, the Wildcats allowed less than 325 yards in a game, giving up just 316 yards of offense last week to the Rams. Angelo State rushed for just 88 yards in the game, ACU's second-best effort against the run this season (ACU allowed just 55 rushing yards to Tarleton State on Sept. 21). ... Sophomore linebacker Shawn Taylor continues to lead the Wildcats in tackles with 53, including 32 solo and six for 16 yards in losses. He has one interception, one forced fumble and two passes defended. ... ACU has 15 sacks on the season for 100 yards in losses. The Wildcats' sack total is only one sack short of last season's total of 16. ... Redshirt freshman Jayme Jackson leads the club in sacks with four, while senior defensive tackle Barrett Allen has three, including a key sack against Angelo State quarterback Kyle Hardin late in last Saturday's 30-29 ACU win over ASU. ... Middle linebackers Cliff Compton and Derek Degrate have two apiece. ... The Wildcats are ranked sixth in the LSC in rushing defense, allowing just 156.0 yards per game on the ground. ACU, though, is ranked last in the league in passing defense, allowing 235.8 yards per game through the air. The Wildcats have intercepted seven passes -- fourth-most in the LSC -- and allowed nine touchdown passes, fifth-most in the LSC. ... ACU is ranked 11th in the LSC in total defense, allowing 391.8 yards per game, and eighth in the league in scoring defense at 24.2 points per game.
SCOUTING THE WILDCAT SPECIAL TEAMS
Sophomore placekicker Eben Nelson is having a fantastic season for the Wildcats, hitting field goals that have provided the game-winning points in all three of ACU's wins this season. In fact, dating back to last year's season-ending win over West Texas A&M, Nelson has kicked a game-winning field in each of ACU's last four victories. ... He booted a 42-yard field goal with 8:07 to play last Saturday to beat Angelo State, 30-29, earning LSC South Division Special Teams Player of the Week honors for the second straight week. ... Nelson is second in the LSC in scoring by kickers with 37 points (9 of 12 field goals and 10 of 12 extra-point attempts), behind only Tarleton State's J.W. Boren, who has 53 points. ... Nelson leads the LSC in field goals per game (1.50 per game) and field-goal percentage (9 of 12; 75 percent) and is fourth in PAT percentage (10 of 12; 83.3 percent). ... ACU is fourth in the LSC in punting average (34.5 yards per punt on 29 attempts), but punter Chase Fishback is not ranked among the league's top 10 in individual punting. ... ACU is first in the LSC in kickoff returns, averaging 25.2 yards per return on 24 attempts. DaRay Sims leads the LSC in kickoff return average at 37.9 yards per return.
INJURY UPDATE
DE Nick Gray (broken right foot), out indefinitely; OL Buddy Dowden (broken foot), out indefinitely.
