GAME 11
CENTRAL ARKANSAS (5-5, 3-4) at ABILENE CHRISTIAN (6-4, 5-3 Southland)
Saturday, Nov. 17 • 2 p.m. • Anthony Field at Wildcat Stadium • Abilene, Texas
MEDIA INFORMATION
Streaming:Â ESPN+
TV Talent: Grant Boone (play-by-play), Glenn Smith (analyst)
Radio:Â
KTLT 98.1 FM The Ticket
Radio Talent: Zach Carlyle (play-by-play), Jim Reese (analyst)
Twitter:Â @ACUSports
Game Notes: Central Arkansas I
ACU
MATCHUP
ABILENE CHRISTIAN
6-4, 5-3 Southland
Ranking:Â RV - STATS, NR - Coaches
Head Coach: Adam Dorrel (NW Missouri St., '98)
Career Record:Â 84-21 (8th season)
ACU Record:Â 8-13 (2nd season)
Adam Dorrel vs. Central Arkansas: 0-1
CENTRAL ARKANSAS
5-5, 4-4 Southland
Ranking:Â NR / NR
Head Coach:Â Nathan Brown (Central Arkansas, 2009)
Career Record:Â 5-5 (1st season)
Central Arkansas Record:Â 5-5 (1st season)
Nathan Brown vs. ACU:Â 0-0
OPENING KICKOFF
• The ACU Wildcats close out the regular seasonSaturday with a game against Central Arkansas, and they've still got plenty to play for against the Bears.
• While the Wildcats don't have an opportunity to win a share of the Southland Conference title, a win over the Bears would give the Wildcats a fifth straight win to the end the season, a 7-4 record and a strong resume to present to the NCAA Division I FCS playoff selection committee that will be meeting Saturday in Indianapolis to determine the playoff field, which will be
announced Sunday.
• Incarnate Word capped its improbable season last Saturday in Conway, Ark., with a 40-27 win over Central Arkansas, a victory that gave the Cardinals no worse than a share of the league championship, a stunning turnaround for a team that last year was 1-10 ovrall (1-7 in the league) and picked last (11th) in the league's annual preseason poll.. ... The Cardinals are off Saturday, but can win the outright championship and the Southland's automatic bid to the FCS playoffs Thursday night if Nicholls loses at home to Southeastern Louisiana. That would leave UIW and McNeese – which plays red-hot Lamar on Saturday – as the only two-loss teams in the league. UIW, however, would win the title outright and the bid to the playoffs by virtue of its 45-17 win over the Cowboys on Oct. 20. • However, if Nicholls beats Southeastern, the Colonels will win a share of the title, but will earn the league's automatic bid based on its 48-21 win over Incarnate Word on Oct. 27. That would leave UIW and possibly ACU and either McNeese or Lamar – based on the winner of that game – as teams still hoping for an at-large bid to the playoffs. ... First things first for the Wildcats, however, and that means dealing with a Central Arkansas team team that, while out of the playoff chase at 5-5 overall and 4-4 in the league, is the defending league champion. ... The Wildcats are1-1-8 all-time against the Bears and are 1-3 against UCA since 2014 when they re-joined the Southland Conference. After ACU won the 2014 game, 52-35, the Bears have ripped off three straight wins, all in dominating fashion: 42-14 in 2015, 58-27 in 2016 and 34-0 in the 2017 season finale.
A LOOK AT THE NUMBERS
• The Wildcats are coming off their lowest point total and second-fewest yards of the season, although last week's 17-10 win over Sam Houston State might have been one of the best performances by a Wildcat team in several years. ... The Wildcats dominated the line of scrimmage, rushing for 189 yards and limiting the Bearkats to just 59 yards. ... The Wildcats now rank third in the league in rushing offense (176.4 yards per game) and third in the league in rushing defense, allowing just 115.0 ypg. ... The Wildcats rank 16th in FCS football in rushing defense and 57th in the country in rushing offense.
• Despite being limited to just 361 yards of total offense – just the second time this season the Wildcats have been limited to less than 400 yards, joining the 337 yards posted in a 24-21 loss at Stephen F. Austin on Sept. 22 – the Wildcats still racked up 28 first downs against the Bearkats. ... ACU leads the Southland in total first downs with 251 and in first downs per game (25.1). ... The Wildcats rank fourth in the country in total first downs with Samford leading the way with 268. ... Meanwhile, ACU's defense has held opponents to just 191 first downs (19.1 per game), which ranks third in the Southland and 55th in the nation.
• The Wildcats won the time of possession battle once again last Saturday in their win over Sam Houston State, holding onto the ball for 34 minutes, 46 seconds. ... ACU leads the Southland and 13th in FCS football in TOP (32:47). ... ACU has won the TOP battle in seven of 10 games so far this season and the Wildcats are 5-2 in those games (wins over Angelo State, Houston Baptist, Southeastern Louisiana, Northwestern State and Sam Houston State and losses against Baylor and Incarnate Word).
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