ABILENE – Sophomore quarterback
Parker McKenzie threw for 329 yards and a stingy defense helped ACU blank the University of the Incarnate Word 21-0 Saturday afternoon in the two teams' 2014 Southland Conference opener at rainy Shotwell Stadium, the Wildcats' first shutout since a 51-0 win over McMurry in the 2012 season-opener.
ACU outgained UIW 256-62 in total yards in the first half while building a 14-0 lead, and coasted the rest of the way while its top two running backs recover from injuries. Freshman linebacker
Sam Denmark led the Wildcat defense with two interceptions. Abilene Christian outgained the Cardinals 415 yards to 133 in the game, and held them to nine first downs.
The Wildcats (1-0 in the Southland) evened their overall record at 2-2 in the game, billed as the P4X Foundation Challenge to benefit pediatric cancer research. UIW fell to 0-4 and 0-1 in the Southland to continue a stretch of futility that has seen the Cardinals outscored 117-3 since a 49-13 season-opening loss to Sacramento State.
ACU junior wide receiver
Jace Hudson had big catches on his team's first two drives, none larger than a 65-yarder on the second drive in which he broke tackles, reversed field and scored to put the Wildcats up 7-0 with 5:36 left in the first quarter.
On the subsequent drive, Wildcat defensive end
Nick Richardson blocked a 49-yard field goal try by Ramon Cato and three plays later, the Wildcats threw deep again with McKenzie hitting wide receiver
Cedric Gilbert in stride on a 70-yard touchdown pass at the 1:18 mark. Gilbert, a junior, entered the game leading the nation in yards per catch at 36.6, and the touchdown was the fourth in his first seven catches this season.
An interception by linebacker
Sam Denmark set up the Wildcats at the UIW 33-yard line, but the Cardinal defense stiffened and ACU's
Nik Grau missed a 43-yard field goal with 11:51 remaining in the half after hitting his first 12 attempted field goals of the season.
Grau missed another field goal attempt with 21 seconds left before halftime, this time a 25-yarder during a downpour.
The Wildcats built a 21-0 lead with 10 seconds left in the third quarter when redshirt freshman runningback
Randy Gober wrapped up a 14-play, 54-yard drive that chewed up more than six minutes of the clock. The 1-yard touchdown run was Gober's first of his career after missing all of last year with an injury.
ACU looked to be on its way to another score in the fourth quarter, thanks to a 49-yard catch and run by senior wide receiver
Demarcus Thompson. The drive stalled when Hudson dropped a potential 27-yard scoring pass in the left corner of the end zone, and Grau missed his third field goal of the game, a 44-yarder.
McKenzie completed 21 of 33 passes in the game. ACU's top rusher was sophomore
Adrian Duncan with 54 yards on 20 carries. Hudson had six catches for 120 yards, Gilbert caught five for 92 and Thompson had four for 67.
UIW quarterback Brey McCollum completed eight of 24 passes for 73 yards and was intercepted once. The Cardinals managed 60 yards on the ground, led by Joseph Sadler's 27 yards on three carries.
ACU travels to play Houston Baptist University next Saturday for a Southland Conference game at Dunham Field. Kickoff will be at 7 p.m. CST with the game broadcast on Fox Sports Southwest.
