Box Score

Season Stats

GOODWELL, Okla.  – A late fourth quarter touchdown on the ground by junior Devon Paye broke a 21-21 tie as the West Texas A&M football team survived with a 28-21 victory at Oklahoma Panhandle State on the first weekend of the Lone Star Conference Football playoff.  The Buffs won their 500^th game in program history improving to 5-4 on the year, while OPSU fell to 5-4. 
 
"The 500^th win can be traced back to the likes of Joe Kerbel," WT head coach Mike Nesbitt said.  "There have been a lot of guys over the years like "Pistol" Pete Pedro, Mercury Morris, Charly Martin and many others who have put in a lot of hard work for this program.  It also is a testament to the administration and the people in the Panhandle over the years who have committed to the football program."
 
The Buffs will return home to host the winner of Tarleton State and Texas A&M-Kingsville Nov. 14 at 1 p.m. at Kimbrough Memorial Stadium.  Check back with www.gobuffsgo.com for opponent and ticket information when it becomes available. 
 
The Buffs tallied 459 yards for the game on 72 plays.  They had 174 yards rushing on 37 carries and 285 yards passing on 23 of 35 with one interception.  Paye led the way for the Buffs rushing 11 times for 85 yards and a score, while recording three catches for 34 yards and a touchdown.  Senior Geremy Alridge-Mitchell had 20 carries for 80 yards and a score.  Senior wide receiver Xavier Amey, the reigning Lone Star Conference Offensive Player of the Week, had seven catches for 91 yards and a score.  Sophomore quarterback Ethan Brinkley went 22 of 34 for 288 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
 
OPSU was led on the ground by Chris McClendon who had 20 carries for 170 yards and a score.  The Aggies 382 yards of offense with 243 on the ground and 139 through the air.  Quarterback Shane Truelove went 12 of 24 for 123 yards and a score and rushed 10 times for 45 yards. 
 
Defensively, WT tallied 70 tackles with one sack and four tackles for loss, while forcing two fumbles.  Sophomore Trevor Myklebust led the way with 12 tackles and two pass breakups, while sophomore Carter James had 10 tackles with one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. 
 
In a game that went down to the wire as WT led 7-0 at intermission, the Buffs stopped OPSU on its opening possession of the second half as the Aggies tried a little trickeration on a fourth and seven on their own 49.  Following a penalty, WT converted on third and eight with a nice pass from Brinkley to senior Word Hudson to the OPSU 35.  Amey then caught a pass over the middle to the OPSU 19 for another first down.  Brinkley threw his first touchdown pass of the game to Amey for 18 yards and 14-0 lead with 9:10 remaining in the third quarter.
 
OPSU came back with a 19-yard run by Truelove and a big 31-yard run from McClendon for a touchdown pulling OPSU within 14-7 with 5:34 left.  The Buffs marched right back down the field as Paye and sophomore Dillon Vaughan were the stars on the drive as Vaughan caught another pass for 28 yards to the OPSU 23.  On a 1^st and 10 from the 21, Brinkley found Paye out of the backfield for a 21-yard touchdown pass for a 21-7 lead with 2:57 left in the third quarter. 
 
On the ensuing OPSU possession, Truelove rolled out and threw a pass to Andrew Hernandez for 18 yards, but the ball was wrestled away by James for the second WT turnover of the game.
 
Following a punt by the Buffs, OPSU used a 12 play, 88 yard drive in 6:03 as a roughing the passer penalty and a McClendon 25-yard scamper set the Aggies up at the WT seven.  On a 3^rd and goal from the six, WT was called for pass interference in the end zone giving OPSU fresh downs.  Truelove through 1-yard touchdown to J.B. Frontz for a 21-14 WT lead with 9:43 left in the game.
 
Brinkley threw an interception on the next WT play to Xavier Murry who returned it for a score for a 21-21 score with 8:16 left.
 
The Buffs didn't sweat as they put together a great nine play, 65-yard drive consuming 3:49 as Paye and Alridge-Mitchell each had big carries on the eventual game-winning drive.  On a second and five from the 19, Paye rumbled for 19 yards and the score with 4:34 left.
 
OPSU moved the ball down the field courtesy of the halfback toss and pass for 16 yards and a 38-yard pass from Truelove to McClendon to the WT 21 with just over two minutes left.  WT senior Iosia Iosia came up with a tackle for loss on a 3^rd and 10 setting up a 4^th and 12 for the Aggies.  Truelove's pass fell short on fourth down as the Buffs took a knee running out the clock.
 
Following a scoreless first quarter, the Buffs forced a turnover as quarterback Shane Truelove fumbled on the WT 21 as senior Ethan Morriss recovered the miscue for the Buffs with 12:24 left in the first half.  It was just the second time this season WT had been held scoreless in the first quarter. 
 
Amey caught a big pass on a 3^rd and three for 15 yards keeping the drive alive and a great pass from Brinkley to Vaughan for 21 yards to the OPSU 42.  Brinkley connected with Amey for 21 more yards to the OPSU 21.  From there, Alridge-Mitchell carried for 21 yards, including a 12-yard score on a 4^th and 1 from the OPSU 12 for a 7-0 lead with 7:14 left in the first half.