By Joel Weckerly, Sports Editor
The ACU football team is in a must-win situation, and they’re thrilled to death about it.
The Wildcats travel to Texas A&M-Kingsville this weekend for the biggest game they’ve played in years. Their playoff hopes, a conference title and a five-game winning streak are all at stake, but that’s the fun part.
“I’d be lying if I said it was just another game,” said senior defensive lineman Barrett Allen. “But our confidence makes it seem that way. There’s no fear, there’s no nervousness. We’re just ready to play.”
ACU is 5-3 overall and in first place with a 4-0 mark in the Lone Star Conference South Division, while Kingsville is 6-2 and 3-1, good for second place in the division. An ACU win would clinch the LSC South title and at least a share of the overall conference title, as well as put the Cats in a better position to claim the school’s first-ever spot in the Division II national playoffs. ACU is ranked eighth in the West Regional Poll, from which the top four teams go to the playoffs. Kingsville is currently fourth in the poll, and if ACU wins it has a legitimate chance to leap in the rankings.
On the other hand, Kings-ville needs this victory as well. If the nationally-ranked Javelinas lose, they virtually lose all chan-ces of making the playoffs, not to mention squandering the South title.
“It’ll be a very intense football game,” ACU Coach Gary Gaines said. “Theyr’e in the same boat we are. This is the biggest one we’ve played in a while.”
Indeed, the last time the Wildcats played a game with as much on the line was the 1986 season finale against West Texas State. The Wildcats lost that game 32-28, costing the Cats the LSC crown and a spot in the playoffs.
Similar to that Wildcat team, this year’s has the momentum advantage of five straight wins.
“We have a degree of mo-mentum,” Gaines said. “There’s no question about that. I’d rather be going into it with five straight wins than anything else.”
But a sixth straight win will prove tough for ACU. Kingsville sports the second-best offense in the LSC, as well as the highest-rated defense. Its top player is senior quarterback Abel Gon-zalez, who averages 156.5 passing yards and 54 rushing yards a game. Running back Larry Williams is his top support player, with 103.2 yards rushing per game and 11 touchdowns.
“Their team speed on both offense and de-fense is huge,” Gaines said. “They have talented players and they’re well-coached.”
Allen said the ACU defense would focus on the Javelinas’ ground game above all.
“We want to stop the run first,” Allen said. “We’re hoping to get a shutout. Kingsville’s been known as a high-caliber team, but we believe we can do it against them.”
And the Cats will have their shot Saturday, when they battle it out in Javelina Stadium at 7 p.m.
“Kingsville’s program has always had a fighting heart,” Allen said. “But we haven’t been beaten in the fourth quarter before. If you beat on them for three quarters, they’ll start to feel it in the end.”
