On Wednesday day afternoon it was confirmed by head coach Ken Collums that sophomore quarterback Dallas Sealey will not play against Lamar this Saturday. Sealey sustained a concussion late in the first quarter of last Saturday’s game against Central Arkansas.
In place of Sealey will be senior quarterback Parker McKenzie, who is no stranger to the starting role. McKenzie started in 2014 and most of 2015 before finishing the UCA game 14-31 for 155 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.
“Dallas probably won’t play, which is a bummer,” Collums said. “We did not need him to get hurt in the first quarter last week. If you’re the second most productive guy in the country, you don’t need to lose that guy.”
McKenzie also threw for 3084 yards and 22 touchdowns in 2014 and 1855 yards and 14 touchdowns a season ago.
The Wildcats are still searching for their first win after the 58-27 loss against Central Arkansas, but they will have to overcome one of the nation’s best running back in Kade Harrington. Harrington is the leading rusher in the Southland Conference, averaging 112.2 yards per game.
In his last two games against ACU, Harrington has gone for a combined 490 yards, including a Southland Conference single-game record 347 yards in the Cardinals’ 44-28 victory last season.
Junior defensive end Dylan Douglass causes the incomplete pass with a well-timed hit on UCA quarterback Hay Hildebrand. Douglass has 23 tackles so far this season. (Photo by Lauren Franco)
“If anybody doesn’t do a good job against him, they’re in big trouble,” Collums said. “He can score from anywhere on the field. We’ve got to do a good job with each of our defenders being in the right spot and not trying to over do things.”
In 2016 the Cardinals are 1-3 overall and 1-1 in the Southland Conference with two losses coming to nationally ranked opponents in the FCS in Sam Houston State, Coastal Carolina and No. 6 in FBS, Houston. Lamar is also coming off its first win of the season against Southeastern Louisiana 38-14 where Harrington rushed for 143 yards and a touchdown.
“Lamar is going to come in as a confident team,” Collums said. “They dropped their first three games to quality teams.”
For ACU, in three of its last four losses the score has been within a possession with a chance to earn its first victory, but were unable to.
The last four games, the Wildcats have been plagued by injuries with junior running De’Andre Brown nursing a high ankle sprain and junior wide receiver D.J. Fuller battling a foot sprain. The status on Fuller is still questionable for Saturday’s game.
This will be the 19th time these two teams have met as Lamar holds an 11-7 edge all-time. ACU will also be looking to end a six-game losing streak on Saturday.
