Game Highlights

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HOUSTON – Abilene Christian outgained HBU, 659-300, as the Wildcats downed the Huskies, 59-14, in Southland Conference football Saturday night at Husky Stadium. The game was HBU's first SLC contest.
 
HBU sophomore quarterback Jonathan Fleming went 4-for-8 for 50 yards and a touchdown, but left the game with a first-half injury. Redshirt freshman quarterback Ka'Darius Baker went 8-for-17 for 162 yards and a TD in relief. Redshirt freshman running back B.J. Kelly led the Huskies (1-3, 0-1 SLC) with 52 rushing yards. Senior wide receiver Darian Lazard had three catches for 87 yards and a TD, and senior tight end Kenneth Bibbins made two catches for 48 yards and a score. Senior cornerback Eric Amoako and redshirt freshman linebacker Garrett Dolan led HBU with eight tackles each.
 
ACU quarterback Parker McKenzie completed 21-of-31 passes for 385 yards and four touchdowns. Herschel Sims rushed 15 times for 128 yards, caught four passes for 92 yards and scored three touchdowns, while Cade Stone made seven catches for 121 yards and a pair of TDs for the Wildcats (3-2, 2-0). Cedric Gilbert also caught two TDs. Sam Denmark, Justin Stewart, Angel Lopez and Grady Lynn led ACU defensively with seven tackles apiece.
 
The Huskies got on the board first for the fourth-straight game on a 46-yard touchdown reception by Bibbins from Fleming just 1:21 into the game. The Wildcats answered with 31 unanswered points, beginning with a 33-yard field goal by Nik Grau, then a nine-yard TD pass from McKenzie to Cedric Gilbert to give ACU a 10-7 lead at the end of the first quarter. In the second quarter, Sims had TD runs of three and two yards, respectively, then McKenzie hit Stone for a 20-yard strike.
 
Late in the half, Baker was flushed out of the pocket to his right, threw a deep ball on the run down the right sideline, hitting Lazard in stride for a 77-yard TD with 4:48 remaining to cut ACU's lead to 31-14. On the first play of the Wildcats' ensuing drive, McKenzie hit Jonathan Epps for a 59-yard completion down to the HBU 14, then Sims punched it in from four yards out.
 
Stone's 19-yard TD reception was the only score of the third quarter, then in the fourth, Gilbert had a 13-yard catch and Randy Gober capped the scoring with a 12-yard run.
 
ACU had 403 passing yards and 256 rushing yards, while HBU had 212 yards through the air and 88 on the ground. Both teams racked up penalties with ACU getting called for 11 for 163 yards and HBU also having 11 for 150 yards.
 
The Huskies return to action for the first of back-to-back SLC road games when they face Incarnate Word next Saturday, Oct. 4 at 6 p.m. in San Antonio.