ABILENE – Abilene Christian University quarterback
Dallas Sealey threw for 304 yards and scambled for big plays, including the go-ahead score in the fourth quarter, rallying his team to a 25-22 win over Northwestern (La.) State University in the Wildcats' final home game in historic Shotwell Stadium.
Behind 13-5 after a lethargic first half that saw his team rush for only 7 yards and total just 124, Sealey's heroics improved ACU to a 2-7 record overall and 2-6 in the Southland Conference. NSU (1-8 and 0-7) dominated play until its second-half defensive mistakes let the Wildcats back in the game.
Abilene Christian, which has played in Shotwell for 57 full seasons, will open its on-campus Wildcat Stadium next fall. Saturday night, Sealey completed 29 of 45 passes and led his team in rushing with 52 yards, helping ACU outscore NSU 23-9 after managing just 2 points in the first quarter on a rare defensive two-point conversion.
ACU's defense kept things close in the first half by forcing a turnover on downs twice inside its 10-yard line.
Richard Griffin III stopped another drive with an interception and Stan Denmark totaled 16 tackles for the game.
Nik Grau's field goals of 42, 30 and 41 yards helped the Wildcats chip away on the Demons' lead, which Sealey eclipsed for good with a 1-yard run halfway through the fourth quarter, one play after a 48-yard pass to
D.J. Fuller.
ACU closes its 2016 season next Saturday when it travels to Hammond, La., for a 7 p.m. Southland Conference game against Southeastern Louisiana in Strawberry Stadium.
SCORING DRIVES
- 1Q (11:02) – Northwestern State running back Ronald Green sprinted 41 yards for a touchdown to open the Demons' scoring, but the Wildcats blocked the PAT kick and ACU cornerback Keith Barnett ran it back 98 yards to give ACU two points. NSU 6, ACU 2 (Drive: 6 plays, 65 yards, 1:48)
- 1Q (6:12) – NSU quarterback J.D. Almond threw a 36-yard scoring pass to a wide-open De'Mard Llorens. The play was Almond's seventh consecutive completed pass since a dropped pass on the Demons' first play of the game. NSU 13, ACU 2 (Drive: 5 plays, 60 yards, 2:21)
- 2Q (6:55) – ACU's Nik Grau kicked his ninth field goal of the season (on 10 attempts), a 42-yarder. NSU 13, ACU 5 (Drive: 10 plays, 46 yards, 3:59)
- 3Q (9:15) – Nik Grau booted his second field goal of the game, a 30-yarder. The drive was set up when the Demons turned the ball over on downs to open the third quarter. NSU 13, ACU 8 (Drive: 9 plays, 47 yards, 2:43)
- 3Q (4:33) – NSU's De'Mard Llorens scored his second touchdown of the night on a 1-yard run, but a 2-point conversion pass play was stopped short of the goal line by the Wildcats. NSU 19, ACU 8 (Drive: 11 plays, 74 yards, 4:34)
- 3Q (1:20) – Dallas Sealey threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to running back Tracy James, pulling the Wildcats closer once more. ACU's PAT, a pass, failed. NSU 19, ACU 14 (Drive: 8 plays, 79 yards, 3:06)
- 4Q (12:16) – Nik Grau kicked his third field goal of the night, a 41-yarder. He has not missed on four attempts from beyond 40 yards all season. NSU 19, ACU 17 (Drive: 10 plays, 56 yards, 2:36)
- 4Q (8:36) – Dallas Sealey ran 1 yard for a go-ahead touchdown, one play after he hit D.J. Fuller on a 48-yard pass play. De'Andre Brown's 2-point conversion pass to Trevor Crain was successful. ACU 25, NSU 19 (Drive: 7 plays, 81 yards, 1:39)
- 4Q (4:31) – NSU's Erick Piccione kicked a 40-yard field goal to tighten the Wildcat lead. ACU 25, NSU 22 (Drive: 9 plays, 43 yards, 4:05)
PLAYS THAT MATTERED
- • ACU's return of a blocked PAT kick in the first quarter was its first-ever such scoring play, and followed the Demons' opening touchdown. Keith Barnett scooped up the ball and ran 98 yards to complete the 2-point play. The "defensive two-point conversion" was first allowed in collegiate football in 1988.
- • Free safety Richard Griffin III stepped in front of a J.D. Almond pass at the ACU 2-yard line and returned it to the 4 with 13:47 left in the second quarter. Just a few plays earlier, with 20 seconds left in the first quarter, Wildcat linebacker Quincy Dunn appeared to recover a Demon fumble with 20 seconds left in the first quarter, but officials overruled it.
- • ACU stopped NSU from what looked like sure points on the scoreboard with 3:05 left in the second quarter. On fourth-and-1 at the Wildcat 6-yard line, the Wildcats denied running back Charles Vaughn a first down and the Demons another likely score.
- • The odd 13-5 halftime deficit for the Wildcats was not reflective of NSU's total domination on the ground (154 yards rushing to 7 for ACU) and in total yards (275 to 124). The Demons entered the game 1-7 overall and winless (0-6) in conference play but averaging 237 yards rushing over the last five games of this season.
