By Daniel Johnson, Sports Editor
Billy Malone will take his first playoff snap on Saturday.
But the ACU starting quarterback isn’t worried about it being against the two-time Lone Star Conference champions, West Texas A&M.
“I’ve never played in the playoffs before, even in high school,” Malone said. “But I don’t feel any pressure at all, not like the first time we played them.”
ACU will continue its season in the playoffs against the newly crowned champions in Canyon after claiming the No. 6 seed on Saturday.
Malone’s first time in the playoffs will be his second time against West Texas this season. Malone tied the LSC and ACU single-game record the first time around, with six touchdown passes in the 49-33 win on Nov. 11. The win was the 10-1 Buffs only loss of the season. Malone heads into the game after being named quarterback of the all-LSC South division offensive team and leading the Wildcats to eight wins for the first time since 1981. ACU finished 8-2 and tied Midwestern State for third in the LSC South.
But despite his successful season, Malone stays critical for the playoffs.
“When I watch film, I still see the bad things I do,” Malone said.
The game will also be a landmark for the ACU football program as a whole, which has never played in the Division II NCAA playoffs before this year. The last time an ACU team played in the postseason was in 1977 when the Wildcats won the NAIA Division I national championship.
Even though the game is historic to the program, head coach Chris Thomsen and his staff won’t be intimidated.
“The second the ball snaps, it doesn’t matter if it’s the first game of the year or the national championship,” Thomsen said. “You don’t change your approach.”
The biggest thing that would stop ACU from moving on is the West Texas passing offense, which is ranked second in the nation. And after the passing attack of Midwestern handed ACU a loss in its regular season closer on Nov. 11, Thomsen said the pass defense must improve.
“We are going to work on the things we didn’t do well,” Thomsen said. “Sometimes the small things turn into big plays and that’s what happened against Midwestern.”
West Texas averages 331.9 passing yards-per-game and quarterback Dalton Bell is ranked third in the nation for total offense. WT also led the conference in pass offense and Bell led the LSC in total offense and passing average-per-game.
Meanwhile the Wildcats are right behind West Texas, ranked third in the nation in passing offense and fourth in total offense. Malone ranks fifth in total offense and wide receiver Jerale Badon, LSC South Receiver of the Year, is seventh in the nation in receiving yards-per-game and 12th in receptions-per-game.
Thomsen will make his first appearance in the playoffs as a head coach after being named Coach of the Year for the LSC South. Thomsen second year as head coach produced ACU’s first winning season since 2001.
The winner between ACU and West Texas will move on to play Chadron State on Nov. 26.
