ACU-ENMU Scoresheet

    Q2, 13:56 – ACU 3, ENMU 0 – Ryan Owens 31-yard field goal

    Q2, 05:30 – ACU 6, ENMU 0 – Owens 23-yard field goal

    Q2, 03:00 – ACU 6, ENMU 6 – Jesse Poku 1-yard pass from J.J. Harp (Taylor Cannon kick failed)

    Q2, 01:27 – ENMU 13, ACU 6 – J.T. Thompson 13-yard pass from Harp (Cannon kick)

    Q2, 00:00 – ENMU 13, ACU 9 – Owens 27-yard field goal

    Q3, 13:29 – ENMU 20, ACU 9 – Mark Patterson 61-yard pass from Harp (Cannon kick)

    Q3, 13:13 – ENMU 20, ACU 16 – Justin Johnson 100-yard kickoff return (Owens kick)

    Q3, 07:05 – ENMU 27, ACU 16 – Thompson 10-yard pass from Harp (Cannon kick)

    Q3, 05:10 – ENMU 27, ACU 23 – Edmund Gates 38-yard pass from Zach Stewart (Owens kick)

    Q3, 03:38 – ENMU 30, ACU 23 – Cannon 39-yard field goal

    Q4, 14:55 – ACU 30, ENMU 30 – Reggie Brown 6-yard run (Owens kick)

    Q4, 12:27 – ENMU 33, ACU 30 – Cannon 35-yard field goal

    Q4, 05:58 – ACU 37, ENMU 33 – Brown 15-yard run (Owens kick)

    Q4, 05:34 – ACU 44, ENMU 33 – Brown 22-yard run (Owens kick)

Lessons Learned: ACU vs. ENMU

• ACU's rushing attack is formidable. Reggie Brown (235 yards) and Daryl Richardson (143) combined for nearly 400 yards and three TDs. They became the first pair of Wildcat backs to top 100 yards in the same game since Chancy Campbell (163 yards) and Taber Minner (114) did it in a 45-20 win over Northeastern State on Oct. 7, 2006. Brown is only the 12th ACU back to top 200 yards in a game, and his performance tonight is the sixth-best in school history.
  
• Richardson joins Bernard Scott as the first pair of brothers to rush for more than 100 yards in a game as a Wildcat. Scott is a rookie RB for the Cincinnati Bengals after starring for ACU the past two seasons.
• ACU's defense held the Greyhounds to half of their per-game average in total offense, and -1 yards of rushing, while almost doubling ENMU in time of possession. 
  
• Justin Johnson's determined kickoff return of 100 yards in the third quarter lit a fire under the Wildcats. His teammate signaled him to take a knee in the end zone, but he waved him off and set sail on a beauty of a play, only the third 100-yard kickoff return in ACU history. Between Johnson and dynamic punt returner Kendrick Johnson, opponents have got to start to losing sleep about kicking to the Wildcats. Johnson, in particular, is a threat to score on most punts he doesn't fair-catch or that sail out of bounds so he can't reach them. His elusiveness is beginning to be reminiscent of former ACU star Danieal Manning in the open field.
  
• The Wildcats may have found themselves a kicker in redshirt freshman Ryan Owens, who had three field goals (31, 23 and 27 yards) and five PATs.
  
• ENMU's fine QB, J.J. Harp, was sacked four times by the magnificent Wildcat defense, and barely escaped on a half-dozen other plays where he had to throw the ball out of bounds. 
  
• If ACU was tired of chasing Harp around by the fourth quarter, it didn't show. The Wildcats outscored the Greyhounds 21-3 in the final frame. 
  
• A lackluster first half of mostly misfiring offenses turned into a track meet in the second half. Wildcat WR Edmund Gates showed his separation speed on a 38-yard TD catch in the third quarter.
  
• Attendance for the game in Shotwell Stadium: 8,542.
  
• Students doing the Macarena at halftime with Willie the Wildcat and the Big Purple Band: too many to count.

Final stats: ACU 44, Eastern New Mexico 33

    Score: ACU 44, ENMU 33

    First downs: ACU 28, ENMU 19

    Rushing: ACU, 58 for 362 yards and 3 TDs; ENMU, 14 for -1 yards

    Passing: ACU, 16 of 38 for 227 yards, 2 INTs and 1 TD; ENMU, 32 of 65 for 304 yards, 3 INTs and 3 TDs

    Total offense: ACU 589 yards, ENMU 303 yards

    Time of possession: ACU 37:32, ENMU 22:28

    Third-down conversions: ACU 6 of 18, ENMU 3 of 17

    Leading rushers: ACU, Reggie Brown, 26 for 235 yards and 3 TDs; Daryl Richardson, 21 for 143 yards; ENMU, J.J. Harp, 9 for 30 yards

    Leading passers: ACU, Zach Stewart, 9 of 23 for 94 yards and 1 TD, Mitchell Gale, 4 of 9 for 73 yards, Clark Harrell, 3 of 6 for 60 yards; ENMU, J.J. Harp, 32 of 65 for 304 yards, 3 INTs and 3 TDs

    Leading receivers: ACU, Edmund Gates, 6 for 126 yards and 1 TD; ENMU, Jesse Poku, 10 for 112 yards and 1 TD

    Leading kick returner: ACU, Justin Johnson, 3 for 170 and 1 TD

ACU Drive No. 21

Time to run the clock down via a running game with which the Greyhounds are just not familiar. RB Reggie Brown rushes up the middle for 1 to the 26 of ACU. ENMU calls timeout. ENMU has 304 yards passing and -1 rushing in the game, true to its 2009 form, but far short of its 600 yards of offense average thus far. ENMU is called for being offsides, ball moves 5 yards to the 31. On second down, Brown rushes up the middle for a gain of 3, and the clock continues to roll.  On third and 1, Brown bulls up the middle for a first down at the 40. ACU lets the play clock run down to 1 second, and the game clock to 2:04, then calls a time out. Daryl Richardson takes over as RB on the drive, and runs for a gain of 5 to the 45. ENMU calls timeout with 1:58 left in Q4. Richardson runs up the middle, breaks out of the pack, and is gone down the right sideline. He delivers a forearm shiver to an attempted defender near the 25, reverses field and is finally tackled at the ENMU 3, a gain of 52. Injury timeout for a tired Greyhound with 1:31 left. At the ENMU 3, ACU takes a knee rather than running up the score, and the clock winds down. Final score: ACU 44, ENMU 33, the Wildcats' 15th-straight regular-season victory. They are now 5-0 on the season.

ENMU Drive No. 18

Kick fielded at the 2, and returned to the ENMU 46; a great return. 5:25 left in Q4. Timeout on the field as the down marker has a mechanical problem (it doesn't have THAT many moveable parts, folks). Harp pass over the middle is complete to the ACU 39 and a first down. Harp is almost sacked, throws the ball away. Intentional grounding called on ENMU, and illegal substitution on ACU; penalties offset and here we go again. Pass by Harp is to no one in particular down the right sideline. Fans are screaming for holding penalty to be called. Harp pass in right flat is almost intercepted again. ACU flagged for pass interference and the ball moves to the 32. On first down, Harp pass is complete to Jesse Poku at the 30. Harp is sacked by Fred Thompson for a loss of 3.  On third down, Harp passes complete to Dominic Preston at the 25. On fourth down, the crowd roars, and Harp pass is broken up by Craig Harris.  ACU takes over on downs with 3:27 left in Q4, leading 44-33.

ACU Drive No. 20

Mr. Reggie Brown runs it in 23 yards on first down for the TD, giving him 225 yards (on 23 carries) in the game. PAT is good and ACU stretches its lead to 44-33.  ENMU lives by the pass, and dies by it as well, apparently. 5:34 left in Q4.

ENMU Drive No. 17

ACU kickoff is fielded at the goal line and returned to the 35. 5:50 left in Q4. ENMU flagged on the play for an illegal block in the back, and the ball moves back to the 13.  Timeout on the field. Harp's pass to the left side is intercepted at the 25 by senior DB Major Culbert. ACU takes over at the 23.

ACU Drive No. 19

RB Daryl Richardson runs off right tackle for a loss of 1. Reggie Brown bulls up the middle and into the end zone for a 16-yard TD and the ACU lead. PAT is good and ACU leads, 37-33 with 5:58 left in Q4.

ENMU Drive No. 16

Ball on ENMU 19. Pass over middle is juggled, dropped and incomplete. Injury timeout on the field for a Greyhound player, WR Arvin Jackson, who leaves the field on his own power. Harp scrambles out of bounds on the left sideline, but ENMU is flagged for holding on the play. 10-yard penalty and still second down at the 10. Pass by Harp is good to Jesse Poku in the right flat, but he is gang-tackled at the 13. On third down, Harp is sacked at his own 4.  On fourth down, ENMU punts from its end zone, badly, and the ball sails out of bounds at the ENMU 15, a huge break for the Wildcats with 6:43 left in Q4.  

ACU Drive No. 18

Kickoff is caught by Justin Andrews at the ACU 25. Media timeout with 12:24 left in Q4. This game is 3 hours old with most of the fourth quarter still to go. Clark Harrell is back in at QB. Reggie Brown is stopped up the middle, a loss of 1. Pass over middle to Edmund Gates is good for a first down at the ACU 47. Reggie Brown runs over a couple of people before being tackled at the ENMU 45, a gain of 8. Brown again up the middle, punishing tacklers before going down at the 34, another first down for ACU. Brown again, up the middle for another big gain and a first down at the 19. ENMU defenders look gassed. The Greyhounds call a timeout with 9:48 left. Justin Johnson is the new RB; he runs up the middle for no gain. Reggie Brown is back in the game. He stumbles at the line of scrimmage, gaining just 2. On third down, a pass to Edmund Gates is ruled incomplete. On fourth down, a 34-yard field goal is wide left and ENMU takes over on downs with 8:23 left in Q4.

ENMU Drive No. 15

ACU kick sails through the end zone for a touchback. Ball on 20 for ENMU to start fourth quarter. Harp pass is broken up over the middle, intended for Dominic Preston. Harp pass to left is complete to Arvin Jackson in left flat for a gain of 9. Harp pass to Thompson is good for first down on the 39. Pass to Preston over the middle is good to the ENMU 47. Timeout for injury to ACU safety Tony Harp, who walks off the field and looks OK. Harp pass over middle to wide-open Preston is good to the ACU 29 and a first down. Pass to Chase Kyser gains 2. Pass in right flat is over the head of of Jesse Poku, but Craig Harris is flagged for interference. First down at the 22. Pass deep in the left corner of end zone to Kyser is over his head and incomplete. Pass to Terence Thompson is complete to the 18. Pass intended for Poku is broken up. This is a racetrack, folks. On fourth down, a 35-yard field goal is good, and ENMU takes the lead again, 33-30 with 12:27 left in Q4. 

ACU Drive No. 17

Justin Johnson fields the kick and returns it to the ACU 49, nearly breaking another return for a score. Clark Harrell is the next ACU QB. Reggie Brown busts into the open and rushes to the ENMU 14 and a first down. Brown again, this time up the middle for 3 to the 11. End of the third quarter. ENMU flagged for being offside, ball moves to the 6. Brown bulls up the middle for a 6-yard TD run. Facemask penalty on ENMU; TD is good. PAT is good and we have a tie game, 30-30 with 14:56 left in Q4.

