Football | 11/6/2014 2:55:00 PM
Gameday CentralABILENE – The ACU Wildcats return home to Shotwell Stadium on Saturday as they host Northwestern State in the final home game of the 2014 season.
The Wildcats enter the game coming off arguably their best win in two seasons at the FCS level, last Saturday's 52-35 win over Southland Conference co-leader Central Arkansas at Clark Stadium in Plano. The Wildcats forced seven turnovers and saw both running back
De'Andre Brown and backup quarterback
Kade Munden rush for at least 100 yards in the game as Brown went for 171 and Munden 100 in the win.
Munden was pressed into starting duty after
Parker McKenzie was ruled out of the game after suffering a concussion late in the Wildcats' 38-21 loss at Sam Houston State on Oct. 25. McKenzie is scheduled to be back in the starting lineup Saturday, but head coach
Ken Collums said that Munden could still see some playing time against the Demons.
The win against the Central Arkansas pushed ACU back to .500 in its first full season in the Southland Conference at 5-5 overall and 3-3 in the league. Northwestern State, meanwhile, enters Saturday's game coming off a 35-28 home loss against McNeese State, dropping its record to 4-5 overall and 2-3 in the Southland.
The Wildcats will welcome back four players who missed last Saturday's game with injury: defensive ends
William Moore and
Cameron Briscoe, linebacker
Sam Denmark and cornerback
Keith Barnett. ACU will still be without defnesive end
Rob Boyd, defensive tackle
Travaughn Moore and defensive back
Quentin Bryant.
Brown enters Saturday's game third in the Southland Conference in rushing yards (679) and second in yards per game (84.9). He's also tied for fifth in touchdown runs with six on the season.
The Demons are led by the quarterback-wide receiver combination of Zach Adkins and Ed Eagan. Adkins is third in the league in yards passing per game (235.6) and second in touchdown passes (22), while Eagan – who had 10 catches for 238 yards agaisnt McNeese State – leads the league in receptions (50) and receptions per game (5.6) and is second in the league in receiving yards per game (76.4).
Defensively, ACU is third in the league in scoring defense (25.6 ppg), while Northwestern State is eighth in the league in scoring defense (35.6 ppg). ACU is fifth in total defense (409.2 ypg) and the Demons are sixth in total defense (414.0 ypg).
Saturday's game marks the final home appearance for 15 ACU seniors who have posted a 26-17 record in four seasons and made an NCAA Division II playoff appearance in 2011 and helped ACU make the transition to NCAA Division I FCS football. Those 15 seniors are
Justin Stewart,
Nick Richardson,
Demarcus Thompson,
Jonathan Parker,
Justin Stephens,
Angel Lopez,
Rob Boyd,
Blake Rudd,
Chris Summers,
Colton Carnes,
Logan Hoppenrath,
Ben Hynds,
Noah Cheshier,
Brandon Dornak and
Damon Williams.
