The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 68, No. 9, Ed. 1, Friday, October 31, 1980 Page: 19 of 23
twenty three pages : illus. ; page 11 x 8 in. Digitized from 35 mm. microfilm.View a full description of this newspaper.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
pgS
B-4
Cats to face
hard running
Lumberjacks
By DAVID RAMSEY
Sports Editor
ACU's football team will begin an effort
to salvage its season Saturday against
Stephen F Austin in Nacogdoches
The Lumberjacks have a season of their
own to salvage after losing five of six SFA
shocked Texas A&I 14-0 two weeks ago
for its only official win
Stephen F also defeated Henderson
State Ark but had to forfeit the game
because they used an ineligible player
The Lumberjacks like the Wildcats lost to
Angelo State
ACU Coach Ted Sitton said the Lum-
berjacks are a running team ' They only
pass if they have to" he said The SFA
offense is led by tailback Paul Hood Lone
Star Conference back of the year in 1979
Hood was also first team all NAIA
The Lumberjack defense is the team's
ACU vs. Stephen F. Austin
Saturday Nov. 1
Lumberjack Stadium
Nacogdoches
Radio: KRBC (1470 AM)
Time: 2 p.m.
weak spot Sitton said SFA is last in the
LSC in rush defense pass defense and not
surprising! total defense
Sitton has decided he will go with Kelly
West to lead the Wildcat offense against
the Lumberjacks "We re going to go w ith
Kelly and if he can't move them if we feel
we're not moving because of him well
take him out "
The troubles the ACU offense has had
the last three weeks can't all be blamed on
the team's quarterbacks Sitton said "It's
not all them We need good pass protec-
tion We need good timing "
West is starting because ' He s got more
ability than the othen" Sitton said "We'd
had such a poor performance in the
passing game and we have five super
receivers who were getting w ide open We
w eren't getting the ball to them "
What has been especially disappointing
Sitton said is the offense's inability to get
the ball to last year's all LSC tight end
Steve Thomas "We're going to him on
plays that three people are covering him
and then missing him when he's open
Teams have been keying on Steve
double and triple teaming him really
covering him "
Sitton said the turnovers that have
plagued the Wildcats have mostly been
"just quarterback errors They're
throwing when they shouldn't and
throwing of f balance "
Injuries have also plagued the Wildcats
Last week was no exception with the Cats
losing starting defensive tackle Scot Goen
and tailback Kerry Parker for the season
to knee injuries
In last year's SFA ACU encounter the
Lumberjacks won 27-21 led by Hood s 149
yards rushing John Mayes had a typically
great game for the Wildcats passing for
269 yards and a touchdown Thomas
caught six of Mayes' tosses for 101 yards
Two ACU safeties proved deadly to the
Wildcats
Lions turnovers defeat Wildcats 24-1 4
By DAVID RAMSEY
Sports Editor
For just a moment it looked like ACU
had a chance Saturday to challenge East
Texas
On the first play of ACU's third
possession quarterback Kelly West ran 80
yards untouched on a draw that would
apparently pull the Wildcats within one
touchdown of the Lions It didn't
A clipping call on Lyle Leong nullified
the run and the Wildcats only serious
chance at victory ACU lost 24-14 but the
score is deceptive it wasn't nearly that
close
"I've looked and looked at that play in
the films and I haven't seen a clip yet"
Coatli Ted Sitton said West threw an
interception on the next play Seven plays
later Lion tailback Cary Noiel scored from
the three to make the score 21 0
Sitton said the called back toudidown
was a "14 point play " The dismal play
went well with the Wildcats dismal first
quarter
After East Texas held on ACU's first
offensive series the Lions' David Lowe
exploded into the Wildcat backfield and
blocked Vin Smith's punt just off the
kicker's foot Teammate Anthony
Freeman scooped up the loose ball and
scored With less than three minutes ex-
pired the Lions led 7-0
On the next series the Lions' Danny Kirk
sm
made the first of sewn Lion ititoricptinns
Seven plays later Hast 1 eas quarterback
Wade Wilson sneaked in from the one to
put the Lions up 14 0
W ith 10 seconds left in the quarter Handy
Jones kicked a 42 yard field goal after a
fumble by ACU's Lcmbia Kmsler to make
the score 24-0 and close out the Lions
scoring
The Lions quit scoring but ACU duln t
stop giving them the ball The Wildcats
added a fumble and five interceptions to
their first quarter mishaps and ended up
with 10 turnovers
The second half brought some bright
spots for ACU although it was too late to
(continued on paga M)
mimBmmitmmmMmnwmmKammimti'
w v '1 v iiA vyw "& .ww .7
Photo by Nan Whltwodh
Heaving
ACU quarterback Kelly West follows through against East leted only seven of 26 passes and threw five interceptions
Texas Saturday It wasn't a good day for West as he comp- West has been named to start against Stephen F Austin
Wildcat football season not over yet
MARK EVJE
Assistant Sports Editor
When ACU head football coach Ted
Sitton told me more than a month
before the Wildcats began conference
play that his team could finish
anywhere from second to sixth in the
Lone Star Conference race I was
immediately skeptical
After all the Wildcats had been
picked to finish sixth just two weeks
earlier in a poll of LSC sports in
formation directors Who did Sitton
think he was trying to kid anyway9
That was before the tragic death of
Greg Pratt the loss of Steve Worthey
and a myriad of other injuries that
suddenly descended upon the Wildcat
team
Two months and five losses later it
would seem I was fully justified in my
evaluation and should be patting myself
on the back and saying "I told you so "
But I'm not Not yet anyway Let me
tell you why
ACU's first two games were played
against some stiff competition Nor
thwest Louisiana and the University of
Hawaii a pair of NCAA schools No
sports
analysis
matter what anyone else says there's
no way I'm going to be convinced the
Wildcats weren't outmanned
especially against Hawaii
After all those guys are in the
Western Athletic Conference play
nationally ranked schools have their
own bowl game and everything
I he Northwest Oklahoma game the
Cats' only win so far this season was a
bit deceptive in my opinion Heavy
rains turned the field into a swamp and
the Cats really weren t able to show
what they were capable of
So two weeks later 'I exas A&I comes
rolling into town for the conference
opener The Wildcats tiavel to San
Angelo to take on the NAIA s No 1 team
the following week then take on East
Texas State the No 2 NAIA team after
that in a homecoming game that was
well embarrassing
ACU lost those three games by a
combined score of 108 47 and a lot of
people figure the season s over already
They velost their first thiceconfcience
games so we might as well write em
off for this year Maybe so but I'm just
not convinced the Wildcats are that
bad
That schedule has to be one of the
toughest ways to open conference play
in the nation
When you play the two top ranked
teams in the nation you're going to be
hard pressed to win And in these parts
the A&I game practically puts the Civil
War to shame every y ear
That s besides the fact that it s
(contlnuod on page B 8)
&
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 68, No. 9, Ed. 1, Friday, October 31, 1980, newspaper, October 31, 1980; Abilene, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth92007/m1/19/: accessed April 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Abilene Christian University Library.