Nice Day for the "Young Fella"

Bernard Scott's 96-yard kickoff return Sunday was the difference in the Bengals' 18-12 victory over the Steelers that not only moves the winners a game ahead in the AFC North at 7-2 and really makes it a two-game lead because Cincinnati has now swept the season series and, thus, has the tiebreaker.

After Scott's amazing runback, which began just a few yards in bounds on the right side of the field at his own 4 and ended in the left side of the opposite end zone, all three ACU players in the NFL have now returned kickoffs for touchdowns since last December. Danieal Manning took one back against the Saints 11 months ago, and rookie Johnny Knox did it against Detroit earlier this season.

In the postgame press conference, Bengals QB Carson Palmer threw some love toward Bernard, who also had 13 carries for 33 yards and a 21-yard catch filling in when starter RB Cedric Benson went out with a hip injury. Read that and Bernard's quotes here.

High Noon

ACU will play Northwest Missouri State at noon Saturday in Maryville, Mo. Forecast currently calling for chilly temps all week but warming to 60 degrees on game day with a chance of showers.

My early thought on this game is that it looks on paper to be a bit of a role reversal from last year's playoff matchup between these two teams. In 2008, ACU had the record-breaking offensive juggernaut and Northwest the stingy defense. This year, the Bearcats are No. 2 in the nation in scoring at 44.5 points per game while the Wildcats lead the nation in rushing defense and are among the leaders in Division II in total defense.

ACU fans hope the final score is a role reversal, too.

Lessons Learned: ACU vs. MSU (Playoffs)

• Left for dead in the second half, ACU resurrected its offense late in this game – something it couldn't do last week – to prevail over Midwestern State, 24-21.
• Redshirt freshman QB Mitchell Gale's confidence has to be soaring after throwing two late TD passes when the Wildcats' season looked to be nearing an end. The ACU offense was going nowhere until he hit Edmund Gates in the left corner of the end zone for a 16-yard TD pass and the lead with 1:47 left in Q3, and then found Kendrick Johnson on a pretty 41-yard catch and run TD pass play with 13:42 left in the final quarter.
• Freshman placekicker Morgan Lineberry had a flawless afternoon, with 3 PATs and a 25-yard field goal with just under 10 minutes left that ended up providing the point differential in the win for ACU.
• Can't blame MSU QB and national passing efficiency leader Zack Eskridge if he doesn't want to see ACU's defense again any time soon. The Wildcats sacked him eight more times today, bringing their 2-game total to 13. Eskridge hurt ACU with his savvy downfield running, but he couldn't escape the ferocious pass rush of ACU's linemen and linebackers. Kevin Washington had a monster game: 13 tackles (8 solo) and 2 sacks. DL Marvin Jones was dominant with 2 sacks and 6 tackles, as well.
• There was a fine turnout of a couple thousand purple-shirted ACU fans. And a big thanks is due the Big Purple Band, which didn't march but provided a great lift to the Wildcats from their perch high in the Memorial Stadium stands.
• Up next: a rematch in the Show-Me State with perennial national power Northwest Missouri State in a second-round playoff game next Saturday (tentatively at noon) in Maryville, Mo. NWMo has not lost a home game since the Wildcats rallied to beat them 44-27 in the 2008 season opener. This will be the second time this season ACU has played the Bearcats, having beat them in the season opener in Shotwell Stadium, 19-14.

Final Stats: ACU 24, MSU 21

    Score: ACU 24, MSU 21

    First downs: ACU 12, MSU 22

    Rushes: ACU, 31 for 111 yards; MSU 36 for 96 yards

    Passes: ACU, 14 of 20 for 141 yards and 2 TDs; MSU, 23 of 34 for 298 yards, 1 INT and 1 TD

    Total yards: ACU 252, MSU 394

    Penalties: ACU 11 for 94, MSU 7 for 65

    Third-down conversions: ACU 2 of 11, MSU 3 of 10

    Red-zone conversions: ACU 2 of 2, MSU 2 of 2

    Possession time: ACU 28:15, MSU 31:45

    Sacks by: ACU 8 for 57 yards, MSU 2 for 15 yards

    Leading rushers: ACU, Reggie Brown, 21 for 111 yards; MSU, BeeJay Mathis, 11 for 62 yards, Zack Eskridge, 11 for 15 yards and 2 TDs

    Leading passers: ACU, Mitchell Gale, 14 of 20 for 141 yards and 2 TDs; Zack Eskridge, 23 of 34 for 298 yards, 1 INT and 1 TD

    Leading receivers: ACU, Kendrick Johnson, 5 for 77 yards and 1 TD, Edmund Gates, 3 for 24 yards and 1 TD; MSU, Andy Tanner, 9 for 92 yards and 1 TD, Sheldon Galloway, 4 for 84 yards

    Etc.: ACU P Mark Sprague punted 7 times for a 48.7-yard average, including a 69-yarder; ACU LB Kevin Washington credited with 13 tackles (8 solo) and 2 sacks

SCORING SUMMARY

    Q1, 14:45 – ACU 7, MSU 0 – Dennis Campbell 97-yard kickoff return (Morgan Lineberry kick)

    Q2, 05:30 – ACU 7, MSU 7 – Zack Eskridge 25-yard run (Jose Martinez kick)

    Q2, 00:57 – ACU 14, MSU 7 – Eskridge 9-yard run (Martinez kick)

    Q3, 01:47 – ACU 14, MSU 14 – Edmund Gates 16-yard pass from Mitchell Gale (Lineberry kick)

    Q4, 13:42 – ACU 21, MSU 14 – Kendrick Johnson 41-yard pass from Gale (Lineberry kick)

    Q4, 09:57 – ACU 24, MSU 14 – Lineberry 25-yard field goal

    Q4, 1:06 – ACU 24, MSU 21 – Andy Tanner 7-yard pass from Eskridge (Martinez kick)

ACU Drive No. 13

With 66 seconds left, MSU's onside kick is recovered by ACU at the Wildcat 44 by LB Arthur Johnson with 1:03 left. MSU is called for an illegal substitution, which moves the ball to the ACU 49. MSU calls a time out with 00:58 left. Gales takes a knee and the clock winds down to 00:40. Gales takes one last knee and the game ends with a celebration at midfield and in the stands as ACU qualifies for the second round and a rematch with Northwest Missouri next Saturday. Final score: ACU 24, MSU 21.