Game Notes in PDF Format

CANYON, Texas  – West Texas A&M looks to keep its three-game winning streak intact as it hosts No. 25 Midwestern State Saturday evening at 7 p.m. at Kimbrough Memorial Stadium in the second annual Highway 287 Challenge Cup.  The Buffs enter with a 3-2 record and a 2-1 mark in Lone Star Conference play, while Midwestern State is 3-1 and 2-1 in league play.
 
HIGHWAY 287 CHALLENGE CUP - This is the second meeting in the second annual Highway 287 Challenge Cup between the two teams.  This weekend, Midwestern State and West Texas A&M will be playing each other in football, men's and women's soccer and volleyball.  Football and women's soccer are in Canyon, while volleyball and men's soccer are in Wichita Falls.  WT won the inaugural Highway 287 Challenge Cup last season, 13-12. 
 
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.
 
LAST TIME OUT AGAINST MIDWESTERN STATE - In a hard-fought game with NCAA playoff implications, the West Texas A&M football team won at Midwestern State in the regular season finale last season, 19-12.  On a very windy day in Wichita Falls, the Buffs used two key interceptions by senior John McSheffery to hold off the Mustangs for the win and secured a spot in the NCAA playoffs.  Both of McSheffery's interceptions, one in each half, stopped big drives for MSU.  Redshirt freshman Patric Youngman had 13 total tackles in the game and six solo stops along with a sack.  Now junior Geremy Alridge-Mitchell had 30 yards rushing and then-senior kicker Sergio Castillo tied his own school record with four field goals.  The lone WT touchdown was scored on a fumble recovery in the end zone by senior Torrence Allen. 
 
INSIDE THE SERIES WITH MIDWESTERN STATE - WT leads the all-time series with Midwestern State 15-12 and snapped a two-game skid and three-of-four with the 19-12 win last season.  MSU leads the all-time series 8-6 in Canyon and won 52-48 in Canyon in 2012.  Prior to that, WT had won the previous three meetings at home.  WT leads all-time in Wichita Falls, 9-4.
 
A WIN OVER MIDWESTERN STATE WOULD. . .

• Give WT a 4-2 record overall and a 3-1 mark in LSC play
• Be Coach Mike Nesbitt's 15th win at the helm of the Buffs
• Be the 493rd win in school history for WT (492-488-22)
• Be the 16th in the series against Midwestern State and second straight
• Give WT a 7-8 record against the Mustangs in Canyon

 
HEATING UP IN OCTOBER - October started off with a bang in the conference as Angelo State upset Midwestern State last week as every game has championship seed implications moving forward.  Texas A&M-Commerce leads the conference standings with a 3-0 mark in conference play, while WT, ASU and MSU are each 2-1.  Saturday, the Buffs host MSU, while TAMUC travels to Angelo State in a big showdown.  The Buffs travel to TAMUC next week.  ASU is at Tarleton State Nov. 1, while TAMUC visits MSU on Oct. 25. The Buffs still have a road game at Eastern New Mexico Nov. 1 to close out the regular season.
 
10TH-STRAIGHT ON HOMECOMING - The Buffs won their third-straight game and 10th consecutive Homecoming game with a 56-21 victory over McMurry last weekend.  WT improved to 44-26-2 on Homecoming.  The Buff "D" shutdown the War Hawks in the second half, holding their second opponent scoreless in the second half this season.  Junior running back Geremy Alridge-Mitchell had his third consecutive 100-yard rushing game of the season with 117 yards and two scores.  Junior quarterback Preston Rabb continues to improve as he went a season-best 25 of 32 with no interceptions, 302 yards and a career-high four touchdown passes, while running for one.  WT has put up 114 points in the last two games which is almost double (60) what it had in the first three games combined.
 
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.  Midwestern State head coach Bill Maskill is in his 13th season at the helm of the Mustangs.  He has a 98-38 record making him the winningest coach at Midwestern State both in terms of total wins and winning percentage while reaching the NCAA Division II postseason in 2004, 2006, 2009, 2011 and 2012.
 
ABOUT THE BUFFS - Starting to click offensively could be stated about this edition of the Buffs.  Junior quarterback Preston Rabb threw for a career-high 495 yards on 34 of 49 with no interceptions and three touchdowns leading the Buffs back Sept. 27 at Angelo State.  He then tossed a career-high four touchdown passes and ran for one in the Buffs' 56-21 thumping of McMurry on Homecoming last weekend.  Junior Geremy Alridge-Mitchell leads the team in rushing with 457 yards on 99 carries and six touchdowns.  He has rushed for over 100 yards in each of the Buffs' three wins this season.  Seniors Anthony Johnson and Jeremy Watson have been outstanding this season at wide receiver.  Johnson leads the team with 34 receptions for 492 yards and four scores, while Watson has 26 catches for 378 yards and three scores.  Redshirt freshman Jordan Jones has been a pleasant surprise this season catching 19 balls for 200 yards and two touchdowns.  In the return game, the Buffs boast one of the best in the league as Alridge-Mitchell has eight kick returns for 322 yards and a touchdown for a 40.2 average which leads the nation.  He also is No. 8 in the country in all-purpose yards at 183.8 per game.  Sophomore Connor Hollabaugh also has been a pleasant surprise going 9 of 10 in field goals and 19 of 21 in extra-points while handling kickoff duties.  Junior punter Elliot Moore has a 41.8 yard average on 24 punts with eight inside the 20 and three over 50 yards.  He ranks 20th nationally in punting.  Defensively, the Buffs are led by redshirt freshman Carter James and sophomore Patric Youngman.  James leads the team with 59 tackles, five tackles for loss and two sacks.  Youngman has 53 tackles with 2.5 tackles for loss and two sacks.  The Buffs have 35 tackles for loss this season in 442 total tackles and nine sacks.
 
