Football | 11/12/2015 11:03:00 PM
Gameday CentralABILENE – The ACU Wildcats close out the home portion of the schedule today against Southeastern Louisiana in the first meeting between the teams in more than 40 years.
The Wildcats enter the game riding a six-game losing streak – the program's longest in-season skid since the 2000 team lost its final six games of the season – and carrying a 2-7 overall mark and 2-6 Southland Conference record. Southeastern Louisiana, meanwhile, has also struggled this season and brings a 4-5 overall record and 3-4 Southland record into today's game.
Both teams suffered losses last week as ACU dropped a 39-22 road decision at Northwestern State on a cold, rainy night in Natchitoches, La., while the Lions fell to Incarnate Word, 16-2, on a similar kind of night in Hammond, La.
The Lions and Wildcats haven't played since Sept. 23, 1972, when Southeastern came away with a 14-10 win over the Wildcats in Abilene. The only other game between the two teams was played Nov. 6, 1971, in Hammond, La., with ACU winning the game, 28-7.
The injury-plagued Wildcats – who at times this season have had as many as 15 players (most either starters or key players) unavailable to play – will honor their seniors today as they play their final home game at Shotwell Stadium. This class of players has helped usher in the NCAA Division I era of Wildcat football and has put together a 29-25 overall record against some of the toughest schedules in ACU football history.
The seniors on this year's team were also part of a Wildcat team that in 2014 knocked off Troy for ACU's first win over an NCAA Division I FBS level team since a 1959 win over Texas-El Paso. The group of 13 players helped the Wildcats finish 4-4 in league play last season in ACU's first season at the FCS level, and first season to play a Southland Conference schedule since 1972.
The Wildcats' season-long first-half woes continued last Saturday against Northwestern State as the Demons turned a 7-6 ACU lead at the end of the first quarter into a 23-7 ACU deficit at halftime. The Demons would then outscore ACU 16-0 in the third quarter (a 33-0 scoring streak) to carry a 39-7 lead into the fourth quarter.
In their six-game losing streak, the Wildcats have been outscored 130-30 in the first half of those games (214-125 overall), and have been virtually out of the game at the break in four of the six losses (32-7 at Central Arkansas, 24-0 at Lamar, 35-7 vs. Sam Houston State and 23-7 at Northwestern State).
Southeastern has also been plagued by injuries and enters Saturday's game with a losing record after being picked in the pre-season to finish second in the Southland.
