Football | 10/29/2015 11:44:00 PM
Gameday CentralABILENE – The ACU Wildcats will try to put an end to the program's longest losing streak in 10 years Saturday at Shotwell Stadium, but they'll have to try to do it against one of the best teams in the Southland Conference and one of the top defensive units in all of NCAA Division I FCS football.
The Cowboys of McNeese State invade Shotwell Stadium for Saturday's 2:30 p.m. contest, bringing with them a No. 10 national ranking, a 7-0 overall record, a 6-0 conference mark and a defense that ranks No. 5 in total defense at the FCS level. The Cowboys are allowing just 276.0 yards per game and rank No. 3 at the FCS level in scoring defense, allowing just 10.6 points per game.
The Wildcats, meanwhile, have lost four straight games since a 35-32 home win over Stephen F. Austin on Sept. 26. The Wildcats have been outscored 101-17 in the first half of those four games and haven't been able to put the skids on the program's longest losing streak since the Wildcats lost four straight in 2005.
Saturday's game is set for a 2:30 p.m. kickoff at Shotwell Stadium and will be broadcast on the American Sports Network with Randy McIlvoy (play by play) and N.D. Kalu (analyst) calling the action. A full list of affiliates carrying the game can be found at
www.southland.org/ASN. The game can also be heard locally on
98.1 FM The Ticket.
ACU is now 2-5 on the season and 2-4 in the Southland Conference and must win each of its final four games (Saturday vs. McNeese State, Nov. 7 at Northwestern State, Nov. 14 vs. Southeastern Louisiana, and Nov. 21 at Northern Colorado) to avoid the program's first losing season since 2005. ACU has won at least six games every season from 2006-14, and that streak is in jeopardy.
The Wildcats' losing streak reached four straight last Saturday with a 25-20 loss at Incarnate Word. The Cardinals got the game-winning score on Junior Sessions' 15-yard run with 48 seconds to play. The Wildcats had a throw toward the end zone on the game's final play, but
Dallas Sealey's desperation heave was intercepted near the goal line.
ACU trailed 10-3 at halftime – the fourth straight game the Wildcats was behind at the half – but got the game tied on the first play of the third quarter on a 70-yard touchdown run by
De'Andre Brown out of the "Widlcat" formation. ACU's other third-quarter touchdown came on a 75-yard touchdown pass from Sealey to
Carl Whitley, the two longest offensive plays of the season for ACU.
McNeese State, meanwhile, has barely been challenged this season. The Cowboys' closest game was a 21-7 win over Sotuheastern Louisiana on Oct. 10, but every other win has been by at least 15 points. McNeese is led by quarterback Daniel Sams, who has thrown for 1,098 yards and eight touchdowns while rushing for 551 yards and eight touchdowns.
Defensively, the Cowboys have 20 sacks and 54 tackles for loss and are led by Dominique Hill's 42 tackles.