ENMU Drive No. 14

Harp pass in left flat is too far and incomplete. Harp Pass over middle to Ross Williams is good for a first down at the 33. Rare run by Terrence Grifin is good to the 27. Pass complete to Williams at the 20 for a first down. Griffin runs up the middle for a loss of 1 to the 21. Pass to Williams is dropped, incomplete. Harp scrambles to the 18 on third down. On fourth down, a 35-yard field goal is good. Flag on the play; illegal formation on ENMU.  Loss of 5; fourth and 13. A 39-yard FG is good, and ENMU stretches its lead to 30-23 with :38 left in Q3.

ACU Drive No. 16

Swing pass by Zach Stewart to RB Reggie Brown is sniffed out by ENMU, and results in a loss of 6 yards.  Pass intended for WR Dennis Campbell is incomplete. Third and 15. Pass to Kendrick Johnson is short and incomplete. On fourth down, Sprague punt is downed by ACU at the ENMU 49 with 2:50 left in Q3. 

ENMU Drive No. 13

Kick fielded at the 17 and returned to the ENMU 36 with 5:03 left in Q3. Harp is sacked on first down by LB Kevin Washington, a loss to the 24. Harp pass down the left sideline is long and incomplete. ACU flagged on the play, and ball moves to the 29. Pass to Jesse Poku is good in the right flat, and taken to the 41.  Pass by Harp is nearly intercepted down the right sideline. On fourth down, ENMU punt is out of bonds at the ACU 18 with 3:48 left in Q3.  ENMU 27, ACU 23.

ACU Drive No. 15

ENMU kick is fielded at the goal line by Justin Johnson and returned to the 23. Stewart still the QB for the Wildcats. Pass in right flat is caught by Chris Fowler and good for a first down at the ACU 35. Daryl Richardson runs around right end for another first down to the ENMU 49. Pass to the right sideline is way over anyone's head. Richardson runs around right end and out of bounds at the 44. Richardson runs up the middle to the 40. ENMU flagged for being offsides, so ACU has a first down at the 38. Pass deep over the middle is complete to a wide-open Edmund Gates for a 38-yard TD. PAT good and the lead is cut to 27-22.

ENMU Drive No. 12

Pass deep is complete to Jesse Poku for long gainer; tackled at the ACU 26. A rare rushing play goes nowhere up the middle. Pass is complete to Dominic Preston for a irst down at the ACU 10. his next pass is dropped by Poku in the right flat. Pass to Jeremy Preston at the goal line is complete for a 10-yard TD. PAT is good and ENMU leads 27-16 with 7:05 left in Q3. 

ACU Drive No. 14

ACU drive begins at 11:22 of Q2. Daryl Richardson rushes 8 yards up the middle on first down. Richardson again up the middle for a first down at the 20. Richardson up the middle again for 3 yards. Richardson runs around right end, pushed out of bounds after a gain of 3. Stewart's pass to Edmund Gates on right sideline is good for a first down at the ACU 32. Richardson runs off right tackle to the 33, a gain of 1. Richardson again up the middle; no gain. Stewart almost sacked, but throws the ball out of bounds to the left. Fourth down. Sprague punt fair-caught at the ENMU 34 with 7:58 left in Q3. 

ENMU Drive No. 11

Kickoff fielded at the 16 and returned to the ENMU 33. Timeout on the field with 13:09 left in Q2. Harp pass in the left flat broken up by DB Craig Harris. Harp is sacked at the ENMU 22, and the Greyhounds are flagged for holding. Third down. Harp pass is good in right flat to Jesse Poku but 10 yards short of a first down. Punt on fourth down is fielded at the 19 by Kendrick Johnson and returned to the 45. ACU is flagged for offside and running into the punter, giving ENMU a first down at the ENMU 37. Punt is fielded by Kendrick Johnson at the 8 and returned to the 38. ACU flagged for block in the back, ball moves to the ACU 4.

ACU Drive No. 13

ENMU kickoff fielded in the end zone by Justin Johnson; he waves off a teammate who wants him to down it, and runs it back 100 yards for a TD. That's the third time in ACU history for kickoff return of 100 yards.  PAT is good and lead is cut to 20-16 with 13:13 left in Q3. 

ACU Drive No. 12

ENMU kickoff sails through the end zone for a touchback. ACU ball on its 20. Zach Stewart returns at QB. Daryl Richardson runs off right tackle for a gain of 4 on first down. Stewart passes complete to WR Chris Fowler for a first down at the 35.  Richardson runs around right end to the ENMU 47, but the Greyhounds are flagged for offsides. Stewart pass intercepted by DB Mark Patterson and returned 61 yards for a TD. PAT is good and ENMU leads 20-9 with 13:29 left in Q3. 

Halftime Stats for ACU-ENMU

    Score: ENMU 13, ACU 9

    First downs: ACU 11, ENMU 9

    Rushing: ACU, 29 for 112 yards; ENMU, 6 for 24 yards

    Passing: ACU, 10 of 26 for 143 yards and 1 INT; ENMU, 15 of 36 for 110 yards, 2 INTs and 1 TD

    Total offense: ACU 255 yards, ENMU 134 yards

    Time of possession: ACU 20:09, ENMU 9:51

    Third-down conversions: ACU 4 of 13, ENMU 2 of 10

    Leading rushers: ACU, Reggie Brown, 13 for 109 yards; ENMU, J.J. Harp, 4 for 26 yards

    Leading passers: ACU, Mitchell Gale, 4 of 9 for 73 yards; ENMU, J.J. Harp, 15 of 36 for 110 yards, 2 INTs and 1 TD

    Leading receivers: ACU, Edmund Gates, 3 for 59 yards; ENMU, Jesse Poku, 5 for 42 yards and 1 TD

ACU Drive No. 11

ENMU squib kick is fielded at the 43 and returned to the 49 with 1:24 left in Q2. New QB is Clark Harrell. His pass to Dennis Campbell is incomplete in right flat. Pass to Edmund Gates is caught at the right sideline, the tackle is missed and he sprints into the open, stepping out of bounds at the 17 of ENMU. Kendrick Johnson catches Harrell's pass and runs to the 14. Harrell stumbles and trips at the 18. ACU calls a time out with :33 left in the first half. Third and 7. Harrell scrambles up the middle as the pocket collapses, and is tackled at the 10. Fourth down and 3. ACU calls another time out with :01 left. 27-yard FG by Ryan Owens, a redshirt freshman from Colleyville, is good as time expires. ENMU 13, ACU 9 at the half. 

ENMU Drive No. 10

J.J. Harp's pass is well short of a receiver in the right flat on first down at the ACU 25. Harp passes too long for his receiver down the right sideline. Pass is caught by a leaping Dominc Preston at the 13 for a first down. Pass to the left is complete to WR Jeremy Thompson and run in for a TD. PAT is good and the Greyhounds lead 13-6 with 1:27 left in Q2. 

ACU Drive No. 10

 Kickoff fielded at the 8 by Kendrick Johnson and returned to the ACU 40 with 2:50 left in Q2. Gale still the QB. Reggie Brown rushes up the middle for 4 to the 44. Gale scrambles, is sacked and fumbles, and ENMU recovers at the ACU 26.  2:00 left in Q2.

ENMU Drive No. 9

First and 1 at the ACU 1 for ENMU. Harp's pass is batted down at the line of scrimmage by Aston Whiteside. Another rare run, this time by RB Terrence Griffin, is stopped for a loss of 2 at the 4.  The Greyhounds call a timeout, its third and final one of the first half. Harp scrambles and throws in the end zone to Jesse Poku, who drops the ball. Flag on the play, defensive holding on ACU. Ball moves to the 2. First down. Harp pass is complete at the goal line to Poku for a TD. PAT is missed, and we have a tie game, 6-6, with 3:00 left in Q2.

ACU Drive No. 9

ACU takes over on its 2 with 3:46 left in Q2. Reggie Brown drops the handoff and it is recovered at the 1 by ENMU. 

ENMU Drive No. 8

ENMU returns the ACU kick to the ACU 37 with 5:23 left in Q2. Harp pass over the middle is nearly intercepted by Arthur Johnson. He is a cat with 9 lives. Pass caught by Jesse Poku on the right sideline is complete to the 45. Harp runs around right end for a first down at the 50. Harp is pursued and dumps the ball, and is flagged for intentional grounding. Ball moves to the 40, a loss of 10. Pass to Poku is incomplete, but ACU is flagged and the ball moves to the 50, and a first down for ENMU. What?? A run by ENMU?? The back drops the ball and recovers it for no gain. Pass to Poku is almost intercepted over the middle. Pass to Arvin Jackson is complete over the middle to the ACU 39. On fourth down, Harp pooch kicks the ball, downed at the ACU 2 with 3:46 left in Q2. 

ACU Drive No. 8

ACU begins its drive on its 13. New QB is freshman Mitchell Gale. RB Daryl Richardson runs up the middle for a gain of 1. Pass by Gale is complete to Edmund Gates, who jitterbugs his way to the 34. Pretty pass. Gale scrambles and throws the ball out of bounds to the right. Screen pass to Richardson is dropped and incomplete. Pass is complete to WR Chris Fowler to the ENMU 47. Gales' swing pass to slippery WR Kendrick Johnson is complete, and he is finally stopped at the 35, a first down. Richardson runs up the middle to the 31. Time out charged to the Greyhounds. Gale passes to the right sideline for Edmund Gates but it is broken up. Gale scrambles and passes complete to Richardson for a first down at the ENMU 8. Richardson runs up the middle for a gain of 2. ACU calls a timeout at 5:44 of Q2. Gale's pass in the right flat to Edmund Gates is short and incomplete, bringing up 3rd and goal. Gale's pass is incomplete to a wide-open Chris Fowler. Field goal of 23 yards by Ryan Owens is good with 5:30 left in Q2. ACU 6, ENMU 0. Not the kind of offensive thrill show the crowd anticipated. Lots of shots fired, with most of them blanks.

ENMU Drive No. 7

Pass is complete to WR Arvin Jackson in the left flat for a gain of 4. Pass is out of bounds to the left, amazingly avoiding a flag for grounding. Pass in the right flat is broken up by LB Courtney Lane. Pass by Harp on fourth down is deep down the middle but incomplete. ACU is flagged for offsides; the ball moves 5 yards but it's still fourth down and the Greyhounds are going for it again. Harp pooch kicks it to the ACU 13, where the ball is downed with 9:20 left in Q2. 

ACU Drive No. 7

RB Daryl Richardson tries the right side and gains 3 to the ENMU 38. Pass intended for Raymond Radway is too tall and intercepted by Tillman Stevens and returned to the ENMU 36.  10:19 left in Q2.

ACU Drive No. 6

On first down at the 12, Stewart's deep pass to Edmund Gates is deflected, and incomplete.  RB Reggie Brown runs off left tackle for a gain of 2. Stewart is sacked at the Wildcat 8 on third down, a loss of 6. Fourth down. Mark Sprague's punt is a beauty, and is muffed, picked up by Courtney Williams, with the Wildcats taking over at the ENMU 41 with 11:13 left in Q2.

