ACU FOOTBALL NAIA Division I National Champions: 1973 • 1977 NCAA Division II Playoff Appearances: 2006 • 2007 • 2008 Bowl Championships: 1950 Refrigerator Bowl • 1973 Champions Bowl • 1976 Shrine Bowl • 1977 Apple Bowl Texas Conference Champions: 1939 • 1940 • 1948 • 1950 • 1951 • 1952 • 1953 Gulf Coast Conference Champions: 1955 Lone Star Conference Champions: 1973 • 1977 • 2008 WILDCATS Lone Star Conference South Division Champions: 2002 • 2008 Athletics Media Relations • ACU Box 27916 • Abilene, Texas • 79699-7916 • Office: 325-674-2693 • Fax: 325-674-2689 Unbeaten Wildcats return home to take on GAME FOUR Savage Storm after ‘Cotton Bowl Escape’ SE Oklahoma St. Savage Storm (2-1, 1-1) ABILENE – The second-ranked ACU Wildcats are back on familiar turf Saturday night vs. as they host Southeastern Oklahoma State in a Lone Star Conference crossover game at #2 ACU Wildcats (3-0, 1-0) Shotwell Stadium. Shotwell Stadium • Abilene (15,000) A win would not only push the Wildcats to Saturday, Sept. 19 • 6 p.m. 4-0 on the season, it would also extend their (KYYW 1470 AM) program-record regular-season winning streak to ACU FOOTBALL HISTORY 14 straight games. First year of football: 1919 ACU is 3-0 after last Saturday’s 20-14 All-time record: 537-370-32* 2009 record: 3-0 overtime win over Texas A&M-Commerce in the Head coach: Chris Thomsen (5th season) Harvey Martin Classic at the Cotton Bowl. The Coach’s overall record: 26-13* Coach’s record at ACU: 26-13* Wildcats escaped with the victory, thanks in part Years in NCAA post-season play: 3 (2006, 2007, 2008) to cornerback Drew Cuffee, who picked off a NCAA post-season record: 1-3* Last NCAA post-season appearance: 2008 pass on the first play of overtime and returned it Result: def. West Texas A&M, 93-68, in second round; 85 yards for a touchdown. lost to NW Missouri State, 45-36, in quarterfinals * 10 wins from 2007 season vacated because of NCAA violations. 10 wins The interception return for a touchdown taken from Thomsen’s overall record, including NCAA Division II playoff allowed the Wildcats to ward off the upset bid win over Mesa State. by the Lions, who lost to ACU 45-14 last year. WILDCAT COACHING STAFF The Wildcats’ six-point win was their smallest margin of victory since a 41-38 win over Chris Thomsen . Head coach Texas A&M-Kingsville on Nov. 4, 2006, in Kingsville. The Wildcats won that game when Ken Collums . Offensive Coordinator / QB Jason Johns . Defensive Coordinator / LB Matt Adams drilled a 25-yard field goal on the final play of the game to give ACU the Clayton Farrell . Defensive Line Cody Farrell . Defensive Backs victory. Brock Sherwood . Wide Receivers Until last Saturday, that win over Kingsville also marked the last time the Wildcats had Joe Walker . Linebackers Nathan Young . Offensive Line won a game on the final play of the game. Keith Wagner . Running Backs Despite a persistent rain throughout the evening at the Cotton Bowl, the Wildcats put RADIO: All of ACU’s games can be heard live on KYYW 1470 up 371 yards of total offense against the Lions, led by sophomore running back Daryl AM with Grant Boone calling all the play-by-play action. He will Richardson, who had 95 yards and two touchdowns on 21 carries. be joined in the booth at home games by Chuck Statler and on the road by ACU SID Lance Fleming. Richardson had scoring runs of 4 and 6 yards to give him two rushing touchdowns for the second straight week. In his last two games, Richardson has carried the ball 31 times ACU ATHLETICS MEDIA RELATIONS for 179 yards and four touchdowns. LANCE FLEMING The Wildcats are averaging 32.3 points and 360.7 yards per game, including 166.3 Director of Athletics Media Relations Office phone: 325-674-2693 • Cell phone: 325-665-3543 rushing yards per game. Fax: 325-674-6798 • Email: fl[email protected] Defensively, ACU has allowed just three offensive touchdowns on the season, one each Shotwell Stadium Press box: 325-671-4673 or 4675 Home radio: 325-674-4906 • Visitor radio: 325-676-0293 PHILLIP DOWDEN Athletics Media Relations Assistant Office phone: 325-674-6171 • Cell phone: 417-300-5248 Fax: 325-674-6798 • Email: [email protected] www.acusports.com www.acusports.blogspot.com 2009 ACU FOOTBALL NOTES SE Oklahoma State vs. ACU Page 1 in each of the season’s three games. Wildcat opponents are averaging just 12.7 points and 228.7 yards per game, including just 28.7 