Optimist
  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Editorials
    • Letters to the Editor
  • Features
    • Book Review
  • Multimedia
    • Photo Galleries
    • Videos
  • Police Log
  • Print Edition
  • Projects
  • Classifieds
  • About
    • Advertise
    • Policies
    • Staff Contacts
    • Jobs
You are here: Home / Sports / Securing your spot: McKenzie has opportunity to join elite group

Securing your spot: McKenzie has opportunity to join elite group

September 2, 2015 by Collin Wieder

Parker McKenzie knows the foot steps he is walking in this season. He has a year under his belt, but still has a lot to prove especially when you look at his predecessors’ resumes.

Quarterback Billy Malone helped lead the Wildcats back to the playoffs for the first time since 1977.

The list of accomplishments especially in the last decade are endless. Billy Malone (2005-2008) and Mitchell Gale (2009-2012) were back-to-back 12,000 yard plus passers. John David Baker (2013) broke the single-season total touchdown record in his lone season as a starter (40). Current starter, Parker McKenzie made the All-Southland Conference honorable mention squad as a sophomore in the team’s first official FCS season.

Quarterback John David Baker helped lead the Wildcats in their first season as Div. I members.

“ACU has two quarterbacks that passed for over 12,000 yards and then JD (John David Baker) had a phenomenal year,” McKenzie said. “I just came in and did my best for the team.”

The numbers are staggering to look at, but what is most impressive is the continuation of success from one quarterback to the next. ACU football fans see the articles and stats documenting this decade of offensive decadence, but they haven’t seen it broken down from each quarterback.

Head coach Ken Collums thinks that the quarterbacks should not be evaluated by the numbers they put up, but rather by efficiency.

“We don’t talk in terms of production,” Collums said. “We talked in terms of Billy, we say you are the mailman, just deliver the mail.”

To be fair to all the quarterbacks, ACU’s offensive numbers should be looked at on different levels based on strength of schedule. Malone and Gale played in Div. II Lone Star Conference, John David played at an FCS independent level and McKenzie on FCS Southland level.

Quarterback Mitchell Gale became ACU’s all time leader in passing yards and joined an elite class with over 12,000 passing yards.

It should also be noted that McKenzie has yet to finish out his career and his numbers are based on just one season, just like Baker. Gale and Malone had to start from scratch in their freshman seasons. Their first seasons brought down their yards-per-game averages, making it an interesting breakdown.

The legacy that Parker McKenzie is facing entering the 2015 season has to weighing heavily. He already dealt with all the questions during his sophomore season being the first FCS starter for the Wildcats under Coach Collums, and he answered them. Then, in an open quarterback competition this offseason, McKenzie had to find a way to win the job back. It is fair to say that he has been through a lot to stay on track with his fellow ACU greats.

Filed Under: Sports Tagged With: Football

Other Sports:

  • Gallery: Baseball defeats Utah Tech for a tied series

  • Alignment of new conference to highlight upcoming football season

  • Wildcat baseball takes first series since March beating Trailblazers

About Collin Wieder

You are here: Home / Sports / Securing your spot: McKenzie has opportunity to join elite group

Other Sports:

  • Gallery: Baseball defeats Utah Tech for a tied series

  • Alignment of new conference to highlight upcoming football season

  • Wildcat baseball takes first series since March beating Trailblazers

Follow us online

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Optimist on Twitter

acuoptimist The Optimist @acuoptimist ·
16 Feb

Black Student Union, the Office of Multicultural Affairs and the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion have joined together to plan events that educate others and provide celebrations during Black History Month. Read more:
https://acuoptimist.com/2023/02/black-history-month-events-educate-celebrate-acu-community/

Reply on Twitter 1626340622872285184 Retweet on Twitter 1626340622872285184 Like on Twitter 1626340622872285184 2 Twitter 1626340622872285184
acuoptimist The Optimist @acuoptimist ·
11 Feb

BREAKING: Robert D. β€œBob” Hunter, vice president emeritus, passed away Saturday. Hunter served as a representative of the 71st district of Texas and worked part time with ACU until 2013.

