Game Notes in PDF Format

CANYON, Texas  – The Buffs look to get back on the winning track on Senior Day as they host Texas A&M-Kingsville at 3 p.m.  Prior to the game, the Buffs will honor 15 seniors playing in their final regular season home game.  
 
SENIOR DAY 2014 - The 2014 senior class includes; Anthony Johnson, Stormy Butler, Jeremy Watson, Venric Mark, Markus Pierce-Brewster, David Lehocky, Torian Oakley, Derrick Thomas, Brandon Green, Marcus Clements, Emory Atterberry, Stephan Dube, Arthur Fatu, Jacob Hancock, and Meili Valele.  Best of luck to each of them in their future endeavors!
 
PINK OUT SATURDAY - Saturday's game against Texas A&M-Kingsville is the Pink Out game as all WT fans are encouraged to wear pink to support breast cancer awareness.
 
COMING DOWN THE FINAL STRETCH - With two regular season games left, the conference race is getting tight.  Texas A&M-Commerce has a two game lead on the rest of the league, while there is a four-way tie for second with four times having identical 3-2 records in league play.  WT has tie breakers over Midwestern State and Angelo State, while Tarleton State has the head-to-head against the Buffs.  WT hosts TAMUK and travels to Eastern New Mexico (Nov. 1), while Angelo State hosts Eastern New Mexico and travels to Tarleton State.  Midwestern State hosts Texas A&M-Commerce and travels to Texas A&M-Kingsville, while Tarleton State is at McMurry and hosts the Rams on Nov. 1.  The top four teams will have a shot at the conference tournament title with No. 1 hosting No. 4 and No. 2 hosting No. 3 on Nov. 8.  The winners will play the following week as will the losers of those games.  Nos. 5-8 will follow the same format.
 
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. 
 
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 TEXAS A&M-COMMERCE - No. 23 Texas A&M-Commerce scored the first nine points of the game in the first quarter, but the Buffs battled back for a 14-9 lead in the second quarter.  TAMUC responded with a 1-play touchdown pass for a 16-14 lead and then used an onside kick and fake field goal to take a 23-14 lead into half.  From there, TAMUC outscored the Buffs 25-7 in the second half for a 48-21 victory.  Despite the loss, WT junior running back Geremy Alridge-Mitchell tallied his fifth consecutive 100-yard rushing game and third consecutive game of two touchdowns on the ground.  He finished the game with 160 yards rushing on 28 carries and two scores.  A season-high four turnovers, including three interceptions doomed the Buffs as TAMUC scored 34 points off the four miscues. 
 
INSIDE THE SERIES WITH TEXAS A&M-KINGSVILLE - TAMUK leads the all-time series 16-11-1.  WT has won three straight in the series and seven of nine dating back to 2005.  This is the first time TAMUK has played in Canyon since a 23-17 overtime victory by the Javelinas in 2009.  WT lost in Kingsville in 2010 and won two times over TAMUK in the Lone Star Football Festival in Arlington, Texas, in 2011 and 2012 and won last season in Kingsville.  TAMUK leads the all-time series 8-3 in Canyon.
 
A WIN OVER TEXAS A&M-KINGSVILLE WOULD. . .

• Give WT a 5-3 record overall and a 4-2 mark in LSC play keeping the Buffs tied for second in the league standings
• Be the 12th win over TAMUK (11-16-1) and fourth straight win over the Javelinas
• Be Coach Mike Nesbitt's 16th win at the helm of the Buffs (15-6)
• Be the 494th win in school history for WT (493-489-22)
• Be the fourth win in Canyon over the Javelinas since 1946 (3-8)

 
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-Kingsville interim head coach Jaime Martinez took over the head coaching duties on Oct. 13, 2014.  Martinez was the offensive line coach prior to being elevated to interim head coach after former head coach David Calloway was relieved of his duties.  Martinez was a standout for the Javelinas from 1992-1995 on the offensive line. 
 
ABOUT THE JAVELINAS - TAMUK has struggled this season going 1-6 and 0-5 in conference play.  The Javelinas have dropped five straight games since a 17-14 victory over Colorado Mesa the second game of the season.  During the skid, TAMUK has been outscored by double-digits in four of the five games (L, 27-21 at McMurry), including a 57-31 setback against Angelo State last week.  TAMUK is led by quarterback Trey Mitchell who leads the team in rushing as well.  Mitchell has 70 carries for 391 yards and six touchdowns on the ground, while going 48 of 104 for 490 yards with seven interceptions and two touchdowns passing.  Jordan Thomas leads the team in receptions with 23 for 350 yards and two touchdowns.  The Javelinas have thrown just four touchdowns this season and ran for 11.  Joe Crowe leads the team in kick returns at 20.31 per returns on 13 returns for 264 yards.  Defensively, the Javelinas are led by Trevor Pesek who has a team-high 64 tackles with 3.5 tackles for loss and one sack.  He has one of two interceptions for the year and three quarterback hurries.  Braedon Robinson has 36 total tackles, but has been a beast behind the line of scrimmage for 10.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.  Henry Greathouse is second in tackles for loss with six.  Special teams wise, the Javelinas have three blocked punts on the year to lead the LSC and defensively they allow just 1.29 sacks per game which is 27th nationally and second in the LSC.
 