ENMU Drive No. 6

ACU's kick is fielded at the 19 and Peyton Whitlock is tackled at the ENMU 30. Timeout on the field. Pass by J.J. Harp is out of bounds to no one in particular. Pass to WR Jesse Poku gains 6 to the 35. Pass complete over the middle to WR Jeremy Thompson to the 39.  On fourth down, Tim Hall's punt is downed at the ACU 12. 

ACU Drive No. 5

RB Reggie Brown races up the middle for a big gainer to the ACU 34. Brown takes the handoff again, up the middle, makes a great juke move to the outside, and the race is on.  He is run down finally at the ENMU 21. The tired Greyhounds call time out with :13 left in Q1. Brown runs up the middle again for a gain to the ENMU 15 as the first quarter expires. Brown runs off right tackle for 2. Zach Stewart runs out of bounds at the 15. Fourth down. Ryan Owens' 31-yard field goal is good and ACU leads 3-0 with 13:56 left in Q2. 

ENMU Drive No. 5

Pass over the middle to Jesse Poku is over his head and incomplete. Pass to Poku on the right sideline is juggled and caught for a gain to the 37.  ENMU flagged and the ball retreats 5 yards. Pass to WR Arvin Jackson is too far for him on a deep post pattern. Pass is complete in the left flat to WR Chase Kyser for a gain to the 37. ENMU flagged for a false start, so the ball moves back to the 37. Pass deep down the middle is intercepted by Tony Harp at the ACU 22 with 1:09 left in Q1.

ACU Drive No. 4

Stewart's screen pass to FB Justin Andrews is complete but he is brought down for a loss of 4 to the ACU 41. Pass deep over the middle to WR Chris Fowler is over his head. Stewart is sacked at the ACU 39, a loss of 2, and it's fourth down for ACU. Punt by Mark Sprague is fair-caught at the ENMU 19 with 2:04 left in Q1.  No score still.

ENMU Drive No. 4

Ball on the 23. Harp scrambles for his life, and overthrows Jesse Poku on the right sideline. Harp escapes another sack and throws the ball out of bounds to the left sideline. Pass over the middle is tipped incomplete. Fourth down. Punt is fair-caught by ACU's Kendrick Johnson at the ACU 45 with 3:33 left in Q1. 

ACU Drive No. 3

Ball on the ACU 48. Zach Stewart's pass to WR Kendrick Johnson is off his fingertips in the right flat. Pass to TE Ben Gibbs is complete at the ENMU 29, at the left sideline. RB Daryl Richardson runs up the middle for a gain of 6 to the 23. Pass intended for Chris Fowler is too tall near the goal line. Pass to Edmund Gates in the right end zone is way over his head. Ricardo Navarro's 40-yard field goal attempt is wide right and the game remains scoreless with 4:03 left in Q1.

ENMU Drive No. 3

Ball on the ENMU 20, no score in the game. Harp's pass to WR Arvin jackson is incomplete over the middle. Harp scrambles and his pass in the middle is almost intercepted by DB Craig Harris. Harp's pass to Jackson is off his fingertips, and almost intercepted again. Fourth down. Punt is out of bounds at the ACU 47 with 5:19 left in Q1. The Greyhounds offense was on the field for all of 16 seconds on that drive; the previous drive was less than minute. ENMU's defense is in for a long night at this breakneck pace.

ACU Drive No. 2

Zach Stewart's pass is complete over the middle to a leaping TE Ben Gibbs for a gain of 8 to the 39. Pass intended for Edmund Gates is a little too far for him over the middle. Pass to RB Daryl Richardson is off his fingertips in the left flat, but ENMU is whistled for a personal foul.  Ball moves to the ENMU 47 for a first down. RB Reggie Brown busts up the middle for a gain of 5 to the 42. Brown again, off right tackle, for 4 to the 38. Brown again up the middle for a big gain to the ENMU 18; the Greyhounds will not stop him with arm tackles like that. Brown does it again, gaining 8 up the middle to the 10. Brown finds the running tough off right tackle, and is stopped for no gain. Stewart runs a QB draw up the middle, making just enough for the first down at the 8 of ENMU. Brown tries the right side, gaining 1 to the 7. WR Edmund Gates takes the ball on an end-around, gaining 2 around the left to the 5. Stewart's pass over the middle to Brown is off his fingertips, and the field goal team is summoned. The FG is faked, with a pass at the goal line off the fingertips of TE Trey Simone. ACU is flagged on the play for illegal substitution and 15 yards on the mark-off at 5:44 of Q1. ENMU takes over.

ENMU Drive No. 2

J.J. Harp avoids the sacke and scrambles for 2 yards to the ACU 38. Harp calls his number again, running to the 31. Harp pass is almost intercepted in the right flat. On fourth down, Harp's pass is broken up by LB Courtney Lane, and the Wildcats take over on the ACU 31 with 10:51 left in Q1.

ACU Drive No. 1

Ball on the ACU 30. RB Daryl Richardson runs to the 35, a gain of 5. Richardson up the middle, but loses 1 to the 34. Edmund Gates catches a Zach Stewart pass at the 39. ACU is going for it on fourth down. Richardson is stopped for a loss of 1 yard, and the Greyhounds take over. 11:50 left in Q1.

ENMU Drive No. 1

ACU kick by Morgan Lineberry sails through the end zone; Greyhounds get the ball at their 20. Harp passes to WR Jesse Poku over the middle to the 29. Harp passes to WR Jeremy Thompson, complete to the 39 for a first down. Harp scrambles for a first down to the ACU 47 and a first down. Harp passes to a wide-open Arvin Jackson over the middle to the 34, another first down. Harp pass complete to Jackson again to the 28. Pass complete to RB Terrence Griffin to the 34. Pass intercepted by LB Edward Zamora at the 11, returned to the ACU 30.  13:10 left in Q1.

Is the Best Offense a Great Defense?

Welcome to sunny and warm (89 degrees) Shotwell Stadium, where the No. 2-ranked Wildcats, should they take time to look in the mirror tonight, might see a team that looks a lot like themselves the last two years.  

For the first time in quite a while, the team entering this game with a suspect defense and a high-octane, record-setting offense is not wearing purple and white but green and white. Eastern New Mexico is 2-2 overall and 2-1 in the LSC, averaging nearly 600 yards of passing, 668.8 yards of total offense and is fresh off a 76-56 scoring circus last week in its win over Texas A&M-Commerce. Two weeks ago, Greyhound quarterback J.J. Harp set NCAA records for pass attempts (94), completions (64) and a Division II record for total offense by a single player (681). ENMU also set a NCAA record with 47 first downs.

The storylines are intriguing. Can ENMU sustain that kind of offense against the best defense it has seen this season? Will Lone Star Conference sack leader Aston Whiteside and his buddies put the kind of pressure on Harp that Commerce couldn't last week in its lackluster performance? Can quarterback Zach Stewart lead sustained drives for ACU, and keep Harp's offense off the field? If it falls behind ENMU in a scorefest, can ACU display the big-play offense it has come to be known for having? Can ACU's stingy defense keep its pedal to the metal in a game that could push four hours in length? 

Do comparative stats from this season mean much to these two opponents? On Sept. 12, ENMU lost 49-47 to Southeastern Oklahoma, a team ACU whipped last week, 33-14.  Two weeks ago, the Wildcats won dramatically in overtime to beat a stubborn A&M-Commerce team, 20-14, yet the Lions gave up 76 points to the Greyhounds the very next week. 

ACU enters the tape-your-ankles part of its 2009 season tonight, with four of its next seven opponents (Texas A&M-Kingsville, 4-0; Midwestern State, 4-0; Tarleton, 4-0; and Angelo State, 3-1) sharing only one loss among them as of this week.   

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Heeeere's Johnny!!!

Okay, so maybe it wasn't just that he was running up video game totals against Division II opponents. Johnny Knox can play.

In his home debut for the Chicago Bears and just his second NFL game ever, the former ACU WR scored his first career touchdown - a game-tying score in the closing minutes, no less, and against the defending Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers. The Bears went on to beat the Steelers, 17-14, to even their record at 1-1.

Knox finished with 6 catches, the first of which he stretched out to catch to keep a drive going, for a total of 70 yards and that TD. Besides the passes thrown by Jay Cutler, Knox also caught the attention of the Chicago press.

His fellow former Wildcat, starting FS Danieal Manning, tied for the Bears' team lead in tackles with 8.

Bernard Scott didn't see a lot more playing time in his second game for Cincinnati, but the second of his two carries in Green Bay was a big one: a 6-yard scoot on 3rd and 2 to keep the Bengals driving and the ball away from the Packers. Cincy hung on for a 31-24 victory to even its record at 1-1.

It's a bit surreal to see guys whose exploits I had the pleasure and challenge of trying to somehow describe on the ACU radio broadcasts play at Lambeau Field and lead one of the NFL's storied franchises to victory over a world champion.

We'll always have Portales.

Final stats: ACU 33, Southeast Oklahoma 14

    Score: ACU 33, SEO 14

    First downs: ACU 19, SEO 19

    Rushing: ACU 36 for 164 yards, SEO 26 for 43 yards

    Passing: ACU 16 of 28 for 194 yards and 2 TDs; SEO 27 of 42, 1 INT and 267 yards

    Punt returns: ACU 4 for 117 yards, SEO 2 for 0 yards

    Possession time: ACU 30:40, SEO 29:20

    Third-down conversions: ACU 4 of 13, SEO 8 of 16

    Rushing leaders: ACU, Daryl Richardson 92 yards, Justin Johnson 37 yards; SEO, Josh Johnson 32 yards

    Passing leaders: ACU, Zach Stewart, 15 of 26, 2 TDs and 187 yards; SEO, Justin Pitrucha, 24 of 34, 225 yards

    Receiving leaders:  ACU, Edmund Gates, 3 for 67 yards and 1 TD; SEO, Daniel Nichols 8 for 84 yards and 1 TD

SCORING SUMMARY

    Q1, 03:47 – ACU 7, SEO 0 – Edmund Gates 14-yard pass from Zach Stewart (Ricardo Navarro kick)

    Q1, 00:25 – ACU 14, SEO 0 – Kendrick Johnson 72-yard punt return (Navarro kick)

    Q2, 12:26 – ACU 21, SEO 0 – Zach Stewart 1-yard run (Navarro kick)

    Q2, 06:25 – ACU 28, SEO 0 – Daryl Richardson 28-yard pass from Stewart (Navarro kick)

    Q3, 05:51 – ACU 31, SEO 0 – Navarro 23-yard field goal

    Q3, 01:57 – ACU 31, SEO 7 – Jerrod Temple 16-yard pass from Justin Pitrucha (Cole Jones kick)

    Q4, 13:03 – ACU 31, SEO 14 – Daniel Nichols 7-yard pass from Pitrucha (Jones kick)

    Q4, 06:19 – ACU 33, SEO 14 – Fred Thompson safety

SEO Drive No. 13

SEO pass complete on the left sideline for a gain to the 27. RB Nic Boyd rushes around left end for no gain. Pass in the right flat is complete to Robbie Morris, tackled by DB DeMaurier Jordan. Boyd runs again, tackled on the SEO 36. Time expires and ACU moves to 4-0 on the season with a 33-14 win over the Savage Storm.