rushing yards per game. ACU’s defense is being led by sophomore defensive end Aston Whiteside, who leads the LSC with 4.5 sacks through three games. Junior linebackers Eric Ewards and Fred Thompson and sophomore safety Richard Havins lead the team with 14 tackles each. #2 ABILENE CHRISTIAN The Savage Storm is 2-1 on the season after last week’s wild 49-47 win at Eastern New Mexico. ENMU quarterback J.J. Harp was 64 of 94 for 767 yards, three touchdowns Record: 3-0 (1-0, LSC / 0-0, LSC South) and two touchdowns in the loss. Home: 2-0 Away: 0-0 Neutral: 0-0 As a result, Southeastern enters the game last in the LSC in pass defense, allowing Aug. 27 def. #2 NW Missouri St., 19-14 . 1-0 427.7 yards per game. However, the Savage Storm is fourth in the league against the run. Sept. 5 def. Fort Lewis, 58-10 . 2-0 Running back Baylen Laury leads the LSC in rushing yards (347) and yards per game (115.7) to go along with four touchdowns, giving the Savage Storm a nice running threat. Sept. 12 ^ def. A&M-Commerce, 20-14 (ot) . 3-0, 1-0 Quarterback Dallas McCutcheon has completed 52 of 94 passes for 743 yards and Sept. 19 ^ SE OKLAHOMA STATE . 6 p.m. nine touchdowns. Sept. 26 ** EASTERN NEW MEXICO . 6 p.m. After Saturday’s game, ACU will be back at Shotwell Stadium next Saturday when it hosts Eastern New Mexico at 6 p.m. in the LSC South Division opener for both teams. Oct. 3 ^ at East Central . 2 p.m. Oct. 10 * * at Angelo State . 6 p.m. ACU WILDCATS SE OKLAHOMA ST. Oct. 17 ** WEST TEXAS A&M . 2 p.m. Record 3-0 overall Record 2-1 overall Oct. 24 ** at Tarleton State . 2 p.m. Rankings #2 by AFCA Rankings Unranked #2 by d2football.com Oct. 31 ** TEXAS A&M-KINGSVILLE . 2 p.m. Last Game def. A&M-Commerce, 20-14 (ot) Last Game def. Eastern New Mexico, 49-47 Head Coach Chris Thomsen Head Coach Ray Richards Nov. 7 ** at Midwestern State . 1 p.m. Career 26-13 (5th season) Career 26-18 (9th season) ^ Lone Star Conference crossover game ACU 26-13 (5th season) SOSU 40-48 (5th season) ** Lone Star Conference South Division game vs. SOSU 3-1 vs. ACU 1-3 Key Facts: The Wildcats’ 20-14 overtime win over Texas A&M-Commerce was their program-record 13th straight regular-season victory. ... The on-the-field streak is 16, but the final three wins of the 2007 season were vacated by because of NCAA rules violations. ... The six-point ACU win over the Lions represents the Wildcats’ smallest margin of victory in the official streak and the program’s smallest margin of victory since a 41-38 win at Texas A&M-Kingsville on Nov. 4, 2006. ... The Wildcats’ win over Texas A&M-Commerce marked the first time the ACU has won a game on the final play since that win over Kingsville (Matt Adams 25-yard field goal on the final play of regulation). ... Cuffee’s interception return for a touchdown is ACU’s second defensive score of the year (Arthur Johnson 42-yard fumble return for TD SE OKLAHOMA STATE against Northwest Missouri State). ... Cuffee’s 85-yard return for a score marks ACU’s first-ever defensive Record: 2-1 (1-1 LSC, 0-0 LSC North) touchdown in an overtime period and it is the ninth-longest interception return and eighth-longest interception return for a touchdown in program history. ... ACU is now 4-2 all-time in overtime with all Home: 1-1 Away: 1-0 Neutral: 0-0 four wins coming in regular season games and both losses coming in NCAA Division II playoff contests. ... ACU is 1-0 vs. Midwestern State, Northeastern State and Texas A&M-Commerce in overtime, 1-1 vs. West AUG. 27 def. HENDERSON STATE, 54-38 . 1-0 Texas A&M and 0-1 vs. Chadron State. ... ACU’s defense has allowed just three touchdowns and 230.0 yards per game, including just 33.7 yards per game on the ground (101 rushing yards total). ... ACU has SEPT. 5 * lost to MIDWESTERN STATE, 34-6 . 1-1, 0-1 now gone three straight games without a 100-yard rusher for the first time since Sept. 16, Sept. 23, and Sept. 30, 2006, against Southeastern Oklahoma State, Southwestern Oklahoma State and Eastern New Sept. 12 * def. Eastern New Mexico, 49-47 . 2-1, 1-1 Mexico, respectively. ... The Wildcats have gone 83 straight games without being shut out, a streak that Sept. 19 * at Abilene Christian . 6 p.m. dates back to a 31-0 loss at Angelo State on Oct. 13, 2001. ... The ACU Wildcats lost the turnover battle against Texas A&M-Commerce, turning the ball over three times to just two takeaways. ... One of those Sept.