ACU used huge passing plays to beat West Texas A&M, winning the Homecoming game 28-18.

Quarterback Mitchell Gale threw for 305 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Wildcats to redemption. In 2007 and 2009, the Buffaloes beat the Wildcats during their Homecoming games. However, that was not the case this year.

Leading the defense was Aston Whiteside, who had four of the Wildcats’ eight sacks and pressured the West Texas offense all game.

“It’s amazing,” Whiteside said. “My high school coach always told me that big-time players made big-time plays in big-time games. This was a big-time game, and we made the plays to win.”

West Texas defense dominated the first quarter, as ACU had the ball four times and was unable to convert a single first down. However, ACU’s defense held their own and kept the high-powered Buffalo offense to only a field goal in the first quarter.

During the first quarter, Gale was sacked twice on the first drive, but in the second quarter he delivered a momentum-shifting pass. At his own 4-yard line Gale hit tight end Ben Gibbs for a 75-yard pass and run. Gibbs broke open on a slant route and with West Texas expecting a run, was in open field. He was caught and pushed out of bounds at the West Texas 20-yard line but not before giving ACU new life.

Three plays later, Richardson pounded the ball to the end zone, giving the Wildcats their first touchdown of the game. It didn’t take long for the Wildcats defense to match the offense. With West Texas driving, running back Khiry Robinson took a Dustin Vaughan pass and rumbled ahead down the ACU sideline. Safety Darien Williams met Robinson and took the ball out of his hands.

The Buffalo turnover turned into more ACU points as Gale again drove the Wildcats down the field. Reggie Brown finished the job to give the Wildcats a 14-3 lead.

West Texas was quick to respond and finally got a touchdown on the board late in the second quarter. Vaughan found receiver Jeremy Watson for a 12-yard strike to bring the Buffs back within one score at 14-10.

After halftime the Wildcats came out strong. The defense held the Buffaloes to a punt while the offense converted its second big drive of the game. Starting on their own two-yard line, the Wildcats methodically drove down the field. Gale completed two third downs on the drive, the second one going for six points.

On third-and-10 Gale threw a jump ball into the end zone. Wide receiver Jamaine Sherman made the catch-of-the-year when he caught the pass to widen the ACU lead to 21-10. Gale threw the ball to Sherman’s back shoulder, and Sherman soared, coming down with the football in the end zone.

“I thank my coaches for giving me the opportunity to make that play,” Sherman said. “Mitch knows I am a leaper. He put it up there and gave me a chance to make a play.”

On West Texas’s ensuing possession, the defense bent, allowing the Buffaloes to get to the red zone. Even so, the defense didn’t break. They stopped the Buffs on fourth down.

“I give a lot of credit to Coach Johns [the defensive coordinator] for coming up the schemes to beat them,” Whiteside said. “I also have to thank the rest of the defensive line.”

Both teams got points early in the fourth quarter. Spencer Covey botched a snap on a punt, and West Texas recovered inside the ACU 10-yard line. One play later, Vaughan found Brittan Golden for a touchdown. The Buffaloes weren’t done. They faked the extra point and ran the ball for the two-point conversion, slimming the ACU lead to 21-18.

After a long kick return by Charcandrick West, Gale went back to work and hit Justin Andrews on a seam route. Andrews, with no WT defenders around him, took the ball the rest of the way for the score to quickly put the ‘Cats back up by two scores, 28-18.

The ACU defense continued its dominance until the clock hit double zeros. The Wildcats finally earned redemption at Homecoming, beating their archrival by 10 points.

“I told Richard Havens … that we had to get this [win] against West Texas, and we got it,” Whiteside said.

Next week the Wildcats will have another critical game. The Wildcats will play Midwestern State in Wichita Falls. The Mustangs and Wildcats are the only two remaining unbeaten teams in Lone Star Conference play.