Box Score

Season Stats

CANYON, Texas – The No. 6-seeded West Texas A&M Buffaloes put up a season-high 41 points in the first half en route to a 58-13 victory over No. 7-seed McMurry in the first week of the 2014 Lone Star Conference Football Playoff.  The Buffs improved to 6-4 on the year and secured their tenth consecutive winning season, while McMurry fell to 2-7. 
 
"There was some good energy tonight," head coach Mike Nesbitt said.  "I think the players cleared their heads and blocked out a lot of the outside noise and just started playing tonight."  I was really pleased with them tonight, we tackled well and were physical tonight and it's what you like to see with a young team continue to grow throughout the season."
 
WT amassed 500 yards of total offense in the game with 226 rushing yards and 274 passing, while holding the War Hawks to just 99 yards passing and 112 rushing for 211 total yards.  Alridge-Mitchell had 20 carries for 150 yards and two touchdowns, while senior Venric Mark added 49 yards rushing with a score.  Junior quarterback Preston Rabb went 23 of 28 with two touchdowns and one interception for 226 yards.  He also had four rushes for 26 yards and a touchdown on the ground. 
 
WT took the opening kick and marched right down the field on a steady diet of Alridge-Mitchell as he scampered 40 yards for a touchdown.  Alridge-Mitchell had three rushes for 51 yards on the drive.  The drive went four plays for 64 yards and 1:45 off the clock.
 
On the Buffs' next possession following a McMurry punt, WT drove 55 yards on eight plays with a combination of passes and rushes as Rabb hooked up with senior Jeremy Watson for an eight-yard touchdown strike and a 14-0 lead with 9:25 left in the first quarter.  On the ensuing McMurry possession, Cy Ward's pass was picked off by Rashawn Dupree who returned it 60 yards for a WT touchdown and a 21-0 WT lead.
 
On the first play of the second quarter, the Buffs came up short on 3^rd and goal from the 10.  Sophomore Conner Hollabaugh kicked a 23-yard field goal for a 24-0 lead with 14:13 left in the first half.
 
McMurry got on the board with a big 50 yard pass to Paxton Grayer and then he scampered 29 yards for a touchdown for a 24-7 WT lead with 12:38 left in the second quarter.  Rabb called his own number on the ensuing WT possession as the Buffs went 10 plays for 75 yards and a 31-7 lead with 8:52 left in the half.
 
The War Hawks scored on a mishandled punt return by the Buffs as Marlon Jackson recovered the muffed punt in the end zone for a 31-13 score.  McMurry had the extra-point blocked by Dupree.    The Buffs then took the kick 67 yards as junior Dimitri Donald broke a few tackles setting the Buffs up at the McMurry 14. Hollabaugh added his second field goal of the game for a 34-13 lead with 3:45 left in the half.  WT added a late touchdown as Rabb hooked up with junior Xavier Amey for a 10-yard touchdown and a 41-13 lead with 1:04 left in the half.
 
For the half, WT tallied 298 yards of offense with 140 on the ground and 158 through the air.  Alridge-Mitchell had 113 yards on the ground on 14 carries and one touchdown, while Rabb was 17 of 21 for 158 yards and two touchdowns.  McMurry had 98 yards of total offense with 79 passing yards and 19 rushing yards.
 
In a scoreless third quarter, the Buffs opened the fourth with the second rushing touchdown by Alridge-Mitchell for his sixth consecutive game of two touchdowns on the ground and his 175 yards on the ground was his eighth straight game of over 100 yards and a new career-high.  The Buffs added another touchdown and a field goal for a 58-13 final score.
 
The Buffs will close the 2014 season next Saturday at Eastern New Mexico at a time to be determined in a battle for fifth place in the LSC playoff.  Check back with www.gobuffsgo.com for time of the game.