Game Notes in PDF Format

CANYON, Texas  – The West Texas A&M football team returns to the road in a key Lone Star Conference matchup at league-leading #23 Texas A&M-Commerce Saturday night at 7 p.m.  The Buffs are 4-2 on the year with a 3-1 record in Lone Star Conference sitting second in the standings, while TAMUC is 5-1 and 4-0 in conference play. 
 
BEGINNING THE FINAL STRETCH - This game is for the league-lead in the conference race with two games following in the regular season.  If the Buffs win, they will be tied with TAMUC with a 4-1 record in conference play and have the tiebreakers over TAMUC, Angelo State and Midwestern State.  If TAMUC wins, it'll have a two-game lead in the league standings and will have a good shot at the top spot and home field advantage in the conference playoff in November.  WT finishes at home against TAMUK (Oct. 25) and at Eastern New Mexico (Nov. 1), while TAMUC travels to Midwestern State (Oct. 25) and closes at home with McMurry (Nov. 1).
 
JACK FM - In 2014, the Buffs also will have a new radio partner in Townsquare Media and 98.7 KPRF "Jack FM."  With the new partnership, the Buffs have the opportunity to put more sports on the air along with football and basketball.  Calling the action for the Buffs this season is Neil Horn and Brice Edwards. 
 
CALLING THE GAME - This season the Buffs will have a new play-by-play team for road games on KAMR NBC-4 as Clint Brakebill and former Buffalo wide receiver Charly Martin will call the action.  Martin played for WT from 2004-2008 and leads the school record book in pass receptions (244) and receiving yards (4,108).  Martin then had stints in the NFL with Seattle, San Diego, Carolina and San Francisco.
 
HOW TO CATCH THE GAME -  Links to live stats, streaming and information for the game can be found on www.gobuffsgo.com on the football schedule page.
 
NESBITT AND WILD WINGS - This season every Thursday WT head coach Mike Nesbitt will be on Jack FM 98.7 at 7:30 p.m. in a live radio show at Buffalo Wild Wings on S. Coulter in Amarillo for 30 minutes.  Hear Coach Nesbitt speak about the previous week and the upcoming opponent or come into Buffalo Wild Wings for 60 Cent wings and hear the show in person.
 
RECAPPING MIDWESTERN STATE - The Buffs used two goal line stands and stopped No. 25 Midwestern State three times on fourth down in a 34-13 victory last weekend in Canyon.  The Buffs tallied their fifth straight game of over 500 yards of total offense (505) as junior quarterback Preston Rabb passed for 308 yards and threw two touchdowns, while junior Geremy Alridge-Mitchell tallied a career-high 163 yards rushing and two touchdowns on a career-high 33 carries.  WT had two receivers in seniors Anthony Johnson and Jeremy Watson over 100 yards receiving each as Johnson caught six balls for 123 yards and Watson had five balls for 113 yards and two touchdowns.  It was the first time since Nov. 27 at Ohio Dominican in 2013 the Buffs had two receivers with 100 yards receiving in the same game.  Defensively, the Buffs held MSU to just 72 yards passing as MSU went 0 of 2 in the red zone and holding MSU to just 3 of 12 on third down.  The WT "D" held MSU scoreless in the first quarter marking the first time this season WT has held the opposition without a point in the first quarter.
 
INSIDE THE SERIES WITH TEXAS A&M-COMMERCE - WT has won the past six meetings in the series dating back to a 19-17 victory in 2005 in Commerce.  Before that, WT had won just three of the previous 13 meetings.  With the six wins in a row, WT has tied the series at 14-14.  WT has won the last three in Commerce and is 5-5 there since 1946. 
 
A WIN OVER #23 TEXAS A&M-COMMERCE WOULD. . .

• Give WT a 5-2 record overall and a 4-1 mark in LSC play and a share of the LSC lead
• Give WT a 15-14 record in the series with the Lions and the seventh straight win in the series
• Be Coach Mike Nesbitt's 16th win at the helm of the Buffs (16-5)
• Be the 494th win in school history for WT (493-488-22)
• Give WT a 6-5 record against TAMUC in Commerce since 1947
• Would be the second-straight win over a ranked team

 
THE COACHES - West Texas A&M head coach Mike Nesbitt begins his second season at the helm of the program as he took over Aug. 21, 2013.  Nesbitt was the interim head coach all of last season and was elevated to head coach in December following the season.  He is 11-3 in his career as a head coach.  Texas A&M-Commerce head coach Colby Carthel is in his second season at the helm of the Lions.  Carthel came to TAMUC from WT where he was the defensive coordinator for the Buffs for eight years.  He has turned around TAMUC after being 1-10 in 2012 to 7-5 last season and 5-1 so far in 2014.
 
THINGS TO KNOW FOR SATURDAY

• Texas A&M-Commerce leads the league in scoring at 52 points per game, WT is second in scoring defense allowing just 26.7 points per game
• These are the top two passing teams in the league as A&M-Commerce leads the conference at 373.7 yards per game, while WT is second at 298.3 yards per game
• The game features the top two passing quarterbacks in the conference as Tyrik Rollison of TAMUC leads the league at 335.8 yards per game, while Preston Rabb is second at 290.3 yards per game.  Rabb leads the conference in total passing yards at 1,742.
• Features three of the top five receivers in the league as WT's Anthony Johnson is second at 102.5 yards per game, while Ricky Collins of TAMUC is third at 102.2 yards per game and TAMUC's Vernon Johnson is fifth at 83.3 yards per contest.  Between the three, they have accounted for 16 touchdowns, 1,728 yards and 118 receptions.
• Colby Carthel recruited a number of the Buff upperclassmen on defense when he was the Defensive Coordinator for the Buffs prior to taking the Commerce job following the 2012 season.
• Defensively the game features two of the top three tacklers in the league as WT redshirt freshman Carter James leads the league with 80 tackles while TAMUC's Charles Woods is tied for second with 71.  James is averaging 13.3 tackles per game while Woods is averaging 11.8.