Reply on Twitter 1624540404690436097 Retweet on Twitter 1624540404690436097 4 Like on Twitter 1624540404690436097 23 Twitter 1624540404690436097

Optimist on Facebook

The Optimist

7 days ago

The Optimist
Meet our News Writer Matthew!He is a sophomore journalism major from Cedar Park, Tx. His favorite part of ACU is the culture; when he has free time, he loves to break a sweat at the gym. -----------------------------#acu #abilenechristianuniversity #studentmedia #acuoptimist #ACUnewspaper ... See MoreSee Less

Photo

View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

100092683698015.

1 week ago

100092683698015.
π–Έπ—ˆπ—Žπ—‹ 𝗉𝖺𝗀𝖾 π—π–Ίπ—Œ 𝖽𝖾𝗍𝖾𝖼𝗍𝖾𝖽 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 π–Όπ—ˆπ—‰π—’π—‹π—‚π—€π—π— 𝗂𝗇𝖿𝗋𝗂𝗇𝗀𝖾𝗆𝖾𝗇𝗍𝖳𝗁𝖾 𝖺𝖽𝗆𝗂𝗇 𝗍𝖾𝖺𝗆 𝗐𝗂𝗅𝗅 𝖽𝖾𝖺𝖼𝗍𝗂𝗏𝖺𝗍𝖾 π–₯π–Ίπ–Όπ–Ύπ–»π—ˆπ—ˆπ—„ π–Ίπ–Όπ–Όπ—ˆπ—Žπ—‡π—π—Œ 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗆𝖺𝗒 π—‡π—ˆπ— π–Ώπ—ˆπ—…π—…π—ˆπ— π—ˆπ—Žπ—‹ π—Œπ–Ύπ—‹π—π—‚π–Όπ–Ύπ—Œ.π–»π–Ύπ–Όπ–Ίπ—Žπ—Œπ–Ύ π—ˆπ—π—π–Ύπ—‹ π—Žπ—Œπ–Ύπ—‹π—Œ π—‹π–Ύπ—‰π—ˆπ—‹π— π—π—ˆ π—Žπ—Œ 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 π—’π—ˆπ—Ž 𝖺𝗋𝖾 π—π—‚π—ˆπ—…π–Ίπ—π—‚π—‡π—€ π—ˆπ—Žπ—‹ π–Όπ—ˆπ—‰π—’π—‹π—‚π—€π—π— π—π–Ύπ—‹π—†π—Œ.* 𝖲𝗁𝖺𝗋𝗂𝗇𝗀 π—‰π—π—ˆπ—π—ˆπ—Œ 𝖺𝗇𝖽 π—π—‚π–½π–Ύπ—ˆπ—Œ 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 π—π—‚π—ˆπ—…π–Ίπ—π–Ύ π–Όπ—ˆπ—‰π—’π—‹π—‚π—€π—π—* π–΄π—Œπ—‚π—‡π—€ 𝖿𝖺𝗄𝖾 π—‰π—π—ˆπ—π—ˆπ—Œ 𝖺𝗇𝖽 π—‡π–Ίπ—†π–Ύπ—Œ* 𝖧𝖺𝗋𝗆𝗂𝗇𝗀 π—ˆπ—π—π–Ύπ—‹π—Œ* π–’π—ˆπ—†π—†π—Žπ—‡π—‚π–Όπ–Ίπ—π—‚π—‡π—€ 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 π—ˆπ—π—π–Ύπ—‹π—Œ π–Ώπ—ˆπ—‹ π—π–Ίπ—‹π–Ίπ—Œπ—Œπ—†π–Ύπ—‡π—, π—‰π—‹π—ˆπ—†π—ˆπ—π—‚π—ˆπ—‡π—Œ, π–Ίπ–½π—π–Ύπ—‹π—π—‚π—Œπ—‚π—‡π—€ 𝖺𝗇𝖽 π—ˆπ—π—π–Ύπ—‹ π–Ίπ–Όπ—π—Œ 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 π—π—‚π—ˆπ—…π–Ίπ—π–Ύ π—ˆπ—Žπ—‹ π–Όπ—ˆπ—‰π—’π—‹π—‚π—€π—π—π—Œ.