ACU to host Ave Maria for Homecoming

Football | 10/8/2014 5:56:00 PM

Gameday Central

ABILENE -- The ACU Wildcats return to Shotwell Stadium for Saturday's Homecoming contest after last week's disappointing 24-21 home loss to Lamar. The Wildcats' loss to the Cardinals snapped their three-game winning streak and dropped them to 3-3 overall and 2-1 in the Southland Conference.

Saturday, the Wildcats take a break from Southland Conference action as they host Ave Maria (Fla.) in the annual Homecoming contest. The Gyrenes of Ave Maria are members of the NAIA and The Sun Conference. Ave Maria enters today's game at 1-4 overall after a 16-12 win last Saturday over Concordia (Ala.) College. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. and listeners can hear the game locally on 98.1 FM The Ticket. Those outside the listening area can tune in on www.the98x.com, or you can watch the game via www.acusports.com.

ACU is 52-33-1 all-time in 86 previous Homecoming contests and has won three of its last four. However, this is the first time since 1987 that ACU hasn't played a conference game for Homecoming. That year the Wildcats beat Texas Lutheran, 37-22, in the Homecoming game.

For whatever reason, the Wildcats have found scoring points at home a much more difficult task than scoring points in road games. In three home games this season, the Wildcats have scored 63 points: 21 points in each of their games. Meanwhile, in three road games, the Wildcats have scored 134 points for an average of 44.7 points per game, more than double their per-game point production at home.

The Wildcats continue to be led offensively by sophomore quarterback Parker McKenzie, who last week was held to just 182 yards through the air and a pair of touchdown passes. McKenzie, however, still leads the Southland in yards per game (291.7), touchdown passes (16), total passing yards (1,750), completions (131), and completion percentage (67.2).

Junior running back Herschel Sims had 90 yards last week against Lamar and is third in the league in yards per game at 81.8 on 76 carries (5.4 yards per carry). Redshirt freshman running back De'Andre Brown had his second 100-yard game of the season in the loss to Lamar as he rushed for 107 yards on 13 carries (8.2 yards per carry) in a backup role.

Defensively, the Wildcats are fifth in the league in total defense, allowing 388.0 yards per game. However, that unit gave up 157 yards and two touchdowns inside the final 10 minutes of last Saturday's loss as ACU saw a 21-10 lead turn into a 24-21 loss. Going into those final two drives, Lamar had just 305 yards of total offense on the day.

Senior defensive end Nick Richardson continued his assault on the ACU record book as he recorded 1.5 sacks (3.5 tackles for loss total) and 10 tackles in one of the best performances of his career. Richardson now has five sacks on the season and 28.5 in his career, moving him into fourth place on ACU's all-time sacks list. He needs just 5.5 more to tie Reuben Mason (34 sacks from 1976-78) at the top of the all-time list.

Ave Maria is averaging just 14.2 points per game and allowing 31.6 ppg through five contests. Running back Kaleb Coffee leads the offense with 246 yards and two touchdowns.