 
JAMES NAMED LSC DEFENSIVE POW - Redshirt freshman linebacker Carter James was named LSC Defensive Player of the Week after recording a career-high 21 tackles with nine solo stops and his fourth game of double-digit total tackles in the Buffs' 34-13 upset win of No. 25 Midwestern State Saturday.  He had a sack in the game and a career-best three tackles for loss for nine yards.  For the season James has 80 tackles and ranks fifth nationally in tackles per game at 13.3.  He is the third Buff (Geremy Alridge-Mitchell, Jeremy Watson) to earn LSC Player of the Week accolades this season.
 
RETURNING TO THE POLL - For the first time in four weeks, the Buffs returned to the AFCA Coaches' Poll as among others receiving votes.  WT began the season 11th and was 22nd following the Colorado State-Pueblo game and dropped completely out following the Tarleton State game.
 
SCORELESS FIRST - The Buffs held Midwestern State scoreless in the first quarter Saturday as it was the first time WT has held the opposition scoreless in the first quarter this season.
 
ALRIDGE-MITCHELL OVER 100 - Junior running back Geremy Alridge-Mitchell tallied his fourth consecutive 100-yard rushing game with a career-high 163 yards on a career-best 33 carries.  Alridge-Mitchell had two touchdowns for the second straight game on the ground.  Alridge-Mitchell has 132 carries for 605 yards and eight scores for a 100.8 yards per game average which is third in the LSC.
 
JOHNSON CLOSING IN - Senior wide receiver Anthony Johnson is closing in on the top 10 in receptions and yards.  He tallied six catches for 123 yards against Midwestern State bringing him within 43 yards (1,909) of the top 10 in school history (Duane Joubert, 1992-95, 1,952 yards).  Johnson also is closing in on the top 10 in receptions.  He has 40 for the season to go along with 87 from last year for 127.  Johnson needs just 19 to tie Ramon Perry (2005-06) with 146. 
 
TWO FOR 100 - Senior wide receivers Anthony Johnson and Jeremy Watson each went over 100 yards receiving against MSU last week.  It was the first time WT has had two, 100-yard receivers in a game since Nov. 30, 2013, at Ohio Dominican. 
 
ALRIDGE-MITCHELL WITH THE RETURN - Junior Geremy Alridge-Mitchell has been outstanding this season in the kick return game as he leads the nation at 41.0 yards per kick return.  A-Mitchell returned one kick 47 yards against Midwestern State Saturday.  He has nine returns for 369 yards and one score this season.
 
HOLLABAUGH RANKS HIGH - Sophomore kicker Connor Hollabaugh had two field goals against Midwestern State Saturday as he is 11 of 12 in field goals and 23 of 25 in extra-points.  Hollabaugh ranks sixth nationally in field goal percentage (.917), third in field goals per game (1.83) and 33rd in scoring at 9.3 points per game.  Saturday's game features two of the best kickers in Division II as TAMUC has the national leader in field goals per game Saul Martinez at 2.17 per game.  Martinez also is the reigning LSC Special Teams Player of the Week.
 
GOOD ON FOURTH - The WT "D" got tough on fourth down against Midwestern State as the Mustangs turned the ball over three times on fourth down.  WT had two goal line stands in the game, too.
 
IN THE RED ZONE - The Buffs rank fourth nationally in red zone offense which leads the conference at a .931 clip.  WT is 27 of 29 in the red zone this season. 
 
STRONG PUNTING - WT is second nationally in net punting at 40.44 per punt.  Junior punter Elliot Moore has been outstanding this season as he ranks 14th in punting at 42.4 yards per punt.  Moore has 27 punts with two touchbacks, nine inside the 20 and four of over 50 yards.  On one punt last week, he pinned the Mustangs at their own one yard-line.  It was the second consecutive week Moore put the opposition on its own goal line.
 
RABB RESPONDING - Junior quarterback Preston Rabb has been outstanding in the Buffs' four game winning streak.  He is 138 of 213 with three interceptions, 11 touchdowns and thrown for 1,742 yards this season.  During the winning streak, he is 92 of 130 with two interceptions and 10 touchdowns for 1,285 yards.  Rabb is 19th nationally in completion percentage (.648), 18th in completions per game (23), 30th in passing efficiency (147.8), 39th in passing touchdowns (11), 19th in passing yards (1,743) and 22nd in passing yards per game (290.5).  He has thrown for 300 or more yards in three consecutive games.
 
ALL-PURPOSE ALRIDGE-MITCHELL - Junior Geremy Alridge-Mitchell ranks seventh nationally in all-purpose yards at 188.17.  He leads the team with 1,129 all-purpose yards with 605 rushing, 155 receiving and 369 kick return yards.
 
JOHNSON RIGHT UP THERE - Senior wide receiver Anthony Johnson ranks 16th nationally in receiving yards with 616 and is 21st nationally in receiving yards per game.  He also ranks 25th in receptions per game at 6.7 per contest. 
 
STRONG IN THE SECOND HALF - The Buff "D" continued to impress in the second half, outscoring the Mustangs 17-7 in second stanza.  For the four-game winning streak, WT has outscored the opposition 95-13.