ACU Drive No. 12

SEO's free kick is fielded at the ACU 41 by Kendrick Johnson and returned in heavy traffic to the 46. Media timeout on the field. Mitchell Gale returns to QB for ACU. Daryl Richardson runs off left tackle to the ACU 49. Richardson again runs off left tackle (behind Tony Washington) for a gain of 1 to the 50. ACU calls a timeout. Gale's throw is complete to junior WR J.T. Aspra – the pride of Hunt, Texas – for a first down at the SEO 43. ACU calls another timeout before the 25-second clock expires. RB Reggie Brown runs up the middle for a gain of 3. Good to see FB Emery Dudensing back in the fray after a leg injury kept him out of ACU's first three games. Brown runs up the middle again for a gain to the 37. WR Edmund Gates takes the end-around handoff but is stopped at the 36 for a gain of 1. Comfortably ahead, ACU takes a delay of game penalty with the clock now showing 1:52 left in the contest. Mark Sprague's punt is downed at the SEO 23 with 1:42 left.

SEO Drive No. 12

SEO is backed up on its 1-yard line. Run up the middle gains 1 yard to the 2. QB Pitrucha keeps the ball and is greeted rudely at the 1 by Fred Thompson for no gain as a SEO player's helmet goes flying. Pitrucha is sacked in the end zone by Eric Edwards and Thompson for a safety, stretching the ACU lead to 33-14 with 6:19 left in Q4.

ACU Drive No. 11

SEO attempts an onside kick but ACU's Demetric Lee recovers it at the SEO 37; the second straight failed attempt by the Savage Storm. Media timeout on the field. Zach Stewart is back in at QB; his handoff to RB Justin Johnson up the middle gains 7 to the SEO 30. WR Edmund Gates takes the end-around and races to the SEO 22 and another first down. Johnson runs up the middle for a gain of 4. Johnson gets the handoff again but is stopped for no gain, again up the middle. Third and 6. Stewart drops back to pass but the middle opens up and he takes the opportunity to run for a first down to the SEO 10. ACU calls a timeout with 10:03 left in Q4. Johnston runs up the middle to the 5. Johnson goes up the middle again, stopped at the 1. Injury timeout on the field. Stewart tries to sneak up the middle but is stopped for no gain. Fourth and 1, and the Wildcats are going for it. Stewart's pass intended for Justin Andrews in the end zone is incomplete and SEO takes over on its 1 with 7:53 left in Q4. 

SEO Drive No. 11

Run up the middle by RB Josh Johnson is good for a first down at the 34. Pass to WR Ty Hull on the right sideline is complete for a gain to the SEO 46 as time runs out in Q3. Run up the middle by Josh Johnson gains 4 to the ACU 42. Pass to WR Dee Williams is complete on the left flat for a gain to the ACU 37. Pass over the middle is complete to Jerrod Temple for a big gain to the ACU 7. Pass is complete to WR Daniel Nichols in the end zone for a 7-yard TD. PAT is good and SEO cuts the ACU lead to 31-14 with 13:03 remaining in Q4. 

ACU Drive No. 10

SEO kick is pooched and caught by ACU's Arthur Johnson at the SEO 38; a gamble and bad result for the Savage Storm. New QB is freshman Mitchell Gale. Justin Johnson carries around right end for a gain of 3 to the SEO 35. Justin Johnson is stopped for a loss in the backfield, a loss of 5 to the 40. Gale's pass over the middle is dropped by WR J.T. Aspra.  Fourth down punt by Mark Sprague is moved back 5 yards by delay of game, trying to get a little more room with which to work.  His kick is into the end zone for a touchback with 0:24 left in Q3.

SEO Drive No. 10

ACU kickoff is fielded at the 15 and returned up the right side, where kicker Morgan Lineberry pushes the Storm player out of bounds at the SEO 45. Pass to TE Jerrod Temple is way over his head, but ACU is flagged for defensive holding. Ball moves to the ACU 46 on the penalty. RB Laury runs off right end to the ACU 43. Laury rushes off right tackle to the ACU 42. Pass over the middle is complete to WR Daniel Nichols for a first down at the ACU 32. Pass on the left sideline is batted down by DB Craig Harris; a fine play. Pitrucha is drilled as he lets go of a pass headed down the left sideline to no one in particular; he gets up slowly. DB Harris is flagged for pass interference on another attempt down the left sideline. Pass is incomplete but the ball advances to the ACU 21. Laury runs around left side but Fred Thompson trips him at the 24, a loss of 3 on the play. Pass to Laury is complete and he scrambles over the middle to the 23, but ACU is flagged for offsides. Pass in right flat is complete to Ty Hull, tackled by FS Tony Harp at the ACU 11. Pass over the middle is broken up by SS Richard Havins. Pass intended for Ty Hull at the right sideline is over his head and incomplete. SEO penalized for delay of game, loss of 5 to the 16. Third and 16. Pass over the middle is completed to a wide-open TE Jerrod Temple for a 16-yard TD. PAT is good and the new score is ACU 31, SEO 7 with 1:57 left in Q3.

ACU Drive No. 9

First down on the ACU 15. Carry by RB Daryl Richardson gains 3 over the right side of the line. Zach Stewart's pass to WR Dennis Campbell is complete at the 29, but SEO is flagged for roughing the passer.  The ball moves to the ACU 44 and a first down. Pass to WR Terrell Woodall is good for a first down at the 41, and a facemask penalty on SEO causes the ball to be moved another 15 yards to the SEO 26. Pass in the left flat to Daryl Richardson is off his fingertips and incomplete. Richardson sprints around left end to the SEO 10, but ACU is flagged this time, a penalty of 10 from the spot of the foul. Pass to Woodall is complete at the SEO 10 and another first down. Pass to Edmund Gates in the left corner of the end zone is incomplete, just off his hands. Richardson rushes off right tackle to the SEO 5. Pass to Richardson in the left flat is off his hands on third down. Ricardo Navarro's 13-yard field goal is good and with 5:51 left in Q2, ACU leads 31-0.

SEO Drive No. 9

Ball on the SEO 9. Run over right tackle by RB Baylen Laury is stopped at their own 14. QB Justin Pitrucha's pass is complete to Jerrod Temple at the 18, short of a first down by 1 yard. Laury runs around left end for a big gain to the SEO 32 and a first down. Run up the middle by the FB gains 1. Pass is complete to Jerrod Temple to the SEO 39. Pass in the left flat is good to Temple again for a first down at the SEO 49, a gain of 10. Laury runs up the middle to the ACU 45. Pass over the middle is broken up by LB Kevin Washington. Pass to TE Jerrod Temple is broken up by DB Reggie Mathis; a hard hit. Fourth down punt is fair caught by Kendrick Johnson at the ACU 15 with 8:44 left in Q3.  Time out on the field.

ACU Drive No. 8

SEO kick is fielded at the 7 by Justin Johnson and he trips in an open field at the ACU 33, or he'd be long gone. RB Daryl Richardson rips up the middle for a gain of 9 to the 42. Richardson runs again up the middle, this time to the 45 and a first down. Zach Stewart's pass to WR Chris Fowler is short and incomplete. Richardson runs up the middle again for a gain of 3. Stewart's pass to WR Dennis Campbell is broken up over the middle, and the Wildcats face fourth down and 7 at their 48. Mark Sprague's punt is caught at the 9 and the Wildcats storm over the return man for no gain. It is SEO's ball on its 9 with 12:52 left in Q3. Timeout on the field.

Halftime Stats for ACU-SEO

    Score: ACU 28, SEO 0

    First downs: ACU 10, SEO 8

    Rushing: ACU 15 for 84 yards, SEO 12 for -4 yards

    Passing: ACU 12 for 17, 2 TDs and 149 yards; SEO 15 for 24, 1 INT and 141 yards

    Punt returns: ACU 3 for 109 yards, SEO 1 for 0 yards

    Possession time: ACU 14:19, SEO 15:41

    Third-down conversions: ACU 2 of 6, SEO 2 of 8

    Rushing leaders: ACU, Daryl Richardson 53 yards, Justin Johnson 14 yards; SEO, Josh Johnson 14 yards

    Passing leaders: ACU, Zach Stewart, 12 for 17, 2 TDs and 149 yards; SEO, Justin Pitrucha, 12 for 16, 99 yards

    Receiving leaders:  ACU, Edmund Gates, 3 for 67 yards and 1 TD; SEO, Daniel Nichols 6 for 67 yards

SEO Drive No. 8

Pitrucha's pass in the right flat to WR Ty Hull is off his hands and incomplete. Pass over the middle is complete on a pretty play to WR Jay Rose for a first down at the SEO 42, a gain of 20. The Savage Storm calls timeout with 2:43 left in Q2. Hard to believe at this point that SEO scored 49 points last week in a 2-point win over pass-happy Eastern New Mexico (ACU's opponent next Saturday at Shotwell Stadium). The Wildcat defense is ready to play tonight. Pitrucha's pass to Jay Rose is good over the middle to the ACU 45 and a first down. Pass to Ty Hull is good at the left sideline, and he steps out of bounds at the 36. Pass to WR Baylen Laury is complete but LB Kevin Washington steamrolls him at the ACU 37. Timeout on the field with 1:17 left in Q2. Pass over the middle is complete to Jerrod Temple for a first down at the 23. Pass to Daniel Nichols is complete at the left sideline for a gain of 5. Pitrucha falls victim to DE Aston Whiteside's sack at the ACU 39. Whiteside is the LSC sack leader with 4.5. Pass to Baylen Laury is good and he runs out of bounds at the ACU 32, far short of a first down. SEO goes for it on fourth and 9. Pass to WR Dee Williams is good at the right sideline, but short of a first down, and ACU takes over with :37 left in Q2. The Wildcats left the clock expire on the first half, taking a 28-0 lead to the locker room.

ACU Drive No. 7

Stewart's pass on first down over the middle to RB Daryl Richardson is behind him, and incomplete. RB Reggie Brown runs up the middle for a gain to the ACU 35. Stewart's pass in the left flat is complete to WR Terrell Woodall, but short of a first down at the ACU 40. Mark Sprague's punt is fielded at the SEO 22 and stopped there on the tackle with 3:13 left in Q2.

SEO Drive No. 7

First down rush gains 3 yards to the SEO 23. Pass by Pitrucha is caught by TE Jerrod Temple, who takes all kinds of Wildcat abuse for no gain. Pass to WR Daniel Nichols is tipped and almost intercepted. Fourth down. Punt is downed at the Wildcat 31 with 4:45 left in Q2.

ACU Drive No. 6

First down screen pass to RB Daryl Richardson is carried up the left sideline for a 28-yard TD, one of those one-play drives reminiscent of the last two seasons. PAT is good by Navarro and it's now 28-0 in favor of the Wildcats. with 6:23 left in Q2.

SEO Drive No. 6

Pass to WR Daniel Nichols is complete to the left for a gain of 5. Pass to TE Jerrod Temple in the left flat is good for a first down at the SEO 30. QB Pitrucha is flagged for delay of game, causing a loss of 5 to the 25. Pass to Nichols is complete at the left sideline; a great catch as he fell out of bounds, but is flagged for going out of bounds and coming back in. Loss of 5 to the 25. Baylen Laury's run around right end is ended by DE Aston Whiteside for a gain of only 2. Pitrucha's pass intended for Nichols is too far for his reach over the middle, and the Savage Storm will have to punt. Kendrick Johnson fields the ball at the 29 and races up the left side, finally tackled at the 28, eliciting memories of Mr. Danieal Manning, who now plays for the Chicago Bears. Great return and first down for the Wildcats with 6:20 left in Q2.

