Game Notes PDF Format

CANYON, Texas – Fresh of its thrilling 24-21 upset win over then-No. 7 Colorado State-Pueblo, the West Texas A&M football team closes a three-game home stand Saturday with UT Permian Basin in the 2017 Lone Star Conference opener at Kimbrough Memorial Stadium.  Kickoff is set for 3 p.m.
 
OPENING DRIVE NOTES

• WT battled back from a 21-3 deficit with 21-unanswered points, and 13 in the fourth quarter, for a thrilling 24-21 win over then-No. 7 Colorado State-Pueblo last week.
• Senior linebacker Daelin Young and freshman kicker Alex Schrag were named LSC Players of the Week following the win.The Buffs forced four, second half turnovers and three on three consecutive possessions against CSUP leading to 13 points off the miscues.
• WT is 199-155-4 (.582) at home since 1946 and 166-130-3 (.560) at Kimbrough Memorial Stadium since it was built in 1959.
• UT Permian Basin is 0-2 on the year after losses to Sul Ross State and Lamar.The Falcons have lost 11-straight games since starting their inaugural season 2-0 last year.The first loss of the streak came against WT on Sept. 18, in a 48-14 win by the Buffs as the game was halted the previous night due to a tornado in the Odessa area.
• The win over CSU-Pueblo marked the sixth-straight season of a win for the Buffs against a ranked team.
• The Buffs dropped a 24-13 decision in Hughes' first game, but WT had a chance with a minute left on a game-winning drive before a fumble return for a touchdown by the Cougars sealed the game.
• The Buffs were picked seventh in the preseason Lone Star Conference Poll as voted on by coaches, sports information directors and select media representatives throughout the league.
• UT Permian Basin tied for eighth in the preseason coaches' poll and received one first place vote.
• WT senior offensive lineman Dillon Vaughan has been nominated for the Allstate Good Works Team and for the National Football Foundation National Scholar-Athlete Award.
• Young was named a D2 Football Preseason All-America candidate this year as he led the team in tackles last season with 78, along with 15.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks.Young played defensive line last season before switching back to linebacker this year.
• The Buffs are receiving votes in the AFCA Coaches' Poll after the 24-21 upset win over CSU-Pueblo on Saturday evening.It's the first time WT has been receiving votes since 2014.

• For the latest on WT Athletics, follow the Buffs/Lady Buffs via social media on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.Also, check back with www.gobuffsgo.com for the latest information on news, statistics, tickets and more on all of West Texas A&M athletics.

 
INSIDE THE SERIES

• WT leads the all-time series 1-0 after a 48-14 win at historic Ratliff Stadium last season as the game was moved to Sunday from Saturday evening due to tornadoes in the Odessa area.
• The Buffs scored first on a field goal, but a fumble returned for a score gave UTPB a 7-3 lead, but the Buffs answered in a big way, scoring the next 45 points straight as UTPB scored a late touchdown for the 48-14 margin.
• WT outgained UTPB 460-262, including a 361 to 145 margin through the air as now-senior Ja'Quarius Daniels had a game-high nine catches for 69 yards and a touchdown.Senior return man P.J. Leonce had a game-high 175 all-purpose yards with 31 receiving yards, 48 kick return yards and 96 punt return yards and a punt return touchdown.
• Defensively, WT forced 13 tackles for loss and four sacks in the game.

 
MEET THE COACHES

• WT head coach Hunter Hughes is in his first season at the helm of the Buffs as he was hired from Colorado State-Pueblo on Dec. 13, 2016 as the 28th head coach in WT history.
• Hughes spent 10 years as Defensive Coordinator at CSUP where he guided the ThunderWolves to the program's first national championship in 2014 with a 13-0 shutout of Minnesota State.Hughes had a tremendous track record at CSUP as one of the top defensive units in the nation.
• He was named Footballscoop.com Division II Coordinator of the Year finalist in 2014 and his "D" led all of Division II in scoring defense (12.8 ppg) INT's (29), defensive touchdowns (7) and turnovers gained (43).
• UT Permian Basin head coach Justin Carrigan is no stranger to the Lone Star Conference as he spent the last five years as an assistant at Tarleton State, including his final three years in Stephenville as offensive coordinator and a conference championship in 2013.  Carrigan graduated from Angelo State in 2003 where he was a two-time All-LSC safety and he also worked at UTEP and Midwestern State.
• He is 2-11 in his second year as head coach of the Falcons.

 
A WIN OVER UT PERMIAN BASIN WOULD . . .

