Interview with Head coach Ken Collums l
Interview with LB Justin Stephens
ARLINGTON - The ACU Wildcats this week will have to do something they haven't had to do since late in the 2009 season and that's bounce back from a regular-season loss at Shotwell Stadium.
But that's the task facing them this week as they prepare to take on Tarleton State after dropping a 16-13 decision to Texas A&M-Kingsville last week in Abilene. That loss snapped a 12-game regular-season home field winning streak for the Wildcats, who are now 1-1 on the year and ranked No. 20 in the nation.
The Wildcats will take on Tarleton State for what could be the final time on Saturday at 4 p.m. in the second annual Lone Star Football Festival at Cowboys Stadium. With the Wildcats set to move to NCAA?Division I affiliation next season, Saturday's meeting between the two rivals could be the final one in a series that dates back to 1920.
For the Wildcats to win and extend their winning streak over the Texans to three games, they'll have to play much better on the offensive side of the ball than they did against the Javelinas. Last week ACU?managed just 224 yards of offense (137 through the air) in the Wildcats' worst offensive performance since the 2009 season-opener against Northwest Missouri State when they gained just 164 yards in a 19-14 win over the Bearcats.
Senior quarterback Mitchell Gale suffered through his worst start in four season as he completed just 13 of 31 passes for 137 yards and, for the first time since the 2009 playoff loss to Northwest Missouri, failed to throw a touchdown pass.
Tarleton State, meanwhile, enters on a high note having knocked off previous fourth-ranked and defending LSC champion Midwestern State, 20-17, last Saturday night in Stephenville.
The Texans ran for 217 yards and threw for another 137 and limited the potent Mustangs to just 319 yards of total offense.
Saturday's game is the fifth game in the three-day, six-game Lone Star Football Festival at Cowboys Stadium. The action will get started Thursday night when No. 16 Midwestern State takes on Texas A&M-Commerce. On Friday, Eastern New Mexico will take on Incarnate Word at 3:30 p.m., followed by a high school game between Southlake Carroll and Temple.
On Saturday at noon, Angelo State will take on Valdosta State (Ga.) before ACU and Tarleton State play at 4 p.m. The final game of the festival kicks off at 8 p.m. Saturday when West Texas A&M takes on No. 14 Texas A&M-Kingsville.
