Midwestern State

ABILENE – Like two heavyweight boxers, Abilene Christian University and Midwestern State University traded blows once more in a game pitting two of the nation’s top-ranked teams. Sophomore ACU quarterback Mitchell Gale and senior MSU quarterback Zack Eskridge finished with exactly the same passing yardage, but it was Gale’s team that prevailed in a wild 31-28 win before a happy Wildcat Homecoming crowd of 13,486 in Shotwell Stadium.

Gale threw for 263 yards and three touchdowns to lead No. 5 ACU over No. 8 MSU, the third time the two teams have played in each others’ last seven games. The Wildcats lost to the Mustangs in the 2009 regular season finale but beat MSU in the first round of the national playoffs.

The win Saturday pushed the Wildcats to 6-0 and 5-0 in the Lone Star Conference, and dropped the Mustangs to 5-1 and 4-1 in the LSC. ACU is 3-0 in the LSC South, and MSU is 1-1.  ACU returns to action next Saturday when it travels to San Antonio to take on Incarnate Word in a game at 7 p.m. in UIW’s Benson Stadium.
Player of the game: ACU Defense