• Give WT a 2-1 season matching each of the last two seasons starts for the Buffs
• Give WT a 2-0 record against UTPB
• Be the 200th home victory since 1946 and the 167th victory at Kimbrough Memorial Stadium
• Be the seventh time in the past eight seasons WT has opened LSC play with a victory
• Give head coach Hunter Hughes a 2-1 record in his first season at the helm of the Buffs
• Give WT a 5-4 record on Sept. 16 since 1946 and a 5-2 mark at home on this date
• Be Hughes' first LSC win in his coaching tenure
• Hand UTPB its 12th-straight loss dating back to last season

 
LOOKING AT UT PERMIAN BASIN

• The Falcons enter with a 0-2 record after a 72-6 loss at Division I Football Championship Subdivision foe Lamar last week.
• UTPB has lost 11-straight games dating back to last season, which is the fifth-longest streak in NCAA Division II currently as Simon Fraser has lost a division-high 25 games.
• The Falcons rank second in the LSC in fumbles recovered with two, while leading the LSC in passing yards per completion at 17.64 which is good for sixth nationally.
• UTPB is third in the LSC in tackles for loss allowed (6.50) and team tackles for loss (8.0).
• Keegan Gray ranks fourth nationally in forced fumbles (2), eighth in fumbles recovered (2) and eighth in tackles for loss per game (2.8).
• Punter Bailey Giffen is second in the LSC and 28th nationally in punting at 40.9 yards per punt.
• Alonso Corral leads the team on the ground with 53 yards rushing on 11 carries, while Jake Anglin has seven catches for 113 yards to lead the team in receiving.
• Bushland native Kameron Mathis, Caden Coots and Michael Myers have alternated at quarterback this season as Mathis is 7-18-2 for 165 yards and one score, while Coots is 7-27-2 for 112 yards and Myers is 11-19-1 for 164 yards and two scores. All three have played in both games thus far.
• Gray leads the team in tackles with 24 and tackles for loss at 5.5 per game with one BU, three hurries one fumble recovery and two forced fumbles.
• Chris Hoad is second in tackles with 23 and one tackle for loss.
• UTPB is averaging 57.0 yards on the ground, 220.5 through the air and 277.5 overall.
• Turnovers have been a problem for the Falcons as they have eight turnovers in two games.

 
BUFF NEWS AND NOTES

• WT battled back from a 21-3 deficit, forcing four, second half turnovers and scored 13 points on three-straight Colorado State-Pueblo turnovers for a thrilling 24-21 win over the No. 7-ranked ThunderWolves last week.
• Freshman kicker Alex Schrag kicked his third field goal of the game with eight seconds left for the win as he hit field goals from 23, 27 and 28 yards, while going 1 for 1 in extra-points and handling kickoff duties.
• Sophomore fullback Jordan Johnson had 66 yards on the ground and a score, while senior tight end Junior Pome'e had 35 yards receiving and senior Ja'Quarius Daniels had a touchdown reception.
• Both redshirt freshman quarterback Justin Houghtaling and junior Ben Arbuckle saw action in the game.Arbuckle went 4 of 7 for 39 yards and a score, while Houghtaling went 4 of 11 for 51 yards.
• Senior linebacker Daelin Young had nine solo tackles in the game, while freshman Eric Collins had three tackles, one sack and two tackles for loss, along with a forced fumble and a hurry.
• The Buffs are sixth nationally in fewest penalties with five, while ranking second nationally in penalty yards per game (15), penalty yards (30) and fewest penalties per game (2.5).
• WT is seventh in kickoff return defense at 12.0 yards per return, while ranking 18th with three interceptions.
• The Buffs are 21st nationally in time of possession and second in the LSC at 34:29, while ranking 18th nationally in turnover margin at 1.50, which is good for third in the league.
• Sophomore defensive back Kevon Thomas is eighth nationally in interceptions per game at 1.0 as he has two picks, including a pick-six this season.
• Schrag leads the nation in field goals per game at 2.5, while Young is 27th nationally in sacks per game (1.00) and 29th in solo tackles (7.0).
• Check out each Friday on www.gobuffsgo.com, The Game Plan with Hunter Hughes hosted by Lucas Kinsey, the voice of the Buffs.  Kinsey and Hughes will go over the previous week's game and preview the upcoming game and go inside all aspects of the program.
• The Buffs have seven home games this season marking the most since 1989.WT will host CSUP Saturday and UT Permian Basin next week to close out a three game home stand to begin the season.
• WT is 44th in total defense, holding teams to 312.0 yards per game which is fourth in the LSC, while averaging 270 yards on offense in the two games this season.
• The Buffs are 41st nationally in red zone offense and second in the LSC at a .857 clip.