The Wildcats will look to keep their playoff hopes alive against the Texas A&M-Kingsville Javelinas on Saturday night. The Wildcats need to win their final two games to lock up a postseason berth.

The Wildcats fell to seventh in the region last week after a loss to Tarleton State, while the Javelinas held off Eastern New Mexico last week 38-31. The win allowed them to jump the Wildcats in the regional rankings, as they moved up to fifth in the region. The top six teams in the region make playoffs, making this week’s matchup an important game.

“It adds excitement and motivation for both teams,” said Head Coach Chris Thomsen. “If you win this game, you get to play on. That dynamic obviously is much better than not having this opportunity at this point in year.

The Wildcats’ defense will be heavily tested this week against a powerful Javelina offense. The Javelinas are averaging 31.2 points per game, led by a balanced offensive attack that averages 191.7 yards rushing and 242.3 yards passing per game. ACU’s defense will need to play like it did last week if it is going to slow down the Javelinas on offense.

The ability to execute and put points up on the scoreboard will be key to the Wildcats success. The offense struggled last week in Stephenville, scoring only six points. ACU had the ball within the 10-yard line three times last week and only managed six points. The Wildcats need to turn the field goals into touchdowns in order to play with the Javelinas on Saturday. The pressure of missing the postseason will be on Mitchell Gale and the offense as they face a tough Javelina defense.

The Wildcats and Javelinas will kick off at 2 p.m. at Shotwell Stadium.