A LOOK AT MIDWESTERN STATE - The No. 25 Mustangs look to bounce back from a 45-31 setback to Angelo State at home last weekend.  MSU is 3-1 on the year and 2-1 in league play and are led by   QB Jake Glover, who is averaging 265.0 yards of total offense with 231.5 coming in the air. RB Dante Taylor is second in the LSC averaging 105.0 yards a game rushing with four touchdowns.
Defensively, senior safety Dayvyon Henry leads the team with 30 tackles (7.5 per game), with sophomore linebacker Adam Hill posting 26 (6.5 an outing). Junior safety Marquis Christian is averaging 14.5 tackles an outing, but hasn't played the last two games.
 
TOUGH IN THE SECOND - The Buff "D" shutdown McMurry in the second half Saturday as it allowed no points for the second time this season in the final stanza.  WT outscored McMurry 21-0 in the second half.  WT has outscored its opposition 78-6 in the second half of its three wins this season.
 
GETTIN' THE BLOCK - Junior Alex Tucci and sophomore LaPear Willrich came up with one of the biggest plays in the Buffs' 58-41 victory at Angelo State on Sept. 27.  Tucci decided to rush the punter in the third quarter with WT trailing 41-38.  Tucci got his hands up and blocked the punt while Willrich scooped it up and returned it 48 yards for a score and the go ahead touchdown for WT.  It was the third blocked kick of the season for the Buffs, first for Tucci and fourth of his career.  It also marked Willrich's first touchdown of his career and the Buffs' first punt block for a touchdown since Eric Finefuiaki blocked a punt and scored at Texas A&M-Commerce in 2012.
 
ROCKIN' RABB - Junior quarterback Preston Rabb had has breakout game Sept. 27 throwing for a career-high 495 yards and three touchdowns at Angelo State.  He was a career-best 34 of 49 passing with no interceptions in the game.  Rabb followed that performance with a 25 for 32 outing for 302 yards and a career-high four touchdown passes last week against McMurry.  Rabb 120 of 187 for 1,434 yards and nine touchdowns along with three interceptions for the season.  He also has rushed for two scores.  He is 26th nationally in completion percentage at .642.
 
RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME - The Buffs tallied a season-high three interceptions at Angelo State Sept. 27 leading to 14 points off turnovers.  ASU quarterback Kyle Washington entered the game leading the nation in completion percentage at 85 percent and had just nine misses all season with one interception.  Washington went 26 of 42 against the Buffs and the WT "D" forced him into three interceptions as junior Chris Ceazer, redshirt freshman Hunter Streuling and sophomore Rashawn Dupree each had a pick.  WT then tallied 18 points off of turnovers against McMurry.  It was the second consecutive game the Buffs had not turned the ball over.
 
HOLLABAUGH CAREER GAME - Sophomore place kicker Connor Hollabaugh went a career-best 3 for 3 in field goals against ASU Sept. 27.  Hollabaugh is 9 of 10 in field goals this season and is fifth the nation in field goals per game at 1.80.  He is sixth in field goal percentage (.900) and 42nd in scoring at 9.2 points per game.
 
NATIONALLY SPEAKING - The Buffs are seventh nationally in net punting as junior Elliot Moore averages 39.67 yards net.  WT is fifth in punt returns at 21.00 per return.  The Buffs are seventh in kick returns at 26.55 and are allowing just 1.4 sacks per game which is 39th nationally.  WT is 10th in red zone offense at 0.920.  Individually, Geremy A-Mitchell is eighth in all-purpose yards at 183.80 and leads the nation in kick returns at 40.3.  Quarterback Preston Rabb ranks 15th in completions (24.00), 17th in passing yards (1,435) and 21st in passing yards per game (287.0).  Redshirt freshman Carter James is 16th in total tackles at 11.8 per contest.  Sophomore Patric Youngman is 30th in total tackles at 10.6.
 
JOHNSON OVER 100 RECEPTIONS - Senior wide receiver Anthony Johnson moved over 100 career receptions with nine against Tarleton State (Sept. 13) and now has 121 for his career.  He needs 25 receptions to break into the top 10 in school history.
 
JOHNSON CLOSING IN ON TOP TEN IN RECEIVING - Anthony Johnson also is closing in on the top 10 in receiving yards as he has 492 for the year to go along with 1,294 last season for 1,786 for his career.  He is 166 yards away from the top 10.