ACU (2-3, 0-1) looks to get back on the right track in Saturday’s Homecoming matchup, looking for its first conference win of the season as it takes on North Alabama (2-4, 0-2).
The Wildcats are coming off of a week of rest, after falling to the University of North Texas in the previous week. The Wildcats held their own throughout a majority of the game but ultimately could not dig themselves out of the early hole they found themselves in.
The Wildcats are 2-3 through the first half of the season with back-to-back wins to open up the season against Northern Colorado and Prairie View A&M. The Wildcats have struggled since, dropping three straight games including a 52-17 loss in the conference opener against Central Arkansas followed by the loss to UNT.
“We’ve played a good schedule so far,” junior quarterback Maverick McIvor said. “We’ve played some top teams and the competition has really elevated us to play well against anybody. I think it sets us up for success and we’ve learned a lot of lessons.”
North Alabama has seen a somewhat disappointing season so far as well, as the Lions are 2-4 and have lost both conference games including a 22-32 loss to Eastern Kentucky last weekend.
The Wildcats head into Saturday afternoon’s matchup facing some challenges and struggles on both sides of the ball.
The ACU defense, which was only allowing an average of 18 points a game through the first three games of the season, has now allowed 97 total points the last two weeks. The Wildcat defense allows an average of almost 473 total yards a game and ranks second to last in the conference in rushing defense. Despite the recent struggles in the second unit, junior safety Elijah Moffett and junior linebacker Cirby Coheley rank in the top ten of the UAC in tackles for loss.
Although UNA ranks last in the UAC when it comes to scoring offense, the Wildcat defense will still have its hands full come Saturday. The Lions rank second in the conference in rushing and passing yards per game. UNA wide receiver Takairee Kenebrew also leads the UAC in receiving yards per game at 82.6
“Offensively they are very multiple,” head coach Keith Patterson said. “They have guys that have home run capability and that’s what it’s going to boil down to, is to just make them earn everything and we are going to have to force turnovers ourselves.”
On the offensive side of the ball, the Wildcats have struggled with a common theme throughout their last few games. In all three of the Wildcats’ losses, the offense has started out on the field and has quickly gone to work moving the ball down the field. After success in the first possession, the ACU offense then seems to become stagnant for the next handful of possessions. This is evident in the time of possession as ACU ranks second to last in the UAC in total time of possession each week. Being able to carry over momentum from the first drive into the remainder of the first half drives will be key if the Wildcats want to show the offensive numbers that they did in the first two weeks.
“For us it’s not starting fast, it’s finishing that has been the problem,” Patterson said. I don’t know if it is a lack of focus, but we’ve got to maintain focus and carry that into the second half of these games.”
Due to recent struggles, the Wildcat offense now ranks in the bottom half of the UAC when it comes to both rushing and passing yards. However, that doesn’t mean the Wildcats don’t have the weapons and ability to put points on the board. Despite ranking second to last in passing yards per game, McIvor has the fewest interceptions of starting quarterbacks in the conference and is third in passing efficiency at 142.2. McIvor’s high efficiency is partially due to junior wide receiver Blayne Taylor, who is eighth in the conference and leads the Wildcats with 296 receiving yards and four touchdown receptions.
“We’ve gotten back to the basics,” McIvor said. “We are going back to what we know how to do and really going back to perfecting our craft. Getting back to base offense, running crisp routes, making good throws and putting it all back together.”
The special teams unit has played a large role in the Wildcats season so far as sophomore kicker Kyle Ramsey is perfect so far on all field goals and PAT’s. Sophomore punter Grant Nickel leads the UAC with an average of 46.1 yards per punt.
Looking ahead at the rest of the season, the Wildcats hit the road following Saturday’s Homecoming matchup and will take on Stephen F. Austin on Oct. 21, and Southern Utah on Oct. 28. Two more home games on Nov. 4 against Utah Tech and Nov. 11 against Tarelton set the Wildcats up for their final and most challenging game of the season when they head to College Station on Nov. 18 to take on the Texas A&M Aggies.
“Our guys came back from over the weekend with a renewed spirit,” Patterson said. “They know what’s out in front of them and we are in the meat of our conference schedule and we are looking forward to five tough challenges.
The Wildcats begin the second half of the season come Saturday at 3 p.m. when they take on the North Alabama Lions at Anthony Field at Wildcat Stadium with the game streaming live on ESPN+
