ADA, Okla. -- The ACU Wildcats have looked for answers at the quarterback spot all season.
They might have found their answer Saturday afternoon.Redshirt freshman
Mitchell Gale threw for 300 yards and three touchdowns in the first start of his career as the second-ranked Wildcats improved to 6-0 with a 43-6 win over winless East Central in a Lone Star Conference crossover game at Norris Field.
After juggling three quarterbacks through the first five games of the season, Gale got the first start of his career against the Tigers and he made the most of it, leading the Wildcats to their 16th straight regular-season victory.
ACU will hit the meat of its schedule beginning next Saturday (Oct. 10) when it travels to San Angelo to take on Angelo State in an LSC South Division game at 6 p.m. at San Angelo Stadium.
Gale completed 20 of 28 passes and threw just one interception while directing the Wildcats to 538 yards of total offense.
"For his first start, I thought he did a nice job," ACU head coach Chris Thomsen said of Gale. "The offensive line did a great job of giving him time to settle in and get comfortable. I thought he managed the game well and let the guys around him make plays."
Early on it was the ACU running game that ripped through the Tigers as ACU needed just three plays to score on the game's opening drive.
Daryl Richardson went 48 yards inside the ECU 10-yard line on the first play of the game, and the
ACU sophomore running back scored from five yards out just two plays later to make it 7-0.
Two series later, Gale threw his first touchdown pass of the game, a 13-yarder to
Kendrick Johnson that
made it 14-0 with 4:39 left in the first quarter. Richardson scored his second touchdown of the game with 9:26 left in the first half when he sprinted in from 25 yards out to make it 21-0.
On ACU's next series, Gale launched a bomb to
Edmund Gates down the right sideline, and he came
up with a fingertip catch and strolled into the end zone for a 54-yard touchdown reception. The PAT was missed, leaving the score at 27-0 with 5:16 left in the contest.
Richardson -- who didn't play in the second half -- capped his day with a 1-yard touchdeown run with 57 seconds left in the first half to make it 34-0.
Freshman
Morgan Lineberry kicked a 52-yard field goal late in the third quarter to make it 37-0, and Gale finished off the scoring with 8:50 to play when he threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to
Justin Andrews to make it 43-6.
Richardson topped 100 yards rushing for the second straight week, rushing for 143 yards and three scores on 18 carries. Gates went for more than 100 yards receiving for the second straight week, finishing with 112 yards and one touchdown on five receptions.
