Football | 9/2/2015 3:24:00 AM
Gameday CentralFRESNO, Calif. – The ACU Wildcats kick off the 2015 football season Thursday night when they take on Fresno State at Bulldog Stadium.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. Pacific time (9 p.m. Central time) and the game can be heard on 98.1 FM The Ticket or online at www.the98x.com. The game can be viewed via the Mountain West Conference Network at www.themwc.com/videos.
Ken Collums leads the Wildcats into the 2015 season coming off a 6-6 campaign in 2014 that included a 4-4 campaign in the Southland Conference, the program's first year back in the league since 1972. The Wildcats finished the season with a 37-35 win at playoff-bound Stephen F. Austin that gave ACU its eighth straight season of at least six wins and at least a .500 record, the longest such streak in program history.
The Wildcats ACU returns 14 starters from the 2014 squad, along with 12 other players who have made at least one start in their careers. Six starters are back on defense, five on defense and three specialists. The six starters returning offense started a combined 60 games last year, while the five on defense started a combined 32 games. The three returning special teams players started a combined 36 games in 2014. Those 14 returning starters have started a combined 150 games in their careers.
The other returning players have started nine games combined giving the Wildcats 152 career starts among players who have starting experience.
Ken Collums leads the Wildcats into the 2015 season coming off a 6-6 campaign in 2014 that included a 4-4 campaign in the Southland Conference, the program's first year back in the league since 1972. The Wildcats finished the season with a 37-35 win at playoff-bound Stephen F. Austin that gave ACU its eighth straight season of at least six wins and at least a .500 record, the longest such streak in program history.
The Wildcats ACU returns 14 starters from the 2014 squad, along with 12 other players who have made at least one start in their careers. Six starters are back on defense, five on defense and three specialists. The six starters returning offense started a combined 60 games last year, while the five on defense started a combined 32 games. The three returning special teams players started a combined 36 games in 2014. Those 14 returning starters have started a combined 150 games in their careers. The other returning players have started nine games combined giving the Wildcats 152 career starts among players who have starting experience.
Fresno State returns 14 starters to the team and 29 lettermen and was picked to finish second in the West Division in the 2015 Mountain West preseason poll. Senior running back Marteze Waller and senior left tackle Alex Fifita were both selected to the 2015 pre-season all-Mountain West team. The Bulldogs sport a youthful roster in 2015 where 65 players on the squad are either freshmen or sophomores. Senior outside linebacker Eliro Edraine has recorded 29.0 tackles for a loss over the last two seasons, which was the second-most of any Mountain West defender in that time