ACU Drive No. 5

Stewart's pass is complete to WR Austin Kessler for a gain to the 48 of ACU. Ball advanced to the SEO 43 on second down. Stewart's pass in left flat to RB Justin Johnson is incomplete. Stewart overthrows Kessler over the middle, bringing up fourth down. Mark Sprague's punt to the left is out of bounds at the SEO 19 with 9:17 left in Q2.

SEO Drive No. 5

ACU kick is fielded and returned to the SEO 28. New QB Justin Pitrucha's pass is good to RB Baylen Laury and taken to the SEO 49.  RB Josh Johnson runs up the middle for gain to the ACU 39 and a first down.  Pitrucha's pitch to his RB is fumbled and recovered by Casey Carr at the ACU 41 with 11:20 left in Q2.

ACU Drive No. 4

RB Justin Johnson runs around left side for a gain to the SEO 48, looking sharp.  Stewart's deep pass over the middle is snared by WR Edmund Gates for a gain to the SEO 2, a gain of 46.  Stewart's pass to TE Ben Gibbs is stopped at the 1. Stewart's QB sneak ends up in the end zone and ACU's third TD on the night.  Navarro's PAT is good and ACU leads 21-0 with 12:26 left in Q2.

SEO Drive No. 4

Well, SEO Drive No. 3 ended with a quick scoring drive by ACU (technically, its No. 3), so here we go again.  ACU kick returned to the SEO 22.  Run around left end by RB Baylen Laury is stopped for a loss of 2 yards.  End of Q1, and the teams change ends of the field.  Pass intended for TE Caleb Jones is off his hands in the left flat, and incomplete.  DE Austin January sacks the QB for a loss of 7.  SEO punt is fielded by Kendrick Johnson but fumbled and batted by a teammate out of bounds at the ACU 38 with 14:00 left in Q2.

SEO Drive No. 3

ACU kickoff is returned to the SEO 30.  LB Bryson Lewis brings down the runner for no gain on first down.  WR Josh Strong runs for a gain of 8 to the 38.  RB Baylen Laury is tripped up at the 42 for a first down.  QB Dallas McCutcheon's pass is far out of bounds on the right side, and SEO is flagged for holding.  Ball moves back to the 32.  SEO is flagged for false start, and penalized another 5 yards to the 27.  Pass at the right sideline intended for WR Ty Hull is over his head, incomplete.  Pass to WR Daniel Nichols is complete for a gain to the SEO 38.  Deep pass to Nichols is way over his head, and it's fourth down.  Punt is fielded by WR Kendrick Johnson and returned 72 yards for a TD, his second such scoring return of the season.  PAT by Navarro is good and ACU leads 14-0 with :25 left in Q1.

ACU Drive No. 2

Daryl Richardson runs around left end for a gain of 3 to the 23.  Kendrick Johnson runs around the right side for a first down at the ACU 30.  Edmund Gates catches a pass in the right flat from Stewart for a gain of 7.  A swing pass to FB Justin Andrews gains 1.  Stewart completes a pass to the right to WR Dennis Campbell, and he scampers to the ACU 49 for a gain of 13.  Stewart's pass to Richardson is just off his fingertips, and incomplete.  Richardson finds tough running up the middle, gaining 2 to the SEO 49.  Pass to Dennis Campbell is good at the 42, short of a first down. On fourth down, Richardson breaks through the line and sprints 29 yards, pushed out of bounds at the SEO 11.  An interference penalty on ACU moves the ball back to the 16.  Richardson tries left tackle but is brought down for a gain of 2.  WR Edmund Gates jumps for a Stewart pass in the end zone and comes down with the 14-yard TD reception.  Navarro's PAT is good and ACU takes the lead, 7-0, with 3:47 left in Q1.

SEO Drive No. 2

Pass in right flat falls incomplete.  RB Baylen Laury tries the right side and is dropped for a loss of 7 to the SEO 13.  Pass to left sideline is complete to WR Daniel Nichols for a gain to the 25, but far short of a first down.  SEO punt is downed by the Savage Storm at the ACU 19.  

ACU Drive No. 1

Pass in right flat falls incomplete.  Daryl Richardson runs up the middle for 7. Richardson runs again up the middle for a first down at the 24.  Zach Stewart's pass to the right is complete to FB Justin Andrews and he rumbles to the SEO 9 and a first down.  Richardson runs off right tackle for no gain.  Richardson is tripped up at the line of scrimmage for a loss of 1.  Third down and goal to go.  Stewart runs a quarterback draw to the 3-yard line.  Ricardo Navararro's field goal attempt of 20 yards hits the right upright.  SEO takes over on its 20 with 10:14 left in Q1.  No score.

SEO Drive No. 1

ACU's kickoff fielded by SEO at the goal line and returned to the ACU 20.  Run up the middle is stuffed by the Wildcats for a loss of 2 on the play.  Pass down the right sideline is complete to WR Daniel Nichols at the SEO 37.  Pass over the middle is intercepted by ACU DB Reggie Mathis and returned 7 yards to the SEO 35. 13:42 left in Q1.

Fair weather, finally

It finally stopped raining in West Texas, and we've just about dried out from last weekend's monsoon conditions at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.  Weather is partly sunny, winds out of the north at 6 and a comfy 80 degrees for this Lone Star Conference crossover game with Southeast Oklahoma State at Shotwell Stadium.  The Savage Storm is 2-1 and the No. 2-ranked Wildcats are 3-0 after escaping with a 20-14 win on the first play of overtime last Saturday night in a soggy game with Texas A&M-Commerce.  What rain in mid-September really means is that the West Texas Fair is in town, which it is, just in case Savage Storm fans think ACU throws a tailgate party with a carnival midway and a rodeo next door.  There's something comforting about watching the Wildcats play in Shotwell to the distant sound of kids screaming on the Tilt-a-Wheel and the aroma of both fair-time food being grilled and manure being clean from the livestock pens.  The lights of the carnival rides provide a great skyline to the overall scene.  Some Wildcat fans may opt to stay home tonight to watch Texas Tech play Texas in a fairly important football tilt for Lone Star bragging rights, but they don't know what they're missing.  Isn't that why they make DVD recorders?  

New Division II podcast is on the air

About one month ago, I was lucky enough to be able to hire Phillip Dowden to work as an intern in the SID office at ACU for the 2009-10 year.  Phillip came to ACU from Missouri Southern and has immediately jumped in and done a great job working with football, soccer and volleyball.

If you're a regular reader of the ACU sports Web site, you'll no doubt be reading some of Phillip's stories on the Web site.  About two weeks ago he came to me with the idea of putting together a podcast dealing strictly with Division II football, and I told him to give it a shot.

Well, today he's finished his first show, and here's the link.  On his first show he talks with Shawn Jones, radio voice of the Central Missouri Mules, as well as Jimmy Oliver, the play-by-play voice of the North Alabama Lions.  

He'll be putting a show together each week, so check the above link each week to catch up on Division II football news from across the country.

And don't forget, the #2 Wildcats host Southeastern Oklahoma State at 6 p.m. Saturday at Shotwell Stadium.  Should be a good one and a big test for the Wildcats.  

Picked Cotton! Lion Cub Now Pride of ACU

ACU CB Drew Cuffee, son of a former Texas A&M-Commerce basketball player and Homecoming Queen, ended the Wildcats' first-ever appearance in the Cotton Bowl in style. On the first play of overtime in a 14-14 game, Cuffee batted a Commerce pass into the air, caught the ball on his right hip as it fell, and rumbled 81 yards down the ACU sideline to give the Wildcats a 20-14 victory.

Cuffee's heroics bailed his team out on a night when the Wildcats and the weather were equally and probably not coincidentally sloppy. Three turnovers - one of which (Zach Stewart's second pick) was returned for a touchdown, nine penalties for 65 yards, and a TD surrendered with 32 seconds to go left the game tied at 14 at the end of regulation. But after ACU won the toss and elected to start out on defense, Cuffee ended the night on the first extra play.

No one cheered louder (not even me on the radio call) than Drew's folks, Russ and Deborah, who proved blood is even thicker than alma mater.

Final stats: ACU 20, A&M-Commerce 14

    Score:  ACU 20; TAMC 14

    First downs:  ACU 20; TAMC 12

    Rushing:  ACU 42 for 187; TAMC 21 for 35

    Passing:  ACU 18 for 32, 2 INT, 184 yards; TAMC 18 for 39, 147 yards

    Total offense:  ACU 371; TAMC 182

    Penalties:  ACU 9 for 65; TAMC 8 for 62

    Possession time:  ACU 33:10, TAMC 26:50

    Third-down conversions:  ACU 4 of 14; TAMC 4 of 15

    Leading rusher:  ACU, Daryl Richardson, 21 for 101 and 2 TDS; TAMC Marcus Graham 15 for 41

    Leading passer:  ACU, Zach Stewart 18 of 33, 2 INTS, 184 yards; TAMC Adam Farkes 15 of 31, 1 INT, 127 yards

    Leading receiver:  ACU, Edmund Gates 5 for 43; TAMC Ernest Quander 6 for 71

SCORING SUMMARY

    Q3, 9:48, ACU 7, TAMC 0 – Daryl Richardson 4-yard run (Ricardo Navarro PAT)

    Q4, 11:27, ACU 7, TAMC 7 – Cory Whitfield 37 INT return (Ahmed Abo-Mahmood PAT)

    Q4, 6:19, ACU 14, TAMC 7 – Daryl Richardson 6-yard run (Ricardo Navarro PAT)

    Q4, 00:32, ACU 14, TAMC 14 – Taylor Fore 20-yard pass from Adam Farkes (Ahmed Abo-Mahmood PAT)

    OT, 15:00, ACU 20, TAMC 14 – Drew Cuffee 85-yard INT return

TAMC Drive 14 - Overtime

The Lions get the ball on the ACU 30.  Farkes' pass is intercepted on the first play by sophomore CB Drew Cuffee of Arlington and returned 85 yards for a touchdown.  The Wildcats win, 20-14.  Overtimes don't get any shorter than that, Wildcat fans.   

ACU Drive No. 14

Lion kick fielded in the end zone for a touchback.  ACU's ball with :28 seconds left at its 20-yard line.  Stewart takes a knee as the clock winds down in regulation.  We are headed to overtime.

TAMC Drive 13

Farkes' pass is caught at the ACU 48.  Another pass is complete in the right flat and gains 1 to the 47.  Farkes scrambles for his life to the left, and a first down, at the ACU 41.  Farkes' pass is incomplete on the left, and almost intercepted by ACU's Fred Thompson.  Farkes' plass is complete in the left pass to Marcus Graham for a gain to the ACU 32.  Farkes could have run for a first down to the right, but throws the ball away.  ACU whistled for being offsides, which gives the Lions a first down at the 27.  Pass complete to the ACU 15 for a first down.  :50 left in Q4.  Farkes escapes a sack and throws the ball away to the right.  :44 left.  Grahams takes a pitch around the left side, but the Lions are whistled for an illegal formation.  Loss of 5 yards to the 20.  Pass to WR Taylor Fore in the end zone is complete for a 20-yard TD with :32 left in Q4.  ACU whistled for 12 men on the field.  Ball at the 2.  PAT is good.  Game tied 14-14 with :32 left in Q4.  