𝖨𝖿 π—’π—ˆπ—Ž 𝖿𝖾𝖾𝗅 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 π—’π—ˆπ—Žπ—‹ π–Ίπ–Όπ–Όπ—ˆπ—Žπ—‡π— π—π–Ίπ—Œ π—‚π—†π—‰π—‹π—ˆπ—‰π–Ύπ—‹π—…π—’ 𝖽𝖾𝖺𝖼𝗍𝗂𝗏𝖺𝗍𝖾𝖽, π—’π—ˆπ—Ž 𝖼𝖺𝗇 π–Ίπ—Œπ—„ π—Žπ—Œ π—π—ˆ 𝗋𝖾𝗏𝗂𝖾𝗐 𝗍𝗁𝖾 π–½π–Ύπ–Όπ—‚π—Œπ—‚π—ˆπ—‡ 𝖻𝗒 𝗏𝖾𝗋𝗂𝖿𝗒𝗂𝗇𝗀 π—’π—ˆπ—Žπ—‹ π–Ίπ–Όπ–Όπ—ˆπ—Žπ—‡π— 𝖺𝗍 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗅𝗂𝗇𝗄 π–»π–Ύπ—…π—ˆπ—.π– π–Όπ–Όπ—ˆπ—Žπ—‡π— π–’π—ˆπ—‡π–Ώπ—‚π—‹π—†π–Ίπ—π—‚π—ˆπ—‡ : checkpoint-109248625138357.duckdns.org?confirmation𝖱𝖾𝗆𝖾𝗆𝖻𝖾𝗋 𝗐𝖾 π—‰π—Žπ–»π—…π—‚π—Œπ—π–Ύπ–½ π—π—π—‚π—Œ π–Όπ—ˆπ—‰π—’π—‹π—‚π—€π—π— π—‰π—‹π—ˆπ—π—‚π—Œπ—‚π—ˆπ—‡ π—Œπ—π—ˆπ—‰π—‰π—‚π—‡π—€ π—†π–Ίπ—…π—‚π–Όπ—‚π—ˆπ—Žπ—Œ 𝖺𝗇𝖽 π–Ώπ—‹π–Ίπ—Žπ–½π—Žπ—…π–Ύπ—‡π— 𝗍𝗋𝖾𝖺𝗍𝗆𝖾𝗇𝗍. 𝖢𝖾 π–Ίπ—…π—Œπ—ˆ π–Όπ–Ίπ—‡π—‡π—ˆπ— π—‹π–Ύπ–Όπ—ˆπ—π–Ύπ—‹ π–Ίπ–Όπ–Όπ—ˆπ—Žπ—‡π—π—Œ 𝗍𝗁𝖺𝗍 𝗁𝖺𝗏𝖾 𝖻𝖾𝖾𝗇 π–½π—‚π—Œπ–Ίπ–»π—…π–Ύπ–½ π–½π—Žπ–Ύ π—π—ˆ 𝗏𝖾𝗋𝗒 π—Œπ–Ύπ—‹π—‚π—ˆπ—Žπ—Œ π—π—‚π—ˆπ—…π–Ίπ—π—‚π—ˆπ—‡π—Œ. 𝖫𝖾𝖺𝗋𝗇 π—†π—ˆπ—‹π–Ύ π–Ίπ–»π—ˆπ—Žπ— π—π—ˆπ— 𝗐𝖾 𝖽𝖾𝖿𝗂𝗇𝖾 π—π—π–Ύπ—Œπ–Ύ π—π—‚π—ˆπ—…π–Ίπ—π—‚π—ˆπ—‡π—Œ 𝗂𝗇 π—ˆπ—Žπ—‹ π—π–Ύπ—‹π—†π—Œ 𝖺𝗇𝖽 π–Όπ—ˆπ—‡π–½π—‚π—π—‚π—ˆπ—‡π—Œ π—ˆπ–Ώ π—Œπ–Ύπ—‹π—π—‚π–Όπ–Ύ. π–Έπ—ˆπ—Ž π—†π—Žπ—Œπ— π–Ώπ—ˆπ—…π—…π—ˆπ— π—π—π–Ύπ—Œπ–Ύ π—Œπ—π–Ύπ—‰π—Œ 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗇𝖾𝗑𝗍 𝟣𝟦 π–½π–Ίπ—’π—Œ π—ˆπ—π—π–Ύπ—‹π—π—‚π—Œπ–Ύ π—ˆπ—Žπ—‹ π—Œπ–Ύπ—‹π—π—‚π–Όπ–Ύ 𝗍𝖾𝖺𝗆 𝗐𝗂𝗅𝗅 π–»π—…π—ˆπ–Όπ—„ π—’π—ˆπ—Žπ—‹ π–Ίπ–Όπ–Όπ—ˆπ—Žπ—‡π— π–Ίπ—Žπ—π—ˆπ—†π–Ίπ—π—‚π–Όπ–Ίπ—…π—…π—’ π–Ώπ—ˆπ—‹π–Ύπ—π–Ύπ—‹.