ACU runs winning streak to five games
Wildcats punish Lions in dominating 47-6 victory
Game Stats
ABILENE -- Abilene Christian running back Eric Polk ran for 140 yards and three touchdowns Saturday as the Wildcats whipped Texas A&M-Commerce, 47-6, in a Lone Star Conference South Division game at Shotwell Stadium.
The victory, combined with Texas A&M-Kingsvlle's 37-34 loss at Eastern New Mexico pushes ACU into a first-place tie with the Javelinas for first place in the Lone Star Conference and into sole possession of first place in the LSC South Division. The Wildcats and Javelinas will play Saturday at 7 p.m. in Kingsville with the LSC title on the line.
If ACU wins its final two games -- Saturdsay at Kingsville and Nov. 16 at home against West Texas A&M -- the Wildcats would win the LSC title for the first time since 1977, and could clinch its first-ever spot in the NCAA Division II national playoffs.
The Wildcats (5-3 overall, 4-0 in the LSC South) took advantage of four first-half turnovers by the Lions (2-6, 1-3) to take a 27-6 halftime lead. ACU scored on each of the turnovers, including Jaime Bueno's recovery in the end zone of a fumbled punt.
Polk scored ACU's first touchdown on a 3-yard run with 10:56 left in the first quarter. Quarterback Colby Freeman then threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Dillon Cobb just 1:52 later as ACU took advantage of Commerce's first turnover. After Bueno's fumble recovery, Eben Nelson kicked field goals of 42 and 37 yards to give ACU its 21-point halftime lead.
Polk put the game away on the first two plays of the third quarter, going 50 yards on the first play of the half and then 18 for a touchdown on the second play for the touchdown that made it 34-6.
ACU's defense, which recorded seven sacks, limited the Lions to just one net yard of rushing and 175 yards of total offense. The Wildcats, meanwhile, rolled up 415 yards.
The win pushed ACU's winning streak to five games, its longest winning streak since 1986. The 47 points is the most ACU scored in a game since a 51-50 win over West Texas A&M in 1994.