ACU Drive No. 13

RB Daryl Richardson jitterbugs through right tackle to the 19.  Richardson tries left tackle and loses 1 yard to the 18.  Lion defense stiffens and Richardson is stopped for no gain.  Sprague's punt is fair-caught at the 39 of TAMC with 3:10 left in Q4.

TAMC Drive 12

Kickoff by Morgan Lineberry is returned to the Lion 30.  Time for the ACU defense to make a stand.  Farkes' pass over the middle is complete to Quander at the Lion 48.  Pass in right flat is complete.  Farkes is almost sacked, and his pass in the left flat almost intercepted.  Heavy pressure from the Wildcat D.  Pass on third down is incomplete, intended for Quandry.  Lions prepare for an apparent punt.  Punt fair-caught by Kendrick Johnson at the ACU 15 with 5:20 left in Q4.

ACU Drive No. 12

Lions' kick is fielded by V.J. McElroy and returned to the ACU 38 with 11:16 left in Q4.  Stewart is still the Wildcat quarterback.  Richardson finds tough running to the left side, gaining 1.  Richardson finds a seam off right tackle and gains a first down at the 50.  Stewart's pass, intended for Richardson, is off his shoetops and incomplete.  Stewart's pass to Justin Andrews is complete down to the Lion 29.  Richardson is stopped at the Lion 28, a gain of 1.  Stewart's pass to Chris Fowler is complete for a gain to the Lion 23.  Timeout with 8:32 left in Q4.  Stewart tries the QB draw but is stopped for no gain.  Fourth and 4, and the Wildcats are going for it.  Delay of game penalty on ACU moves the ball back to the 28.  Fourth and 9.  Pass is complete on left sideline to Gates for a first down to the 16 of the Lions.  Richardson carries around the right side and is run out of bounds at the 6.  Richardson stuttersteps around right tackle and into the end zone for a TD.  PAT by Ricardo Navarro is good and ACU leads again, 14-7, with 6:19 left in Q4.

ACU Drive No. 11

Stewart's pass deep down the left side is incomplete, but intended receiver Daryl Richardson is called for interference, so the ball moves back to the 13 of ACU.  Repeat first down.  Stewart pass is complete on the right flat to Chris Fowler, who is tackled at the 24 of ACU.  Richardson bulls his way around the left side for a gain to the 27.  Stewart's pass is intercepted and returned for a TD by Corey Whitfield.  ACU whistled for too many men on the field, and ball moves half the distance to the goal line.  PAT is good, and we have a tie, 7-7 with 11:27 left in Q4.    

TAMC Drive 11

Marcus Graham carries off right tackle to the 34, a gain of 1.  Pass is good on the right flat to Ernest Quander for a gain of 8.  Third and 1.  The Lions call time out.  Graham fights over the left end for first-down yardage to the Lion 45.  Graham plows up the middle again, gaining ground to the ACU 48.  Pass is complete for another first down to the ACU 44.  Farkes is sacked at the Lion 43 by Fred Thompson as the third quarter ends.  ACU still up, 7-0. Pitch to Graham on 2nd and 24 gains no ground.  Pass over the middle is complete but far short of a first down.  Punt to Kendrick Johnson is fielded at the 15 and returned to the 20.  

ACU Drive No. 10

Stewart pass to Kendrick Johnson gains 7 to the ACU 44.  Daryl Richardson loses 1 on a run to the right.  Stewart is sacked at the ACU 33, and ACU prepares to punt.  Sprague's punt is muffed by the Lions but gets the ball back at its 33.  3:09 left in Q3.

TAMC Drive 10

Run up the middle by RB Marcus Graham gains 2 to the 24.  Pass dumped over the middle is complete to the Lion 28.  Farkes keeps the ball but is tackled by DeMaurier Jordan short of a first down at the 29.  Lion punt is fielded at the 35 of ACU by Kendrick Johnson and returned to the 37.

ACU Drive No. 9

RB Daryl Richardson gains 5 around the right side.  Pass over the middle to Kendrick Johnson is dropped.   Richardson runs off right tackle to the 40, short of a first down.  Punt by ACU's Mark Sprague is fair-caught at the Lion 22 with 7:11 left in Q3.

TAMC Drive 9

Kick by ACU is fielded at the 21, and Jordan Wright is tackled at the 28.  The rain appears to have stopped, mostly.  Rush around left end by Marcus Graham yields 1 yard.  Pass on the left sideline is incomplete, intended for WR Blake Patton.  ACU blitzes and Farkes dumps the ball out of bounds on third down to avoid the sack.  Punt is out of bounds at the ACU 32 with 8:47 left in Q3.

ACU Drive No. 8

RB Daryl Richardson rushes up the middle on a nice run to the Lion 48, a gain of 6.  Stewart pass in the right flat to Dennis Campbell is incomplete.  Stewart calls his own number on a draw play and gains the first down at the 44 of the Lions.  Here goes Edmund Gates on an end-around, and he's out of bounds at the Lion 36.  He's injured on the play but walks off under his own power.  Stewart runs a QB draw and is out of bounds at the Lion 5, a great run down the left sideline.  Richardson outraces the defense around the left side for the TD.  PAT attempt by Navarro runs afoul, and he's tackled on the 15.  But the Lions are called for offsides, so the Wildcats get 5 yards and another shot at the kick.  It is good, and ACU finally takes a lead, 7-0, with 9:48 left in Q3.  

TAMC Drive 8

Forgive me, but having problems keeping due to slow Wireless connection in the press box. Lions are backed up to their 21 on third down.  QB scrambles and throws out of bounds on the right.  Kendrick Johnson fields the Lions' punt at his 38 and returns it to the 42 of ACU.  11:37 left in Q3.

ACU Drive No. 7

Ball on ACU 21.  Richardson loses ground on a rush to the 15.  Stewart pass complete to Edmund Gates to the ACU 25.  Pass incomplete to Dennis Campbell over middle.  Another pass incomplete.  ACU punts to the TAMC 36, but penalty backs the Lions up to the 26.

TAMC Drive 7

Kick returned to the Lion 49.  Adam Farkes is the QB to start the second half.  Pass complete to Marcus Graham, but loses yardage to the 45.  Pitch to Graham goes nowhere.  Punt to the ACU 21.

TAMC Drive 6

TAMC loses 3 on a rush on first down. The clock winds down to a 0-0 tie at the end of the first half.

ACU Drive No. 6

Ball on the 23. ACU pass is complete to the Wildcat 40.   Richardson runs to the Lion 40 for another first down.  Pass incomplete.  Gates grabs a Stewart pass – wide open on the sideline – and a gain to the Lion 33.  Stewart's pass is over Gates' head on third down.  1:33 left in Q2 and it's pouring rain again, the hardest of the game so far.  ACU going for it on 4th and 3.  Pass incomplete over the middle and the Lions take over with 1:29 left in Q2.  

TAMC Drive 5

Pass over the middle is incomplete as Ernest Quander is slammed on the tackle.   Pass is complete in the right flat, but for a loss of 2.  Pass over the middle is complete for a first down to the TAMC 37.  Marcus Graham gains 3 to the TAMC 40.  Pass by QB Adam Farkes is incomplete in the left flat to no one in particular.  Somebody missed an assignment on that one.  Deep pass over the middle is off Quander's fingertips, but ACU SS Richard Havins  is flagged for interference.  Graham carries to the left to the ACU 39, where Courtney Williams grabs Graham's facemask and is flagged accordingly.  Ball moved to the ACU 23, first down.  The Lions are flagged, for a loss of 5.  Aston Whiteside buries the QB at the 38, and he dumps the ball, drawing an intentional grounding penalty, moving the ball back to the 39. It's 2nd and 26.  Pass complete on the right sideline for a first down to the ACU 22.  ACU calls its third and final timeout of the first half.  The spacious Cotton Bowl pressbox has more Lion fans parked in it than media, and it's turned into a cheering gallery.  That's a no-no in the media business, and doesn't happen in ACU SID Lance Fleming's pressbox in Shotwell Stadium.  Pass is complete on the left sideline but the ball pops out and is returned by ACU to its 17. 

ACU Drive No. 5

RB Justin Johnson is now in the game after a one-game injury absence.  Johnson carries for a first down.  Johnson carries to the right sideline, where a late hit (forearm) gives ACU another first down at its own 43.  Time out by the Lions.  Have to hand it to the ACU students at the game, who are standing, as usual, behind the Wildcat bench, without umbrellas, and are soaked.  Stewart avoids a sack and completes a pass to Dennis Campbell over the middle for another first down at the Lion 38.  Stewart pass incomplete over the middle.  2nd and 10.  Pass complete on the left sideline to Edmund Gates, for another first down to the 25.  Another pass to Gates on the sideline for a gain of 6.  Lions DBs give Gates a lot of space because of his speed.  Johnson rushes over the middle, but fumbles and the Lions recover at the 19.  5:58 left in Q2.  

TAMC Drive 4

Wireless failure, so we've missed a couple of Lion plays.  TAMC has the ball, third and 10 on its own 29.  Pass is incomplete in the right flat, just before a sack could take place, and the Lions punt.  Ball downed at the ACU 13. 

ACU Drive No. 4

Ball on the ACU 35.  Reggie Brown busts up the middle for a first down to the 50.  Great run.  Brown again, this time to the left, for 2 to the 48.  ACU is alternating runningbacks on each series, and this time appears to be Brown's turn.  FB Justin Andrews takes a dump pass from Stewart and rumbles to the right for a first down to the Lions' 48.  End of Q1.  The ACU crowd is swelling, maybe double the size when the game started.  A great showing by ACU fans on a crummy day for football.  Pass by Stewart is good over the middle to Andrews to the Lion 36.  Another pass, this time to TE Ben Gibbs, is complete to the 32.  ACU calls a timeout.  Brown carries over left tackle Tony Washington for a first down, to the 24.  Brown is stopped short of the line of scrimmage for a loss of 1.  Stewart is sacked by DT William Green for a loss to the 32.  Third and 18.  Pass to Brown is caught but the run stuffed in the left flat, short of a 1st down by wide margin.  Punt is out of bounds at the TAMC 14.

TAMC Drive 3

Pass in the right flat is complete to the TAMC 25, a gain of 6.  Rushing attempt by Marcus Graham is stopped by Marcus Jones at the 26.  Pass is complete to the 32 for a first down.  Flags fly before the play develops; a false start penalty moves the ball back to the 27 of the Lions.  Two ACU defenders almost sack the QB, Reid Herchenbach, and his pass is incomplete over the middle.  Pass to the right sideline to WR Adam Jones is over his head and incomplete.  Third down.  The QB is brought down at the 29, and the Lions must punt again.  Kendrick Johnson fields it at the 32 and returns it to the 35.  1:04 left in Q1.

ACU Drive No. 3

Reggie Brown carries to the ACU 10.  Brown carries up the middle again, for no gain.  Third and 2.  Brown makes the first down this time, up the middle, to the ACU 9.  Stewart passes in the right flat to Kendrick Johnson, who is tackled at the 21.  Brown carries off the right side for another first down to the ACU 30.  Rain is pelting down.  Screen pass to Brown is good for 5 yards.  Finally, an end-around to Edmund Gates, after 2 games of fakes, and it's a first down at the 40.  Pass is over the head of Raymond Radway in the right flat.  Did I say it was raining?  It is now pouring.  Stewart's pass over the middle to Gates is almost intercepted.  Stewart pass down the right sideline is way off the mark, and it's now fourth down.  ACU punt is fair-caught by the Lions at the TAMC 19.  4:09 left in Q1.

