GAME 7 • SATURDAY, OCT. 15 • #9 ACU AT #12 MIDWESTERN STATE • MEMORIAL STADIUM • WICHITA FALLS 2011 WILDCAT FOOTBALL 2 NAIA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS • 12 CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS • 5 STRAIGHT NCAA II PLAYOFF APPEARANCES ACU WILDCATS At A Glance Date . Sat., Oct. 22 AT A GLANCE Time . 8 p.m. ACU FOOTBALLHISTORY Location . Wichita Falls Venue . Memorial First year of football: 1919 All-time record: 459-376-32* Stadium (15,000 / FieldTurf) 2011 record: 5-1 Radio . Mix 92.5 FM Head coach: Chris Thomsen (7th season) Coach’s overall record: 48-19* Series . ACU leads 18-5-1 Coach’s record at ACU: 48-19* Last meeting . Years in NCAA post-season play: 5 (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010) #9 ACU #12 Midwestern St. ACU 31, MSU 28 NCAA post-season record: 2-5* WILDCATS MUSTANGS Last NCAA post-season appearance: 2010 (5-1, 4-0 LSC) Oct. 9, 2010 (6-0, 5-0 LSC) Result: lost to Central Missouri, 55-41, in second round * 10 wins from 2007 season vacated because of NCAA violations. Winner of Saturday showdown has inside track to LSC crown WICHITA FALLS – After several weeks of preparing to play teams that like to throw the WILDCATCOACHING STAFF ball all over the field, the ACU Wildcats have to get ready this week for one of the top Chris Thomsen . Head coach rushing attacks in NCAA Division II football in Midwestern State. Ken Collums . Offensive Coordinator / QB The Wildcats and Mustangs are set to hook up Saturday night in Wichita Falls for a Jason Johns . Defensive Coordinator / LB Lone Star Conference game with huge conference championship and post-season Cody Farrell . Defensive Backs implications. A win by the Wildcats would push them into sole possession of first place Nathan Young . Offensive Line Sam Collins . Defensive Line in the league with only three games left in the regular season, and would give them a Kendrick Holloway . Wide Receivers big push toward back-to-back conference championships. Ryan Keeling . GA / Tight Ends A win by the Mustangs would not only snap a two-game losing streak to the Eric Edwards . .GA / Linebackers Wildcats, but it would solidify MSU’s grip on first lace in the conference. Bryson Lewis . .GA / Defensive Line Both teams are also trying to position themselves for a spot in the NCAA Division II Cory Driskill . Head Athletics Trainer playoffs, which will begin Nov. 19. The first NCAA regional rankings will be released Luke Sauber . Assistant Athletics Trainer Monday, Oct. 24, making Saturday’s game important for regional ranking purposes. RADIO: All of ACU’s games can be heard live on Mix 92.5 FM Unlike most of the Wildcats’ opponents this season, the Mustangs would rather with Grant Boone calling all the play-by-play action. He will be run the football than throw it. And they’ve been extremely successful with that plan, joined in the booth by ACU SID Lance Fleming. Boone is in his ranking second in NCAA Division II football in rushing offense at more than 317 yards fourth season calling play-by-play for the Wildcats, while Fleming per game on the ground. is in his 14th year as ACU’s assistant director of athletics for media Jimmy Pipkin is second in the league in rushing at 88.2 yards per game, while MSU relations and his second as the full-time color commentator. quarterback Brandon Kesley is fourth at 78.7 yawp. Keidrick Jackson is sixth at 65.2 ypg and Lester Bush is seventh at 61.2 ypg. Pipkins, Kelsey and Jackson each have a run of ACU ATHLETICSMEDIA RELATIONS at least 70 yards on the season, while Jackson leads the LSC in rushing touchdowns (10). Midwestern State’s powerful running game is the spearhead for the LSC’s top LANCE FLEMING offensive unit. The Mustangs rank No. 1 in the league in total offense (549.5 ypg) Assistant Director of Athletics for Media Relations and first in scoring offense (50.8 ppg). Office phone: 325-674-2693 The ACU defense, however, is the best in the league against the run, giving up just Cell phone: 325-665-3543 74.3 yards per game and having allowed just five rushing touchdowns through six Fax: 325-674-6798 games. The Wildcats are giving up just 2.7 yards per rush and haven’t given up a run Email: fl[email protected] longer than 23 yards in any game this season. Shotwell Stadium Press box: 325-671-4673 or 4675 Offensively the Wildcats are led by junior