GLENDORA, Calif. – West Texas A&M showed promise in its 17-7 season-opening loss to Azusa Pacific on Saturday evening at Citrus Stadium in Glendora, Calif. The Buffaloes totaled 305 total yards, 229 on the air and 76 on the ground, while holding the Cougars' All-American wide receiver Weston Carr to 74-yards on six receptions.
After falling behind 14-0 with 4:32 remaining in the first half, Mitch Hood led the Buffs on a 9-play, 81-yard drive to bring the Buffaloes within seven points. Hood found David Leonty for 29-yards on the first play of the drive to put WT inside APU territory. They continued to do damage in the air with Hood finding Semaj Mitchell on 3-and-6 for seven yards. Logan Vallo picked up the first down of the drive on the ground with a 3-yard run to put WT on the APU 30. Following another 5-yard run by Vallo, Hood found Markel Steward for 24-yards to put them at the APU 1. Hood would take it himself on the next play for his first career touchdown to make it 14-7.
Tobias Harris' first career interception on the Cougars first play of the next drive gave WT a chance to cut into the deficit in the final minute of the first half. Duke Carter IV ran for 12-yards on the first play of the drive followed by the a pair of receptions by Mitchell. A 4-yard reception by Payton Gonzales put the Buffaloes inside the APU 10 but they came away empty handed.
Following a Cougar field goal midway through the third quarter to make it 17-7, WT responded with a 14-play, 37-yard drive getting deep into APU territory. Steward was a key player on the drive that ended in a missed field goal with 25-yards receiving on two receptions.
The Cougars looked to put the game out of reach on their following position but Harris came up huge with his second interception of the evening. The Pflugerville, Texas product picked off Tyrone Williams Jr. at the WT 15 before returning it 11-yards with 11:05 remaining in the game. They would reach the red zone one more time in the final five minutes but they came up short on 4th-and-1 to end any chance of a comeback.
Hood finished game with 229 completing 23 of 39 passes while Carter IV rushing for a team-high 54 yards on 13 carriers. James Clark had a team-high eight tackles followed by Eric Collins with 7.5 and Harris with six.
UP NEXT
The Buffaloes host Oklahoma Panhandle State in a non-conference matchup next Saturday, Sept. 8, at 6 p.m.
