The ACU Wildcats captured their second Lone Star Conference Championship tonight with a 41-34 nail biter against West Texas A&M.
“I’m just so proud of our guys, they fought like crazy,” ACU head coach Chris Thomsen said. “That’s the way it should be for the championship, just a knock down drag out fight.”
James Williams stepped up huge for the Wildcats intercepting three of Taylor Harris’ passes on the night.
“It feels great to be a champion, I have never won a ring before” Williams said. “I was just glad I was able to make some impact plays to help my team win.”
“Williams embodies the heart and soul of this team,” said Thomsen.
Mitchell Gale had another solid night completing 22 of 36 passes for 296 yards and one touchdown. Gale also ran one in himself early in the second half.
The Wildcats managed just six points in the first half despite having the ball inside the Buffaloes 20 yard line four times.
Taylor Harris had four touchdowns to go along with the three interceptions and one fumble, as the turnover riddled Buffs couldn’t hold off an ACU comeback.
“It means everything to see them to continue to fight back and show their heart and soul,” said Thomsen.
West Texas came out strong on their home field taking the Wildcats on a 13 play 80-yard drive that resulted in a touchdown from Harris to Britton Golden, one of his two scores on the night.
ACU was quick to answer after Caleb Withrow took the ensuing kick off 77 yards down the WT 10 yard line.
But the Wildcats failed to capitalize on the excellent field position and settled for a Morgan Lineberry field goal from 28 yards out.
Late in the first quarter James Williams picked off a Taylor Harris pass that went off the hands of Stephen Burton.
The Wildcats put together a great drive that spanned 89 yards, but the drive against stalled inside the West Texas 10-yard line. Another Lineberry field goal pulled the ‘Cats to within one.
Just before the end of the half Taylor Harris led the Buffs on a 90-yard drive, completing five of eight passes on the drive that ended in a Tyson Williams touchdown reception, putting West Texas up 14-6 with just 1:27 remaining in the half.
The Wildcats came back on their next drive red-hot. ACU made it all the way down to the WT three-yard line before stalling. Morgan Lineberry missed the 20-yard field goal attempt as the clock ran out on the half with WT leading 14-6.
The Wildcats came out of the break with an answer taking the opening drive 80 yards as Mitchell Gale finished it off himself on the bootleg, Wildcats pulled to within just one point again.
But a heavy dose of Taylor Harris did the defense in as WT answered right back with a touchdown of their own.
Darien Williams blocked the extra-point attempt by Sergio Castillo.
Gale and the Wildcats were looking to even the score on their next drive, but the Buffs had other plans. The Buffs Caleb Randolph intercepted Gale and returned it 76 yards for a West Texas touchdown, putting the home team up by 14.
With 2:34 left in the third quarter Aston Whiteside got to Taylor Harris and forced the WT quarterback to fumble the ball inside his own five-yard line.
ACU did not waste the field position this time, scoring three plays later on a Daryl Richardson touchdown. Richardson had 98 yards rushing on the night, his best total of the season, to go along with three touchdowns.
“It feels good, I have been struggling in the season, I really needed this big game,” Richardson said.
On the first play of the fourth quarter Mitchell Gale found Edmund Gates who had been held in check most of the night. Gates took it 51 yards to the house, burning by the WT defenders. Lineberry’s extra point tied the game at 27.
After trading scores the Wildcats began a drive with 3:53 left in the game set up by a 32-yard punt return by Kendrick Johnson. Daryl Richardson came up huge on the drive for the Wildcats who took it 36 yards, taking just under three minutes off the clock. Richardson bounced outside on a cutback play and scampered 23 yards into the end zone to put the Wildcats up for the first time in the game 41-34.
With the win the Wildcats maintained their perfect record, moving to 10-0 on the season and clinching at least a share of the LSC Championship. Should the Wildcats win the season finally against Southwestern Oklahoma, ACU will become outright conference champions for the second time in three years.
“Now we got to go home and clinch it out right,” said Thomsen.