- • ACU forced the Demons to turn the ball over on downs to begin the second half, taking possession on their 40-yard line, the Wildcats' best field position of the night to begin a drive of its own. The Wildcats showed new life on their ensuing drive, with Nik Grau's second field goal of the game pulling ACU closer, 13-8.
- • A three-play sequence late in the third quarter put ACU back in the game. Defensive holding on the Demons when ACU failed to convert a fourth-and-1 from the NSU 37, followed by a personal foul on NSU on the next play, moved the ball to the 5-yard line. The Wildcats turned both gifts into a touchdown on the next play when Tracy James caught a scoring pass from Dallas Sealey.
- • The Wildcats rediscovered their running game in the fourth quarter. Having run for just 8 yards all night, Dallas Sealey scrambled twice on key plays during a drive that ended with Nik Grau's third field goal of the night, pulling ACU to within 2 points, 19-17. ACU rushed for 47 of the 56 yards on the drive, led by De'Andre Brown's 16 yarder.
- • A 48-yard pass play from Sealey to D.J. Fuller as he streaked down the left sideline set up Sealey's 1-yard TD run with 8:36 left in the game. De'Andre's 2-point conversion pass found a leaping Trevor Crain in the right corner of the end zone to put ACU on top for the first time, 25-19.
- • On first-and-10 at the Wildcat 17-yard line, ACU linebacker Jeremiah Chambers sniffed out a NSU end-around play, tackling Shakeir Ryan for a 6-yard loss to help stall a Demon drive. Rather than a TD, the visitors had to settle for a 40-yard field goal to pull them to within three, 25-22.
- Dallas Sealey scambled 9 and 20 yards for big first downs on consecutive plays to keep his team's final drive alive.
WILDCAT PLAYERS OF THE GAME
Offense
Sophomore quarterback
Dallas Sealey used his arm and feet to rally ACU to the win, leading his team in passing and rushing on the night, and scoring the game-winning touchdown in the fourth quarter. Sealey finished the game with 304 yards through the air and another 52 and one touchdown – the eventual game-winner – on the ground. He had 187 passing yards and 45 rushing yards in the second half, leading an ACU offense that out-gained Northwestern State 267-171 and out-scored the Demons 20-5.
Defense
Junior linebacker
Sam Denmark had 16 tackles, including six solo stops. He entered the game as the Southland Conference leader in solo tackles and second in total tackles. He now has 317 career tackles, which is good for eighth on ACU's all-time tackles list, three behind David Wright, who had 320 from 1989-92.
QUOTABLE
- • "We really struggled to run the ball very effectively in the first half, and we spent a lot of time at halftime talking about the running game. We changed up a few things to get the ball in my hands a little bit more and it worked pretty well." – ACU quarterback Dallas Sealey
- • "All week, coach (Ken) Collums emphasized the last game at Shotwell and how important this game was for all of the guys who played here before us. It's a great way to go out, and now we're all looking forward to playing in Wildcat Stadium." – ACU quarterback Dallas Sealey
- • "This game took everybody – offense, defense, special teams, coaches – for us to come out with a win. Things looked bleak in the first half because they were doing some good things against our offense. But we made some adjustments defensively against their run and offensively with our running game, and those were the difference in the game. Ultimately, though, it comes down to guys making plays and our guys made plays in the second half." – ACU head coach Ken Collums
- • "I'm so happy we were able to win this game and close the Shotwell chapter of our history the right way. A come-from-behind win is a great way to go out. We tip our hat to the Abilene school district and Shotwell for being great partners with ACU since 1960, but we have in front of us with Wildcat Stadium will be unbelievable. It will change this program immeasurably." – ACU head coach Ken Collums
NOTABLE
- • ACU began playing football in 1919 but its first full season at Shotwell Stadium was 1960. The Wildcats posted perfect regular-season records in 1963 (5-0), 1973 (5-0), 1974 (5-0), 2008 (5-0), 2010 (6-0) and 2013 (4-0).
- • Besides Shotwell, ACU chiefly played home games in Abilene at venues that no longer stand: Fair Park Stadium, A.B. Morris Stadium (on campus) and Elmer Gray Stadium (on campus).
- • The Wildcats have played six post-season games at Shotwell, winning four of them. Two of them were NAIA Division I semifinal warmups for national championships: a 1973 win over Langston (Okla.) University and another in 1977 against the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. ACU's most recent playoff game was an epic 93-68 win in 2008 over rival West Texas A&M.
- • Linebacker Sam Denmark entered the game sixth in FCS in total tackles (86) and 25th in tackles per game (9.6). He is first in the Southland in solo tackles and (39) and second in total tackles.
- • Quarterback Dallas Sealey entered the game leading FCS in the fewest interceptions per game (0.5), is 12th in passing yards (2169), 14th in passing yards per game (271.1) and tied for 15th in TD passes (17). In the Suthland.
NEXT GAME
ACU closes its season next Saturday when it travels to Hammond for a 7 p.m. Southland Conference game against Southeastern Louisiana University in Strawberry Stadium. Northwest Louisiana will play Stephen F. Austin in Nacogdoches at 3 p.m.