ABOUT THE BUFFS - The Buffs are led by Alridge-Mitchell on the ground as he has 160 carries for 765 yards and 10 touchdowns while averaging 109.3 yards per game.  Junior quarterback Preston Rabb has thrown 1,900 yards and 12 touchdowns in his first season behind center.  He is 155 of 251 with six interceptions on the year and averages 271.4 yards per game.  Rabb also has 90 yards rushing on 41 attempts with two rushing touchdowns.  Senior wide receiver Anthony Johnson leads the team in receptions with 45 and 673 yards along with four touchdown catches.  Senior Jeremy Watson has 34 receptions for 516 yards and five touchdowns, while redshirt freshman Jordan Jones has 24 catches for 277 yards and two scores.  Alridge-Mitchell also leads the return game as he has 13 kick returns for 441 yards and one touchdown.  Defensively, redshirt freshman Carter James leads the team in tackles with 87 and has a team-high eight tackles for loss for 35 yards and three sacks.  Sophomore Patric Youngman is second in tackles with 67, while senior Torian Oakley leads the team with two interceptions.  Junior punter Elliot Moore has been outstanding this season as he is 17th nationally in punting at 41.9 yards per punt.  Sophomore kicker Conner Hollabaugh is 11 of 13 in field goals and 26 of 28 in extra points.
 
IN THE RED ZONE - The Buffs rank fifth nationally in red zone offense at a 0.909 clip which also is tops in the LSC.  WT is 30 of 33 in the red zone this season with 20 touchdowns. 
 
STRONG IN THE SECOND HALF - The Buffs have outscored the opposition 122-73 in the second half this season.  In the Buffs' four game winning streak, they outscored the opponents 95-13.
 
A FOR ALRIDGE-MITCHELL - Junior running back Geremy Alridge-Mitchell has become the featured running back for the Buffalo offense this season as he tallied his fifth consecutive 100-yard rushing game of the year with 160 yards on 28 carries at then-No. 23 Texas A&M-Commerce last week.  He also tallied two touchdowns for the third consecutive game.  Alridge-Mitchell is 25th nationally in rushing yards (725) and 26th in scoring (9.4), while ranking 31st in yards per game at 109.3 which is good for third in the LSC.
 
STRONG ON THE GROUND - The Buffs tallied a season-high 245 yards rushing against the Lions last week at Texas A&M-Commerce.  It was the first time this season WT has tallied over 200 yards rushing.  Conversely, the Buffs had their lowest output of passing yards of the year at 153. 
 
JOHNSON MOVES INTO TOP 10 - Senior wide receiver Anthony Johnson tallied 58 yards on five catches last week at Texas A&M-Commerce as he passed Duane Joubert (1992-95, 1,952 yards) for 10th all-time in career receiving yards with 1,967.  Johnson also is closing in on the top 10 in receptions.  He has 45 for the season to go along with 87 from last year for 132.  Johnson needs just 14 to tie Ramon Perry (2005-06) with 146. 
 
RHONE IN THE END ZONE - Junior wide receiver Jarrian Rhone who has been hampered by an injury this season, caught his first touchdown pass of the year getting the Buffs on the board at Texas A&M-Commerce last week.  It was Rhone's eighth career touchdown reception. 
 
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 Oct. 12.  He had a sack in the game and a career-best three tackles for loss for nine yards.  For the season James has 87 tackles and ranks ninth nationally in tackles per game at 12.4.  He is the third Buff (Geremy Alridge-Mitchell, Jeremy Watson) to earn LSC Player of the Week accolades this season.
 
TWO FOR 100 - Senior wide receivers Anthony Johnson and Jeremy Watson each went over 100 yards receiving against MSU Oct. 12.  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 is third nationally in kick returns at 33.9 yards per return.  A-Mitchell has 13 kick returns for 441 yards and a touchdown this season.  Alridge-Mitchell ranks sixth nationally in all-purpose yards at 193.57 per game.
 
HOLLABAUGH RANKS HIGH - Sophomore kicker Connor Hollabaugh had two field goals against Midwestern State on Oct. 12 as he is 11 of 13 in field goals and 26 of 28 in extra-points.  Hollabaugh ranks 16th nationally in field goal percentage (.846) and ninth in field goals per game (1.57).
 
SOMETHING TO GIVE IN THE PASSING GAME - The Buffs rank fourth in the LSC in passing at 278.3 yards per game.  TAMUK is third in passing defense at 227.4 yards per game.  TAMUK also is fifth in the LSC in rushing offense at 175.7 yards per game.  WT is sixth at 161.6.