Saturday Game Recaps

No. 8 ACU topples Division II power - Abilene Reporter News
No. 8 ACU knocks off No. 3 Northwest Missouri, 44-27 - ACU Website
ACU Ends Northwest's Home Win Streak - NWMSU Website
Rams lose heartbreaker in season opener - San Angelo Standard Times
Rams Nearly Stun Texas State - ASU Website
Bobcats Come Back To Beat Angelo State 21-14 - Texas State Website
A&M-Commerce Falls to Northwestern State, 30-14 - TAMC Website
Consistency is NSU goal after opening victory - NSU Website
Pittsburg State ruins Holland's debut - Edmond Evening Sun
Upset Bid Falls Short - UCO Website
No. 17 Gorillas Grit Out 16-12 Victory - PSU Website
Greyhounds drop opener at Southern Nazarene - Clovis News Journal
Gridiron Hounds Fall to SNU in Season Opener - ENMU Website

LSC Players of the Week
North Offensive
Marcus Johnson, East Central, Jr., Quarterback, Abilene, Texas/Abilene Despite a 58-14 loss at NCAA Division I Championship Subdivision team Sam Houston State, junior quarterback Marcus Johnson completed 31-of-53 passes (58.5 percent) for 296 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions. Johnson fired TD passes of 6 yards to tight end Thurman Sims and 53 yards to Tyrone Gibbs. Johnson converted passes to 13 different receivers in the game.

North Defensive
Terry Hardeman, Central Oklahoma, Jr., Linebacker, Spencer, Okla./Star Spencer Hardeman led UCO's defensive efforts in a hard-fought 16-12 loss to No. 17-ranked Pittsburg State. The junior had a game-high 13 tackles (eight solo) while causing two fumbles and recovering two fumbles.

North Special Teams
Spenser Daniel, Southwestern Oklahoma, Jr., K, Sulphur Springs, Texas Daniel scored SWOSU's first nine points, connecting on field goals of 40, 26 and 18 yards in a 29-15 win over Northwestern Oklahoma State University.

South Offensive
Billy Malone, Abilene Christian, Sr., Quarterback, Paris, Texas/North LamarMalone completed 72 percent of his passes Saturday night as he led the eighth-ranked Wildcats to a 44-27 road win over No. 3 Northwest Missouri State, arguably the Wildcats' biggest regular-season victory in more than 40 years. Malone completed 18 of 25 passes for 293 yards and four touchdowns in the victory. The senior from Paris, Texas, rallied the Wildcats from first-quarter deficits of 14-0 and 21-7 to run the Wildcats' all-time record against MIAA opponents to 3-0-1 (2-0 vs. Nebraska-Omaha and 1-0-1 vs. NW Missouri State). Trailing 21-7, Malone got the Wildcats back into the game with a 61-yard touchdown strike to Jonathan Ferguson. That was the first score in an amazing 37-6 run the Wildcats put on the Bearcats from the first quarter through the end of the game. He also connected with Ryan Keeling, Kendrick Holloway and Johnny Knox for touchdown passes.

South Defensive
Curtis Jefferson, West Texas A&M, R-Fr., DB, Houston, Texas/Cy-Ridge In his first collegiate outing, Jefferson led the Buffaloes, and tied for game-high tackle honors, with nine tackles (including an assist on a QB sack). His forced fumble came inside the WT five yard line, preventing a potential Mesa State score.

South Special Teams
Garrett Lindholm, Tarleton State, Jr., Kicker, Pflugerville, Texas/Plfugerville Lindholm scored 15 of the Texans' 51 points, going three-for-three in field goals, including a 46-, 30- and 34-yards... Lindholm was also six-for-six in extra points... The kicker also had three touchbacks on 10 kickoffs and averaged 57.0 yards per kick... Lindholm also had two special teams tackles... He led the conference in scoring on the first weekend of the season both in overall and in kicking.