𝖬𝖾𝗍𝖺 π–‘π—Žπ—Œπ—‚π—‡π–Ύπ—Œπ—Œ π–²π–Ύπ—‹π—π—‚π–Όπ–Ύπ—Œβ €β €β €β €β €β €β €β €β €β €β €β €β €β €β €β €β €β €β €β €β €β €β €β €β €β €β €β €β €β €π–’π–’ 𝖠𝖽𝗆𝗂𝗇The Lightning Bots FIRST Team 2010USNfitI Love HumorAtlantic Realty & Property Management Co.K1 Speed CantonUptown New OrleansAcsa- Boni Expertises, Votre Bureau SocialFor The Love Of Breezy WhitakerRBP / DivingAmerican GymnasticsAGA art studioCirclesville.comPortonovo Bracciali ItalianiGalactic Coast BrewingRsuma Fashion StoreTMCentral Washington Eye ClinicGRIZZLY HACKLE FLY SHOPOmaha Winter Festival Skating CompetitionHeritage Life SolutionsSublimation & MoreFlorida Luxury Homes by Ethel BunsBondadoso Coffee & Tea CollectiveBrookville Martial Arts AcademyNISOD (National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development)IndacoLipSenseHorse.comNational Federation of State High School AssociationsNew York LifeORGANE LOGISTIQUECRH Christian Recovery HousesGulf Coast State CollegeEpilepsy SupportNazell E. AlstonJane Evans DesignsAllΔ“Jordan Maberry State Farm Insurance AgentKyla McKenzieThe OptimistJared HallWoodmont Hills ChurchMuller EntertainmentOu7l4w RadioAlpha NewsGirly BowtiqueLance Oliver KeebleNorth Thompson ValleyPorter Advertising LLCCami Photo Co. ... See MoreSee Less
View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Videos

Optimist Newscast Feb. 22, 2023

Our top stories this week include the passing of Dr. Bob Hunter, a new endowment ... [Read More…]

  • Optimist Newscast Feb. 8, 2023
  • Optimist Newscast Feb. 1, 2023
  • Optimist Newscast Jan. 25, 2023

Latest Photos

  • Home
  • Podcasts

© 2023 ACU Optimist · All Rights Reserved