North Dakota
ACU falls in tight matchup against FCS-ranked North Dakota – Optimist
Maverick McIvor, quarterback from San Angelo, passes the ball to Jermiah Dobbins, working again from Lubbock. (Picture by Daniel Curd)
The Wildcats (5-3, 2-0) traveled to North Dakota for his or her longest street journey of the yr, falling 34-31 in a excessive scoring offensive shootout to the College of North Dakota Combating Hawks (5-3).
Within the week main as much as the matchup, head coach Keith Patterson knew his group couldn’t afford little errors towards the Soccer Championship Subdivision twenty third ranked Combating Hawks.
“We knew going into the soccer recreation that it was going to be a recreation that you must go win,” Patterson mentioned. “They’re not gonna be a group that makes errors, they’re disciplined, they’re every thing that we aspire to be as a soccer program.”
Sadly for the Wildcats, the errors they made added up, ensuing of their third lack of the season. With this being a non-conference matchup, the loss in the end had no impact on their Western Athletic Convention document, they usually nonetheless have the possibility to win convention play.
The sport began with ACU hanging first, with sophomore quarterback Maverick McIvor main a seven-play drive that led to a landing move to senior vast receiver Kobe Clark, for his fifth landing on the yr. The Combating Hawks didn’t rating their first landing till the second quarter, however went on to outscore ACU, 17-7, to take a slim 20-14 result in the locker room.
Not a lot scoring occurred within the third quarter till the the 5:40 mark, when senior placekicker Blair Zepeda kicked his first and solely subject purpose of the sport. Then, the Wildcats and the exchanged landing by way of the rest of the sport. The ultimate scoring play of the sport got here with 7:48 left on the clock, after McIvor marched ACU down the sector in a 5 play scoring drive that lasted below two minutes.
With the rating 34-31, UND acquired the ball again, and maintained the ball in that single possession. The Combating Hawks gained first down after first down, and after penalties dedicated by ACU and profitable clock administration, the ranked FCS escaped with the three level win.
Penalties and turnovers have been a difficulty for the Wildcats, costing them subject place and the chance to attain on a number of events. With the sport being so shut, and no group getting forward by that a lot, it was errors that ACU made the Patterson mentioned aided in figuring out the sport’s consequence.
“I believe 4 performs was about like a 17-point differential,” Patterson mentioned. “There have been 4 performs that would have swung both approach, and whether or not or not it’s a name or whether or not or not it’s execution or one thing like that. It might have modified the sport in a single path or the opposite.”
As for ACU’s offensive chief, regardless of throwing two interceptions on the day, McIvor helped preserve the Wildcats in a extremely contested recreation. McIvor completed the sport totaling 239 passing yards and three touchdowns, his longest move being a 32-yard throw to sophomore vast receiver Tristan Golightly, who led ACU with 82 receiving yards. After the sport, Patterson praised McIvor’s means to repeatedly progress, regardless of the final recreation’s consequence.
“We’re very happy with Maverick and the progress he’s making,” Patterson mentioned. “We acquired to proceed to get the ball within the palms of our playmakers, which we did. We had like six or seven totally different receivers, so we did a pleasant job spreading the soccer round.”
The Wildcats face Tarleton subsequent in a extremely anticipated convention matchup. With the Texans sitting at a 1-2 convention document, the 2-0 Wildcats have a first-rate alternative to maneuver one other step nearer to their goal of incomes a WAC championship title.
“We stay up for a fantastic matchup, it’s nice for the Massive Nation,” Patterson mentioned. “There are two actually good soccer groups going to play a contest on Saturday. Plus, it’s a convention matchup so our children are very enthusiastic about that, to get again into convention play and try to construct momentum.”
ACU performs the Tarleton Texans on the Memorial Stadium in Stephenville, Texas. Kickoff is at 7:00pm, and protection will be discovered on ESPN+.