Box ScoreSeason StatsPostgame InterviewCANYON, Texas – For the first time since 2012, the Wagon Wheel returns to Canyon as the West Texas A&M football team snapped a three-game losing streak to rival Eastern New Mexico with a thrilling 52-42 victory Saturday afternoon at Kimbrough Memorial Stadium. With the win, WT moved to 4-4 on the year and 3-3 in Lone Star Conference play, while ENMU dropped to 6-3 and 3-3 in conference play.
"We have a great group of guys who like to play football and it showed for four quarters today," WT head coach
Mike Nesbitt said. "This was a really good win for us today as it was good for the seniors this year to get the Wagon Wheel back."
Behind a career-high 387 yards passing from sophomore quarterback
Ethan Brinkley and a career-high 242 yards receiving from senior wide receiver
Xavier Amey, the Buffs withstood a second half rally by the Greyhounds where ENMU took the lead at 42-38 in the fourth quarter, but WT scored the final 14 points of the game to earn the win.
With the win, the Buffs move into no-worse than a three-way tie for third in the conference standings depending on the outcome of the Angelo State vs. Tarleton State game later tonight. Check back with
www.gobuffsgo.com for the latest information on the seeding for the upcoming Lone Star Conference playoff beginning next week.
The win marked the 499
th in school history for the Buffs as WT amassed a season-high 528 yards of offense on 63 plays. The Buffs had 141 yards rushing on 38 carries and the career-high 387 yards passing by Brinkley as he was 18 of 25 with three touchdown passes. WT now is 16-14 all-time against ENMU and 15-13 in the Wagon Wheel Series.
The Greyhounds totaled 462 yards of offense on 324 yards rushing on 56 carries. Quarterback Jeremy Buurma was 8 of 15 with one interception for 138 yards as ENMU entered the game as the nation's leader in passing efficiency. Running back Kamal Cass had 184 yards rushing on 23 carries and three scores, while Cameron Mikell had two touchdowns on 47 yards.
WT freshman defensive back Chaz Slatinski earned his first start of the season and was all over the field, recording a game-high 13 tackles with five solo stops, there tackles for loss and one fumble recovery. ENMU's Brad Hardin had a team-high 11 tackles for the Greyhounds. WT tallied three sacks in the game for 19 yards and 10 tackles for loss for 40 yards, while turning the Greyhounds over four times leading to a 14-7 lead in points off turnovers.
Prior to the game, the Buffs honored 18 seniors playing in their final regular season home game. The 2015 senior class includes;
Geremy Alridge-Mitchell (RB, Dallas, Texas),
Jarrian Rhone (WR, Silsbee, Texas),
Anthony Hayes (DB, Allen, Texas),
Dimitri Donald (WR, League City, Texas),
Xavier Amey (WR, Sacramento, Calif.),
Word Hudson (WR, Sonora, Texas),
Preston Rabb (QB, Llano, Texas),
Elliot Moore (P, Danville, Calif.),
Josh Beal (LS, San Antonio, Texas),
Ethan Morriss (DB, Sonora, Texas),
Elijah Lagafuaina (LB, Mililani, Hawaii),
Nathan Bartley (OL, Waipahu, Hawaii),
Alex Tucci (DL, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.),
Terry Banks (OL, Lakeview, N.Y.),
Stan Hasiak (OL, Kapolei, Hawaii),
John Sheehy (DL, Leander, Texas),
Iosia Iosia (DL, San Francisco, Calif.) and
Jacob Laguna (DL, San Antonio, Texas). This senior class was part of an era that took the Buffs to new heights with the program's fifth conference championship in 2012 a National Semifinal appearance in 2012 and a National Quarterfinal appearance in 2013.
The Buffs took the opening possession and an on a 3
rd and six for the Buffs, Brinkley fumbled on a scramble as ENMU's Lawrence Hall recovered at the WT 29. The Greyhounds used four plays for 29 yards and 1:56 on the clock as Cass scored from 22 yards out on 4
th and two from the WT 22. The Buffs entered the game ranked third in the nation on 4
th down defense as WT allowed just one fourth down conversion in nine tries this season (.111) prior to today. For the game ENMU was 3 of 6 on fourth down.
WT had a nice drive going on its next possession as Brinkley made six of his first seven passes to multiple receivers on the drive getting down to the ENMU 15. An unsportsmanlike penalty moved the Buffs back to the 30. On a second and three, a false start penalty moved the Buffs back to the 28, but Alridge-Mitchell had a great run up the middle for 19 yards getting to the ENMU nine. Brinkley found senior
Jarrian Rhone for a nine yard touchdown pass tied the game at seven with 7:48 left in the first quarter.
Following an ENMU punt to the WT 11, Brinkley connected with a wide-open senior
Xavier Amey for an 89-yard touchdown pass and a 14-7 WT lead with 5:37 left in the first quarter. It marked the longest pass play of the season for the Buffs as Brinkley had two 73-yarders this season.
ENMU's D'Maujeric Tucker took the option and was forced back on first and 10 as senior
Iosia Iosia forced a fumble and sophomore
Hunter Streuling recovered. From there, Alridge-Mitchell scored two plays later for his 11
th rushing touchdown of the season and a 21-7 lead with 4:50 left in the first quarter.
Tucker returned the kickoff 97 yards, but an illegal block in the back was called negating the touchdown. Cass, however, then scampered 56 yards to the WT 18. Cameron Mikell scored from 15 yards out for a 21-14 WT lead with 1:50 left in the first quarter.