quarterback Mitchell Gale, who leads the Home radio: 325-674-4906 league in passing yards per game (391.2) and yards (1,915) and is second in touchdown Visitor radio: 325-676-0293 passes with 14. Daryl Richardson leads the running game at 53.2 ypg, but expect to see more of CHRIS MACALUSO Darrell Cantu-Harkless in the backfield Saturday. The Wildcats’ primary running back in Assistant Director of Athletics Media Relations 2010, Cantu-Harkless had his first carries of the season last Saturday and had 41 yards Office phone: 325-674-6171 on the ground against West Texas A&M. Cell phone: 765-490-6988 Fax: 325-674-6798 Email: [email protected] www.acusports.com www.acusports.blogspot.com http://www.facebook.com/ACUsports http://twitter.com/ACUsports 2011 WILDCAT FOOTBALL • GAME SEVEN • ACU AT MIDWESTERN STATE • OCT. 22, 2011 Page 1 THE FACTS: ACU at MIDWESTERN STATE Key Facts: ACU did not commit a turnover against West Texas A&M on Saturday, marking the first time under head coach Chris Thomsen that ACU has played four straight games without committing a turnover. ... The Wildcats are now 22-0 under Thomsen when they don't commit a turnover. ... The Wildcats gave up a field goal early in the game, meaning that ACU has now trailed in five of its six games this season. ... ACU has now scored in 111 straight games dating back to Oct. 13, 2001, THIS WEEK IN THE LSC when it lost 31-0 at Angelo State. ... In the 77 games the Wildcats have played since Chris Thomsen became the head coach prior to the 2005 season, the Wildcats have OVERALL scored at least 30 points in 53 of those games. ... However, Saturday's game marked W L Pct. PF PA the 16th regular-season time under Thomsen the Wildcats have failed to score at least 1. Midwestern State 6 0 1.000 305 102 30 points against a Lone Star Conference foe. ... ACU is now 9-7 in those games, including 2-0 this season (27-24 vs. Tarleton State in the season-opener and 28-18 over 2. Abilene Christian 5 1 .833 190 124 West Texas A&M on Saturday). ... Prior to the 2011 season, the Wildcats were 1-4 in 3. West Texas A&M 4 2 .667 199 102 their previous five regular-season games against LSC foes in which they failed to score 4. Texas A&M-Kingsville 4 3 .571 214 203 30 points. ... ACU has played two LSC foes in the NCAA Division II playoffs since 2006: 5. Angelo State 3 4 .429 169 195 West Texas A&M and Midwestern State, and the Wildcats have played at least one 6. Tarleton 2 5 .286 201 250 playoff game against each of those teams without scoring 30 points (30-27 overtime (tie) Incarnate Word 2 5 .286 179 264 loss at WTAM in 2006 and 24-21 win at Midwestern State in 2009). (tie) Eastern New Mexico 2 5 .286 170 259 BREAKDOWN 9. Texas A&M-Commerce 0 6 .000 134 233 Abilene Christian Midwestern State CONFERENCE 2011 Record 5-1, 4-0 in LSC 2011 Record 6-0, 5-0 in LSC W L Pct. PF PA 2011 Ranking No. 9 by AFCA 2011 Ranking No. 12 by AFCA 1. Midwestern State 5 0 1.000 264 102 No. 13 by d2football.com No. 2 by d2football.com 2. Abilene Christian 4 0 1.000 122 66 Last Game def. West Texas A&M, 28-18 Last Game def. Angelo State, 68-20 3. West Texas A&M 4 1 .800 175 76 Oct. 15, 2011 Oct. 15, 2011 Head Coach Chris Thomsen (7th year) Head Coach Bill Maskill (12th season) 4. Texas A&M-Kingsville 2 2 .500 139 145 Career Record 48-19 Career Record 88-39 5. Tarleton 2 3 .400 138 170 ACU Record 48-19 MSU Record 75-31 (tie) Incarnate Word 2 3 .400 123 188 vs. MSU 3-3 * vs. ACU 4-5 7. Eastern New Mexico 1 3 .250 86 132 * does not include vacated 2007 win 8. Angelo State 0 4 .000 65 141 (tie) Texas A&M-Commerce 0 4 .000 87 179 MIDWESTERN STATE SERIES LAST WEEK’S GAMES ACU leads 18-5-1 Saturday, Oct. 15 Northwest Missouri State 65, Eastern New Mexico 20; 2010 – ACU 31, Midwesern State 28 1953 – ACU 13, Midwestern State 7 * Midwestern State 68, Angelo State 20; * Abilene Christian 28, # 2009 – ACU 24, Midwestern State 21 * 1952 – ACU 21, Midwestern State 0 2009 – Midwestern State 15, ACU 13 1951 – ACU 21, Midwestern State 13 West Texas A&M 18; * Tarleton St. 54, Texas A&M-Commerce 27; 2008 – ACU 47, Midwestern State 17 1950 – ACU 13, Midwestern State 0 * Texas A&M-Kingsville 41, Incarnate Word 38; $ 2007 – ACU 42, Midwestern State 41 1948 – ACU 7, Midwesern State 7 2006 – Midwestern State 46, ACU 30 1947 – ACU 28, Midwestern State 0 SATURDAY’S GAMES 2005 – Midwestern State 35, ACU 30 Saturday, Oct.