As the ACU football team bears the brunt of the West Texas heat during two-a-days, expectations are as high as ever for the purple and white in what will be their last season as a member of the Lone Star Conference.
Despite losing several key players on offense to the League, ACU is expected to be a juggernaut offensively in large part because of their preseason all-American Quarterback, Mitchell Gale.
Gale’s preseason accolades are as long and impressive as his resume, which includes being named division two preseason player of the year by several prevalent publications.
“Mitchell is a guy that deserves everything he gets because he maximizes his ability and is a great leader and has one of the biggest hearts of any kid I have ever coached,” head coach Ken Collums said.
It is the first year as the head man for Collums, who served as the offensive coordinator for the Wildcats for the past eight seasons. Collums will be looking to utilize Gale and the rest of the playmakers on an ACU offense that is poised for another big year.
“Offensively, we are looking to be balanced and do what we do,” Collums said. “We are going to exploit matchups and Mitchell is going to get the ball out of his hands and get it to playmakers.”
Assuming Gale stays healthy, he should be able to eclipse the 12,000 yard mark sometime in his senior campaign, the senior from Alva, Okla. could even attain 100 career thouchdowns.
“I think all the numbers are a testament to the guys I have played with in my years here,” Gale said. “Right now I am focused on going out there and putting together a great 2012 season. Once I am done, I’ll probably start to think about all those things.”
With game breakers such as juniors Taylor Gabriel and Darrell Cantu-Harkless outside the numbers, ACU fans could be looking at a prolific passing attack that could lead the ‘Cats on a deep playoff run.
“We have a receiving corps in the upper tier of our league,” Collums said. “When you have four productive receivers that can get open and get yards after the catch, you are one of the few teams that can say that.”