ENMU stopped WT deep in its own territory as the first quarter was winding down. The Greyhounds called a timeout to force the Buffs to punt into a North wind at 10 mph. Junior
Felipe Parra punted 25 yards as ENMU began at the WT 41.
Later, Brinkley broke away from a would be sack from Leone Aholelei and tossed a 58-yard strike to Amey for first and 10 for the Buffs at the ENMU 11. From there, a pass to Rhone went back two yards, but Brinkley scampered 12 yards for his first rushing touchdown on a quarterback read option for a 28-14 WT lead with 10:26 left in the first half.
Tucker fumbled for second time in the game as WT regained possession at the ENMU 34 with 9:49 left in the first half. A 34-yard touchdown run by junior
Devon Paye was negated on a holding penalty moving the Buffs to the 44. Sophomore
Dillon Vaughan caught a 38-yard pass down the far sideline to the ENMU six for his first catch of his career. From there, Paye scored on the ground for a 35-14 lead with 9:10 left.
ENMU's Tayshaun Gary ran 55 yards to the WT 22. A holding penalty moved the Greyhounds back to the 32. On a 4
th and 10 from the WT 22, ENMU called a timeout to decide whether to kick a field goal or go for it once again. Out of the timeout, ENMU lined up to go for it and converted a pass to the WT 11 from Buurma to Aaron Johnson. Mikell scored from eight yards out for a 35-21 WT lead with five minutes left in the first half.
After back-to-back sacks by ENMU, the Buffs had to punt on a three-and-out with 2:58 left in the first half. Tucker caught a 17-yard pass and Mikell ran seven yards for a 2
nd and three at the WT 32. Cass scampered 29 yards to the WT five on a 3
rd and 5. Cass scored from one yard out for a 35-28 lead with 1:07 left in the first half.
The 35 points at half were the most the Buffs have scored in a half this season and the most ENMU has allowed in the first half this season as well. The Buffs had 320 yards of offense in the first half with 248 yards passing as Brinkley was 11 of 13 for 248 yards and two scores. Alridge-Mitchell had 12 carries for 64 yards and a score as WT tallied 72 yards on the ground.
ENMU was led by Cass who had 14 carries for 132 yards and two touchdowns as Buurma was 5 of 6 for 47 yards.
After a first down run for the Greyhounds early in the third quarter, Hayes came up with his second breakup on a long pass for a 3
rd and 4. A tackle by the Buffs forced a fourth down. Cass tried for the quick rush, but was stopped by senior
Jacob Laguna and junior
LaPear Willrich turning the ball back over to the Buffs at the ENMU 49.
WT tried to go deep on its possession, but were unable to get a first down. Parra punted and got a great bounce as WT appeared to down the ball at the one, but the referees decided the momentum took the Buffs into the end zone forcing the touchback.
Instead of the ball at the ENMU one, the Greyhounds had a personal foul for a chop block and had a 3
rd and 21. A pass interference penalty on third down bailed ENMU out for a first and 10 at the ENMU 41. Junior
Alex Olson came up with a big sack for a 3
rd and seven. Cass got six yards back for a 4
th and 1 at the 50. Buurma converted on the quarterback sneak. ENMU again got bailed out on a pass interference penalty for the second time on the drive as Cass scored from seven yards out to tie the game at 35 with 3:05 left in the third quarter. ENMU used a 17 play, 80-yard drive consuming 8:37 of time and led 28:15 to 13:40 in time of possession to that point.
Brinkley tossed another long pass to Amey as DeSean Anderson made a shoe-string tackle at the ENMU 27 saving a touchdown. It marked a career-high for Brinkley with 300 yards passing to that point. Amey also, had a career-high 213 yards receiving to that point on five catches. Junior kicker
Conner Hollabaugh kicked a 37-yard field goal giving the Buffs the lead once again with 31 seconds left in the third quarter at 38-35.
On the first play of the fourth quarter, Buurma went up top for a 73-yard touchdown pass to Johnson for a 42-38 ENMU lead marking the first Greyhound lead since a 7-0 lead in the first quarter.
"We told our team to just keep playing, Nesbit added. "We knew they were a good offense and they were going to score and stay out on the field a long time. It was more of don't turn on each other, we've been here and now are we going to come back and play and we did."
Paye broke a tackle and scurried 36 yards on the first play for the Buffs to the ENMU 39. Paye then caught a 35-yard pass out of the backfield to the Greyhound six. Alridge-Mitchell scored his second rushing touchdown of the day from six yards out for a 45-42 lead with 13:08 left. The Buffs went four plays for 75 yards in 1:30 for the score to regain the lead.
ENMU went three-and-out on its next possession with 11:43 left. WT regained possession at its own 43 on a fair catch. WT marched down the field with a nice blend of passes and rushes as Brinkley tossed a fade route to Amey in the back of the end zone for a 52-42 lead with 6:16 remaining. It was the first two touchdown reception game of the season for the Buffs.
Following the touchdown, Cass returned the kick 47 yards, but Buurma threw an interception to redshirt freshman
Lee Anthony Dawson who returned it to the ENMU 37 for 30 yards. It was just the second interception thrown by Buurma this season. It was the 13
th interception for the Buffs this season. ENMU entered the game second nationally in interceptions allowed. Hollabaugh missed a 35-yard field goal wide right with 2:28 left.
Two sacks by the Buffs, one from senior
Iosia Iosia and a sack fumble from senior
Jacob Laguna ended the game as WT took a knee to run out the clock.
