ACU-ECU Highlights

Passing: Mitchell Gale, 23 of 32 for 263 yards and 5 TDs; Clark Harrell, 4 of 8 for 43 yards; and John David Baker, 1 of 2 for 2 yards
Rushing: Charcandrick West, 9 for 110 yards; Josh Morgan, 10 for 56 yards; and Darrell Cantu-Harkless, 6 for 55 yards
Receiving: Darrell Cantu-Harkless, 4 for 90 yards and 2 TDs; Edmund Gates, 5 for 55 yards; Charcandrick West, 2 for 43 yards; Kendrick Johnson, 3 for 30 yards; Ben Gibbs, 2 for 17 yards; Emery Dudensing, 3 for 16 yards and 2 TDs; Chris Fowler, 2 for 14 yards; Raymond Radway, 2 for 12 yards; and Josh Morgan, 2 for 9 yards
Defense: Nathan Baggs and Courtney Lane, 4 tackles each; Austin January, Kevin Washington, L.B. Suggs and Ryan Smith, 3 tackles each
Score: ACU 47, ECU 7
First Downs: ACU 27; ECU 6
Rushing: ACU 36 for 251 yards; ECU 29 for -12 yards
Passing: ACU 28 of 42, 0 INT, 5 TDs, 308 yards; ECU 8 of 277, 2 INT, 1 TD, 131 yards
Total Yards: ACU 559, ECU 119
Third Down Conversions: ACU 6 of 14; ECU 2 of 15
Time of Possession: ACU 34:48, ECU 25:12

Final: ACU 47, East Central 7

What looked like another scoring drive for the Wildcats ended when Charcandrick West fumbled and ECU recovered at the 1-yard line with 9:40 left in the fourth quarter.

Freshman QB John David Baker took over for Clark Harrell with 6:29 left in the quarter.

ACU moved to 3-0 and ECU to 0-3 with the 47-7 win for the Wildcats.

End of Q3: ACU 47, East Central 7

ACU took the opening kickoff of the second half and drove steadily down the field. The trip was capped by a 19-yard field goal by Morgan Lineberry with 11:18 left in the third quarter, stretching the Wildcat lead to 47-7. The big play on the drive was a 27-yard pass to RB Charcandrick West from QB Mitchell Gale, whose night ended after an impressive performance: 23 of 32 for 263 yards and 5 TDs.

Backup QB Clark Harrell – the younger brother of former rec0rd-setting QB Graham Harrell of Texas Tech University – took over for Gale on ACU's second possession. He and freshman RB Josh Morgan moved the Wildcat offense down the field smoothly, but Lineberry's 36-yard field goal attempt at 4:51 was off the mark.

The third quarter ended with ACU up, 47-7, and the Wildcats holding a 24-5 advantage in first downs. For the game, the Tigers had -8 yards on 20 rushing attempts and 131 yards of total offense, thanks to a dominating Wildcat defense.

End of Q2: ACU 44, East Central 7

With the Tigers pinned inside their 5-yard line by the Wildcat defense, ACU senior DE Fred Thompson intercepted a Vandererzee pass at the 16 and returned it to the 11. Three players later, Gale found the Wildcats' new scoring machine, Dudensing, for a 1-yard TD pass at 8:56. Lineberry's PAT attempt bounced off the upright, making ACU's new lead 30-7.

Freshmen were the stars of ACU's next scoring drive. A 46-yard run by RB Charcandrick West helped set up Gale's fifth TD pass of the half, a 34-yarder to speedy Cantu-Harkless. Lineberry's PAT upped the Wildcat advantage to 37-7 with 6:12 remaining.

ACU's scoring parade continued when senior DE Bryson Lewis recovered an ECU fumble in the end zone at 2:17, and another Lineberry PAT made the score 44-7.

ACU's offensive leaders at the half included QB Gale (19 of 27 for 216 yards and 5 TDs), RB Charcandrick West (2 rushes for 51 yards), RB Cantu-Harkless (4 catches for 90 yards and 2 TDs). The Wildcats have held ECU to zero rushing yards on the evening, and have 14 first downs to the Tigers' 5. Senior LB Courtney Lane leads the ACU defense with four tackles.

End of Q1: ACU 24, East Central 7

East Central opened a 7-0 lead on its fifth play from scrimmage with a 70-yard TD pass from QB Tyler Vanderzee to WR Tyra Waits at 13:52 of the first quarter. ACU moved the ball smartly down the field, with senior WR Edmund Gates making a leaping grab at the back of the end zone of a 9-yard Mitchell Gale pass for a TD at 10:50. Morgan Lineberry's PAT tied the score at 7-7.

Less than a minute later, ACU junior DB David Lamour intercepted a Vanderzee pass at the ECU 44-yard line, and the Wildcats were in business again. Three plays later, Gale escaped a sack attempt to find RB Darrell Cantu-Harkless over the middle. The freshman from Austin outraced defenders to the end zone on a 35-yard scoring play. Lineberry's PAT put ACU on top, 14-7 with 8:40 remaining.

Lineberry's 48-yard field goal at 5:39 extended the ACU lead to 17-7.

After a penalty-filled drive, Wildcat senior FB Emery Dudensing scored the third TD of the season – and his career – when Gale found him for a pass completion in the right flat and the former six-man football star rumbled into the corner of the end zone for a score with 2:17 left. Lineberry's third PAT of the game made the score 24-7.

Gale, ACU's sophomore QB, ended the quarter having completed 10 of 15 passes for 115 yards and three TDs. The ACU defense held ECU to 3 yards of rushing.