Football | 10/1/2011 9:06:00 PM

Box Score [Box score]

ABILENE, Texas - Abilene Christian decided to show what earned it the No.11 ranking in the country as the Wildcats came out and put 24 points on the board in the third quarter in a 51-35 win Saturday (Oct. 1), at Shotwell Stadium.

Abilene's quarterback Gabe Mitchell threw for 356 yards and two scores, while also adding one on the ground to help the Wildcats defend their home turf. Taylor Gabriel added 90 yards receiving and 93 on punt returns. Daryl Richardson had 101 yards and touchdown on the ground.

The Wolves (3-2, 3-0 GNAC) played the Wildcats evenly throughout the game but it would come down to two punt returns by Gabriel which ultimately proved the difference.

The first was a controversial call with 1:53 remaining the in the first half and the game tied at 14-14 that seemed to turn the tide in the Wildcats' favor. Gabriel received a punt when he appeared to have his knee down, but no whistle was blown and he returned it 35 yards into Wolves' territory to set up a touchdown right before halftime for the Wildcats. They would take a seven-point lead (21-14) on the touchdown run by Mitchell and would never give it back.

The next was a 55 yard return midway through the third quarter which extended ACU's lead to 38-21.On the play Gabriel wove his way through the onslaught of pursuing WOU defenders to reach to endzone and put the Wildcats in front 38-21.

Western Oregon's quarterback Evan Mozzochi threw for a career-best 365 yards and three touchdowns in the game. Both Trevor Gates and Josh McFarland went for over a 100 yards in the contest. Gates followed up his 163 yards from last week with 111 yards and seven catches this week. McFarland had a career-high 114 yards receiving on six catches, and also added a 73-yard touchdown reception. Kenneth Haynes posted 121 yards from scrimmage with 81 rushing yards and 40 receiving yards.

Both teams were neck-and-neck in that first half before the controversial no-call on the punt return. Abilene Christian took the initial lead with a fourth down conversion at the goal line on its first drive. Western Oregon would answer back right before the end of the first quarter on a two yard touchdown run by Kenneth Haynes to cap off a seven play, 90 yard drive.

After another touchdown run by ACU, it was Scott Buche scoring on his first touchdown reception of his career to knot the game at 14-14. The score would stand that way until right before the half when Mitchell found paydirt from seven yards out.

In the third quarter, the teams would combine 38 points. ACU got the first of three second half field goals from Morgan Lineberry. Then Josh McFarland scored on a 73-yard touchdown strike from Mozzochi to bring the game back to 24-21. The Wildcats answered with the first of their two long touchdown pass of the quarter when Mitchell hooked up with Darian Hogg on a 47-yard bomb.

Gabriel extended Abilene Christian's lead to 38-21 with his 55-yard punt return for a score. Adryan Allen answered back with a 20 yard touchdown run, cutting the Wildcats' lead to 10 once again (38-28). Mitchell then connected on a 61-yard on touchdown strike with Darren Cantu-Harkless to give the Wildcats a 45-28 lead at the end of the quarter.

Patrick Tepea led the Wolves with 11 tackles and Isaiah Buchanan added 10 solo tackles.

The 35 points put up by Western Oregon was the most points Abilene Christian allowed this season. The 51 points allowed by Western Oregon are the most it has allowed since 2006.

Western Oregon will be on the road again next week to take on Central Washington on Saturday, Oct. 8 in Ellensburg, Wash.