TAMC Drive 2

8:59 left in Q1.  For the record, there are a lot more Wildcat fans sitting in the rain than Lion fans.  ACU flagged for being offsides, ball moves 5 yards in the Lions' favor.  Rushing attempt by Marcus Graham is stuffed for a loss of 2.  Pass attempt falls short down the right sideline as the QB basically dumps it to avoid a sack.  No flag, however.  Draw play is stopped cold again, this time for a loss of 7.  The Lions punt to the ACU goal line, and the ball is again downed, this time at the ACU 2.  Sort of a flop shot off a golfer's 60-degree wedge, you might say.

ACU Drive No. 2

10:44 left in Q1.  Ball on ACU 7, first down.  Delay of game penalty on ACU, and the ball is moved half the distance to the goal, which means the 3.  Richardson busts a run up the left side for first down yardage, his dreadlocks flying, but there is a flag, for holding, so the ball moves back again to the shadow of the goal line.  First down, though.  Richardson again carries the ball, to the right this time, up to the ACU 5.  That man Richardson again carries, off left tackle, to the 8, where it is third down.  ACU calls a timeout.  Hard to tell how many people there are here because many of them have camped out under the overhang of the stadium's second deck to stay dry.  I can see the ACU side of the field (east side), and there are now as many people out in the rain as are in the dry zone.  Pass incomplete on 3rd down, and the punt is fielded at the ACU 48 and returned to the 43, where the Lions take over.

TAMC Drive 1

TAMC pass over the middle for 8 to the ACU 34.  Pass incomplete on 2nd down in the left flat.  Pass attempted into the left flat falls incomplete on third down.  Soggy punt into the raindrops is downed at the ACU 7.

ACU Drive No. 1

TAMC kickoff fielded in the end zone, takes a knee.  The ball comes out to the ACU 20.  Zac Stewart is again the starting QB.  A little hard to tel, as the playeys look Darryl Richardson takes a short pass and takes it to the 50-yard line, looking a lot like his older brother, Bernard Scott, who is a rookie for the NFL's Cincinnati Bengals.  Stewart is sacked on the 45-yard line on 1st down.  Richardson up the middle for 5 to the 50.  Draw play to Richardson, who runs for a first down to the right side for a first down to the TAMC. Screen pass intercepted by TAMC and returned to the ACU 35.  

Sopping Wet But Here We Go

Welcome to the Soup, er, Cotton Bowl, in Fair Park, where it is mostly cloudy and rain continues to fall on the 2nd annual Harvey Martin Classic.  No. 2-ranked ACU is being hosted by unranked Texas A&M-Commerce in a Lone Star Conference crossover game.  The DFW Metroplex has been inundated by rain the past several days, and even though there are some bright spots in the sky, the radar shows little letup in the precipitation for the forseeable future. This is ACU's first time to play in the historic Cotton Bowl.  We'll give you some history about this place as the evening moves along.  ACU will receive the kickoff and defend the end zone with large purple and white "ACU" painted on the grass – a first for this storied stadium.

Injured 'Cats Back Sooner than Later

Heading into the LSC opener Saturday against Texas A&M-Commerce, it would appear senior FS Tony Harp is a go. He watched last week's 58-10 declawing of Fort Lewis' Skyhawks in street clothes after spraining his ankle in the Northwest game.

Commerce has sputtered offensively in its first two games (see stats here), though last week's opponent was Division I Southeastern Louisiana. Still, it's always better to see No. 20's pony tail flying around the field than neatly coiffed on the sidelines.

In the offensive backfield, no official word yet on whether or not junior FB Emery Dudensing will make his 2009 debut at the Cotton Bowl. He's missed the first two games with a femur injury. Also waiting to hear the status of OU transfer RB Justin Johnson, who sat out Saturday's game with a leg injury. (The Sooners, by the way, are 0-1 without him.)

Gale Force

Not sure how many questions were answered definitively by Saturday's 58-10 win over Fort Lewis, other than, "Is Kendrick Johnson really that fast?" and "Does the Home side of the scoreboard still go past 19?"

One that remains very much unanswered is, "Will anyone emerge as the clear No. 1 quarterback?" If anything, the issue is even muddier after watching redshirt freshman Mitchell Gale loft a high-arcing spiral down the far sideline to a wide open Raymond Radway in the 4th quarter for Gale's first career TD and the second of Radway's career and night. Looked like Ray Guy turning over a punt into the coffin corner.

(Waiting for you to finish Googling.)

Yes, it was against the back-up players of a team that's not very good right now. But it was more the throw itself and the seeming lack of effort needed to launch it that high and that far that had ACU fans at Shotwell Stadium googly-eyed.

(Waiting for you to finish being googly-eyed.)

FLC Drive No. 14

Ball on the FLC 20.  Run up the middle for no gain on first down.  Clock winding down.  On second down, the runner is tackled for a loss of 4 by a host of Wildcats as time expires.  Final score: ACU 58, Fort Lewis College 10.

ACU Drive No. 11

RB Mitch Odom runs up the left side for a 6-yard gain, then takes off to the right for a gain to the FLC 24. Odom again runs the ball, up the middle, for no gain.  Odom again runs, for no gain.  Third down and 9 with under 2 minutes left.  Odom is gang-tackled for a loss of 1 to the 45 of FLC.  Odom again, on 4th and 10, and is tackled on the 20 as FLC takes over on downs with :53 left in the game. 

FLC Drive No. 13

ACU kickoff is fielded at the 9 and returned to the 27, but a penalty on FLC moves the ball back to the 15.  QB draw up the middle for no gain on first down.  Another QB draw for another no-gainer.  Pass over the middle is complete for a gain of 4 and a lot of pain.  FLC decides to punt on fourth down.  Punt is out of bounds at the 50 and ACU takes over with 4:28 left in Q4 and the game. 

ACU Drive No. 10

Gale is still the QB for the Wildcats.  Washington tries the middle but drifts to the left and is tackled for a loss of 2 to the 38 of ACU.  Gale's pass is tipped at the line and falls incomplete.  Gale pass over the middle is caught by Washington to the ACU 42.  Fourth down play is a pass deep down the right side – a beauty of a bomb – and caught by a wide-open WR Raymond Radway – his second of the game – for a 56-yard TD.  PAT fails.  ACU 58, FLC 10 with 6:41 left in Q4.  

FLC Drive No. 12

Run play up the middle gains yardage to the FLC 40.  Another just like it gains 2.  A third moves the ball to the 43.  Fourth down.  Punt fielded at the 25 and returned by ACU WR V.J. McElroy to the ACU 40.  Time out on the field with 8:19 left in Q4.  

ACU Drive No. 9

FLC kick is short, and returned by FB Justin Andrews to ACU 44.  New QB for ACU is freshman Mitchell Gale.  RB Patrick Washington runs up the middle to the 50-yard line.  Gale runs a draw play up the middle for a first down to the FLC 42.  Washington runs off right tackle to the FLC 40.  Gale scrambles to his right and completes a pass but is flagged for throwing it past the line of scrimmage.  Ball moves back to the 45; third down.  Gale runs a QB draw play again, gaining ground to the 37.  On fourth down, Washington runs around the right side but is stopped at the 36, a sure sign ACU has shut things down.  FLC takes over on downs.

FLC Drive No. 11

ACU kickoff by Navarro is fielded at the 20 and returned to the FLC 32.  Run up the middle is good for 9 yards to the ACU 41.  QB runs the ball around left corner for no gain.  Penalty on ACU defense gives FLC the ball on the ACU 43 and a first down.  QB draw up the middle – the Skyhawks have virtually no running game – yields 2 yards.   False start penalty on FLC's center moves the ball back to the ACU 48.  Pass lobbed down the right sideline is overthrown.  Flag on FLC for holding, so the ball backs up to the 43.  Pass over the middle is complete to the ACU 47.  Delay of game penalty on FLC with :03 left in Q3.  Time expires in the quarter with ACU leading 52-3.  Pass in left flat, with QB scambling for his life, is incomplete, but ACU is flagged for roughing the passer.   Ball moves to ACU 37 for FLC first down.  Pass in right flat is complete, run out of bounds at the ACU 12 for a first down.  Derek Odelusi trips up the QB for a loss of 1; ball on the ACU 13.  Pass complete in the left flat and run in for a TD.  PAT is good.  ACU 52, FLC 10 with 13:21 left in Q3. 

ACU Drive No. 8

ACU takes over on downs, ball at FLC 37 with 5:25 left in Q3.  This is getting ugly.  Clark Harrell is back in at QB for the Wildcats.  Brown up the middle for a gain of 3 t the 34.  Brown up the middle on a draw pla to the FLC 27 for a first down.  Pass over middle to TE Ben Gibbs is good for another first down at the FLC 16.  Draw play run by Brown up the middle has the ball at the 10.  Pass in right corner of the end zone is caught by WR Raymond Radway – one of ACU's track and field speedsters – for a TD.  PAT by Ryan Owen is good.  ACU 52, FLC 3 with 3:16 left in Q3.

FLC Drive No. 10

ACU kickoff is fielded at the 18 and returned to the FLC 33.  Timeout on the field.  Pass to the left is incomplete.  Pass over the middle is too high and almost intercepted.  Pass to right sideline is complete to the FLC 37.  Pass over the middle on fourth down is to no one in particular.  ACU takes over on downs.  

ACU Drive No. 7

Leaping interception by DB James Williams gives ACU the ball on Wildcat 12. Handoff to Daryl Richardson turns into a foot race down the right sideline, for a first down at the FLC 42 and a first down.  Pass to FB Justin Andrews in right flat is rumbled down to the FLC 15, a gain of 28 yards.  Richardson runs off left tackle and almost breaks it before being tripped up at the FLC 12.  Richardson up the middle to the 9.  Richardson runs untouched off right tackle for a TD.  PAT by Navarro is good.  ACU 45, FLC 3.  ACU wanted to get its offense in gear tonight, and has its wish.  6:26 left in Q3.

FLC Drive No. 9

11:45 left in Q3.  Run yields a loss of 5 to FLC 13.  Pass in left flat broken up by LB Courtney Lane.  Pass on right sideline is good for a first down to the FLC 31.  Pass to right sideline complete to FLC 37.  Pass lofted down left sideline is too long and out of bounds.  Third down.  Pass complete over the middle for first down to the ACU 43.  QB draw up the middle for a gain of 2 to ACU 41.  Pass complete down right side, good for a first down at the ACU 30.  Pass lobbed down right side is tipped and incomplete.  Lofted, lobbed … there are a lot of jump-balls in this game plan.  Pass down left side, a jump ball, is intercepted by DB James Williams.  ACU first down.

ACU Drive No. 6

FLC kickoff  fielded at the 25 and returned to the ACU 43.  Brown around right side to ACU 45. Stewart's deep pass down left side to Gates broken up.  Stewart scrambles to the FLC 47 and a first down.  Brown runs to the FLC 36.  Pass intended for TE Ben Gibbs broken up.  Rush 1 yard to the 35.  Pass complete to Dennis Campbell, who fumbles while running, recovered by FLC on the 17.  FLC ball and first down.

