Wildcats finish 8th in poll
1/29/2010 3:10:25 PM
ABILENE -- The ACU Wildcats finished the 2009 football season ranked No. 8 in the nation, according to d2football.com, which released its final poll of the season earlier this week.
The Wildcats finished No. 13 in the final American Football Coaches' Association poll, which was released in mid-December.
The Wildcats, who finished 9-4 on the season, were one of four Lone Star Conference teams in the final poll with LSC tri-champions Tarleton State (No. 11), Texas A&M-Kingsville (No. 16) and Midwestern State (No. 17) all ranked in the poll.
The Wildcats qualified for the NCAA Division II playoffs for the fourth straight season, coming up with a 24-21 road win over Midwestern State in the opening round on No. 14 before dropping a 35-10 decision to Northwest Missouri State on Nov. 21 in Marville, Mo. The Bearcats finished the season ranked No. 1 in the nation after its 30-23 win over Grand Valley State in the national championship game.
The win for the Bearcats snapped a four-game losing streak in the national championship game, a win that helped Northwest finish at 14-1 on the season. The Bearcats' only loss was a 19-14 setback at ACU on Aug. 27 in the season-opener for both teams.