Halftime Stats for ACU-Fort Lewis

    Score:  ACU 35, FLC 7

    First downs:  ACU 14, FLC 11

    Rushing:  ACU 76 yards, FLC -1 yards

    Passing:  ACU 181 yards, FLC 157 yards

    Total offense:  ACU 257 yards, FLC 156 yards

    Penalties:  ACU 6 for 65 yards, FLC 1 for 15 yards

    Red zone chances/scores:  ACU 4 for 4, FLC 1 for 1

    ACU rushing:  Reggie Brown 6 for 29 yards, 1 TD; Daryl Richardson 6 for 24 yards

    ACU passing:  Zach Stewart 7 of 11 for 119 yards and 2 TDs, Clark Harrell 6 of 13 for 62 yards

    ACU receiving:  Edmund Gates 3 for 44 yards, Reggie Brown 3 for 29 yards, Dennis Campbell 3 for 28 yards, Justin Andrews 2 for 21 yards and one TD

Q1, 11:33 – ACU 7, FLC 0 – Terrell Woodall 45-yard TD pass from Zach Stewart (Navarro PAT)

Q1, 6:38 – ACU 7, FLC 3 –Nate Soucie 26-yard FG

Q1, 2:31 – ACU 14, FLC 3 – Reggie Brown 3-yard run (Navarro PAT)

Q2, :34 – ACU 21, FLC 3 – Kendrick Johnson 73-yard punt return (Navarro PAT)

Q2, 13:08 – ACU 28, FLC 3 – Justin Andrews 1-yard pass from Stewart (Navarro PAT)

Q2, 10:55 – ACU 35-3 – Daryl Richardson 1-yard run (Navarro PAT)

Q2, :54 – ACU 38, FLC 3 – Navarro 28-yard field goal

FLC Drive No. 8

ACU kickoff is fielded at the 16 and returned up the middle to the FLC 25.  Deep pass down the right is incomplete, but ACU is flagged for a penalty.  Ball moves to the FLC 43, first down.  Pass in left flat is complete to the 50 for a gain of 7.  Timeout by FLC.  :31 left in Q2.  QB rushes off left tackle to the ACU 40 for a first down.  Pass in right flat falls incomplete; dropped.  :15 left on the clock.  Pass over middle is tipped off one receiver and caught by another for a first down at the ACU 27.  Pass down left sideline is overthrown as the first half ends.  ACU 35, FLC 3, and the Big Purple prepares for its second halftime show of the 2009 season.  

ACU Drive No. 5

Ball on ACU 35 with a little under 4 minutes left in Q2.  Pass complete to WR Edmund Gates for a gain of 8.  Pass over the middle, intended for Gates, is short and incomplete.  Clark Harrell scrambles around right side for a first down to the 50.   Flag on ACU for false start, 5-yard penalty to the ACU 45.  Pass to Reggie Brown is complete to the FLC 46.   Pass complete to Campbell for a first down to the FLC 38.  Pass to Gates broken up on the right sideline.  Pass to Brown is good to the 28 for another first down.  Pass to Gates is incomplete on left flat.   Pass to Campbell over the middle is complete for another first down to the FLC 11.  Pass to WR Terrell Woodall is incomplete short of the goal line.  Pass to Gates is overthrown in the end zone.  Third down and 10.  ACU calls a time out.  Harrell scambles but passes through the end zone when no receiver is open.  Fourth down.  A 28-yard FG by Navarro is good.  ACU 38, FLC 3 with :54 left in Q2.

FLC Drive No. 7

Pass in right flat is complete; ACU whistled for facemask penalty on the tackle.  Ball moves to the 32, first down.  Pass complete in left flat for a gain of 2.  Pass over the middle is complete down to the ACU 33 – FLC's best play of the night.  Pass over the middle is complete to the ACU 23 for a first down.  QB draw goes nowhere, losing 1 yard to the 24.  QB sacked by DE Aston Whiteside for a loss of 11 to the ACU 35.  You can run but you can't hide from Mr. Whiteside, who inherited jersey No. 2 from QB Billy Malone this year.  Pass incomplete on the right side on 4th down.  ACU takes over on downs.

FLC Drive No. 6

ACU kickoff fielded at the 29 and returned to the FLC  40.  Time out on the field.   QB draw off left tackle yields 4 yards to the FLC 44.  Pass over the middle is incomplete, dropped by the intended receiver upon impact.  Third down.  Deep pass over the middle falls incomplete, just off the receiver's hands.  Fourth down.  Punt is fielded by Kendrick Johnson at the 5 and returned untouched into the end zone.  Flags litter the field, however.  ACU called for illegal block in the back, so the ball is spotted at the ACU 13.  New QB Clark Harrell can't find a receiver open and runs out of bounds at the 19.  Pass to WR Chris Fowler in the left flat is advanced to the ACU 32 for a first down.  Pass to Dennis Campbell is good on the right for a gain to the ACU 35.  Harrell scrambles and hits Gates for a great catch on the left sideline, but he is ruled out of bounds.  Third and 7.  Snap goes over Harrell's head, and his scrambling pass falls incomplete in the right flat.  Punt on fourth down by Mark Sprague is downed at the FLC 14.  7:09 left in Q2.

ACU Drive No. 4

Run by Kendrick Johnson around the right side ends up with a dive into the end zone, but he is ruled out of bounds at the 3.  Richardson – Bernard Scott's little brother – runs off right tackle into the end zone for another Wildcat TD.  PAT by Navarro is good.  ACU 34, FLC 3 with 10:35 left in Q2.  The Big Purple Band is getting a lot of practice playing the fight song.

FLC Drive No. 5

ACU kickoff is fielded at the 11 and returned to the FLC 28.  Timeout on the field.  Pass complete over the middle for a first down at the FLC 44.  Pass complete over the middle for another first down to the ACU 44.  Pass in the right flat intercepted by DB Courtney Williams and returned 50 yards to the FLC 13.

ACU Drive No. 3

Pass to Gates complete to the FLC 21 and a first down.  Richardson runs up the middle to the FLC 18. Pass incomplete to TE Trey Simeone near the goal line.  Pass dropped in end zone by WR Dennis Campbell, but FLC flagged for pass interference.  First down on the FLC 3.  Brown rushes up the middle for 1 to the FLC 2.  Injury timeout for a FLC player.  Stewart's pass to FB Justin Andrews is complete in the end zone – no one covers him – for another TD.  PAT by Navarro is good. ACU 28, FLC 3 with 13:08 left in Q2.

FLC Drive No. 4

Kick by ACU fielded at the 3, returned to the FLC 22.  Pass complete in the left flat for a gain of 4 to the FLC 26.  Pass in the left flat is overthrown under heavy pressure from the ACU defense.  QB, with an empty backfield, scrambles to the FLC 30.  End of Q1: ACU 21, FLC 3.  Teams switch ends of the field.  Pass intercepted on a sliding, diving catch by DB Major Culbert at the FLC 41.  

FLC Drive No. 3

ACU kickoff sails out of bounds left, so the ball moves to the FLC 40.  The Skyhawks' best offense is the ol' yellow flag so far.  FLC QB sacked while rolling out, a loss of 6 to the FLC 34.   Pass complete in the left flat for a gain of 3 to the FLC 37.  The tackle relieves the FLC receiver of his helmet.  Pass heaved out of bounds to the right.  4th down.  Punt fielded at the 27 by WR Kendrick Johnson and returned down the left sideline, untouched, for a TD.  ACU 21, FLC 3 with :34 left in Q1. 

ACU Drive No. 2

FLC kick returned to ACU 28.  On first down, Reggie Brown runs around the left side to the ACU 39 for a first down.  Pass complete to FB Justin Andrews to the FLC 41 for another first down.  Deep pass into the endzone falls incomplete.  Brown up the middle for a gain of 5 to the FLC 36.  Pass to Brown complete in the left flat to the FLC 27, first down.  Brown up the middle for a gain of 1 to the FLC 26.  Pass to Edmund Gates over the middle is complete for a first down and the FLC 10.  Brown picks his way down the line and then downfield for a gain of 7 to the FLC.  Timeout called by FLC; they're blitzing like crazy and the defense needs a breather.  The way ACU is moving crisply down the field, they may get one soon.  That breather comes quickly, as Brown runs untouched into the end zone for a 3-yard TD.  Navarro PAT is good.  ACU 14, FLC 3.  2:31 left in Q1.  Thus far, FLC has no answer to ACU's offense.

FLC Drive No. 2

ACU kickoff fielded at the FLC 5, returned to the 20.  Timeout on the field.  Swing pass complete in the right flat, but tackled for no gain.  Pass intended down the sideline is out of bounds, incomplete.  Pass complete down the left sideline when the ACU defender trips and falls; play complete to the ACU 38.  Pass complete over the middle for a gain of 9 to the ACU 29.  Run up the middle for a first down to the ACU 27.  Pass over the middle is overthrown.  2nd down.  Pass in the right flat is complete for a loss of 2 to the ACU 29.  Pass in the left flat is incomplete, but FLC is flagged for holding.  Loss of down; it's now 4th and 12. Pass down the left sideline is incomplete, but ACU is flagged for pass interference.  First down at the ACU 15 for the Skyhawks. Run up the middle for a loss of 1 yard.  Pass complete over the middle for a gain of 5 to the ACU 9.  Pass in the right corner of the endzone is broken up by CB DeMaurier Jordan.  Field goal is good.  ACU 7, FLC 3.  6:38 left in Q1.

ACU Drive No. 1

Here we go.  86 degrees, sunny night, wind barely moving flags out of the south; rain in the northwest but not headed this way, apparently, hopefully.  Zach Stewart is the QB.  Pass to Edmund Gates deep over the middle broken up on first down.  Daryl Richardson carries ball to the left for 7, ball on the 42.  Richardson runs up the middle for a first down to the ACU 49.  Richardson around left end to the FLC 45.  Pass complete to WR Terrell Woodall, who steps out of a tackle and run it in for a TD. PAT by Ricardo Navarro is good, ACU 7, FLC 0.  11:33 left in Q1.

FLC Drive No. 1

ACU kicks to FLC, ball returned to FLC 21.  Penalty on ACU for offsides, ball moved to 26. Flea-flicker pass attempt down the sideline falls incomplete.  Draw play loses three yards. Pass out of bounds, incomplete. Fourth and 13.  Ball punted and downed on the ACU 36.

Catch the Chris Thomsen Show

At halftime (or anytime, actually) you can watch the half-hour Chris Thomsen Show, a product of the JMC Network Student Media News Lab, the multimedia voice of ACU's Department of Journalism and Mass Communication. 

Tonight's Opponent

Fort Lewis College is one of 14 schools in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, and is located in Durango, Colo.  Its home field seats 4,000, compared to ACU's home venue of Shotwell Stadium (15,000 capacity). FLC (about 4,000 students) is one of the few institutions ACU (about 4,700) plays with a smaller enrollment. Should the No. 3 Wildcats prevail in impressive fashion tonight, they should move up in the NCAA Division II rankings, as No. 2 Minnesota-Duluth was upset, 13-10, in its Thursday night game this week with Central Washington, a match-up of two teams with experience in last year's NCAA playoffs. Their game, like ACU's last week, was a national TV telecast.